Invisible string (Robin Le Normand)

Chapter 17

The next few days, Leire kept writing her smutty book in her free time and struggling to hold eye contact with Robin because her imagination was too wild sometimes. And then, it was time for him to play again. Fran was attending the match but couldn't sit with Leire. Robin could have offered him a ticket to sit with her but he didn't want Fran near Leire so he pretended that wasn't an option.

"I need to pee", said Paddy when the match ended. "Being pregnant is crazy fun".

"But you look gorgeous".

"Thanks, Leire. I don't because I'm so bloated today but it's sweet of you to pretend".

Leire smiled at her friend, who did look gorgeous, and walked to an empty area where Robin was supposed to meet her to take her home. He didn't take long to get there and Leire tried not to stare at him looking so good with his hair still wet.

"Should we get going? It's pretty late".

Robin nodded but he also looked around and noticed something. That was why instead of walking towards the parking lot, he moved closer to Leire, who was frowning at him.

"There are cameras around here. I have to kiss you".

"You have to what?"

But he didn't say more, he just kissed her. They had been acting a certain way lately to sort of confirm what people assumed was happening between them without really confirming anything.

Leire tried not to think too hard about how she had dreamed of that moment for years...and now it happened, it was a fake kiss. A fake kiss that felt quite real.

She had imagined that kiss so many times, she allowed herself to stop thinking while it was happening. She could pretend it was real for a few seconds and deal with reality after it was over.

"Where were the cameras?"

"Oh", said Robin, smirking. "There were no cameras but your friend the journalist was looking at us and I thought that would be a way to shut him up and stop him from approaching us".

"Are you for real? You're disgusting, Robin. Like...what the hell is wrong with you?"

He would like to know the answer to that too. But he just felt the need to mark his territory. Leire was his. She was his friend. Well, she had been his best friend and wasn't now but...Robin needed her to be his best friend again. He needed her to be his everything again.

"Don't overreact".

"Overreact? I should slap your stupid face so I'll leave instead", said Leire who was trying not to yell but Robin could tell how mad she was.

"I'm driving you home".

"I'll walk".

"Don't be ridiculous", but she kept walking. "Leire! You can't walk home. It'll take you longer than an hour".

"There's a train station right outside the stadium. I'll take the train".

"It's the underground. You feel claustrophobic when you have to travel by underground".

She hated how well Robin knew her sometimes. "Stop following me!"

Leire kept walking and soon found Paddy and Marcos walking towards the parking lot. They saw her and noticed something wasn't right.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Robin and I argued so I'm going home by myself".

"Nonsense", said Marcos. "It's too late and you don't know the area well. Anything could happen to you. We'll drive you home".

"You don't have to...".

"We do", told her Paddy, grabbing Leire's hand. "You can stay with us tonight if you don't want to see Robin".

"That sounds good but I'd need to go home to grab some of my things".

"We'll go to your house first then".

They didn't really ask about why Leire was mad on the drive home, choosing to talk about the match instead. Leire was incredibly grateful for that.

"Here we are. We'll wait for you to get whatever you need".

"It's fine", said Leire, ready to leave the car. "You live 3 minutes away from here. I'll walk there".

"You sure?"

"Yes. See you in a bit".

Leire could see the lights were on so that meant Robin had made it home already. No surprise there since Paddy asked Marcos to stop by a supermarket that was still open to get a drink and some sweets she was craving.

"You got home quickly", told her Robin, who was waiting for Leire by the front door. He was so worried something could happen to her.

"Paddy and Marcos offered to drive me home. I'm going to spend the night with them".

"Leire...", he sighed.

"What? It's better I don't see your face and say anything I can't take back. You know all about that, don't you?"

"Believe it or not, I didn't want to hurt you when I kissed you".

"We've been there before. And you hurt me every time".

"And then you run away every time like a coward instead of fighting for us!"

"Don't push me away so often and I'll stop running away from you", was all she said before running up the stairs.

She was back soon, carrying a small bag, and left the house without even saying goodbye. At least Robin knew she'd be safe in his teammate's house but he felt so bad about everything that had happened. Would that be what broke them again? He couldn't even think about it.

Many Atleti players lived in the same neighbourhood so Leire didn't lie when she said it would take her just a few minutes to get to Marcos and Paddy's house. Her friends were waiting for her and had fixed some food they could all have.

"So...what happened?", finally asked Paddy.

"It's just stupid. But people now assume Robin and I are together and because of the whole deal we got going on, we kind of have to play along and he just took it too far. He...he just messed up".

"You sure you two aren't dating? Because you act like a couple".

"We aren't", assured them Leire.

"Why?", asked Marcos. "I'm sorry but I don't get it. I feel like you clearly like each other so it's hard for me to understand why you don't date. I must be missing something big that solves the puzzle".

Leire hadn't talked about what had happened two years ago in so long, it felt weird to say the words but it was also freeing to do it. "I told Robin how I felt about him two years ago and he rejected me. That was why we stopped talking and now...it's like a shadow that never leaves. We both know it happened and can't pretend it didn't".

"What an idiot!", said Paddy.

"I bet he's regretting rejecting you", added Marcos and Paddy nodded but Leire didn't agree with them.

She was there when Robin rejected her and couldn't forget how it felt. If there was someone who regretted what she did, it was Leire. Had she kept her mouth shut, she would still have Robin in her life truly. But she messed up.