Until my Last Breath

69

Barcelona, Spain

I'm sitting on the floor across my suitcase packing for the Miami race week, back facing the bed where my phone lays face up, but I might as well be listening to static for all the attention I'm giving it. Marina's voice has been seething at me on speaker for what feels like hours. She's still going. I glance back at Gavi , who's sitting quietly on the bed, his eyes focused on the phone, as though he's trying to absorb the weight of this conversation.

"How could you be so careless, Rita?" Her words are sharp, a tone I haven't heard from her in a long time. "You didn't think I should know about this? Do you know what this looks like? The pictures, the media, the speculation? And I didn't even know about it until now? What are you-who even is he?"

She's angry, yes, but the surprise in her voice is worse. I can almost hear her jaw tighten. She doesn't know what I've been doing, who I've been spending time with. She doesn't know about Gavi-about us-and now, I can tell, it feels like betrayal.

I close my eyes for a second, just to block out the sting of her words. Her judgment feels like a slap. I've been so careful, so private, and she doesn't get it. She doesn't get why I've kept this from her, why I didn't tell her about Gavi. Why I'm keeping so much of it to myself. But that doesn't seem to matter right now.

I can't even bring myself to answer her at first. I just stay silent, staring blankly at the wall. I'm not angry, not exactly, but I feel something tightening in my chest. It's not just guilt-it's disappointment.

"Rita! Are you even listening to me? I've been calling you for days, and all you're giving me is silence? What happened to you? You and I-we've always been transparent with each other, but now, I can't even trust you to tell me the basics about your life?"

Her voice cracks with that last part. The truth stings. I don't answer right away. What can I say?

"I told you I was trying to keep things private," I say quietly my eyes still trained on my suit case as I fold my race suit , but even I know how weak it sounds. I wish I had something stronger to say, something that would make her understand. But instead, I just feel... wrong.

"Oh, don't give me that," Marina snaps. "What, private? No. No. This is different, Rita. You've been on the radar for months now-you've been living your life on display, and you think this is private? The moment you were in that box with him, the world saw it. It's not private anymore."

I swallow, biting down hard on my lip. I know she's right. I had predicted it myself. Unfortunately some fans managed to get some picture of us by the tunnel after the match despite me trying my best to avoid any unnecessary attraction. The photos, the press-they've been everywhere, trending for days. People are commenting on every angle, every glance. I tried to ignore it, but I knew deep down I couldn't. It was only a matter of time before it hit her, before she found out.

I glance at Gavi, and his gaze meets mine, his eyes soft with that unspoken understanding. I can feel his tension too, but he doesn't say a thing. He's letting me handle this, even though I can tell how badly he's affected by it. He's waiting for me to speak, and I can't blame him for that.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Marina continues, her voice shaking with disbelief. "You didn't even mention his name-how long have you known him? And don't tell me you've just met him-because I know for a fact, Rita, you don't just hang out with top class footballers in the middle of the desert. When? Why? How? Why wasn't I involved in this, huh?"

I close my eyes again, trying to block it all out, but the frustration in her voice is like a weight on my chest.

I can't tell her, not yet. Not the whole story. I've kept it this way for a reason.