A Place for My Heart

chapter 22

Rose

I knocked on the door nervously. I was standing outside Cristiano’s house, he had no idea I was going to come over. It was kind of an impromptu decision, I had been driving home from work, dreading telling Mesut the truth about me and Cris, when I realized I should probably tell Cristiano first.

“What do you want?” He said as he opened the door, rubbing his eyes.

“Cris…you look terrible.” I said, as he opened the door wider to let me in.

“I just woke up.” He groaned.

“It’s like, almost dinner time.”

“I took a nap after training. What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you.” I said, sitting down next to him on his couch. “Caroline knows.”

“Yeah, I know.”                                        

“What?” I exclaimed. “How?”

“I saw her staring at us before I left the party the other night.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He looked at me. “I needed to get out.”

I sighed. “Cris, she told me to tell Mesut before she does.”

He stared at me with panic in his eyes. “He’ll hate me.”

“I need to tell him Cris, it’s killing me to keep something this big from him.”

He nodded slowly, still panicked. “When exactly were you planning to do this?”

“Tonight. I’m going to his house after this.”

Cristiano nodded again. “He deserves to know. I guess you should get going then.”

We got up and he walked me to the door. As I stood in his doorway, I couldn’t stand seeing the hurt in his eyes. I knew how much it hurt him to see me now. I leaned up on my tiptoes and put my arms around his neck, kissing him. He sighed and curled his arm around my waist, drawing me closer to him. He held me for a few seconds, then let me go with a sad smile.

Mesut

“Mesut, we need to talk.”

I was kicking my football around the backyard when I heard Caroline behind me. I turned around and gestured for her to come over and sit next to me. We sat on the ground and she looked at me with a kind of smug, I-told-you-so look.

“What’s up?” I said.

“Your girlfriend isn’t the angel you think she is.” She said.

“Caroline, I don’t want to get into this-“

She held up her hand to stop me. “Just let me finish. Do you know just how close she is with Cristiano?”

I sighed. “They’re best friends.”

“Do you ever get the feeling they might be more than just besties?”

I groaned, standing up. “Caroline, I trust her. I’m not going to sit here and listen to you rag on her again.” I started walking back inside.

“She slept with him.”

I whipped my head around, staring at her. “You’re lying.”

“Why would I lie, Mes? I’m your best friend.” She walked over to me, putting her hands on my shoulders. “I know it’s hard to hear, but it’s true. I overheard them talking, Mes. She’s in love with him.”

“She wouldn’t do that to me,” I whispered, blinking hard to fight the avalanche of tears waiting behind my eyes.

“Oh Mes,” Caroline sighed as she pulled me into a hug.

Rose

I was standing outside Mesut’s door, scared. I rang his doorbell, waiting nervously. Caroline opened the door.

“I need to see Mesut,” I said as I pushed past her into the house.

“He’s in the backyard. I was just leaving,” she said, closing the door behind her.

I walked to the backyard, and saw Mesut sitting on the grass with his knees pulled up to his chest and his head in his hands. I went over to him and sat down beside him.

“Mesut?” I said, pulling at one of his hands, trying to see his face. “Are you okay?”

He looked up at me. His eyes were red and there were tear tracks down his face. “Baby, what’s wrong?” I asked. I didn’t know why I was so stupid. I knew what was wrong, Caroline had told him.

He knew.