A Place for My Heart

chapter 24

Rose

I woke up with my hair haphazardly strewn over Cristiano’s pillow. I groaned incomprehensibly as I sat up, looking over to his side of the bed. All I saw was a note resting on the pillow.

I’m at training. I didn’t want to wake you, I’ll be back by 12. Please stay.

I looked over at the clock on his bedside. It was already 11.30. Shit, I had slept in way too much! I had work today. I sighed, oh well. My boss was going to be pissed, but it wasn’t like I would get fired over missing one day without notice.

I got up and realized I was in Cristiano’s shirt from last night. I screamed internally, sitting on the edge of the bed with my head in my hands. Last night came rushing back to me, and I wanted to slam my head against the wall. Tears began to stream down my face, slowly at first, then gushing out, racing down my cheeks as the realization of what I had done fully dawned on me. Mesut knew. Mesut knew what I had done.

I lay back on the bed and curled myself into fetal position, sobbing quietly. I had made a huge mess of things.

I stayed like that for a few minutes, but after a while I mentally slapped myself. I didn’t want to be this girl. I didn’t want to be the girl that lay around crying about things all day. I had to get up, I had to get on. I had to trust that things would sort themselves out.

I was downstairs trying to make myself some food when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, trapping me in an embrace. I felt his hot breath on my ear as he kissed my neck.

“Hey beautiful,” he whispered into my ear, spinning me around so I was facing him, my back on the kitchen counter.

“Hey,” I said as I wrapped my arms around Cristiano’s neck. “How was training? Did you see Mesut?”

His expression hardened slightly, and his hands around my back balled into fists. “Yeah, I did.” was all he said.

“And…?” I prompted.

“And nothing.” He let go of my waist, walking over to the fridge. “He didn’t say anything, he just talked to Sami and threw angry looks my direction.”

I sighed in relief and threw him an apple, which he caught with his amazing reflexes.

Cristiano

I went upstairs to take a shower, but it was really just an excuse to get away from Rose. I felt awful for lying to her.

The truth was, Mesut had talked to me in training. Well, more like confronted. I turned on the shower and stood under the hot water as I replayed what had happened over in my head, analysing it and trying to decide whether I should tell Rose or not.

Mesut had come up to me as soon as he saw me walk into training. His eyes were red, I could tell he’d been crying. “You can’t take her from me,” he had hissed. “You had your chance, Cristiano.”

I had tried to walk away from him but he stood in my way, pushing his chest out. I think he was subconsciously trying to show his superior masculinity. Whatever he was trying to do, it didn’t work. “Mesut, let her decide.” I sighed.

“She. Is. Mine.”

“Get out of my way,” I said, my anger building. I gave him a light push so I could walk off, but he shoved me back against the wall.

“Mesut, you don’t want to do this….” I warned him, as he tried to pin me down against the wall.

“Why? Because you’re the amazing Cristiano Ronaldo? Because you can get any girl you want?” His breathing was laboured. “You can have anyone, Cristiano! Why her?”

I grabbed his arms and pushed him away from me. “Because she is beautiful, and she has the kindest heart I have ever met. And I love her.”

Mesut screamed in rage, then swung his fist at me, aiming for my face. I grabbed his fist and pushed it back before it met my face, throwing him against the opposite wall. That’s when Sami rushed in and took Mesut away, and I went off to talk to Mourinho.

We didn’t talk for the rest of training, and Sami didn’t mention what had happened. I would have been able to believe it had never happened, if Mesut didn’t keep throwing dirty looks my direction every few minutes.

I stepped out of the shower, drying myself off while walking towards my bed. Rose was lying on it, flipping through TV channels faster than lightning. She stopped when she saw me, putting down the remote and scooting over to the edge of the bed, where I sat down next to her.

“You are so beautiful.” I whispered as I ran my thumb across her cheek. She blushed, and I could feel the hot blood rush to her face under my finger. “I love you.”

“Cris, I don’t…I don’t know what to do.” She muttered, her voice catching in her throat.

“He’ll forgive you.” I said, dropping my hand and staring at my feet. “He’ll forgive you and you can go back to him. You can go back to him and we can forget anything between us ever happened.”

I felt her hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her and she gave me a sad smile. “What if I don’t want to forget us?” She whispered, as her face inched closer to mine.

I grabbed the back of her head and pulled her towards me, kissing her harshly. She lost her balance and fell on top of me, pushing me down on to the bed.

“Tell me how you feel.” I breathed out heavily, my hands resting just above her jeans. “Tell me how you feel about us.”

She didn’t answer me, but leaned down to kiss me again. I wanted an answer, but I wasn’t about to protest as she moved her kisses down my neck, down my abs, and undid my belt, sliding my pants off me. I pulled her back up and kissed her, grabbing a handful of her hair. I tugged at her panties and she took them off, throwing them into the distance.

She moaned as I bit her lip. I was teasing her, caressing her thighs, her bottom, every part of her. She was rocking her hips against mine, her back arched and goosebumps down her arm. I smirked, and then leaned over to the bed stand to get a condom. She ripped the package out of my hands and put it on me, smiling her cheeky little half-smile as she did.

I watched her moan as I entered her, biting her lower lip and closing her eyes.

“I love you.” She whispered as I thrust into her. “I love this. I love us.”