strangers | james rodríguez

002 | everything

IT WAS AFTERNOON IN the busy Spanish capital of Madrid. Exactly two in the afternoon.

Natalia had just finished filling out a few papers- on a patient she was currently working with. She would need that paperwork for work on Monday morning. Natalia was thankful that they had let her come home earlier, than usual, today.

She couldn't help but hear mumbles and whispers about James whenever she walked by. Especially from three of the nurses, she had to work with. It was as if that was all those nurses could talk about. But those nurses were practically known for being gossipy women.

Natalia was surprised how none of them had gotten fired yet if all they did was gossip, they barely did anything and they always received many, many complaints about patients. She wondered how they have even managed to keep their jobs for so long.

But the question that was in Natalia's mind practically all day was: why was he so important all of a sudden that mad them talk about him?

She didn't really understand why all of sudden they were talking about him- quite frankly she had heard many others talk about him also.

Many of the doctors and nurses she worked with knew she was the ex-girlfriend of the oh-so-famous James Rodríguez. When she began to work at the hospital (that she still worked at now), no one really tried to befriend her or even help her get used to the hospital she even worked at, unless they had too.

Except for Gianna, a French and Spanish twenty-five-year-old. Natalia was always thankful for her because Gianna was the only one willing to actually help her.

When everyone found out Natalia was the girlfriend of the new player that Real Madrid had just signed, she got the attention from everyone. They only used her to try to get close to James and the other players. Everyone tried to befriend her without actually being her friend. Neither did she really like the attention she got at the time for being James' girlfriend but it was something she would have to get used to. Two years later, she still had not gotten used to it, but now she absolutely hated the attention she got for now being his ex-girlfriend.

The curiosity then got the best of her and she somehow ended up searching him up. She carelessly skimmed through the articles, until her attention was put forth an article that almost made her heart stop.

'James Rodriguez will be possibly returning to Real Madrid.'

"Only a few minutes ago, it was announced that James Rodriguez's return to Real Madrid is close to happening. A Spanish source claims that James is interested in returning, after two very successful seasons with F.C. Bayern Munich. Rodriguez left in 2015 for Bayern [on a loan] and might be returning to Real Madrid for the upcoming season. But nothing is official yet."

Natalia immediately stopped herself from reading the rest. She honestly hated when people would confirm rumors that weren't even true. For all she knew, this was only a rumor, that could possibly not even happen.

That article- that she knew was most likely spreading false rumors- still made her feel some way, to many emotions at once to actually explain what she felt. But overall she didn't feel too delighted about it. James and Natalia never really ended on good terms; which didn't help either.

Way before James left for Munich, he had asked her to move with him to Germany but she refused. It may have been selfish of her, but she had her reasons. Either way, James always checked up on Natalia every once in a while, through his friends at Real- since they were very good friends of Natalia, especially Álvaro Morata.

For sure, James had many reasons to return to Madrid and many to stay. One definitely being Natalia, of course. He wanted to see her again, even though they weren't together anymore, good terms or not- he still loved her unconditionally. In his heart, she would forever be the most important and special girl, next to his mother of course.

A girl being one the reasons to where he would possibly end up didn't sound very well. His parents wouldn't be too proud of his thinking. But no matter what, his parents always loved Natalia. James and Natalia had been best friends since they were fifteen. It surprised both families when James and Natalia ended their relationship because they always thought they were perfect and would end up marrying each other.

He always felt guilty and responsible for who was to blame for what had happened between them, James knew he was the reason for why they had broken up.

-

Over the long days in Munich, James began to grow anxious as the season was soon coming to an ending. The season-ending meant he would have to make a decision on where he would go. He wanted to get over with all of it - but he also felt he wasn't ready to make a decision, he was absolutely indecisive and he hated it. His mind was all over the place.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the two amazing years in Germany - he actually loved Munich. But he felt in his heart that everything wasn't the same. It wasn't right.

He missed playing for his favorite club, the one he dreamt of playing for. Madrid was his home away from his actual home, his beloved Colombia. James also missed his annoying and childish friends he left behind in Madrid.

When he had found out that Real Madrid was interested in having him for a second time, he was absolutely thrilled about it. But it didn't mean he wanted to return. He hadn't even agreed to anything, and everyone was already saying he would return. Neither had he done anything to get him any closer to moving back.

James knew very well that if he did move back, he wouldn't always be the starting eleven and he wouldn't get all the time he wanted. All of this was what practically drove him to move away from Madrid in the first place. But James was willing to risk just about everything, to get another shot with Natalia.

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