Fools. (Cressi/Lionaldo) (Cristiano Ronaldo/Lionel Messi)

Part Twenty Three.

To: My Babyyy 😍

I know you told me not to message you ever again... I'm sorry about last night, that was... insensitive.

To: Leo

Please Leo...

To: Leo

All I'm asking is for you to call me back.

To: Leo

Just call me... Please.

To: Leo

Don't leave me like this Leo, it's not fair...

*****

Leo ate his food in silence, just staring down at the plate, taking bite after bite. The food was pretty good, and if this were any other time he'd probably appreciate it much more than now. Currently, he felt distracted though, the phone at his side lit up, messages coming in from Cris. Leo felt guilty, obviously, but he didn't have the courage to reply or do anything for the matter... He scraped the plate and took one last bite, all of the food gone.

His eyes naturally drifted down to the phone

Don't leave me like this Leo, it's not fair...

Another message came up after, and another. Asking, no wait, begging for Leo to just call him, or at the very least message him back so he knew he was okay. Leo sighed and looked away, maybe it was better this way. They'd gotten too close, they were too caught up in this imaginary world... It needed to end this way. They couldn't keep doing this, maybe it was fun back in the day, but now they were too attached.

Leo felt a kiss get pressed to his cheek, instinctively he reached over and flipped his phone over so the messages weren't shown. He looked up and seen Anto looking down at him, a smile on her face. She made sure to leave him alone last night, for that he was grateful, unlike Cristiano she understood that he needed time to himself.

"Are you okay?" She asked and Leo nodded slowly, a lie.

Always lying.

"I'm fine, I'm probably going to go um, shower or something though." Hesitantly he stood, she nodded and grabbed his plate off the table. As he turned away, he felt her grab his arm, she pulled him close into a tight embrace. Leo felt guilty, the shame eating him up inside. He needed to end this properly, all the lies. All the secrets. If not for himself, for her...

She let him go and he slowly walked out of the room, down the hallway towards the bathroom. His heart was broken, but he didn't feel pity for himself, he felt it for her. It all hit him like a train, he and Cris weren't only hurting themselves, but they were unknowingly hurting Anto and Gio as well... Leo wiped away a tear as he shut the bathroom door. He grabbed his phone with shaky hands, his fingers already knowing what to do...

He dialed the number and put it up to his ear, he had to do this. They couldn't keep lying... They had to stop...

*****

When Cristiano felt his phone ringing, he didn't hesitate to grab it. Picking it up immediately and pressing it to his ear.

"Leo?" He asked, excitement obvious in his voice. "Leo, I'm so sorry-"

"We need to end this Cris," Leo interrupted him. Crisitano's smile fell quickly, his chest felt like it was caving in.

"Wha... Leo, I know I hurt you, I'm sorry. I was in the wrong okay? I get that now and I'm so sorry," Cris' words were coming out too fast but they needed to be said. He heard Leo sniffle on the other side and it hurt. It hurt so much. "Leo-"

"Cristiano, I'm being serious. We need to stop."

"No-"

"Yes, it's been going on too long-"

"Leo, don't do this to me-"

"Cris, please-"

"No Leo, you're not thinkin-"

"Except I am!" Leo cried out, "I've been thinking non-stop about this! We need to end it, it's gone on too long. I should've done this a long time ago-"

"Leo-"

"I'm blocking this number after I hang up." Cristiano held in his tears, gripping the phone probably a little too tight. "Don't try and convince me not to."

"Why?" His voice was a whisper, he felt like he could barely talk... Barely breathe. His world closing in, he couldn't hear anything else except the breathing through the phone, the static-y silence. "Why?"

"Goodbye Cris," Leo whispered as well and Cristiano couldn't let it end this way. No.

"But Leo-"

"Goodbye Cris."

"But I love you," Cristiano whimpered, it was too late though, his words spoken into nothingness. The other end of the line was dead. No response. Leo didn't hear him. Cristiano pulled the phone away and tried to call him back.

Call failed.

Again.

Call failed.

He opened the messages and tried to reach out that way, his heart pounding too fast. His breaths shallow and his eyes wet with tears. The drops falling down and landing on his phone screen.

*****

To: Leo

Leo, I love you. Don't do this.

Message failed to send.