Page 76 of All at Once

“No I wasn’t right,” he says, now frustrated.

While hesoundsgenuine, I no longer care to hear him out.

“Can we not do this? Today’s supposed to be fun. I told you I’m not mad,” I say with a smile, even though I’m clenching down on my teeth.

I can tell he’s trying not to glare at me, so instead he just looks away, takes a deep breath, and doesn’t continue.

_________

Avoiding Luca isn’t too difficult on our way to the game since Enrique sits in the middle of us on the plane.

As soon as we reachThe Santiago Bernabéu Stadiumin Madrid, my entire body fills with adrenaline. Having watched football matches only through my television screen previously, this is on awholeother level.

The place is packed. And it’s so loud that you have to shout for the person next to you to even hear. I end up squished between Luca and Enrique, so close that, whether I like it or not, my body will likely be touching both of theirs for the entirety of the game. I remind myself it’s all part of the experience, and this particular experience isonce in a lifetime.

“I can’t believe we’re here!” I squeal as soon as the kickoff happens, while we take our seats on Barcelona’s side.

I run my fingers through Enrique’s hair. “Thank you for bringing me here. This was beyond generous of you,” I say, before pulling him to me and kissing him, long enough where Luca will notice. I tell myself it’s because I want to kiss Enrique, but there’s a voice in the back of my head asking if I’d do the same if Luca wasn’t here.

In my mind, he should look jealous if he likes me. Instead, Luca looks like he couldn’t be moreunbothered. Further confirming to me what I already know. He reallydoesn’tgive a shit.

Once Barcelona scores their first goal, Enrique shouts as loud as he can, while Luca mutters under his breath, “Beginner’s luck.”

“That’s all it is,” I agree.

Luca gives me a warm smile, to which I immediately blink and look away before it hasanyweight over me.

Turning our attention back to the game, Real Madrid’s now almost near the opponent’s goal as Luca and my nerves only increase. I must be a mess, when I realize that I’m holding onto his arm, before abruptly letting it go, my heartbeat skyrocketing from the adrenaline of the game and now this brief contact.

When a Real Madrid player is just a few feet away from the goalpost, I yell, “Go, go, go!!” Luca and I wait in anticipation when the ball barely hits the corner, going straight into the net.

Without thought, our hands meet, but when our eyes lock, we both quickly drop our arms to our sides. I almost choke on my laughter, while my stomach does a cartwheel.

Then I glance at Enrique, and tease, “Well, what do you know? We’re making a comeback.”

“I think we are,” Luca adds playfully.

Before we have a chance to grow more confident, Barcelona is halfway toward Real Madrid’s goalpost again.

“No, no!” I shout.

Enrique yells, “Yes, C’mon!”

Even though the defense is doing an unbelievable job at blocking the Barcelona player, he bets his chances on aiming the ball from a farther distance and sure enough hits it right into the center of the net, breaking the tie and surprising the goalie along with the entire stadium.

Enrique grins at us both smugly. “Beginner’s what? I’m sorry?”

With my hands cupping my face, I shake my head and remind, “It’s not over yet.”

“I don’t know. There’s only two minutes left,” Luca points out. “That’s like trying to score 20 points in basketball with the same amount of time.”

I glare at Luca with wide eyes. “And it’s not over yet,” he says as I smile back toward the field.

Happy that my words didn’t come back to bite me in the ass, a Real Madrid player steals the ball from a Barcelonaplayer, tying the game yet again with just under thirty seconds left.

Enrique’s face now drops, and Luca glances at me a bit timidly and says, “I guess it reallywasn’tover yet.”

To my dismay, my heart still flutters from his smile, but I try to casually redirect my attention back to the overtime that’s about to start.

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