Mía's POV

Mapi had been observing us in silence for about ten minutes. Our drinks had arrived, and the ice in her soda was starting to melt. Alexia was fidgeting her leg under the table, and I felt like my heart might jump out of my mouth at any moment.

"Um..."I cleared my throat "Well, what..."

"Since when are you two sleeping together?" she interrupted.

"Damn it, Mapi..." Alexia groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

It was a good question. Since when were we sleeping together? Were we technically "sleeping together"? I looked at the blonde beside me, who was still trying to hide from the world between her palms. Mapi was staring at me intensely, making me swallow nervously. I didn't know what to answer. It had only happened once. It would be weird if I said no, and it would also be weird if I said yes.

"Since her birthday party," Alexia replied while shaking her head.

I swallowed hard. So, according to Alexia, we were sleeping together. Was it an ongoing thing? Were we that?

"Only?" Mapi widened her eyes "That's extremely recent" I could only nod. The conversation had become uncomfortable. We all felt it. We took sips from our drinks"I thought you had been doing it for longer, honestly. You've had this weird thing going on for quite a while."

Alexia pursed her lips.

"Well, it's only been since her birthday."

"I see."

"Yes."

We went back to sipping our drinks. And I, who hadn't said a word yet, said the thing that was worrying me the most.

"Please, don't say anything," I pleaded, clasping my hands in front of her face. "Please, Mapi. I'd lose everything."

"But who do you take me for?" She complained. "I'm not going to run to Laporta with gossip."

"To no one," Alexia demanded.

The fullback raised both hands in surrender.

"To no one, I promise."

Her tone softened as she saw how nervous we were.

"I'm sorry, Mapi. We don't want it to seem like we don't trust you," the midfielder apologized with a sigh. "It's just... this is something... dangerous for us, especially for Mía, and we have no choice but to keep it a secret."

"I understand," she said calmly. "Your relationship is your own business, and you can trust me to keep your secret."

Relationship.

Alexia didn't correct her. Neither did I. I glanced at the blonde beside me, who remained impassive, ready to speak again.

"Thank you, Mapi. It means a lot," she said softly.

I nodded, agreeing with her words.

The atmosphere relaxed, and we decided to proceed with our original plan to spend the rest of the evening together. Although I shouldn't have been there, and even more so, I shouldn't have blurred the lines between psychologist and patient, walking from bar to bar, sipping on tapas and beers without any of her elite teammates accompanying me, it seemed ridiculous to try to uphold that boundary after sleeping with one of them and having to explain it to another. Professionalism wasn't at its finest. When it was around eleven at night, Mapi insisted on paying the bill as a friendly gesture.

"No, you don't have to do that, Mapi. You already paid last time," the Catalan said hurriedly.

"Let me do it, it's the least I can do after sticking my nose in your business," she replied, pulling out her wallet.

In the end, we accepted her offer, thanking her once again. We bid farewell to Mapi, promising to keep her updated on any developments in our lives, and left the café together.

"What do you think about taking a walk in the park?" Alexia suggested.

"I haven't had that much to drink," I complained.

Alexia burst into laughter.

"I'm not saying it because of that," she shook her head. "I just feel like spending a little more time with you. In the end, it hasn't been just you and me."

I smiled for a moment, the second I needed to realize the time. The Ciutadella Park, where it seemed we were heading, would be closed at this time of night. Or that's what I thought.

"Sounds perfect," I replied anyway.

The night was comfortable. It wasn't too cold, nor was it hot. A light jacket kept me at the perfect temperature. Alexia walked a little ahead of me. She simply couldn't walk leisurely, couldn't let herself go. Alexia didn't stroll; she walked to get somewhere. Occasionally, noticing her pace wasn't appropriate, the footballer would slow down and wait a moment to walk beside me again before speeding up.

"Do you ever take a calm walk?"

"Me?" She looked surprised, pointing to herself. "I walk Nala several times a day."

"Just walking, without any destination."

The footballer pondered for a moment.

"Why are you asking?"

"You walk... fast," Alexia furrowed her brow and slowed down, walking beside me. I laughed heartily as we stopped at the last crosswalk before the park. I swallowed nervously and tensed up.

It wouldn't be that strange, she surely wouldn't find it strange.

I took her hand, my fingers trembling as they sought hers. Her hand accepted mine, and our fingers intertwined. "You won't be able to run far away like this."

Alexia smiled.

"I wasn't planning on it."

The traffic light turned green again, and we started walking. The footballer walked at her pace, pulling me so that our bodies were always level and swaying our hands back and forth. She didn't move away.

We reached the closed gate of the park, and I looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"I knew it."

Alexia laughed, letting go of my hand and taking her phone out of her pocket.

"Yes?" She questioned, typing on the screen.

I watched her curiously.

"Yes."

Just a second after my response, a creak from the gate made me turn around, startled. Alexia burst into laughter, putting her phone back in her pocket. She positioned herself behind me, placing both hands on my shoulders, leading me toward the entrance.

"Did you request to have it opened? Can you do that?"

Alexia laughed softly.

"With the right contacts, yes."

The gate to the park closed with a soft squeak after we passed through. In front of us was the path leading to the fountain and the small building we seemed to be heading to. Or so I thought, judging by the faint light emanating from it.

Alexia guided me through the entrance, and the cool breeze of the park caressed our faces as we walked. The atmosphere was magical, with the park illuminated by soft lights that cast dancing shadows among the trees.

We walked in silence, enjoying the calm and relaxed atmosphere. I really didn't think I could have said anything even if I had tried. I couldn't stop looking everywhere, feeling her, smelling her perfume, noticing how the strands of her hair brushed against my cheeks in the breeze. I wanted to remember everything. The tension of the day dissipated as I matched Alexia's rhythm, and I felt more and more connected to her with each step. Her hands on my shoulders conveyed a sense of security, protection, and warmth.

The fountain came into view, its waters shimmering under the moonlight. Next to it, a small building stood, welcoming and full of promises for the night. A table adorned with a candle and two chairs awaited us, creating an intimate and cozy ambiance.

"Here we are," Alexia said, removing her hands from my shoulders and embracing me this time with both arms. "Please don't think I've gone crazy," she whispered, resting her head on my shoulder and tightening her arm grip. "It's nothing, I just want to be comfortable with you. Without worrying that someone is watching us."

It's nothing.

I repeated it to myself. Several times.

It was nothing. Alexia Putellas had opened a huge park after hours just for her and me and had set up a table for a romantic dinner in the best spot. But it was nothing.

I smiled anyway. I trusted that Alexia, as she had said, didn't intend to sleep with me and leave. She hadn't left, after all. And that's what I wanted, right?

Alexia took the chair to invite me to sit, and once I had, she sat across from me. The soft light illuminated her face; she looked radiant, and her gaze was warm.

I knew I was falling, falling too much. I had heard this story years ago. I knew I shouldn't make it mean anything, that no matter how much it wasn't a fling, it wouldn't make me a girlfriend; but I couldn't help, here and now, feeling like we were the only two people in the world.

"Thanks for this. Really."

"Oh, it's nothing," she downplayed it. "It's the first time we've done something together. I would have had to reserve an entire restaurant anyway, so why not something a little more special?" She smiled warmly.

I couldn't. I wouldn't be able to help it. Every time I looked into her eyes, illuminated by the candlelight, I knew I wouldn't be able to help it. Alexia Putellas would break my heart. Even if I ended up crashing, I would enjoy the fall, every crack.

"Excuse me," a voice spoke to my right, disconnecting me from the footballer's shining eyes.

A gray-haired man, dressed in a suit and a small dark apron, set two plates of salmon on the table with a sauce I couldn't identify. Alexia thanked the waiter, and he left.

"Do you like salmon?" Without waiting for me to answer, she continued, "There are two more dishes that can be prepared in a second. They have the ingredients ready just in case."

"Relax," I bit my lower lip. "I like it."

Alexia nodded satisfactorily, and I took my first bite of the salmon. It was delicious. Of course, the food had to be delicious too. She poured some wine into the glasses.

"How did you manage this?" I asked. "I hope you didn't spend too much money."

"It doesn't cost as much as it seems. You just need to ask the right people for the key," she winked. I almost choked on the wine. "Mapi did something similar for Engen, so I thought about asking her for the contact," she shrugged. "I guess she knows now what it was for," she laughed.

I wasn't able to stop looking at her all evening. I don't even know when they cleared our plates or when we finished the bottle of wine, when they brought dessert, how many spoonfuls we shared, how many jokes, how many compliments. Alexia took my hand again as we walked through the park. According to her, we still had time to enjoy being at ease a little longer.

There was barely any light, as they couldn't turn on the streetlights to avoid alerting others that the park was open again. The sand of the paths crunched under my feet, and Alexia put her arm around my back as the temperature began to drop. The night was pleasant, but it was still February.

She looked beautiful. Very beautiful. Much more than you would expect on any given night. Of course, she already knew where the evening was going to end.

"You look absolutely gorgeous today," she said, reading my thoughts in the wrong order.

I kissed her. In the middle of the path, in a park she had opened just for me. And she kissed me back, holding both sides of my face and deepening the kiss instantly, wasting no time in tasting my lips again. I wanted to kiss her until they kicked us out of here, until our lips hurt, but Alexia pulled away after a few minutes.

She just smiled, not saying anything more, and started walking again, holding my hand. The path was getting darker, but she didn't seem bothered by it at all.

"Thank you for being so understanding about Mapi. I didn't think she would be there."

"I think you trust her. So, I will too," I smiled. She smiled slightly too. "She's going to spill the beans to Engen, isn't she?"

Alexia burst into laughter.

"Don't doubt it for a second."

We kept walking in silence, moving further away from where we had dined just minutes ago. My mind was about to implode at any moment, trying to stay grounded while letting myself go at the same time. I wanted to do too many things that I couldn't.

"If you were a color, what color do you think you'd be?"

The footballer came to a sudden stop, her eyes wide. Then she laughed.

"What?" She did it again.

"Yes. What color would you be?"

"I don't know , Mía. Honestly, I've never thought about it," she replied, still laughing. "Blue?"

"Did you pick that color because it's your favorite, or do you really think you'd be that color?"

Alexia looked at me, pondering her answer. She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear in the meantime; I shivered as her fingers brushed against my neck for a moment. She noticed and smiled slightly.

"What's the difference?" She questioned, close to me.

"There's a big difference," I said, meeting her gaze directly.

"What color do you like the most?" She asked with a soft voice.

Her hands settled on both sides of my waist. I swallowed hard.

"I don't know. P-purple."

"Then I'm the color purple."

I smiled at her, and she kissed me again.

The kiss was soft and warm, a gentle brushing of lips. There was no hurry, just a delicate meeting that seemed to want to explore every inch of my skin. I doubted I was ready to experience something like that. How was I going to keep away from her?

Her hands slid slowly down my back, pulling me even closer, while her tongue met mine. Her fingers gripped my skin more firmly, and my body craved more of her.

Alexia stopped the kiss the moment my hands undid the loose trousers she had chosen for the night. She looked at me with curiosity, from head to toe. As she did, my hand continued its journey, slipping inside the fabric. I pressed against her, playing with her ear.

"You've gone crazy."

"Maybe a little," I whispered.

Her eyes gleamed with desire as she watched me. Still, she grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand away from her underwear.

"You don't have to do this. You know that, right? I haven't done any of this with any intention. You don't owe me anything."

"I know," I said seriously, looking directly into her eyes.

She stayed quiet for a few seconds.

"It looks good on you, then." She murmured against my lips before kissing me again.

"What thing?"

"Craziness."

My lips hit hers. She moaned as she felt the contact again, almost breaking the kiss.

I had something pending with Alexia since that night, and determined to face the consequences when all of this was over, I would make sure to enjoy it until then.