I let out a relieved sigh when I finally saw the dark Cupra pulling up in my street, having feared that Alexia had forgotten she was supposed to pick me up for our game against Levante Las Planas.

"Hola capitana" I greeted her as I got into the modern car, escaping the strong wind that was cooling the hot weather down. "How are you today?"

"Good, thank you" She stated as she backed out of my driveway.

"I'm glad you feel better" I said, not being able to withhold of the information Mapi had trusted me with a few days ago for any longer. "Does that maybe have something to do with a certain small brunette?"

Alexia abruptly slammed the brake, causing the cars behind us to angrily honk at her. "How do you know about her?"

"I don't expose my trusted sources" I smirked, gesturing her to continue to drive.

"It was Mapi, wasn't it? That girl can't keep her mouth shut" Alexia scolded angrily, the car moving in a big jump as she let go of the brake.

"Don't be mad at her, she had no choice" I defended the blonde.

"You always have a choice."

I thought back to my hand slowly making its way up her leg as she had been driving to other day, pressuring her to confide in me why she had been so confused by Alexia getting into that car.

"No, she definitely didn't have one" I smirked before my expression turned more serious. "But I thought you were happy with Jenni?"

"It's not that simple" the captain sighed sadly.

"It is. You simply can't choose which one of your exes to date."

"Well, if you put it that way... I mean, Jenni was always the one for me before she left, but I just don't think I can forgive her."

"What made you change your mind?" I wondered as they had seemed so happy just a few weeks ago.

"Olga did, actually. I stumbled into her three weeks ago after not having seen her in quite a bit and it brought back so many memories. It's just always so easy with her."

"Easy isn't always better" I reminded her. "Does Jenni know?"

Another deep sigh escaped the brown-haired woman's mouth. "That's the worst part. A fan account recognized my hand on Olga's Instagram story and sent it to her. She's furious, but then again, it's not like we're official or anything."

"You have to listen to your heart" I told her. "However, I know Jenni hurt you deeply, but don't do the same to her. You know better than that."

The Barcelona captain nodded in silence, gesturing me that she didn't want to continue to talk about her love triangle.

One and a half hours later I sat on the bench in the changing room of the Estadi Johan Cruyff, waiting for the signal for us to head outside. Jonatan had decided to let me start again today, however Mapi, who wasn't starting, seemed to be more nervous than me.

"What's up?" I wondered, softly stroking over her hand.

"It's so stupid" the blonde sighed with a worried look on her face. "But I just can't let go of that fucking own goal last week. I'm scared it will happen again today."

Feeling bad for her, I pulled her into a tight embrace, ignoring the fact that we were in a room filled with our teammates and staff. Ingrid had been avoiding both Mapi and me, so we didn't know if she had told anyone about seeing us, but I was hoping she hadn't as I didn't even know myself what this was. After all, it was Mapi. She basically invented sleeping with your teammates.

Nevertheless, I gently stroked her back, my chin resting on her shoulders.

"It's not stupid" I whispered in her ear, my lips softly brushing against her skin. "But you shouldn't doubt yourself over a simple mistake. The grass was soaking last week, anyone could have slipped on it."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course" I assured her, my fingers finding their way to her cheeks to hold her face firmly, our eyes meeting instantly. "I also know that you're gonna go out there and smash it. I want one of your assists today."

"Thank you, princesa" Mapi smiled, leaning forward to place a small kiss on my cheek. "I'll try my best."

As I stood up, I could see Ingrid whispering something into Frido's ear, both of them looking into our direction.

Shit.

Had Ingrid told her or was I just being paranoid?

Either way, it had to wait until after the game as I was already lining up behind Geyse to enter the pitch.

With a racing heart beat we made our way outside, the fans cheering loudly as my gaze wandered over them and their countless signs. Suddenly, I thought I recognized a familiar face in the stands.

Antonia.

While I wasn't one hundred percent sure it had been her, the idea definitely wasn't far-fetched. After all, we met because she was a culer through and through, having supported the club since she was a little kid. 

I decided to let the thought go as I went to my assigned place on the pitch, scanning our opponents.

We'd destroy them.

We had to, anyway, or Real Madrid would be at the top of the table if we didn't. As of now, they were still second as they had lost against Levante at the start of the season.

The ref blew the whistle and the game started with us immediately getting possession of the ball and moving the whole formation forward.

After a slight setback when one of their players tackled Jenni, Alexia managed to shoot the ball towards Geyse who went for a header – and scored.

We all ran towards her as she did a little dance to celebrate her first goal of the season.

Only five minutes later, we had moved almost the whole team on the other half of the pitch, even Paños chilling in the middle of our half, quite frankly looking a bit bored as she knew she wouldn't have much to do today.

Alexia beautifully crossed the ball over to me, leaving me with only one more player and their goalkeeper in front of me.

I knew I could easily get the ball past the goalkeeper, but the defender was the bigger problem.

However, I faked going to the right and when she realized, to the left. While she thought I was probably the worst faker ever, she didn't realize the whole movement had led her to open her legs, giving me the chance to nutmeg her, shooting the ball with all of my force, so that the unprepared goalkeeper had no chance of stopping it.

We started the second half leading 4 – 0 and I just knew it would be a good time, especially when I noticed Mapi warming up on the side.

However, after another one of Alexia's beautiful goals, the Levante Las Planas players had enough.

They desperately wanted to go home with at least one goal.

So desperately in fact, that they didn't mind violently fouling Lucy, who went down with a loud scream filled with pain.

When I ran over to her, Keira already kneeling next to her, I saw her holding her knee with one hand, the other gripping Keira's hand so hard that it was already turning white.

In fear, we all gathered around Lucy until she had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

While I knew this wasn't good, I had no idea back then how this would change everything.

We finished the game 6 – 1, all of us worrying about Lucy heavily impacting our play.

"I just hope she's okay" I mumbled worryingly into Mapi's direction,  as we were getting dressed after a quick shower.

"I'm sure she'll be okay" the blonde defender, who had been subbed on for Lucy, replied optimistically as she put on a black hoodie.

"I need to get my mind off this" I decided in the spur of the moment. "What are you doing after this?"

"Why? Are you asking me out on a date?" Mapi smirked.

"I- I- no?" I said unsurely, my hands nervously brushing through my hair. Her question and that look had completely thrown me off guard.

"Too bad, I would have said yes" the Zaragoza native winked, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "However, I have to disappoint you. I sadly have an important meeting today, but I'll make it up to you, I promise." She came a little closer and blew a small kiss on my cheek, the feelings of her lips on my bare skin causing a shiver to run down my spine. "Goodbye, princesa."

"Bye" I replied, confused as to why she had an important meeting on a Saturday afternoon.

As I watched her leaving the room, my eyes searched for Alexia who was originally supposed to give me a ride home, but she was nowhere to be found.

Great.

"Have you seen Alexia?" I asked Keira, who was still sitting on the bench next to Ingrid.

"I think she just left, why?" the English let me know as she was typing something in her phone.

"She was supposed to take me home."

Keira lifted her gaze off her phone. "If you want, you can come to the hospital with me to visit Lucy and then I'll take you home afterwards. How does that sound?"

I nodded thankfully.

"Ingrid's coming too" Keira informed as she got up, grabbing a backpack in the process. "Can we hurry? I'm scared for Lucy."

Fuck.

As we walked to Keira's car, I threw an unsure smile to the tall Norwegian which she ignored.

We spent the car ride in total silence, Keira probably worried about her fiancé, while Ingrid and I were trying to avoid each other as much as possible in a tiny car.

Luckily, the hospital wasn't too far and we soon pulled up into a huge parking lot, Keira instantly storming out the vehicle as soon as we stopped, making me feel as if there was something else going on than just a simple injury.

We entered the hospital through big automatic doors, finding ourselves in a smaller room, with a receptionist sitting on the side. Keira hastily made her way to the reception desk, asking for Lucy's whereabouts, but forgetting half of her already terrible Spanish knowledge in the process.

"We're looking for Lucia Bronze" I chipped in to help, cringing at the sound of Lucy's full name. "She should have arrived earlier with a football related injury."

The small, dark-haired receptionist simply nodded as she typed a few things in an old looking computer, before she looked up to us.

"Señora Bronze is in room 505. Just take the elevator up to the 5th floor and you should stumble right on it." She instructed us, pointing at the elevator door on the other side of the room.

"Gracias" We took the elevator up to the fifth floor, easily finding said room when we got off.

"Do you guys mind if I go in alone first?" Keira asked us, the doorknob already in her trembling hands.

"Of course not" Ingrid sent her best friend an encouraging smile, slightly touching her back. "Just call us when we can come."

The ginger nodded, quickly slipping into the room, leaving me alone with Ingrid.

There were no benches on the quiet, sterile looking hospital floor, only a few machines standing in the hallway and an occasional nurse hurrying past us.

Awkwardly, we stood on either side of the door to Lucy's hospital room.

"I-I'm sorry" I finally said, wanting to break the tension between us.

"For what?" Ingrid coldly replies, looking at her feet.

"I don't know" I honestly said, nervously chewing on my nails, a habit I knew I needed to break soon. "Just... for the whole Mapi thing, I guess?"

"Like the part where we were becoming friends and you got with the girl you knew I liked?"

Ouch.

That was one way to put it.

"There was nothing going on between you anymore" I defended myself. "How should I have known?"

"Except there was" the Norwegian said, finally raising her head. "The last time we hooked up was a little over month ago and if I remember correctly, you were definitely already here. You even saw us leave together twice, so don't act as if you didn't know."

My heart dropped at the sound of her words.

A little over a month ago probably meant it was after the party, after we went to the beach.

I knew she didn't owe me anything.

But still.

"Oh" I said quietly.

Ingrid exhaled loudly, before she reached over and gently touched my arm. "Listen, in the end I couldn't care less who you sleep with, but just remember, I wasn't the first girl Mapi fucked over and you won't be the last. You deserve better than her."

Before I could reply, the door to Lucy's hospital room was opened and Keira put her head outside, her eyes looking all red and puffy.
"You can come inside now" she offered quietly, putting on a fake smile.

Concerned, Ingrid and I followed her into the spacious, white room, Lucy laying on a bed in the middle.

Just like Keira, her eyes gave away that she had been crying, leaving me wondering what was going on.

"Oh my god Lucy, how are you?" Ingrid exclaimed, carefully taking her friend's hand into hers.

The English defender looked at her with pain in her eyes, swallowing audibly before she finally spoke up. "I tore my ACL."

"WHAT?" Both Ingrid and I shouted.
Tearing your ACL was every athlete's worst nightmare as the recovery time usually took up to one year.

"Shit, Lucy, I'm so sorry. But trust me, you're gonna be back on the pitch in no time, we have the best doctors at the Barcelona rehab clinic" I tried to cheer her up.

Lucy threw me a small smile. "I'm not going back."

Ingrid raised an eyebrow, slowly pulling her hand away in shock. "What do you mean?"

"My contract with Barcelona expires before I'd be done with recovery" the patient started explaining hesitantly. "I've had a really bad injury before, so I know how much it takes to come back and I just can't do it another time."

My jaw dropped in disbelief at the sound of her words, not being able to imagine our team without her.

"Are you gonna stay in Barcelona though?" I wondered.

"For now yes" Lucy nodded.

For now.

No wonder they both had been crying.

"Wow. I don't know what to say" Ingrid admitted silently, looking absolutely crushed at the thought of possibly losing two of her closest friends here.

"I don't understand why you're giving up so easily" I blurted out, instantly regretting it, but Lucy just chuckled sadly.
"I'm not giving up, Emilia, I'm being realistic. Look, I'm already 33 and by the time I'll be fully recovered I'm 34. No good club wants to sign a 34 year old who had just been out for a year. So no, I'm not just giving up, but I'm leaving with pride instead."