✍🏻See You Again

20 🫐 Chapter 20

To say that I invested the alone time wisely by doing my proper training routine, focusing on what's important, and leaving my boy troubles till the late afternoon when I was supposed to meet up with Marco would be a big, fat lie.

I did some light stretches and then spend most of the day walking slowly on a treadmill, zoning out and daydreaming about the guy occupying my apartment and fantasies. When my phone buzzed to let me know I did the bare minimum of my time in the gym, I rushed to the showers and then got to the park an hour too early. I got myself a cup of hot chocolate to-go in a small cafe across the street to really make sure my today's training was for nothing and then walked around, continuing my journey into the depths of my confused thoughts.

By the time Marco finally shows up I'm on a hot chocolate number three, justifying each cup by the need to keep myself warm, though the anticipation of the meeting kept me warm on its own.

"So, what did you want to discuss?" He gets straight to the point after we greet each other, visibly anxious I'm about to pull out some terrible news. And so I do. I tell him about Yuzuru spending some time in my flat but leave out the true reason for it so I don't share way too much of his privacy, only explaining it by him needing some time alone. As soon as Marco realizes my whole predicament is about a guy, his posture relaxes but he listens carefully to everything I say, here and there nodding and letting me get it all off my chest. And I do. A lot. I tell him about all the feelings that rushed through me out of nowhere when I was about to see him again, how weirdly nervous I feel around him, and how even though I always registered he was handsome that now he's a very different kind of handsome. The more I talk the more Marco is smiling and I'm starting to doubt he takes anything I'm saying seriously.

"Can you wipe that grin off your face?" I ask, folding my arms. "I don't know what to do and I don't find it amusing."

"Sorry," he chuckles, shoving his hands in his pockets with a giddy bounce to his gait. "I can't help it. I'm just really happy. For him."

"For him?!!" I exclaim, throwing my arms up in the air and doubting he listened to a word I said.

"Ivy," he stops walking and puts his hands on my shoulders, still grinning like an idiot. "I feel like I'm breaking some bro code by telling you this but I honestly can't believe you are this oblivious to his feelings."

"His feelings?" I gape at him, confused about where is this coming from.

"You have that guy whipped since day one," he breathes out with a look as if I was blind for the past months. "I feel like he should be the one telling you, but given how bad he's at masking his feelings, I really think it's a secret only to you. I honestly thought you knew all along."

"Know what?!"

"You seriously never noticed how he looks at you? Whenever he was finished with his training and came to watch us at our practice? He looks at you like you are the most valuable painting in a museum."

"He d-does?" I stammer out, hanging on to every word he's saying.

"Yeah? I don't think he even realizes how terrible he's at hiding it. Like really bad. I mean, really really bad." He shakes his head, his eyes briefly zoning out as if he's recalling something. "I cannot stress enough how bad he's at it."

"Are you sure?!!" I squeal, gripping his arms and shaking with him to return his gaze back to me.

"One hundred percent."

"Oh my god!" I jump around his neck in sheer happiness, all of my worries and troubles gone if Yuzuru actually feels the same about me. I would never take anyone else's word for it but Marco has my undying trust and if he says it's true, then I know it is. I let go of him and flash him the widest grin before turning around and running back to my apartment. It takes me only several meters before I stop and spin on the spot, running back to Marco. "Are you sure?! Like really really really really sure?!"