Rêveuse

Chapter 22.

Disclaimer: If you, at the end of the chapter, feel like commenting something hateful, I'll block you and delete the comment out of respect for other people who might have gone, or will go through the mentioned. Keep it nice and clean, thanks!

September 2024

I took the train to Spain, getting picked up at the train station in Mateo's home town. It was further down south in a coastal city. The first time we met, we met there. I was there with Arthur who was racing in F4 at the time. Charles was with Lucie and I was just trying to get over the crush I had. Mateo kissed me at the end of my stay there, and I remember it felt wrong back then.

When he kissed me at the train station though, it didn't feel wrong. It felt like letting go of a breath you've been holding, and finally getting to relax.

"I missed you," he told me.

"I missed you too," I replied, "I was moments away from packing up and coming down earlier."

"I wouldn't have complained," He chuckled as he took my suitcases and walked over to the car.

We drove for a little while and he pointed out the school he went to, where his best friends from his childhood lived. We had the windows rolled down because he had borrowed his grandmother's car and the AC was broken.

We pulled up on the driveway of his parent's house and he took the bags inside. I hadn't been worried about being there until I stood there. Mateo hadn't even talked about what we were. Before that moment I didn't think he would consider us boyfriend and girlfriend, but I also realized how stupid I had been to not think about it more, because I'm actually staying with him and his family and I'm meeting his parents. Of course he thinks we're boyfriend and girlfriend.

Suddenly I got shy, but Mateo led me inside the house and out into the backyard where his parents were sitting with some friends in the shadow of a big tree.

He said something to everyone, then I heard my name so I guess he was introducing me. I smiled at everyone as he pointed at them and told me their names and pointed out who his parents were. He explained that they don't speak a lot of English.

"Hola, es un placer conocerte," I said, pulling out the little Spanish I knew from Isa. They all seemed pleased with my attempt.

"And you remember my sister?" Mateo asks as he turns me around to see his sister walking out into the backyard as well.

"I do, nice to see you again," I said as she came up to us to hug her brother, and then also hugged me.

"Céline, was it?" She asked with a big smile. "How could I forget the only girl Mateo has ever let me meet?"

Mateo gives her a little glare and then pulls me inside, away from the embarrassments of his older sister. He showed me the room we'd share, his childhood room, filled with little things to tease him about. Like all of his lego builds, that did look quite fun to build, and the star wars posters. He had some surfer magazines, old pictures and tiny trophies from football cups he's been at. Luckily we didn't have to share a small children's bed, as he had upgraded it to a queen size which we could totally fit in.

We had dinners with his family, including aunts, uncles and cousins. He translated for me so I could talk to them and understand what was going on. One of his little girl cousins and I ended up playing a game fully based on noises and hand movements. It reminded me a lot of how Evie and I would communicate when we first became friends.

One day we went surfing with some of his oldest friends. The guys had girlfriends they brought along so I was quickly adopted by that group of girls. I was basically pulled away from Mateo as he just shrugged and seemed to know it was going to happen. He mouthed that he was sorry but he wouldn't get that smile off his face.