Gypsy: An Álvaro Morata Fan Fic

Chapter 5

The next day, I got to our spot earlier. That never happened. She was always there before me. So I leaned against the tree as I waited for her. I smiled when I saw her walking toward the tree, mimicking her own joyful expression. She seemed like she could prance instead of walk as the wind blew her loose curls sideways. She was wearing a loose shirt, leggings and some sneakers.

The weird thing was she didn't have her guitar with her today. She was only carrying her purse, slung across her body. I hid from view behind the tree to see if I could scare her. As she approached the tree, I stayed quiet and waited for the perfect moment. "Come out, Álvaro. I know you're back there." She said, mockingly. "Aw, man! I totally thought I could scare you." I was now facing her and she had already reached the tree. "Not this time. I saw you."

She smiled and looked so giddy. I had to ask her. "So what's got you so happy? Did it go well yesterday?" She looked down and either she was really bad at lying or I knew her way too well. "I got the job. Lounge performer. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays." She finally looked up at me as she finished and I took her body in my arms. I lifted her from the ground and spun her around as she laughed like a child. I stopped spinning her but kept her small body firmly pressed against me. "Congratulations." I whispered in her ear. "I have you to thank." She whispered back. I didn't want to let go of her but when I finally did, I kept my arms around her waist as she kept hers on my shoulders and looked directly into my eyes.

"The playing and singing was all you." I said, truthfully. "Yes but the incredible performance and the lack of anxiety was all you." I shrugged my shoulders and looked up. When I looked back at her, she barely gave me any reaction time as she pressed her lips against my own. Suddenly, I cared about nothing else. Just the amazing woman in my arms and the fact that I was pretty sure I loved her. I pushed her against the tree as she slid her fingers into my hair and we kissed. We kissed for a long while until we stopped for air. It was so perfect. The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering like crazy.

She put her head on my chest. We breathed heavily and I muttered: "What is this?" She whispered: "I don't know. But I don't want it to stop." I couldn't have said it better myself. I closed my eyes and held her as the wind blew and we just stood there, enjoying each other. What just happened just made me think about her lie at the club. It seemed as though she had only lied for Carla's sake because, judging by that kiss, she liked me too. Suddenly, my phone started ringing. She separated from me automatically but I didn't let her move away too far as I tightened my grip around her waist with one arm and rumaged in my pocket for my phone with the other.

I answered as she slipped her arms around my waist and pressed her body against mine once again. I held her there as I tried to hear my mom rambling about something. "What? And what do you want me to do, mom?" God, what was she talking about? Something she needed for some recipe. I was sort of mad about being interrupted. "Go get it for me, Álvaro. Please." I rolled my eyes and tightened my arm around Alicia, irritated. "Fine, mom. I'll go get it. I'll be there in about and hour." I hung up with her and Alicia separated to look at me. "What is it?" She asked, worried. I stroked her cheek with my thumb and smiled at her. "Nothing. My mom just wants me to get her some spices for a recipe she's doing. She said she'd text me the details. Come on."

I pulled on her elbow because she seemed reluctant to move. "You want me to come with you?" She asked shyly. "Sure! That way you'll meet my sister. She's at home. You'll like her." I tried to lure her to come with me. She interlaced her hands together and looked down. I understood. We acted like a couple in the shadows but the reality was that I had another girlfriend. She felt shy about walking around with me. It was pretty awkward, to say the least. "Ok." She reluctantly agreed as she kept a we're-just-friends, safe distance from me. We walked and talked and laughed. She was always one to make me laugh. I liked to call that trait of hers 'accidentally funny'. Because she didn't even know she was being funny when she made these witty remarks.

She trailed behind me as I approached a vendor and asked him about the blends of spices my mom had asked me for. I finally got them and headed home with Alicia. We were close to my neighborhood when I saw a dark alley and pulled her into it. I smiled at her before pressing my lips against hers very lightly and quickly. I felt the need to kiss her because I didn't know when our next chance would be. She smiled at me and looked down, her cheeks flushed. I walked out of the alley first and she followed suit.

We came into my house and I greeted my mom as usual, screaming when I came in the door. She hates that. She says it 'lacks decorum'. Marta was the first to appear at the top of the stairwell. "Enanoo!" She screamed at me affectionately. "Martaa!" I screamed back as she ran downstairs and tackled me into a bear hug. We both laughed as I set her back down and introduced her to Alicia. "This is my friend, Alicia. The one I've told you so much about." "Yeah, yeah. I feel like I know you already." She said, out of breath for having run to greet me and pushing the hair away from her face. "I'm Marta, Álvaro's sister. Very nice to meet you." "What a coincidence, I feel like I know you too. It's very nice to finally meet you." She said as she stretched her hand.

I knew Marta and she wouldn't settle for a handshake. I talked to her about Alicia a lot. She's practically family. She pulled her into a hug and Alicia smiled, immediately responding and hugging her back. "I really like your clothes, by the way." Marta complimented her and Alicia thanked her. "I told you she dresses just like you." I smiled at them both and Alicia just kept looking down, her shy nature very clear and brought to the surface given the circumstances we were in. Friends or more? My mom then came into the room: "Álvaro, thank God you're here. And what have I told you about screaming when you come into the house? It lacks..." "Decorum, I know, mom."

I walk over to her, put my arm around her and kiss her forehead, smiling cockily while she rolled her eyes at me. She then directed her gaze to Alicia, the only extra presence in the room. "Mom, this is my friend Alicia. The one I've told you so much about." "Oh, yes. He doesn't stop talking about you. How talented you are, how well you sing and play the guitar, oh I could go on. It's very nice to meet you, sweetheart." Alicia laughs nervously and looks down for the millionth time. I just want to have the social license to walk to her, lift her chin and tell her to stop being so insecure. And that I loved her.

I shook myself out of that daydream as Alicia said: "Oh my gosh, I think he's exaggerating. I'm just an amateur." "Oh, I beg to differ. She's so awesome she got a job at that night club that had that vacancy. You know the place." "I didn't get a job there. You got me a job there." "No, I got you an audition and you got the job on your own merits." She looked down and smiled, accepting defeat. "It's a shame you don't have your guitar with you. You could play us something." Mom said as she looked at her encouragingly. "Yeah, it's too bad. I feel at home here. I just wanted to take a break from all the practicing. I don't know if Álvaro's told you but I've been at it for weeks now, every afternoon. My fingers are kind of sore." She laughs and we all laugh with her. "We understand. Some other time, maybe." Marta interjects.

"How about you gals go upstairs and talk and I'll help mom with dinner. Oh, yeah. Alicia, you'll be staying for dinner." I just say that matter-of-factly because I know she wouldn't accept the invitation any other way. She smiles at me and rolls her eyes as Marta takes her hand and leads her upstairs. I help my mom with dinner and we have the usual conversation about my training... I make my way upstairs to tell the girls dinner is ready but Marta has closed her door. She barely ever does that. I press my ear against the door thinking I may hear something about her boyfriend. "I've seen the way he looks at you, Alicia. He's never looked at Carla that way. He's never looked at any other girl that way, for that matter. There's something there." Holy shit. My sister knew me way too well. She wasn't buying the whole just-friends crap.

"I don't think so, Marta. Carla is such a great girlfriend to him and he seems prefectly happy with her." She was obviously lying. What had just happened in the park and at that alley between us made it pretty clear that I was NOT 'perfectly happy' with Carla. "You don't know him like I do. He's not happy with her at all. Mom is practically making him be with her for all the benefits it has. The charity dinners, the government events... My brother gets a lot of social exposure. But that means nothing when you're not in love." She's right. Nobody knows me as well as my sister does. What she doesn't know is I've developed a fondness for Carla and I really don't want to break her heart like that. Also, I didn't want to face mom if I told her I'd be leaving Carla for someone like Alicia. Even though she was a better overall human being in my opinion, it would be looked at with ugly eyes by the rest of the family. I feel the need to interrupt before I hear any more.