The One That Got Away

2

The bell goes off and I’m about to stand up to check who’s at the door when Cristiano shocks me out of my panties, not literally thank God, would be awkward with him being live on Instagram.

“So guys, look who we have here,” he turns his phone towards me and I look up slowly from my book. “This is Andy. She’s my girlfriend, and she’s going to keep you company while I go and get the door.” I stare at him in disbelief. We managed to keep our relationship covered for six months and he just goes and blows it without giving me heads up before. “Here.” He hands me the phone with a boyish smile on his face, mischieve brightening his features, and I just gape like a fish. “You are beautiful and smart, and perfect, dazzle them. You’ve got this babe.” He pats a small kiss on my lips before he disappears into the house. My mouth still hanging open I stare at the phone in my hand. Say something, Andy, he does it all the time, can’t be that difficult.

“Hi,” I croak out and roll my eyes at myself. Now everyone is going to think I’m smoking, and I’m going to kill not only their idol with it but Junior as well. Get your shit together, woman.

“Hey everyone,” I say it, sounding a bit more confident, and less like a smoking toad. “I’m Andy and I think I’m just as surprised to meet you like this as you are.” I chew on my bottomlip, reading the comments that flood over the stream. So many questions I can hardly keep up, with the occasional ‘CR7 LEGEND’ and whatnot ones.

“Okay, I’m going to try and answer some questions while Cristiano is away.” I nod, wondering how much I should answer. We haven’t talked about this before, what we would tell in public about our relationship.

“Junior’s still in school, I’ll pick him up when Cristiano goes to training.” I answer one, asking for Junior, thinking not much I can’t make much trouble with it, turns out I’m wrong when the cunami of questions start about how long we’ve been together that I can go alone and take Junior from school or if Cristiano’s mother is supervising the action. This is way more difficult than I thought.

“Alright, guys, let’s start this again.” I nod more to myself than to the watching hundredthousands. “My name is Andy. I’m a 26 years old song writer. I’ve started dating Cristiano six months ago after we met in a coffeeshop.”

“She ran out on me. I had to hunt her down.” He appears besides me with a grin on his face as he sits next to me. “She took a selfie for her niece and literally ran off.”

“I had work to do.” I smack him on the chest playfully.

“I had to pray that her niece is going to publish the selfie. I’ve refreshed my own tag so many times, it’s embarassing,” he explains with a shake of his head.

“Nothing you aren’t used to.” I tease with a laugh.

“She’s a mean woman, this one.” He pinches my arm and I whine, smacking his hand away. Still laughing Cristiano looks at the screen, and his features soften. “Yes, I’m in love with her.” He says softly and I feel the tears in my eyes welling up. He never said that to me before. “She’s the best thing that happened to me since my son was born.”

“Yeah, right after all the Champions League, Ballon d’Ors, Euro Cup and all that,” I say with a shakey voice, trying to get the edge off with a joke. If he continues I’m going to turn into a sobbing mess, and that’s how the world is always going to remember me, Ronaldo’s weeping girlfriend.

“No, you’re right there with Cristianinho babe, at the top,” he smiles at me, his hand lightly resting on my thighs and I need all of my strength not to burst into an awkwardly loud snob.

“Dear everyone, we will have to finish this live now before I drench this phone with my tears,” I say, swallowing hard to hold back the tears. “You all have a nice day.” I tap the end button and just stare at the man in front of me in disbelief.

“Are you going to say something?” He raises an eyebrow as he places the phone on the desk in front of us.

“I…” What could I tell him after he just confessed in front of the entire world that he loved me? I don’t have anything such grand to offer, I’m just little old me.

“Oh God… I screwed this up, right?” He jumps from his seat and starts pacing, muttering Portuguese that I do not understand under his breath. I frown at him, wondering what the hell he’s on about.

“What did you screw up?” I ask, wrinkling my brows.

“This…” He motions between us and I get more and more confused. “I should have never dropped this on you. I should have warned you that I want the whole world to know I found the one, that I’m madly in love with you but it was just… You were sitting there with your glasses on, book in hands and I swear I didn’t plan this but you were so beautiful, and so perfect and it just hit me how much I love you and that I want everyone to know it… I realized I don’t want to be hiding with you like this is something to be ashamed of rather than something to be happy and grateful for.” The words just kept coming and coming out of his mouth unstoppabley and my tears fell like rivers down my cheeks. “I’m sorry.” He says with a defeated sigh.

“I love you, too.” I manage to choke out between my sobs as I stand up and wrap my arms around his neck. “Was it stupid what you did? Hell yeah,” I laugh as he stares at me, confused. “But it’s the most romantic stupidest thing anyone’s ever done for me, right after you harassed my niece for my name.” I press my lips to his and kiss him passionately.

“You scared me.” He moans against my lips as he picks me up with ease, my legs wrap around his waist instinctly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I mumble against his mouth, my hands find their way under his t-shirt and we break apart for a second to get rid of it.

“I thought you were going to dump me.” He grabs my ass hard through my jogging pants, and growls deep in his throat, clearly approving my decision of lack of panties.

“You’re stupid,” I snort. How could I dump him? Is there anyone who would ever dump him? He’s caring, the most loving man I’ve ever met, cute, great to talk to and listen to, he loves his kid more than anything and he treats me like I’m a princess even when I don’t think I need it. Why would I dump him?

“Yeah, stupid for you.” He bites my lip playfully as we stumble to the bedroom. I am the luckiest woman on the planet.