Page 42 of Entangled With You
“Fuck, yes!” Noelia shouts as she gets in position, and Stefa winks at me.
We got this.
When the ref blows the whistle, I pass the ball to Stefa. We start passing it back and forth, getting rid of Lionesses as we get closer to their box. Stefa runs in front of me, creating a distraction, and that’s all I need to take a shot. I kick the ball with my left foot, the ball gains speed and height as it flies through the sky and creates a beautiful curve that ends at the corner of their arch. Their goalie tried to reach for the ball, but it was an impossible angle.
“¡GOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL!” I shout as I run toward our coach and the rest of the team. The stadium erupts in chants, and collective hysteria spreads throughout.
“Beautiful play, Cata. Well done.”
“Thanks, Coach,” I reply as I go to my teammates who are all waiting for me to celebrate.
“Good job,” Noelia says to me, and I nod at her.
“Now let’s keep it up. Let’s see what other bullshit they try to throw at us.”
As the ref blows the whistle, calling for all players, I turn around looking for Mati. When I spot him, he’s making a heart with his hands, and I try to make angel wings with mine. He laughs at my attempt but then blows me a kiss. There’s no way we’re losing this game when I have the man of my dreams cheering me on.
As the game continues, I place a hand on my abdomen from time to time, battling constant pain and discomfort. The minutes go by, and their goalie catches all the balls we throw at the arch; it’s like she became an octopus—she reaches every corner of their goal. We have a few scares but luckily, either our goalie makes a save, or the ball goes way above the crossboard. The ref finally blows the whistle, indicating the game is over. I raise my hands in the air, and my knees hit the ground, the pain and the adrenaline from the match sending mixed signals to my brain. The entire team piles on top of me, and I forget about the pain for a minute and bask in the collective joy we’re feeling.
My first season as a Golden Warrior, and we’re the top seed in the playoffs. Noelia helps me stand up, and as we’re walking toward the locker room, I spot Romina making her way to us. Noelia squeezes my shoulder briefly, showing me her support.
“Bueno, chicas. Que juego, felicitaciones. (Well, girls. What a match, congratulations.),” Romina says to a little voice recorder and then places it in front of Noelia.
“Yeah, thanks. It was a very tough game but we’re thankful we’re able to pull out a victory. It was truly a team effort.”
Romina’s smile falters for a fraction of a second, but she quickly recovers. “Cata, we saw you wincing in pain. Is everything okay?” I’m shocked at her question. I didn’t think she cared.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine. Just a little discomfort but nothing to worry about,” I say with a tight smile. Coach comes behind us and ushers us toward the locker room, effectively ending the makeshift interview. Romina isn’t too happy about it, but whatever she has to say, she keeps it to herself. I’m done paying attention to her and whatever lies she’ll spin from my brief interview; tonight I have to celebrate with my team, and then with my man.
Chapter 19
Matías Moreno
The moment I see my girl hit the ground and pain transforms her beautiful face, I immediately take my phone out and look up what girls do when they have their period. A bunch of blogs immediately pop up, and after checking a couple of them, I know exactly what I need to do before heading back to Cattleya’s place. As much as I wanted to wait for her and go home together, we couldn’t be seen together. I know she wants to wait until we’re certain we’re it for each other but, with every day that goes by, I love her more. Not to mention I don’t want to put my job in jeopardy. Building a soccer stadium is an amazing accomplishment to improve my already good resume. The fact that I’m involved in building the stadium where Cattleya will play is something I wasn’t counting on but brings me great pride.
My girl is sweet and loving and so fucking fierce, she makes me want to be better so that I can match her grandness. If I didn’t know her and spend every night with her, I would never believe she’s only twenty-two. She’s self-driven, has a clear vision of what she wants out of life, and she goes for it. Every time I read Bleacher’s Pulse spewing lies about her, my blood boils, and I want to call them out on their bullshit. But Cattleya trains harder and continues to build a bond with her team, instead of letting those words get her down. She was born for this, and she won’t let anyone stop her.
The moment she closes the door behind her, she collapses on the ground, and a deep sob comes from her. I immediately hold her in my arms, and she hugs me tight.
“I’m so tired, bae. Today’s game was a bitch.” I chuckle at her and give her a gentle kiss on the top of her hair.
“Well, babe. You killed it, you looked so fucking hot on the pitch being a badass. But I noticed you wince in pain when you landed on the football,” I say in a low voice.
“Ugh, don’t remind me. It was awful,” she whines. She’s so fucking cute.
“I know, but that’s why I went to the store and got you a few essentials.” She lifts her head from my chest and gives me a puzzled look. “Yeah, I know the reason for your pains is because you have your period. Remember you told me about your cramps a couple of days ago?” She bows her head, and instead of answering, she takes a deep breath. “Anyway, I read online about some of the things women do during their days, so I got you stuff. Come on, beautiful. Let me take care of you.” I stand up first, and then help her up, taking her to her bed where I motion for her to lie down.
“What’s all this?” she asks with a beautiful smile on her tired face.
“Well, you’re named after the most beautiful flower, so I got you a pink orchid since that color looks great on you. Then I got you a candle with your favorite scent—sandalwood and tobacco.
“How do you know that’s my favorite scent?” I chuckle at her as I grab the extra fluffy blanket I got her and wrap it around her.
“Babe, if the way you sniff at me in the mornings when you think I’m still asleep isn’t a dead giveaway, then I don’t know what is.”
She jumps from the bed and starts tickling me. “Ugh, you’re so full of it. I just like checking to see if you have bad BO.” She rolls her eyes.
I cackle at her bullshit response. “Yeah, right. Babe, you like the way I smell. Love it, even. Lucky for you, the place where I get my cologne also sells scented candles.”