[ four ]
As weeks began to go by, America found herself seeing Erick less and less. When they had free time, he would return to their home to sleep. America often stayed behind at Club Deportivo Guadalajara, working over time to help players who needed her help. Erick still picked her up from school, at least in the beginning.
She eventually had to take the bus back home. That is until she found out another one of the young players in Chivas was studying at that same university as her.
America ended up getting rides home with Antonio and his girlfriend Zenaida.
The two also stopped going out as often as they used to and America would sometimes find that when she returned from her job at Club Guadalajara, Erick was often either sleeping or gone and she didn't know where he was.
The voice of Zenaida, Antonio's girlfriend, pulled America out of her thoughts. "Hey Ami, why doesn't Erick pick you up from school anymore? Are you two fighting?"
"Zenny," Antonio warned from the driver's seat. "That's none of your business."
"No," America replied. "We're not fighting. Its just that Erick ends his classes really tired. And so I told him to go straight home instead of coming all the way here to get me." She thought up a lie. In all honesty, she didn't know why he didn't pick her up anymore. But she thought maybe he was just tired. He always seemed tired whenever she saw him, the few times she saw them.
Twenty minutes later, Antonio left America at the large house she shared with Erick and she thanked them before saying goodnight. She walked up the small path that led to the front door, her heavy anatomy textbooks weighing down her hands. She balanced them on one arm and unlocked the front door.
She walked through the dark livingroom and turned on the light. America set her books and book bag in the dining room table before heading to the bedroom she shared with her boyfriend. She expected to find him already in bed, probably sleeping after a long day, but he wasn't there. The bed was neatly made and his training bag as well as his school back pack were gone. America then assumed he probably stayed behind at school.
She whipped her cellphone out of her pocket and checked for any messages from him. She had none.
America frowned.
She felt like he was so distant from her now. Like he was an entirely different person than he was before. The twenty year old was reminded of when she dated him as a teenager. She remembered how loving he was in the beginning, when he was trying to win her over and when they first started dating. Months later he became distant to the point where they wouldn't speak for several days.
From there, it was a matter of time before he found someone else. America feared that it was happening again. She knew no one in Guadalajara. And if things didn't work out with Erick, she would have nowhere to go.
But she didn't want to dwell on negative thoughts. She wanted to think he was probably running late because he had some extra work to do. Or maybe traffic was bad.
It was these thoughts that she consoled herself with until she fell asleep.
.
.
.
.
The next morning, America wasn't sure if he even returned to sleep or if he left early in the morning. But since she didn't have a car, she had to call Paulina, Fierro's girlfriend to ask for a ride to the practice grounds before her friend left for school.
Paulina happily gave her a ride and suspected something was wrong, but she decided not to ask.
America had even bought doughnuts for the guys because Paulina was really craving one and stopped at the doughnut shop on the way there. She walked onto the training ground, carrying the two pink boxes of pastries when Antonio saw her by the entrance and ran towards her.
"Need help?" The young goalkeeper asked her nervously, taking the boxes from her.
The young physical therapist eyed her friend suspiciously. She noticed how he kept looking out onto the field with a nervous gaze. America tried to walk around him to see what was going on. Maybe something was wrong with Erick and they didn't want her to find out. She knew Antonio was her friend, but he was also Erick's friend and she wondered who he was more loyal to. "What are you trying to hide from me?" She asked him.
"Nothing." The goalkeeper said, stepping in front of her to block her view. He knew what was going on with Erick on the training ground and he didn't want America to get hurt, as he had come to appreciate her friendship.
"Let me by, Antonio. Or I'll hit you in the balls." She warned, beginning to sound annoyed at him.
"Fuck that." He said, and ran away with the two boxes of pastries.
America walked out onto the field to see her boyfriend surrounded by girls who were trying to get his autograph. But there was one that had her arms around him like he was hers, like they were in love. America's jaw dropped at the sight of them. And the same girl got on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his while he grinned a goofy smile.
Her eyes quickly brimmed with tears while she stood there frozen. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She couldn't believe he was betraying her like that again.
She finally reacted when he spotted her, his brown eyes widening in horror. Erick pushed the girl away and ran after America, who turned to head back out to the parking lot. She didn't know where she would go and how she would get out of there, she didn't have a car.
Erick, being an athlete, was quicker and caught up to her easily.
"Ami," He grabbed her arm to stop her, making her turn around to face him. "Its really not what you think." He swore.
"Then what is it, Erick?" She wondered, her voice shakey as she was on the brink of tears.
"That girl came onto me, I had nothing to do with it." He told his girlfriend. "I pushed her away. You saw me."
"You're so full of shit." America spat angrily.
"I swear I'm not lying." He said.
She finally sighed. "Okay Erick. Whatever it was that happened, I don't want to hear it anymore. I don't want you to see that girl ever again. I don't want you to talk to her or about her. This is your final chance. Don't make me regret this."
The young footballer took one of his girlfriend's hands in both of his and brought them to his lips, kissing them gratefully as well as desperately. "I won't let you down, mi amor. I swear it on my dear mother." He told her. And she thought he wouldn't be making those promises if he really wasn't guilty of cheating. She wondered if giving him a chance was the right thing.
When Erick kissed her on the lips, she felt the kiss was empty. There was no emotion behind it.
And that was because neither of them was truly happy anymore.
-
new chapter guys!
i know things are happening pretty quick in both america and oscar's lives. but the reason for that is there will only be eleven chapters.
but i hope you all enjoy reading these updates.
and now that you're here, please give it a nice vote.
thank you.
i love you.
-clary xx
