032 | lingering thoughts

The night of the Barça Gala hadn't left Gianna's mind. Every moment-from the sway of the music to Hector's lingering gaze on the balcony-played on a loop in her head. It wasn't like her to overthink, but something about that evening had shifted the way she saw things, or more specifically, the way she saw Hector.

The morning after, she woke up to the soft rays of sunlight spilling through her window. The gown she had worn to the gala was draped neatly over a chair, a stark reminder of the events of the night before.

She sat up slowly, rubbing her temples, as the memories came rushing back. The dance. The way Hector had held her, so effortlessly yet with so much care. The way his voice had softened when he spoke to her.

Her phone buzzed on the bedside table, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a text from Cienna.

Cienna: "Spill. What happened between you and Hector after I left?"

Gianna rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. Leave it to Cienna to cut straight to the point.

Gianna: "Nothing happened. We danced, we talked, that's it."

The three dots indicating Cienna's response appeared almost immediately.

Cienna: "Liar. You should've seen the way he was looking at you all night. That boy's got it bad."

Gianna: "You're imagining things."

Cienna: "Oh, please. You know I'm right. Just admit it already-you like him."

Gianna stared at the screen for a moment, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She didn't want to admit it, not even to herself, but the truth was starting to become harder to ignore.

Before she could respond, there was a knock at her door. She slid out of bed, pulling on a hoodie over her pajamas, and shuffled to the door.

When she opened it, Hector was standing there, holding two cups of coffee and a paper bag.

"Morning," he said, his usual easygoing smile on his face.

Gianna blinked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured you'd be too lazy to make breakfast after last night," he said, stepping past her and into the apartment.

Gianna shook her head, closing the door behind him. "You know, normal people give a heads-up before showing up at someone's place."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" he teased, setting the coffee and bag down on the kitchen counter.

As they ate, the conversation was light and familiar-exactly what Gianna needed to ground herself after the whirlwind of the gala. But every now and then, her mind would wander back to the way he'd looked at her during their dance.

When they finished eating, Hector leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. "So, how're you feeling? Back to training soon, right?"

Gianna nodded, grateful for the change of topic. "Yeah. Last night was fun, but I'm ready to get back to work. I've got a lot to prove."

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone, Gigi," he said, his tone serious. "You're already one of the best."

His words made her heart skip a beat, but she quickly pushed the feeling aside. "Thanks, Hector."

They spent the rest of the morning together, laughing and joking like they always did, but as the hours passed, Gianna couldn't shake the feeling that things between them were slowly changing.

Later, after Hector left, she found herself lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

"Admit it," she whispered to herself. "You like him."

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of realization.

But what scared her the most wasn't the fact that she liked Hector. It was the possibility that he might not feel the same-or worse, that he did.

Because if there was one thing Gianna knew, it was that falling for your best friend was a dangerous game. And yet, she couldn't seem to stop herself from playing.