Falling In Love

Chapter One

            I zipped my last bag shut and stood up with a sigh. A heavy sadness weighed me down to the point where I had almost stopped breathing.

            “You sure you want to do this?” my best friend Rachel asked me.

            I looked at her and swallowed back the tears that were threatening to spill again. She shook her head sympathetically and pulled me into an embrace as the tears began to run.

            “I don’t have a choice. I have to go,” I whispered into her shoulder where I had buried my face.

            She squeezed tighter and then we both pulled back.

            “How long will you be gone?” she asked.

            “As long as it takes. I will keep in touch ok?” I said searching her eyes, wondering if she was mad at me for running away.

            “I’ll be here. Trying not to kill your brother,” she said wryly.

            Ray, as I called her, and I worked on taking my few bags and boxes down to the waiting car. I turned to face her once more.

            “There are no hard feelings towards you. Please don’t be mad,” I begged her softly.

            “I’m not mad. Just promise me you will be safe.”

            I gave her a tight smile and slid into the car. I drove to the airport and checked my stuff in. Then I made my way to the waiting area. Off to Madrid Spain in a way I had never expected. Technically I should have been off on my honeymoon there. Instead, I was going alone with a broken heart.

            “AJ! Wait don’t do this!” A familiar voice shouted.

            I looked up. Taylor came running towards me. I felt sick seeing my and stood up grabbing my purse.

            “Wait!” He jumped over a trashcan and grabbed me by my elbow. “You can’t go,” he panted staring deeply into my eyes.

            “Let go of me,” I said pulling my arm away.

            “Please, give me a chance,” he pleaded.

            “I am leaving Taylor. Nothing you can say or do will keep me here,” I answered him. My tone showing that I had lost all the fight.

            I had spent too many hours screaming at him. I had cried too many tears. By now, I was worn out and tired of fighting. They called my flight number and I looked at him.

            “I hope I never see you again,” I said softly.

            “We have the movies to film!” he said, his voice rising with hysteria.

            “I quit,” I told him over my shoulder and handed my ticket to the lady who scanned it.

            I glanced back one last time. Taylor stood there, shoulders hunched with defeat. I didn’t care. This was his fault. I stepped into the plane hitching my carryon on my arm and found my seat. I was in for a long flight.

            As soon as it was safe to, I opened up my I-pad and ran a Google search. Fans were already in a frenzy over the problem. Who was going to be Bella? There were so many rumors over what had happened that my head was spinning.

            I sighed and looked out the window. We were flying over the ocean and I felt both sad and happy at the miles I was putting between home and myself. I opened up an app and opened up a book. There was no way I felt like reading any of the Twilight books so instead, I decided to open up the travel book on Madrid I had downloaded to prepare for the honeymoon. I had a list of all the things I wanted but the thing I had always wanted more than anything was to go to the Santiago Bernabeu. I loved soccer, my favorite team being Real Madrid.

            Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, so many wonderful players that I admired. I wanted to eat in one of the stadium restaurants, to gaze out on the famous grass. I was going to buy as many game tickets as I could and forget about reality. I deserved that much.

            I looked at a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo and smiled to myself. I had had a crush on him for ages. I was slightly giddy with the thought of breathing the same, beautiful Spanish air as he. Then I frowned and shook my head. No. No way. This wasn’t the time for silly crushes. I had to get over the latest blow in my life. That could take a while.

            Soon I lost myself in another book. This one was a scary story. No romance for me. I gasped grabbing my armrests as an hour later we hit a sudden pocket of turbulence. I gritted my teeth. I was terrified of flying even though I flew a lot. Soon enough it passed and I was so worn out that I fell asleep.

            When my eyes opened again, I was landing in Madrid. I smoothed my hair and grabbed my stuff. It was 6:30 am Madrid time. I arranged for my stuff to be delivered to the small villa I had rented and got a cab.

            “To the Santiago Bernabeu please,” I instructed.

            “Right away Miss,” the driver smiled and began weaving through the Spanish traffic.

            We arrived after a 20-minute peaceful drive. I paid the fare and entered. I walked down shaking slightly. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I walked all the way down to the front row, walked to the center and sat. I breathed in deeply to calm down.

            Suddenly I heard a flurry of fast Spanish. I looked up startled as a guy ran towards me.

            “Um what?” I croaked out shrinking back against my seat.

            Then, with the beautiful morning light behind him, I saw who it was and tried not to shriek.

            “What are you doing here so early? Who are you?” he asked switching to English when I didn’t answer his Spanish.

            “Xabi Alonso,” I breathed out in awe.

            He stopped at looked at me curiously then sighed.

            “An American crazy, just what I don’t need,” he muttered angrily.

            “Hey! I am not crazy! I am a fan and I have every right to be here and if you don’t like it tough shit Mr.!” I shouted loosing it.

            I stood up storming away. How dare he!

            “Hey! Hey wait. I’m sorry!” he yelled running after me. He jumped over the wall and stood in front of me. “I’m sorry. I just am under a lot of stress.”

            I crossed my arms, glaring at him.

            “Well you are a rude guy and I am done wasting my time talking to. I am trying to enjoy myself and I can’t if you are near me,” I snapped, stepping around him.

            He dodged around me again blocking me from walking further.

            “No really. I was so out of line with how I behaved. May I treat you to breakfast?”

            “You won’t leave me alone unless I agree will you?” I eyed him.

            He grinned.

            “Nope.”

            I looked around the otherwise empty field, then look back at a player I really admired.

            “Fine, sure. Let’s go,” I finally answered.

            He led me with him chatting up a storm, suddenly friendly, but I wasn’t really paying attention. I was too busy staring in awe as we walked through the stadium past the locker rooms towards the player parking lot.

            “Did you bring a car with you?” he questioned interrupting my thoughts.

            I turned to him.

            “No, I took a cab here,”

            “Hop in then,” he said pointing to his fancy car.

            I hesitated once more looking at him before slipping in.

            “Where are we going?” I asked as he got in and got us on the road.

            He smiled.

            “You’ll see,” he replied.

            I sighed to myself hoping I wasn’t being a fool.