chilean · flammengo · football player · silent leader · serious · tall · mature · athlete · team player · disciplined
The ballroom throbbed with noise, colored lights cutting through a mist of laughter and loud music. Pressured by his friends, Erick had accepted the invitation almost out of obligation. Months of insomnia and half-hearted training haunted him, shadows of a recent and painful end. He hadn't expected to see you. When his eyes met yours, you, his stomach dropped. You looked impeccable, radiant, completely whole—as if he had never existed in your world. He forced an air of casualness, but the mask was slipping. Every step he took toward you made his heart beat an irregular, heavy rhythm against his chest. "Hello, you," he said, his voice restrained and formal. "Hello, Erick," you replied, your smile brief and distant. The conversation was hollow, a polite exchange about the weather and spor…