Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 110351 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110351 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
“Yes, but you’ll love it. Trust me.” His grin deepens. “You always do.”
I can’t help but smile affectionately at how easily he’s turned this into some grand adventure. Despite my best efforts to play it cool, a rush of excitement bubbles up inside me.
I’m not a spontaneous person by nature - more of a meticulous planner and extreme worrier, honestly - but there’s something irresistible about the thought of heading out on an unexpected trip with him.
I throw a few light pieces of clothing, swimwear, underwear and toiletries into the bag before I return to the living room. He’d moved from the doorway and I find him scrolling through his phone, no doubt already halfway through the task of organising our getaway.
“You’ve got the world’s worst poker face,” I say as I zip up the duffle bag and approach him.
Santi looks up at me, feigning innocence. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not fooling me,” I reply, crossing my arms. “I know you’re up to something.”
He stands up straight, tossing his phone onto the couch and pulling me into a quick hug.
“It’s a surprise, Liv,” he says as his hands settle down to either side of my waist. “You’ll thank me later. At least, I hope you will.”
I give him a mock glare. “Hmm. I’m not so sure I trust your judgement.”
“Well, you’ll have to just wait and see,” he responds, his voice warm and teasing. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take the bait I’ve thrown. “Don’t ruin the surprise.”
“Alright. I’ll try and be patient,” I say, kissing him quickly on the lips before stepping out of his hold.
He smirks as he lets me go, watching as I take out my own phone in order to update Sarah on my whereabouts for the weekend (which are, of course, unknown). After all, the last thing I need is her thinking I’ve been kidnapped, or something.
But my smile fades slightly when I notice a few new notifications.
My heart sinks when I see the first one. It’s a photo of Santi and I kissing on the pitch, a screenshot that looks as though it was taken from a live broadcast. The headline beneath it reads, Rugby Star Santi Ortiz Shares Passionate Moment with Girlfriend Olivia Bennett After Championship Win, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.
“I swear, the press is like a desperate ex. They just won’t leave me alone.”
Santi looks over at me with a raised eyebrow, noticing my sudden shift in tone.
“What’s wrong?”
I show him the article, and he leans over to take a look.
“I guess we’re going public now, huh?” he says, a little amusement creeping into his voice. “Javier’s loving all of this, by the way. He says it looks great for us both. But is it bothering you?”
“It’s not that,” I tell him. “It’s just... I don’t know. The pictures, the headlines... It’s a lot sometimes, you know? Honestly, I’m better off when I just ignore it, but sometimes the clickbait is just too tempting to resist.”
Santi pulls me close, his arm resting around my shoulders in a comforting gesture.
“I know, baby. Sometimes ignoring them is impossible. But what you can do is not take what they say so seriously. We’re living our lives, and they’re just doing what they do best. It’s not our fault they can’t resist how great we look together.”
I roll my eyes at his teasing. “You’re ridiculous,” I laugh.
“And you love it,” he grins, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. “Almost as much as I love you. Now, are you ready to go?”
I take a deep breath, letting the tension from the day ease away.
“Yeah. I’m ready.”
Santi carries both of our bags as we step out of the penthouse and into the elevator. My heart races in anticipation and excitement as he presses the button to take us down to the basement, where his car is parked.
I don’t know where we’re going, but I know that it doesn’t matter. Wherever we are, I’m with Santi, and that’s enough.
The engine of his sleek sports car purrs to life beneath us as we slip inside, and I can feel the excitement bubbling within my chest as he heads out onto the streets. The city lights begin to fade behind us as we drive out of the bustling streets, the quiet hum of the tires on the road blending with the gentle thrum of the car’s engine.
The evening sky stretches above, shifting from soft pinks and oranges to a deeper indigo as the sun sinks lower. The sunsets in Spain are honestly incredible; so bright yet equally so soft, an utterly breathtaking canvas of colour.
With each mile, Valencia’s chaos falls further away, and I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of calm - like we’re escaping into something entirely ours.
I glance over at him in the driver’s seat, and my heart practically skips a beat when he looks back at me. There’s that look in his eyes again - the one he gives me when everything feels just right, when it’s like nothing else in the world matters except us.