"So just to be clear," Emma said carefully, her hands clasped together, "I'd leave on Saturday, get to Spain in time for the game on Sunday noon, and I promise I'll be back for school on Monday. I know it's going to be stressful, but... it'll be worth it."
Her dad leaned back on the couch, arms folded, studying her face with conviction in his eyes. Emma and Mandy had begged him endlessly, and while Mandy's mom was already on board and her own mother seemed supportive too, everything depended on him.
The silence stretched for a moment before he finally sighed. "Fine. You can go."
Emma gasped, her heart leaping. "Are you serious?"
"But," her dad added firmly, "only as long as I know it's safe."
Emma didn't even let him finish before she launched forward, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Dad!" she squealed, hugging him tight. "I promise I'll be careful. You won't regret this."
Her mom chuckled softly from the other side of the room. "Just make sure you call us the moment you land. And no funny business. You stick with the team that invited you."
"I will, I promise," Emma said quickly, still clinging to her dad, her grin stretching from ear to ear.
Mandy smirked, leaning back against the couch cushion. "Spain here we come... Emma, you've got a whole continent to impress."
Emma threw a pillow at her best friend, still laughing, her heart racing with excitement.
It was a few minutes past one when Ben, Jayden's driver, pulled up in a sleek black SUV. The engine purred softly in the driveway, waiting. Emma's heart fluttered. Saturday had come faster than she ever expected.
She stood on the porch with her parents, Mandy by her side. The autumn sun warmed her skin, but the moment felt heavier than the weather.
"Don't forget to call us the instant you land," her dad reminded, his voice carrying the kind of concern that only grew stronger when he tried to hide it.
"I won't forget, Daddy," Emma promised with a bright smile.
She carried nothing but her passport. Jayden had already arranged everything else, even the new jersey she would wear, one matching the kind the United Blues played in. Clothes felt unnecessary now; she was stepping into his world.
"I love you both," she said softly, hugging her parents.
Mandy leaned in close, her whisper hot against Emma's ear. "Keep me posted."
Emma nodded quickly before squeezing her best friend's hand. Then she turned, slipping into the front passenger seat beside Ben.
The driver gave her a quick, reassuring glance before focusing back on the road. "We'll be at the airstrip in about twenty minutes," he said in his even tone.
Emma only smiled, her stomach knotting with nerves and excitement, her eyes glued to the road ahead.
The flight time to Spain was just under eleven hours and in less than half a day, she'd be in Spain and Jayden would be waiting.
Emma's heels clicked softly against the polished steps of the private jet as the warm Spanish sun hit her face. She blinked, adjusting, her heart pounding in her chest. Ahead, two uniformed immigration officers waited at the bottom of the stair truck, their eyes sharp but expressionless. One wore a dark blazer with the Spanish coat of arms pinned neatly on his chest. The other held a sleek tablet.
"Passports, please."
Emma swallowed, sliding hers forward. Her photo stared back at her, a little younger, a little less nervous. The officer scanned it, then her face, before giving a curt nod. With a practiced motion, he pressed the stamp down on the page. The sound, a thud echoed in her chest like a verdict.
"Welcome to Spain."
She almost smiled. Ben handed his over next, the same exchange repeating, efficient and wordless. When both booklets were returned, he tucked them into the inside pocket of his blazer without asking, his expression as steady as ever.
"This way, Miss Emma," he said simply.
A black SUV glided into view, the driver hopping out before the wheels even stilled.
Ben guided Emma forward, his hand brushing lightly at her back as though reminding her to breathe.
The jet behind her was already falling silent, the door closing, the engines cooling. Ahead, Spain waited and at the end of this drive, Jayden.
The car rolled to a stop in front of the stadium, the crowd's noise faint in the distance. Ben stepped out first, adjusting his jacket before opening the door for Emma. She followed close behind, her heart racing faster with each step.
At the back entrance, two security guards blocked the doorway.
"ID, please," one of them said firmly.
Ben calmly pulled out his all-access card and held it up. "She's with me."
The guard's eyes shifted to Emma. "American?" he asked, his accent heavy.
Emma's voice wavered. "I promise my passport was stamped at the airport." She fidgeted with her fingers, nerves written all over her.
The guard chuckled at her nervousness, then exchanged a glance with his partner. With a smirk, the second guard pushed the door open.
"Welcome to Spain," he said.
Emma let out a small breath of relief and smiled back.
Inside, the passage was dimly lit, the hum of the stadium echoing through the walls. They walked down the corridor until it opened into a brighter hallway. And there, standing midway with his hands tucked into his joggers' pockets was Jayden.
The instant Emma's eyes found him, her legs moved on their own. She bolted forward, heart pounding, and before she realized it, she was in his arms. Jayden caught her effortlessly, lifting her off the ground and twirling her around. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply like he'd been starved of her scent.
"Oh my God, I missed you," Jayden murmured as he finally set her down, still holding her close.
"You're one to talk," Emma teased, her smile betraying the weeks of bottled-up longing.
Ben caught up to them, clearing his throat with a grin.
"Thank you so much for going through all this stress for her, Ben," Jayden said, reaching out to clasp his shoulder.
"It's nothing," Ben replied, patting Jayden's arm twice. "I'll be at the technical area with the coaches.""So just to be clear," Emma said carefully, her hands clasped together, "I'd leave on Saturday, get to Spain in time for the game on Sunday noon, and I promise I'll be back for school on Monday. I know it's going to be stressful, but... it'll be worth it."
Her dad leaned back on the couch, arms folded, studying her face with conviction in his eyes. Emma and Mandy had begged him endlessly, and while Mandy's mom was already on board and her own mother seemed supportive too, everything depended on him.
The silence stretched for a moment before he finally sighed. "Fine. You can go."
Emma gasped, her heart leaping. "Are you serious?"
"But," her dad added firmly, "only as long as I know it's safe."
Emma didn't even let him finish before she launched forward, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Dad!" she squealed, hugging him tight. "I promise I'll be careful. You won't regret this."
Her mom chuckled softly from the other side of the room. "Just make sure you call us the moment you land. And no funny business. You stick with the team that invited you."
"I will, I promise," Emma said quickly, still clinging to her dad, her grin stretching from ear to ear.
Mandy smirked, leaning back against the couch cushion. "Spain here we come... Emma, you've got a whole continent to impress."
Emma threw a pillow at her best friend, still laughing, her heart racing with excitement.
It was a few minutes past one when Ben, Jayden's driver, pulled up in a sleek black SUV. The engine purred softly in the driveway, waiting. Emma's heart fluttered. Saturday had come faster than she ever expected.
She stood on the porch with her parents, Mandy by her side. The autumn sun warmed her skin, but the moment felt heavier than the weather.
"Don't forget to call us the instant you land," her dad reminded, his voice carrying the kind of concern that only grew stronger when he tried to hide it.
"I won't forget, Daddy," Emma promised with a bright smile.
She carried nothing but her passport. Jayden had already arranged everything else, even the new jersey she would wear, one matching the kind the United Blues played in. Clothes felt unnecessary now; she was stepping into his world.
"I love you both," she said softly, hugging her parents.
Mandy leaned in close, her whisper hot against Emma's ear. "Keep me posted."
Emma nodded quickly before squeezing her best friend's hand. Then she turned, slipping into the front passenger seat beside Ben.
The driver gave her a quick, reassuring glance before focusing back on the road. "We'll be at the airstrip in about twenty minutes," he said in his even tone.
Emma only smiled, her stomach knotting with nerves and excitement, her eyes glued to the road ahead.
The flight time to Spain was just under eleven hours and in less than half a day, she'd be in Spain and Jayden would be waiting.
Emma's heels clicked softly against the polished steps of the private jet as the warm Spanish sun hit her face. She blinked, adjusting, her heart pounding in her chest. Ahead, two uniformed immigration officers waited at the bottom of the stair truck, their eyes sharp but expressionless. One wore a dark blazer with the Spanish coat of arms pinned neatly on his chest. The other held a sleek tablet.
"Passports, please."
Emma swallowed, sliding hers forward. Her photo stared back at her, a little younger, a little less nervous. The officer scanned it, then her face, before giving a curt nod. With a practiced motion, he pressed the stamp down on the page. The sound, a thud echoed in her chest like a verdict.
"Welcome to Spain."
She almost smiled. Ben handed his over next, the same exchange repeating, efficient and wordless. When both booklets were returned, he tucked them into the inside pocket of his blazer without asking, his expression as steady as ever.
"This way, Miss Emma," he said simply.
A black SUV glided into view, the driver hopping out before the wheels even stilled.
Ben guided Emma forward, his hand brushing lightly at her back as though reminding her to breathe.
The jet behind her was already falling silent, the door closing, the engines cooling. Ahead, Spain waited and at the end of this drive, Jayden.
The car rolled to a stop in front of the stadium, the crowd's noise faint in the distance. Ben stepped out first, adjusting his jacket before opening the door for Emma. She followed close behind, her heart racing faster with each step.
At the back entrance, two security guards blocked the doorway.
"ID, please," one of them said firmly.
Ben calmly pulled out his all-access card and held it up. "She's with me."
The guard's eyes shifted to Emma. "American?" he asked, his accent heavy.
Emma's voice wavered. "I promise my passport was stamped at the airport." She fidgeted with her fingers, nerves written all over her.
The guard chuckled at her nervousness, then exchanged a glance with his partner. With a smirk, the second guard pushed the door open.
"Welcome to Spain," he said.
Emma let out a small breath of relief and smiled back.
Inside, the passage was dimly lit, the hum of the stadium echoing through the walls. They walked down the corridor until it opened into a brighter hallway. And there, standing midway with his hands tucked into his joggers' pockets was Jayden.
The instant Emma's eyes found him, her legs moved on their own. She bolted forward, heart pounding, and before she realized it, she was in his arms. Jayden caught her effortlessly, lifting her off the ground and twirling her around. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply like he'd been starved of her scent.
"Oh my God, I missed you," Jayden murmured as he finally set her down, still holding her close.
"You're one to talk," Emma teased, her smile betraying the weeks of bottled-up longing.
Ben caught up to them, clearing his throat with a grin.
"Thank you so much for going through all this stress for her, Ben," Jayden said, reaching out to clasp his shoulder.
"It's nothing," Ben replied, patting Jayden's arm twice. "I'll be at the technical area with the coaches."