AN: I don't know much about basketball, I hope it will be okay :)

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CHAPTER 3 : Suspicions and basket ball game

That night Raquel found herself unable to fall asleep. Tossing and turning in her bed, she sighed, envious of Hugo's peaceful sleep beside her. He had tried to make her talk once they were at Raquel's appartment but under her stubborn silent, he had understood it was better for him to let her sulk and brood in silence. And now, haunted by her conversation with Alicia, she was considering waking him up to talk to him about everything that was going on inside her head. Seeing how peaceful he looked, she forced her eyes closed and did nothing of the sort.

That didn't stop the harsh words she had said to Alicia to keep playing over and over again in her heads like a melody straight out of a nightmare. She couldn't believe Alicia. After so many months apart, she hadn't a faintest idea of the only words that mattered to her. An explanation or an apology would have been enough. But hearing her denying the latter had been for Raquel start seeing red.

On her side, there was so much that she wanted to talk to her about. She wanted to tell her about the way she had felt betrayed by her departure. That for weeks she had lost her appetite, her sleep and her mind, looking for her. And that when she realised she wasn't going to come back, her whole world had shattered into pieces. She had felt so small and fragile, so hollow and mad. Raquel knew what break up felt like but this had not been it. It was worse than a broken heart because she had no idea if she should be grieving or hoping. She had been denied saying goodbye just like she had been denied saying how much Alicia meant to her. Farewell or I love you were both impossible discussion. Looking at the ceiling seeking for a distraction, Raquel was already dreading the following day and wondering if Alicia was going to try to talk to her again. Raquel definitely wasn't ready for that.

Strangely enough, everything went smoothly. She wondered if Alicia was going to come for her on the parking lot or in-between classes but the redhead kept her distances. She avoided Raquel whether it was her presence or her eyes and she was absent to all of the social events organised by the people of their class, including Friday's party. At first, Raquel thought it great, that it would allow her to take some time to concentrate on the term and on things that actually mattered to her. Sadly, the second week after their fight, she caught herself looking for the redhead in the morning crowd, silently hoping to bump into her. Her anger had slowly started to turn into guilt.

"Maybe I should try to talk to her. Listen to what she has to say", said Raquel bluntly before taking a bite of her sandwich.

It was lunch time and Ana and her were sitting on a bench in the courtyard enjoying the last rays of sunshine before fall. A book on her laps, crumbs falling down between pages, Raquel couldn't concentrate and had spent the last 5 minutes reading words she couldn't recall. She felt bad seeing Alicia alone all the time and was starting to get second thoughts on whether or not listening to what she actually had to say.

Her reaction had been harsh, hot-headed. It was something that she needed to work on. There was something comfortable in being able to control her emotions and that was definitely not what had happened with Alicia since she had let the anger get the best of her. She hated that but somehow, the redhead had always had this effect on her.

"I don't think that's really a good idea." Ana said, looking up from her phone. "I mean, that girl has never been straightforward with you before. Why would she change now?" She had concerns in her voice. "She's just going to find some random excuse on why she was gone and somehow find a way to make you apologise for having spoken your mind."

"Yup, that sounds like something Alicia would do." Raquel muttered.

"Besides, you owe her nothing." Ana retorted.

Raquel nodded. She knew Ana was right. Alicia was known for her half-lies and her mysterious and vague responses. She always kept her feelings at bay and had a hard times expressing them. In fact, Raquel had often felt like a stranger even months after being with her.

But she also suspected that all this was just a hard veneer, a mask Alicia used to protect herself. Raquel wasn't a psychology student for nothing. She could read people and Alicia had become her favourite subject, an enigma that remained unsolved.

"So nobody has any idea of what happened to her? Or why she's back now?" asked Raquel. Her curiosity was killing her and she really wanted answers to all the questions she was asking herself.

"Well, I heard someone say that she disappeared because she was under arrest with a pending trial. Something about drug dealing…" Ana shrugged. "Maybe she made a deal with the police and she was free to walk?"

Raquel froze for a second then frowned her eyebrows in disbelief.

"No way." She shook her head. "I know some people find Alicia scary and mysterious but come on… She's not a drug dealer. That's just nonsense." She let out a nervous laugh.

"Well that's what someone in the class heard in the administration's office the other day." Ana replied, shrugging her shoulders and looking down at her phone.

"Why would she do that, what's her motive?" Raquel replied, full inspectora mode activated.

"I dunno, Sherlock. Maybe she needed the money, maybe she enjoyed it. Who knows what's happening in that witch's head." Raquel threw her a dark stare. "Sorry." Ana muttered, letting out an apologetic smile.

Raquel rolled her eyes and looked down, pretending to take an interest in her criminology book again. Her mind was still elsewhere. She didn't believe it. She had know Alicia since the first day of university including nine-months more intimately and there was no way she was dealing drugs. Raquel's police instinct kicked in: she needed hard proofs to believe that kind of nonsense and answers to calm her restless mind.

Raquel took another bite of her sandwich, flipping the page of the heavy book. She was distracted by a clinging sound on Ana's phone and the way the blonde girl quickly grabbed it. Her face cracked into a shy smile.

"What's going on with you?" teased Raquel, a grin on her lips.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, it's like the 3rd text you get in under 5min. You practically jump on your phone every time you get a text. Hot date?"concluded Raquel, happy with her investigation.

Ana's eyes widened and she suddenly had rosy cheeks.

"You're going to make a great inspector one day." Ana smiled. "Yes, very hot date! Remember that guy I told you about who was working at the hospital this summer? The one who came to the party last week? Well, he asked me out and I'm seeing him tonight".

Ana giggled, swaying from one side to the other, obviously excited by this great news. Raquel's face lit up seeing her friends like this.

"That's awesome, Ana! Wait, what do you have planned?"

"Nothing too fancy. Dinner and a movie."

"You can't go wrong with the classics. I'm sure you'll have a great time." Then she paused for a second and remembered. "Wait, does this mean you won't be able to attend tonight's game?"

Raquel had her first basketball game of the semester after class and usually, Ana was always there to attend and support her.

"I'm sorry love, really! I know it could have been a great idea for a date but maybe not the first one, you know what I mean, right?"

Raquel pretented to be hurt. Truth was she didn't mind at all and was actually really excited that Ana had a nice plan for the evening.

"Don't worry, I'm just kidding. I'll be fine." she said to reassure a friend. "Go to your date, it'll do you good."

"I'm sure it will! We'll come for your next game." She said giggling. "Besides, you won't be alone tonight. Hugo is coming, right?"

Raquel shook her head. "No, he can't make it either. He's got a training session at the camp in Avila. He'll only be back this weekend".

"Oh, I'm sorry." Ana apologised

Raquel shrugged her shoulders. It didn't really mattered to her. Ana had a hot date, Hugo was training, there wasn't much she could do. Besides, it was only the first game of the year, there'll be plenty other.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me." she repeated sending a warm smile to her friend.

"Hey, listen, I got an idea. Why don't you join us when your game is over. We can meet up somewhere after and get a drink. That'll be fun."

"That's an excellent idea." Raquel said, nodding.

She definitely could use a night out with a friend. They finished eating in silence, watching the students around them getting ready to go back inside the different faculty buidlings.

"Come on, let's go to class." Raquel finally mouthed, closing her book and putting it in her bag.

The afternoon was quick to pass and soon, Raquel was on the basketball field, wearing her jersey and her gym shorts. She looked at the gym filled with people she barely knew. Some faces in the hallways of the lockers were familiars ; she had seen them around during previous games but they never really had the chance to talk. The bleachers were quite sparse but she was glad to see that some people had come to support them, mostly friends of her teammates. On the court while they were warming up, she recognised a few girls in the opposite team. There were only two or three faces that were unknown to her. Probably new players, Raquel thought examining them from head to toe.

One of them, a tall girl with short dark hair, crossed her look and smiled at her. It took Raquel less than a second to see that it was fake. The girl's eyes were filled with arrogance and she turned to her friends to scoff. That attitude made Raquel rolled her eyes - this sort of behaviour had a tendency to get on her nerve.

"Don't waste your energy on her, Ra", said Julia who had seen everything. She passed one arm over Raquel's shoulder and dragged her away from the girl. "Carla is a pain in the ass. We all know that. But I know you can teach her a lesson and beat her during the game."

Raquel laughed. "Count on me to do just that".

She somehow felt relieved that neither Ana nor Hugo were here to support her. She knew that this game was important for her team and she wanted to keep her mind empty of all distraction. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, drinking a bit of water. The cool sensation felt nice on her lips. The game was about to start and she needed a clear head. She joined her team for their rally cry right before the whistle of the referee that called them onto the field.

Being the shortest player on the team, Raquel's position was on the right side of the court. She was good at shooting and liked to keep an eye on how everything was spaced, building up strategies and escape routes when things got too heated. Despite her small height, Raquel had learn to be quick and to make fast decisions every time she got the ball, passing it on to her partners with quick and swift motions. And when the time was right, she wasn't scared of driving the ball down the court even if it meant facing her opponents.

After fifteen minutes of running back and forth, Raquel was drenched in sweat. She had managed to score a couple of time and had successfully passed the ball to the players in her team. The game was hard and the team in front of them was quite good. Their only weaknesses were the couple of younger players who seemed to lack experience especially at blocking. That served Raquel's team well enough since they managed to snatch a few more points. Raquel had kept an eye on the tall dark haired player who had tried to take her the ball a couple of time unsuccessfully and she could feel that the girl was growing angry. Carla had sent her dark gazes when Raquel had lifted her arms and fist in victory after scoring again.

The occasion of grasping the ball from Carla presented itself again and Raquel was face to her, blocking her the best she could. Carla tried to pass the ball but ended up giving it to Raquel's team. Raising her hands as to show her she didn't meant her any harm, Raquel got momentarily distracted by the arrival of a slender red-haired silhouette in the gym. Alicia. Their eyes met only for a second but already Raquel started to feel self-conscious. She barely caught the ball that Julia had sent her way and was quickly outplayed by the opponent in front of her. Raquel swore.

"Stay focus, Murillo" she heard her coach yell.

Growing rigid, she clenched her first, not ready to give up yet. She shook her head and threw herself back in the game. With a rapid motion, she eased herself between the players in a more aggressive manner, not hesitating to bump into Carla who was blocking her way. The girl stumbled, trying to balance herself to avoid falling. Raquel smiled in her head. This kind of revenge was petty but it felt good.

She could see in the girl's eyes that this was not over but Raquel only raised her eyebrows, unimpressed. A couple of minutes later, the girl managed to get her hands on the ball but already Raquel was onto her, reading to block her. Carla was preparing to shoot, arms up but at the last second she turned around violently. Her pointy elbow slammed into Raquel's eye and nose.

The pain was immediate and Raquel let out a growl. Bitting her lips to avoid screaming, she squeezed her eye shut against the scorching pain that was running through her face.

"Joder!" she swore as she stumbled back, blinded.

She knew her nose had started bleeding as she felt the warm fluid run down between her fingers. The referee blew her whistle and shortly her teammates were around her. She was still squeezing her eye shut letting out swear words as to ease the pain.

"Fuck, Murillo. That doesn't look good", said Julia who had gotten closer and was peering down into her injured eye as she held her head back. "We also need to stop that nose from bleeding".

Few drops had already escaped Raquel's fingers and leaked onto the court. Accompanied by Julia, she walked to the benches close to the coach. He took a rapid look at Raquel's injury and sighed.

"Sanchez, you're up. Murillo, you stay right here. Game's over for you." he said with a firm voice.

Raquel felt a wave of injustice crashing through her.

"Oh come on, coach! That's nothing! I wanna finish the game." complained Raquel. She tried to stand up but felt like her knees were going to give up under her. She sat back. "Give me just a couple of minutes and I'll be fine."

She heard the blow of the whistle and soon the recognisable sound of the gym shoes squeaking on the floor was back. The game was resuming with her. Her coach turned to her.

"Murillo, you might have a concussion. You're not going back out there. Besides, there's only fifteen minutes left." His attention was suddenly caught by the blood that was still draining through Raquel's fingers. "Why don't you try going to the locker room to rinse it off. I'll come check on you when the game's over."

Raquel grumbled. She hated feeling useless, she hated feeling powerless and this situation was all this at once. And there was nothing she could do to change it. She heard the crowd cheer as one of her teammate scored a basket and that was enough for her.

Standing up slowly and leaning close to the wall for support in case she felt dizzy again, she exited the gym. She cursed Carla and her elbow all the way to the locker room, wishing there was a way for her to get revenge. She was fishing for her bag in her locker when she heard steps coming from behind her. She turned around and saw that Alicia had followed her. Raquel tried to roll her eyes but her attempt was soon replaced by intense and painful tingling.

"Seriously?" She said, propping her bag onto a bench, fetching for a towel or something that she could use to stop the bleeding "What is it with you and the girl locker room?"

Alicia scoffed. "You really wanna know?" Her eyes were looking straight at Raquel and she cocked an eyebrow. The brunette sighed and sat on the bench. "Your coach sent me. He didn't want you to pass out alone in the locker room so he asked me to come check on you."

"What a thoughtful gesture." Raquel replied ironically.

There was plenty of people in the bleachers and he had to send Alicia. The redhead had probably took the matter into her own hands and had made the decision herself, seeing an opportunity to be alone with her. Giving it a second, Raquel finally let go of the breath she was holding and tried to relax, easing the tension that was building into her face.

She wouldn't dare to admit it but she liked having Alicia around. Her presence was somehow soothing. After a week looking at her from afar wondering if there couldn't be a time to talk to her, Raquel finally felt like it was her chance. Alicia was relaxed and familiar. A new wave of pain came pounding behind Raquel's eye.

"God, that still hurts like hell!" Raquel cursed.

She could feel the whole thing resonating in her head and for a quick second, she felt dizzy. Some drops of blood had gotten to her lips and a strong taste of iron invaded her mouth. She made a face at that. Without saying a word, Alicia approached her and gave her some paper towel. Raquel grabbed those, ignoring the tingle that went through her body when their fingers touched for a quick second. Then, she started pressing the paper against her bloody nose.

"Here, let me see." said Alicia with a concerned voice.

The redhead had took a step forward, her hand going for Raquel's face. She resisted at first, but when Alicia's soft hand ended up on the side of her cheek, she calmed down a little bit.

"Hold still." Alicia warned.

Raquel sighed and complied. Alicia's hand was cool against her swollen cheek and Raquel resisted leaning into her touch. She let Alicia handle her, turning her face towards her.

"Open your eye" Alicia said calmly.

Slowly, she did. She opened the eye that had remained close until then and let out a groan of pain when the burning sensation hit her one more time. Alicia gazed right through her, observing quickly the results of the hit. The white of Raquel's eye had turned bright red and was filled with blood. The first signs of bruising were already starting to show in the area.

"You might want to patch your eye for a couple of days." She advised.

But Raquel was barely listening to what the redhead was saying. Her eyes met Alicia's and got sucked into them. They were intoxicating and magnetic. The girl had gotten so close, she could smell her. A mix of tobacco and bergamot with some sweet notes of citrus and something else that was entirely personal to Alicia. That whole scent felt so familiar and yet so far away. Like a memory that was there once but had been forgotten.

A shiver came running through Raquel's body as her eyes met Alicia's lips. She wanted to kiss her. She wanted to capture those lips and drown in them. She wondered if something had changed since the last time they kissed, if she tasted different, if her lips were still as soft and demanding as they used to be.

Quicker than she would have wanted to Alicia's hand released Raquel's face and the redhead took a step back. A light pink shade had gotten to her cheeks and she seemed unsteady. Alicia had noticed her gaze.

"You also need to put ice on it." The redhead concluded with a faint voice while pointing at the injury.

Raquel swallowed and nodded. Lowering her eyes, she could still perceive the ghost of Alicia's hand on her cheeks. She took a look at the paper towel she was still pressing against her nose. The blood was still going. She firmly pinched the soft part of her nose, leaned forward and started breathing through her mouth.

"I have an ice pack at home. I'll just wait for the game to end and I'll go."

"Don't you have some in here?" Alicia asked suspicious, taking a look at the shelves that surrounded the place.

Raquel explained. "Only a couple but the boy team took them all for their away game."

She closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing.

"So, where's Mister pretty face tonight?" Alicia asked with a ton Raquel didn't recognise.

She stopped for a moment, scanning Alicia's face but the redhead was busy going through the medicine cabinet to find something that could help them.

"Hugo." Raquel corrected with annoyance in her voice. Alicia didn't seem to notice she had even spoke.

"Can't he come pick you up?" She went on.

Her voice was a mix of concern and dryness. Raquel wondered for a second if the act she had pulled the other day in front of Alicia was the reason why there was a hint of irritation in her ton. It had hurt her more than she let it show. It wasn't like Alicia to be concerned by a demonstration like that. Raquel's brief satisfaction quickly turned into guilt. But she was not going to show Alicia that.

"He's working tonight." Raquel simply replied, shrugging her shoulders.

They stayed silent for a couple minute before Alicia turned around suddenly, facing her.

"So you replaced me with him, uh?" Alicia asked, raising an eyebrow. It was obvious she was fishing for information and was trying to provoke her. "You certainly didn't lose any time."

"What was there to replace, Alicia? Like I said, you were very clear on that. We were nothing." The brunette answered, emphasising the fact that she was tired and unwilling to talk about this further.

Alicia wasn't done. "How is he?"

"Why do you wanna know?" Raquel frowned.

If Alicia wanted to provoke and hurt her, she wasn't going to let her.

"He's nice and funny. He is there for me when I need him. Well… most of the time." She added regarding to the current situation. "He's also straight-forward, reliable and I know I can trust him. Do you want me to go on?"

She wanted to add that this relationship was easy and nice but didn't when she heard Alicia scoffed. Raquel stopped, letting the tension fall back. She had just gave Alicia a minor view at everything that Hugo could offer her that she couldn't. She didn't have any explanation or justification to give Alicia.

At least, with Hugo, she didn't have to make an effort deciphering every thing that he said. Maybe Hugo wasn't present tonight because he was a responsible person, working for a future but Raquel knew that Hugo was always available for her. Whether it was a phone call or an advice, he made a point of listening to her needs and actually being here for her. That felt good.

Ever since her dad had died, Raquel had felt like the "adult" of the family, supporting her mother and sister the best way she could. She had carried so much on her shoulders, wanting to make it right that it felt good to be able to lean against and be held by someone sometimes. And that's who Hugo was: reliable and trustworthy. Someone in whom she could confides into and who responded.

"Must be nice." Alicia retorted simply.

She stayed silent, her eyes going back and forth between Raquel and the door. Suddenly, she stood up.

"I'll be right back", she said a second before leaving the room.

Raquel didn't say a word and took her time to stand up. She didn't feel dizzy anymore and that made her feel better. She started washing the blood on her hands and took a good look at herself in the mirror. Her cheek was bruised and she had dry blood on the corner of her mouth and chin. She concluded her observation by making a face. She wasn't a pretty picture and she knew tomorrow and the days after that were going to be worse.

Her nose had stopped bleeding when Alicia was suddenly back.

"Grab your things. I'm driving you home." she simply said, adding a motion of arm towards the door.

Raquel was finishing rinsing her face and she shook her head. "No need, I can very well drive myself home."

"That wasn't a question nor a suggestion." Alicia replied sharply. Raquel smiled, amused by the girl's confidence. She tried to roll her eyes at her but groaned at the effort.

"What about the game?" she simply said, trying to find a way out of this situation that would not include being helped by Alicia.

"I already warned your coach. He's agreed that it was for the best that I drive you home. He doesn't want him or the university to be responsible if you pass out while driving and kill yourself." That last part was just Alicia trying to be dramatic, Raquel was sure of it.

"I'm not going to pass out and die, that's just ridiculous." she retorted.

"Raquel."

The simple sound of her name on Alicia's lips made her stop. She met her hazel eyes. She had a concerned look on her face but her posture was firm. Raquel could see that Alicia had made up her mind. Whatever she was going to say or do would never be enough to change Alicia's decision.

"Fine, I'll come with you" resigned Raquel.

She opened her locker, grabbed her bag and followed Alicia.

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