Kulti

by Mariana Zapata

“I don’t like the idea of you being with another man.”

“You say that as if there were anyone else in this world I would want. You have no idea what I feel for you.” He blinked and spat out something I never would have expected. “There is no gray area for me where you’re concerned. I don’t share, and I expect nothing less from you.”

“That’s your reason. What would I gain from telling you the first moment I realized you were meant to be mine? Nothing.

This”—he pointed between us—“this is what matters. You are my gift, my second chance, and I will cherish you and your dream. I will protect both of you.

“I’ve been waiting, and I will keep on waiting until the time is right. You are my equal, my partner, my teammate, my best friend. I’ve done so many stupid things that you’ve made me regret—things I hope you will forgive me for and look beyond—but this, waiting a little longer for the love of my life, I can do.

I have never wanted anything more in my life than I want your love, and I don’t want to share that with anyone. I haven’t done a single thing in my life to deserve you, schnecke, but I will never give up on you, and I won’t let you give up on me.”

“Yes.” He said a word in German I thought meant “always,” but I didn’t want to really think about it.

I choked up. I’d lost. We’d lost. My family was in the audience. Marc and Simon were in the crowd someplace. My German was too.

“Hey, would you mind trading jerseys with me?” she asked with a sweet grin.

“I hope this doesn’t make me sound like a total dork,” she said, taking her jersey off, “but I love you.”

“Schnecke.”

Kulti stopped the second he was about a foot away. His big body was solid and unmoving, and his face that perfect mask of careful control that didn’t give me a hint of what was going on in his big German head.

“Don’t cry.” The tears just poured out. My frustration, my disappointment, my embarrassment all went right for it. Every insecurity was present. “I’m sorry,” I told him in a watery voice.

“You could never disappoint me.” Did his voice sound strange or was I imagining it? “Not in this life, Sal.”

“You aren’t going anywhere without me.” Say what? I reared my head back enough to look at his face, indifferent to how much of a wreck I had to be. “But you told⁠—” Kulti’s face was gentle. His eyes were brighter than ever. “I have so much to teach you, Taco,” he said with a flick of his eyebrow. “Unless you have something in writing, there would never be proof of an agreement to begin with.”

I slid in first, watching as he followed after me, pressing that long, muscular build against mine. His arm slipped over my shoulder as he angled into me, smothering me with his broad chest.

Kulti pulled me onto his lap. It happened so quickly I couldn’t really focus on anything. His mouth dropped to mine, which had already parted in anticipation.

His breathing became even more ragged than before, which said something for a man who used to sprint up and down a soccer field for a living. He swallowed, his lips parted, and I could have sworn the bulge at my hip jumped.

What I got in return was a groan, and Kulti tipping his head back as he made just about the sexiest face to ever register on the sexy scale.

Kulti stroked my arm with one hand. “It’s been a long time,” he apologized, tracing a pattern only he saw on my skin. “And you’re too beautiful for your own good.”

“I was in love with you. I told everyone I was going to marry you someday. You were my idol, Rey. I kept playing soccer because of you.”

Dear Mr. Kulti, You are my favorite player. I play soccer 2 butt I’m not good like you are. Not yet. I practice all the time so 1 day I can be just like you or beter. I watch all of ur games so don’t mess up. Ur #1 fan, Sal <3 <3 <3 P.S. Do u have a girl friend? P.P.S. Why don’t u cut ur hair?

“That letter stayed in every locker I used for the next ten years. It was the first thing I looked at before my games and the first thing I saw after I played. I framed it and put it in my house in Meissen once it started to wear out. It’s still there on the wall of my bedroom.”

WAIT IMMA CRY

“I only remembered your first name from your letters.”

CASILLAS: I’m so sorry. Really. I don’t think I’ve ever used that word in my life. I guess I’ve taken too many balls to my face… fuck my life, did I just… Oh God. I used the f-word and I said I’ve taken a lot of balls to my face in one sentence. I don’t…

Rey raised a single shoulder. “If we’re here.”

“Rey, wait.” “No,” he said, toying with the band. “I’ve waited long enough.”

He straightened and gave me the most intense look I would ever witness. “This is not temporary.”

“I’ve been waiting for this forever.” “I love you very much.” The words were out of my mouth, steady and determined. And true. They were so, so true.

He was smiling the biggest smile I’d ever seen, and it reached deep into my existence.

He kissed the corner of my mouth. “Ja.” Rey kissed the other side. “You always have.”

You are my best friend, my love, my playmate, and my teammate. You’ll have a team with me wherever we are, with whatever we are playing.”

KULTI ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT Soccer forward Salomé Casillas Kulti

WAIT IM GOING TO CRY

and one Altus Cup win with Germany, the captain and forward for CS Frankfurt will be officially hanging up her cleats.

Oh God. As much as I didn’t want to, I thought about smacking my forehead with my palm. Rey, on the other hand, reached up to touch the side of his face, his fingers went to his brow bone and his chin dropped a fraction.

That time, it was Rey who started cracking up. Yeah, fate was something else entirely.