James Rodriguez (you are Lucho Diaz)

"So you're totally smitten with Gina?" one of them asked, laughing.

I smiled, looking at the ceiling.

—I don't know, buddy… but it's been a while since something like this happened to me.

The music was still blasting in the apartment, but on that corner of the sofa everything felt calmer. Like when it's two in the morning and exhaustion has lowered your defenses.

"And what's wrong with her?" Luis asked from the other side.

I turned to look at him.

He was relaxed, or at least that's what he was trying to appear. His cap was tilted low, he had a glass in his hand, and that small smile he always wore when he wanted to hide something.

"I can't explain it," I said, laughing softly. "With her, I don't feel like I have to pretend to be anything."

Luis stopped stirring the ice in the glass.

The others continued talking amongst themselves, bothering each other, but he remained silent.

And I started noticing that weird thing.

Every time he spoke about Gina, he lowered his gaze.

As if listening to me tired his heart a little.

Then someone put on an old Feid song and everyone started singing along loudly. Luis took advantage of the noise to get up and go out onto the balcony.

I don't know why I went after them.

I found him leaning on the railing, looking at the lights of Medellín.

—Everything alright, Lucho?

-Yes of course.

Lie.

I stood beside him without saying anything. The wind was cold and below I could still hear motorcycles passing by.

—You became distant.

Luis barely smiled.

-It's not that.

—So, what then?

He remained silent for a few seconds, as if wondering whether it was worth speaking or not.

—Nothing… I just find it funny how you talk about her.

-Because?

He shrugged.

—Because you never talk like that.

I just stared at him.

And for the first time I understood that there was something more behind those silences.

Something he had been keeping to himself for too long.

Luis lowered his head and let out a sad laugh.

—Some people are very lucky, aren't they?

-In that way?

He turned slightly towards me, but not completely.

—Nothing… forget it.

Then he looked at the city again.

And there, with all the music far away and night upon us, I felt a strange sadness seeing him like that.