"Bruna?" David said before I could speak.

It was too good to be true. It was me, deluding myself. Just because we had a good time doing the scavenger hunt, it doesn't mean that all of a sudden he will forget all about his gorgeous girlfriend. I'm so, so stupid.

"Um, yeah. So really, if anyone else wants to come as well..." Neymar started saying.

"No. No need. You should go, be alone." I said. "I am really tired from today and I want to get back to the compound and get that ankle checked." I knew that was an excuse no one could challenge.

"Are you sure? You really wanted to go a few minutes ago." Alex said concerned. I was glad he didn't see through my poor excuse. It seemed like he was the only one though.

"Yeah, yeah I do." I started saying. "But it really hurts."

"Okay babe." David said. "I'll take you back." He gave me a knowing look. I realized he wanted to spare me from having to see Neymar with Bruna and I was glad for that.

"Okay, I am coming too." Alex said. Alex would want to spend the day together and I wasn't feeling up to that.

Thankfully David realized. "No need man. If we finish early we might just come and join you."

Alex was unconvinced. He started to say something, but I cut him: "Go on with everyone else really. I am probably going to bed after I get it checked out." I said.

He reluctantly agreed but looked disappointed and I felt even worse for hurting him. But David was the only person I could spend time with right now.

"C'mon let's go tell everyone." David told him.

"I'm sorry Liv." Neymar said as soon as they were gone.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I said trying to sound neutral.

"Don't lie to me. I know I am the reason you're not coming. I just... I couldn't get out of it."

"Get out of hanging out with your girlfriend? Why would you want to do that?" I asked him aggressively.

"It was just supposed to be for us two, just the winners."

"Well it's alright by me." I said coldly.

"Okay. I had a good time with you today. We make a good team."

"Do we? You had to carry me the whole time."

"If it weren't for you I'd still be at the garden now."

We both laughed.

"I am sorry, really. We should celebrate our win together. Maybe we will some other time."

"Who knows, I may even take you up on your offer with your yacht."

"I'd like that."

I chuckled. Here we were talking and making plans but to me it felt like all this was just talk. Neymar and I spending time alone didn't seem like a possibility in the near future.

But still, the way he talked, the way his face looked when he told me Bruna was coming, the fact that he said sorry a thousand times, what did all these things mean?

"Livvie?" he said looking at me. I realized that I had gotten caught in my thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Stay."

"What?"

"Don't go back to the compound."

"I should rest the ankle."

"You're lying."

"And you have a girlfriend to spend your time with, so why the hell does it matter if I'm there or not? It should make no difference to you!" I snapped at him.

 "It makes the biggest difference."

"It shouldn't Neymar. What are you trying to say? For God's sake, just say it!"

"I want to... I want to say it." He said. He was leaning towards me, our faces inches from each other, in the middle of a crowded beach, for everyone, including Alex to see.

I pulled back. "But you can't, can you?"

I don't know how much time had passed, but if felt like centuries.

"Are you ready to go Livvie?" David came back. I turned my gaze to him and nodded.

"Yes. Nothing left for me to do here."

I followed David to his car and got in.

"What happened? You looked like you were arguing."

"We were, kind of." I said.

"It's gonna be okay."

"Yes it is. But not because things will suddenly work out for us, because they won't."

"You don't know that..."

"But I do David. Truth be told, if Neymar felt the same way about me that I do about him he wouldn't have gotten back together with his ex. And I need to accept that and move on. And I shouldn't be the one to have to avoid everyone!"

"I agree with the last part."

"Only with the last part?"

"Yeah Liv. The fact that he got back together with her doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings for you."

Before I could answer his phone rang. He started talking in Portuguese. When he hung up he turned towards me. "Mind if we take a little detour?" He asked. His eyes were glistening. "Sarah's here."

"Of course!" I said. "She is? That's great David."

"I hope it is. I take it as a good sign she wants to talk."

"Of course it is. I can't wait to meet her."

"So we are going to pick her up at her hotel and then go back to the compound."

"No, no way. I am not gonna make you drive me all the way back instead of spend the day in Rio with her."

"And what should we do?"

"There are doctors at the hotel right? For minor injuries like mine."

"Yeah sure."

"Okay, let's go there and then you'll drop me off at the bus stop for the compound."

"Livvie I won't let you take the bus..."

"I've taken the bus thousands of time, I'll be fine."

"Thank you, you're the best."

"Oh I know."

When we got to the hotel and parked our car we headed for the lobby. Thankfully there weren't paparazzi there and we made our way in quietly.

Sarah was sitting in the bar, her back to us. I had never seen her or knew what she looked like but I immediately knew it was her.

"Sarah." David said when we approached her.

She turned around. She was very beautiful. When she looked at David her eyes turned bright but when she saw me her face fell.

"I can't believe you brought your new girlfriend with you."

"Liv is not my girlfriend." He said.

"Right." She said but didn't seem convinced.

"No it's true. We are only friends." I said. "He's told me so much about you." I said smiling at her. I hoped she believed me.

It seemed to work and she relaxed. "I'm sorry." She told us.

"No problem." I said. "I am going to let you two talk."

"Just give me a minute to find a doctor 'cause Liv twisted her ankle and I'll be right back." David told Sarah.

When we found the infirmary and David talked with the doctor he left to go meet Sarah.

"It's just a small sprain. I am going to bandage it tightly to ease the pain. You should avoid stepping on it for a few days but other than that you'll be fine." The doctor said as he fetched me a crutch.

"Obrigado." I said taking it.

I went back to the bar, using the crutch instead of my injured leg which was difficult since I hadn't used a crutch before.

"It looks worse than it is." I said when Sarah and David saw me. "It's just a sprain."

"I'm not letting you take the bus." David said.

"Really David it's no biggie. I will be seated on the bus."

"No I agree with David." Sarah said. "Are you sure you want to go back? David told me he rented a yacht for the day for the winners of his scavenger hunt."

"Yeah you're looking at one." I said.

"You won? That's great! And why aren't you going to the cruise?"

David and I looked at each other.

"It's complicated." I said.

She gave me a knowing look. "It's the CBF so it has to be complicated. I would know." She looked at David.

"Well my teammate is in the boat. With his girlfriend." I said.

"Ah I see. And you gave it up to them."

"More like I didn't want to be there."

"Might I ask who?"

I took a deep breath. David gave me a nod, as if to say it was okay and I could trust Sarah. And I felt that I could.

"Neymar." I said.

"Neymar? He got back together with Bruna?" Sarah asked.

David nodded.

"That's too bad."

"You don't like her?" I asked.

"No. Not that much. But that doesn't mean anything."

I nodded.

"You like him?"

I nodded again.

"And he likes her too! That's why this is so crazy!" David said.

Sarah pondered it for a second. "Well you shouldn't be the one that has to stay alone while everyone else is there and having fun. It's not fair."

"That's what I was telling her before you called." David said. Sarah flashed him a smile.

"Let's go then. All of us. I haven't seen the guys in a while. Are you up for it?" Sarah asked me.

 "Sure. I can take it."