Chapter 29

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"I suppose I could find a way to get out of it." I told David as we headed back to the compound after practice. He had his hand around my waist and I was leaning on him for support, using only one crutch.

"That would be for the best. Although what about me?"

"What about you?"

"You know that Sarah and I are just collateral damage right?"

"Oh my God imagine if it was just her and Neymar with Alex and me. It would have been horrible! But you know... maybe I should go. And show her that she has nothing to be afraid of and end the matter."

"That's best case scenario anyway."

"Yeah..." I fumed. "Did you ask Sarah?"

"Not yet. We had plans you know."

"Oh man I'm sorry."

"Maybe one day we'll do a double date with you and Neymar."

"Yeah I wouldn't bet on that."

"I would." He said giving me serious look.

I pulled his hair playfully.

"Ouch!"

When we reached my room David left to go to his own and I found Marina on the bed browsing the internet on her PC. With that I remembered the photo that Neymar posted of us on Instagram yesterday and pulled out my phone to see it. When I logged in I was astonished to see that the number of people following me had gone through the roof.

"This Instagram thing is crazy!" I said.

"You saw the photos from yesterday?" Marina asked glancing at me.

Of course there were pictures from the cruise. "I'm just about to." I said. First I went on and followed the guys since I wasn't following any of them before coming to Brazil. They had all somehow found my account and followed me already. And then I went to see the pictures I was tagged in.

The first one was of me, Neymar and Thiago that Neymar took last night. We were all smiling happily. He had simply tagged it 'Harry Potter Marathon' along with my name and Thiago's. There were so many comments, most of them in Portuguese.

There were also pictures from the scavenger hunt and the cruise. Apparently it was common knowledge that the NT had a scavenger hunt yesterday and that Neymar and I had won.

"Oh my God." I murmured seeing that the phrase 'Neymar and Olivia' was trending. "This is crazy."

"Man this is too crazy." Marina said as she got up and joined me. We shifted through the rest of the photos, Neymar had posted the pictures from the scavenger hunt- I especially loved the one with Christ the Redeemer, David had posted one with me, Sarah, Alex and Marcelo and one of me and him being goofy.

And there was one that Bruna had posted, of her and Neymar on deck kissing. This one had amassed almost half a million likes.

"This one is lovely." I said bitterly.

"She is territorial. I'll give you that." Marina said.

"And I haven't told you the news!"

"What happened?" Marina asked me warily.

"We are going on a group date tonight. Bruna, Neymar, Sarah, David and Alex and me."

"Oh man." Was all Marina said. "Meanwhile I am going out with Bernard and some of his friends. He is introducing me to them."

"That sounds great actually."

"Yeah. Things are going so good I am afraid something bad will happen. Then again maybe you suck all the bad luck for the both of us."

"I think that might be true." I shrugged. "I have to find Alex. I didn't ask him if he wants to go."

"Pray that he doesn't."

"I am." I said closing the door behind me.

~

I started getting ready half an hour before we had to leave. My foot was a lot better after not having stepped on it for a day and I ditched the crutches. I felt almost no pain. I had no idea where we were going so I put on some jeans that reached my ankles and a white sleeveless lace top with a high hemline. It was flow-y and I loved the pattern of the lace. I put on white flats and I grabbed my faux-leather black jacket. I was ready.

"Looking good boys." I said as soon as I walked outside. Neymar and David looked up. Neymar was leaning on the wall while David sat on the stairs. I found it almost weird when they wore regular clothes. I was so used to watching them in the bright CBF shirts and cleats.

"Same there." Neymar said motioning towards me.

"Black suits you." I told him as I sat down next to David. "Alex isn't here yet?"

"No." David answered. "We have to pick up Bruna and Sarah too so we have to take two cars." David said looking from me to Neymar.

I realized the problem. Who would ride with who? If I went with Neymar and Alex went with David, we would have to pick up Bruna, which meant that the three of us would be in the car alone. And if I let Alex ride with Neymar then I would be leaving the two of them alone.

"You should both go with David." Neymar said. I nodded. He didn't seem mad, he too understood that it was the best solution.

"Ah, here you are. I went by your room." Alex said emerging from the front door.

"Yeah sorry. I forgot to tell you we always meet up here."

"It's alright." He said but there was disappointment in his voice. Great. I was already screwing this up.

"Let's go party people." David said standing up.

We followed him to the parking lot towards his car, while Neymar went the other way towards his.

I gave him a half smile as he was getting in but he only replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Neymar?" Alex asked as he got in.

"He's taking his. We can't all fit here." I said getting inside the passenger seat.

The ride to Rio passed by quickly and I saw that David and Alex went along just fine.

"This ride must be tiring. Having to go to Rio every day." Alex commented.

"I hope I will be doing it for years to come." David answered and I realized he meant being in the NT.

When we reached Sarah's hotel she was already waiting outside. She wore a cute dress with a flower pattern and heels and I suddenly felt underdressed.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"For a bite. I don't know the place. Bruna picked it." David told me.

When we reached the restaurant there were a lot of paparazzi outside.

"How would they know?" I asked and David gave me a look. Fortunately the staff helped us get out of the car and into the restaurant by making way. The paparazzi kept yelling and taking pictures though.

"I think I am getting the hang of this." I said. "Which is something I never thought I'd say."

"By getting the hang of this you mean not having a panic attack right?" David mocked me.

"Like I said!" I replied and we laughed as we got inside.

We were the first ones to arrive and we sat at our table in the corner of the room. It was a very beautiful restaurant, but seemed expensive.

A few minutes later Bruna and Neymar arrived.

"Hello everyone!" Bruna said. "This is crazy outside!"

Neymar gave something of a wave with his hand but I wasn't sure what he meant.

"How is it for you guys?" Bruna asked me and Alex. "I mean... since you aren't used to it."

Alex looked at me before saying: "We are managing."

"They don't want us anyway." I added.

"You are right. They don't."

"So... Bruna," David started saying, "How long will you be in Rio for?"

"I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow, unless something changes."

"Should we order?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. Let's." Neymar said quickly. Too quickly.

Once we ordered, Bruna brought the discussion back to me and Alex.

"So how long have you two been together?"

Alex and I looked at each other awkwardly. How was I supposed to answer that question?

"Bruna stop the interrogation." Sarah said.

"Interrogation? I was just asking a simple question. We..." She said grabbing Neymar's arm, "have been dating for almost a year and a half."

"Are you counting the breaks too?" David asked and Sarah tried to contain her laughter. Neymar looked pissed.

"That's a long time." Alex said looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah... and it's hard sometimes, isn't it babe?" She turned to Neymar. "The distance, when you're in Spain and I'm here..."

"Yeah it is." Neymar said.

"And all these awful tabloids." She continued.

"You shouldn't read those." I said without thinking.

"I don't." She said sharply. "I don't believe them of course. They have been writing about me my whole life, I know how they lie... And some of those rumors are so, so stupid..."

"Yeah, they are." I said knowing fully well which rumors she was referring to.

"And you shouldn't believe them either." Bruna turned to Alex then. "Like the ones about your girlfriend and my boyfriend. Total lies right?" She turned to me.

"I didn't know there were rumors about you." Alex looked at me and then at Neymar.

"They snap a picture of you walking down the road with someone and bam you're dating. They just twist the story Alex." David chimed in.

I looked at Neymar. He had a defeated look on his face and was looking at his plate.

Thankfully the waiter came just then bringing the food. Everyone started eating and the conversation thankfully stopped.

I took a bite of one of the plates and it was delicious. I remembered the taste, wondering where I've eaten that before.

"What's wrong?" David asked me.

"Oh nothing. I just can't remember where I've eaten this before."

"Luigi's in Teresópolis. They make them great there." David said. My breath got caught in my throat. This was the restaurant I went to with Neymar and that was the only time I've ever gone there. He must have realized because he gave me a knowing look.

I smiled.

"Yeah Luigi's is great. We went there just the other day." Bruna said. "When did you go?" She asked me.

"Umm..." I started. "I think it was my second night in Brazil." I said hoping this would be the end of it.

"Ah when you went out with that guy, what was his name?" Alex said.

He remembered it. Please, please don't remember his name..

"Juninho wasn't it?"Alex asked.

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