Fever Dream ~ Neymar Jr

Chapter 33

2017

I felt a light touch on my shoulders and turned my head around. "Hey." I smiled at Xavi and scooched, so he could sit on the couch next to me.

"What are you listening to?" He asked me, pointing at my earphones. I gave him one.

"It's a band called Sleeping at Last." I said offering him one earbud.

"Not very happy." Xavi commented. "Then again, you're not a happy girl."

"What do you mean?" I turned my head to look at him.

He smiled. "I don't think happy is your default setting, that's all. I'm fine with that. As long as you're too."

Instead of saying anything I pressed skip. "That's Nick Cave." I informed him as "Into My Arms" started playing. "And that's a love song."

"More like a prayer." Xavi corrected.

"Should I skip again?" I suggested exacerbated. "Or.... Would you like to pick the next one?"

"No... This one is great." He said, opening his arms. I let them envelope me but his words still hang in my mind. Was I really not a happy girl?

I used to think I was before what had happened with James, but not so much after it. But then, football had come into my life again and Neymar had come into my life and it felt like they saved me. I was truly happy. Maybe there were hardships along the way, but looking back at that time, they were some of the happiest days of my life.

But Xavi met me after. Did it mean, that despite all I had now, my football career, my friends and my boyfriend, I still didn't look like I was happy?

"Okay peeps, it's jacuzzi time!" David who was already in his swimsuit said, coming into the living room. "Get ready."

"I'm waiting for Lorenzo to get dressed, we have a ski lesson. Demis and Romy are already waiting in the ski resort." Xavi said and Lorenzo appeared at that very moment. "Are you sure you don't want to join us?"

"Positive." Apparently, you can be a professional footballer and still not have the necessary balance and coordination to ski without falling on your butt all the time. "Have fun." I told them, giving Xavi a kiss. "You and I, we haven't talked." I told David, after they left.

He sighed. "What about? You going to Porto with Neymar to see your bestie, behind my back?"

"No. As a matter of fact, I did it for you. Why would I tell you something that would hurt you?"

"Because I had a right to know. And I can choose what I let hurt me. I'd rather have all the information!"

"David, what happened two days ago? You spent the whole night out and came back home in the morning, and have been avoiding me ever since!"

I saw him consider his words before he spoke. "Nothing happened. We talked. Cleared the air."

"For the whole night? And is the air clear now?"

"Not for the whole night Liv. We—" He started saying but Marina, Michael and Sam came down the stairs.

"Let's go!" Marina said. "Liv, you're not wearing your swimsuit yet, c'mon!"

"Be right back." I told them and went upstairs to put my swimsuit on. I took advantage of these few minutes alone to also check my phone, and more specifically someone's Instagram stories. And then I wished I didn't. When I got back down, I saw Lauren and Alexandra sitting by the fire and talking.

"This jacuzzi is amazing!" Marina yelled, running inside, water spilling on the wooden floor.

I saw Lauren get up from the floor where she was sitting and going towards the kitchen. David and I looked at each other and laughed. She was going to get a mop; we both knew that. She was such a cleaning freak.