Fever Dream ~ Neymar Jr

Chapter 49

2018

With the way about 20 people stood frozen, looking towards us, you'd think the Queen of England had walked in. Nope, just me.

"I think this ship has sailed now." David whispered, pulling me forward. To my surprise, Nadine, Neymar's mother broke away from the group and started walking towards us. I looked at Neymar, he was as surprised as I was. I wished he'd get it together fast enough to come and stop her from approaching us. The last thing I needed was for her to call me a gold digger again in front of everyone.

"Olivia!" She said when she was close enough. "Bem-vinda doce menina!" She said, and hugged me. Did she just welcome me? And called me a sweet girl?

"Oi Nadine." I greeted her, still shocked, but hugged her back.

"Como você está? Já se passou muito tempo desde que te vi."

"Estou bem obrigada." I replied and she turned to greet David and Toly. I was still in shock. She asked me how I was, saying it had been ages since she last saw me. I was confused. Hadn't she been happy when Neymar and I broke up? Hadn't she blocked me from social media?

After this bizarre intro, we all walked towards the rest of Neymar's family and friends.

"Feliz aniversário!" David said to Neymar and hugged him.

"Thanks man." Neymar replied in English. "Hey Toly!" He said hugging Toly too. "It's been ages."

"For real." Toly said. "Happy birthday man."

And then it was my turn to wish him happy birthday. "Feliz aniversário, Neymar." I said, giving him a very brief hug.

"Muito obrigado." He replied.

"Liv!" Rafaella, who was waiting to jump in, exclaimed and hugged me. I was once again surprised, because after Neymar and I broke up, Rafaella had been colder and more distant. Sure, we still spoke, we spoke again when I called Alex to tell him about Marina (even if Neymar had already told Rafa), but I didn't expect her to be so happy to see me.

I hugged Davi and Neymar Sr and greeted Carolina and Neymar's best friends from Brazil. Carolina was as warm and nice as she always was with me, but greeting the rest of Neymar's friends had been a little awkward, given the last time I saw them.

And then, there was nothing left to do but say hi to Bruna too. She reached and kissed me on both cheeks. Was the gallery a portal to another dimension? Were these people replaced by their nicer doppelgangers? Because nothing explained the cordiality I was receiving today.

"Hi Liv." Bruna said. "Nice to see you again."

"You too." I told her, before she turned to greet David.

After about 5 minutes of chit chat, it was socially acceptable for us to move on and find our table. "Is there something in their drinks?" I asked David who laughed. The three of us sat on our table that also included placeholders for Dani and his girlfriend, Thiago, Belle and their kids and Luc because he was Toly's friend, although the table was empty at the moment.

I glanced back at Neymar and his family and saw him looking at me. He discreetly motioned to the left and I saw a door next to the stage. A few seconds later he said something to one of his friends and he disappeared through the door. Surely, he couldn't have meant for me to follow him there? Not when Bruna and his family where right there?

"C'mon." Toly told me, getting up.

"What?" I asked him but he started walking towards the bar. I mouthed a quick 'Be right back.' to David before I followed him. Toly had gone to the bar which was across the room, on the same side as the door Neymar had gone into.