Unexpected (bayern munich)

Chapter 10

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" her sister asked, detecting the sadness in her voice.

"Yeah, I just...I fucked up and I'm not feeling great," Natalia said biting her lip to keep her voice from cracking.

"Whatever it is Natalia, don't think too much on it. You're so smart and beautiful, you can do anything you put your mind to," Tanya said hurriedly, "I'm sorry I have to go I think Marco is burning the roast, I love you!"

"I love you too," Natalia said hanging up the phone. She felt rejected, first by Manuel, and then from her family. Tanya was a busy woman, she didn't blame her for that, but not making time for family felt wrong too.

Natalia tossed and turned in her bed. She stared at her alarm clock, which mockingly read, back to her 4:30 AM. She had three more hours of sleep, but her body refused. She dreaded seeing the rest of the players, no doubt Manuel had told them. She imagined them laughing about her in the locker room.

"And then, she leaned in and kissed me!" she imagined Neuer saying, as Boateng and Dante cackled.

Natalia sighed and tossed again, but this time was interrupted by her phone receiving a text message.

Natalia reached over and pulled her iPhone out of the charger and squinted at her phone screen.

Thomas: I know you won't read this until morning, but I think I'm going to sell the estate.

Nat: Nope, you've got me now. I can't sleep. Are you sure?

Thomas: Oh hi! Yeah, me neither. I'm sure about the house. Too much of this house reminds me of her. I can't even sleep in the bedroom anymore.

Nat: Let me know what I can do to help. Didn't Philipp recently sell his house?

Thomas: Yeah, I'll talk to him. How do you like living in central Munich?

Nat: Well, I'm sure you can afford a much nicer place than mine, but its good. I love this city even though I do miss home.

Thomas: Maybe you can show me around the city?

Nat: Sure! How do you feel about meeting up for breakfast?

Thomas: Meet you at 6? That place by the training ground?

Nat: Perfect. See you then.

The two met up for breakfast as planned, and enjoyed walk in the brisk morning air back to the practice facility. Thomas admitted that Manuel had told him about the "incident" in confidence, but also claimed that he didn't know who else he could have told.

"He's an idiot, Natalia," Thomas told her, "We all thought he liked you." He said with a sympathetic shake of his head.