[ Olivia's POV ]
I had a headache from all the yelling and crying earlier. Everyone around me had been right, e.g. my mother and Luca, about the fact that I had shut my emotions out for far too long. I didn't want to deal with them, my mind didn't want to deal with them. But today it all exploded, because I was no longer able to ignore the anger and pain inside my heart anymore. After getting everything off my chest, my inner peace finally returned. I felt exhausted, but also very relieved. What Neymar did to me was wrong, but I knew he regretted it and I knew he loved me a lot. I loved him too and I had missed him more than I'd like to admit. I had denied my feelings for him for half a year in the hope that I would move on. It was an automatic defense mechanism to protect my heart and mind from a breakdown I suppose. I had to eventually deal with all my emotions, but I guessed the time hadn't been right to deal with them back then.
I was glad that Neymar and I had gotten everything off our chests now. When I was in his arms tonight, I realized that I needed him in my life. He wasn't perfect, but neither was I. I wanted to give him that second chance. I wanted to take it easy this time, however, because a lot had happened in the past and I felt like we needed a fresh and slow start. I was glad that he agreed to that.
"Earth to Olive?!" Neymar said, awakening me from my thoughts.
"Yeah, sorry," I said.
"Your drink," he said and handed me a glass.
"Thanks, what is it?" I asked.
"Ice tea," he smiled.
I took a few gulps.
"What are you having?" I asked, glancing at his glass.
"Vodka Red Bull," he said.
"Are you trying to get drunk?" I frowned.
"I'm celebrating," he smirked.
"You have to drive!" I exclaimed.
"You are going to drive. It's about time you that took me home drunk," he winked cheekily.
"What are you implying with that?" I frowned with a small smile.
"Nothing," he said innocently.
"Thais and Marc are walking over to us," I suddenly said.
"Olive and Ney!" Thais squealed.
"Hey," we said in unison.
"Neylive is back on huh?" she smirked.
"Neylive?" Neymar asked, confused.
She rolled her eyes and said, "Shipname, duh!"
We didn't say anything, because it was kind of awkward. Marc looked like he wanted to shut her up, but that was mission impossible with Thais. She rubbed her tummy and groaned.
"What is it, baby?" Marc asked, concerned.
"Baby, our baby thinks that my tummy is a football" she groaned.
"Is it kicking again?" he asked.
"Like crazy," she said and placed his hand on her tummy.
Marc smiled and kissed Thais on her forehead. I smiled looking at them because though they were odd together, they looked cute.
"I'm getting something to drink, you guys want anything?" Marc asked.
"No, we are good," I said.
"Baby, get me one of those boring fruit juices," Thais said.
He chuckled and headed towards the bar.
"It sucks not being able to drink alcohol," she said.
"Just 4 more months and then you can," Neymar said.
"Enough about me, what about you guys? When do we get baby Neylives?" she smirked.
Neymar looked at me awkwardly and then cleared his throat.
"We are not that far," he mumbled.
"But you guys are back together right?" she frowned.
"We are taking it slow," I said, quickly.
"Don't take it too slow," she winked.
Marc came back and saved us from more awkward Thais moments.
"Here baby," he said and handed her a glass of juice.
"Who wants to dance?" she yelled after taking a few sips.
Marc shook his head.
"Ney, you! You are a good dancer, come on!" she squealed and pulled on his arm.
"I'll bring him right back" she smirked at me.
"Sure," I shrugged.
She dragged him to the dance floor and I felt sorry for Neymar.
"She is a handful," Marc said.
"I can imagine," I chuckled.
"How are you?" he asked.
"I'm alright, how are you?" I asked.
"I'm good. Listen, this might sound a bit odd. But can we meet tomorrow? I don't have the training and I'd like to talk," Marc said.
"Yeah...uhm, sure," I said.
He handed me a small note.
"Meet me there, it's a small restaurant," he said.
"Alright, but what is this about?" I asked.
"I need to tell you a few things and I'd like us to be alone for that," he said.
"Okay, I'll be there," I said.
"Thanks, Olive" he smiled. "So are you back with Neymar? I heard you guys had some issues, sorry if I sound nosy."
"It's okay. Yes, we are taking things slow"
"You look happier with him"
I blushed slightly and asked, "So you and Thais, who would have predicted that?" with a smile.
"I know! She is a handful, but she has a sensitive and sweet side too," he chuckled.
"What happened between you and Melissa?" I asked carefully.
"Can we talk about that tomorrow? Thais and Neymar are coming back"
I nodded and saw them walking our way.
"Had fun baby?" Marc asked and wrapped his arm around Thais.
"Yes!" she grinned.
"She almost tackled me on the dance floor!" Neymar groaned.
"It's because you didn't follow my lead," she smirked.
"Olivia!" I heard someone yell my name.
I turned around and saw Luca, who looked quite wasted.
"What happened to you? I thought you were going to play pool!" I frowned.
"Uhm...every time we lost, we had to take a shot," he slurred.
"Men!" I said and shook my head.
"I'm okay though," he grinned.
"You can barely stand!"
"Neymar bro, tell her I'm okay!"
Neymar looked at me and then decided to keep his mouth shut.
"Fine, I'm wasted!" Luca groaned, which made us all laugh.
"We should get you home," I said to which Neymar agreed.
"Here," Neymar said and threw me his car keys.
"Is Rafaella coming too?" I asked.
"She is going with Gil and Jo," Neymar said.
"Oh okay. See you guys," I said to Thais and Marc.
"Have fun!" Thais winked.
"Bye," Marc said.
It was weird to drive Neymar's car since I wasn't used to driving a lot though I had a driver's license. We dropped Luca at his place and made sure he ended up in bed to sleep it off. Then I drove Neymar to his place.
"You can stay if you want," he offered.
"No, I'll go home"
"You can take my car, I'll pick it up in the morning"
"Thanks," I said and hugged him.
He hugged me back and we embraced each other for a long time. Neymar kissed my forehead and looked me in the eyes with his sweetest smile. I looked into his hazel-green eyes and smiled back.
"I'm so happy today," he said as he stroked my cheek softly.
"I'm happy too"
"Thanks for giving me another chance. My prayers have been answered and I'm so thankful to god"
"No more secrets between us, okay?"
"No more secrets," he confirmed.
I kissed his cheek and placed my head on his shoulder.
"I love you," he whispered into my ear.
"I love you too," I said without hesitating.
He kissed my ear and let his lips linger there for a few seconds, which gave me goosebumps.
"I'll go now,"
"Okay baby, good night"
"Good night"
I was about to turn around and leave when Neymar pulled me back into his arms.
"Sorry baby, just one more hug?" he pleaded.
I chuckled and wrapped my arms around him.
"Silly little monkey of mine"
"Do you really have to go? I know we agreed to take things slow, but I've just missed you so much Olive," he sighed.
"I missed you too Ney," I whispered and pressed my lips onto his.
He kissed me back immediately. We kissed until we ran out of breath and then we pulled away, smiling like two little kids. I had missed his innocent, baby-like smile. I cupped his face and pressed a warm kiss on his forehead. Neymar put his arms around my hips and pulled me up a little so I was standing on his shoes. Our noses touched and looking into his hazel green eyes from this close gave me that butterfly effect in my stomach.
"You are beautiful," I whispered.
"Not as beautiful as you," he whispered back.
I felt his warm breath against my lips, which made my pulse throb in my ears. Neymar rubbed his lips against mine like he had read my body language. I kissed him immediately and deepened the kiss by sliding my tongue inside his mouth.
[ Neymar's POV ]
I would go through hell all over again just for this very moment. She was driving my hormones crazy with the way she kissed me. I kissed her back greedily. I was hungry for her because I hadn't touched any woman during these past 6 months.
Our French kiss slowly turned more passionate with each passing second and you could tell that we were hungry for each other. I couldn't do this, however, because she had asked if we could take it slowly this time and I had agreed. I didn't want to rush things and possibly hurt her or make her regret her decision to give me a second chance, so I broke the kiss.
"I love you, baby," I said and rubbed my nose against hers.
Her breathing was irregular, which told me that she was turned on as much as I was.
"I love you too," she said with a warm smile.
"Good night Olive"
"Good night, thanks Ney"
"Thanks for what?"
"For respecting what I have asked of you"
"I want our relationship to work this time Olive and I won't do anything to jeopardize that"
She nodded and kissed my cheek.
"See you," she said and got into my car.
I watched her drive off and decided to get a cold shower.
[ Olivia's POV ]
I lay in bed and thought about Neymar. I felt that familiar warmness inside my heart once again, which made me happy. I hugged my pillow tightly and replayed this crazy night inside my head. I couldn't believe that I had finally opened up after half a year and that to Neymar. Who would have thought that?! It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders though. I slowly drifted off into a peaceful sleep, thinking about him.
I woke up quite late the next day. I hadn't slept this well in ages. I did some chores at home and helped my mother make lunch. I suddenly realized that I had to meet Marc in an hour and quickly finished my lunch.
"Going anywhere honey?" my mother asked when I excused myself from the dining table.
"Yes, seeing a friend," I said quickly and ran up to my room.
I wore a pair of black skinny jeans and a casual blouse. I left my hair down naturally and grabbed my handbag before I rushed out of the house. I took the bus to the restaurant where Marc had asked me to meet him. I arrived there 10 minutes later and rushed inside the building.
The restaurant seemed deserted. I looked around and then finally spotted Marc sitting alone at a table. He looked up from his phone and his face brightened up immediately. I walked over to his table.
"Hi, sorry for being late"
"It's okay, I was worried that you wouldn't come"
He stood up and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I smiled awkwardly and sat down on a chair in front of him.
"I have wanted to talk with you for a long time Olive," he began. "But I was afraid of the consequences, so I kept quiet."
"What do you mean?" I asked, interrupting him.
"Please, let me talk"
I nodded and kept quiet.
"A lot has happened between us and I'm ashamed for hurting you Olive, I truly am sorry for that. I know that you forgave me, but I'll always be ashamed of what I did," he sighed. "I wanted to tell you the truth, but I wasn't able to. I think it's safe to tell you now. Does Neymar know that you are meeting me?"
"No one knows"
"I didn't tell anyone either"
Marc reached over the table and held my hand, which made me feel strange.
"Olive, my love for you has been true and a piece of my heart will always belong to you," he said as he held my hand firmly.
I didn't react, because this was awkward.
"I lied to you. The reason I broke up with you was a complete lie. I didn't break up with you because I loved Melissa," he confessed.
I stared at him because I didn't know what the hell he was saying. He looked me in the eyes and sighed.
"Melissa wasn't the love of my life and I would have never chosen her over you. It was a complete lie to make you stay away from me. I know I broke your heart into a million pieces that day and I'm truly sorry for that Olive," he said with sad eyes.
I kept staring at him because I couldn't believe my ears.
"Marc, I d-don't unders-stand," I finally managed to stutter.
"Olive, I was blackmailed," he said with a deep sigh.
"WHAT?" I gasped in disbelief.
"Melissa and I were blackmailed. I got text messages from an unknown number, but Melissa got hurt physically"
"Marc, what the hell are you saying?" I yelled.
"The blackmailer blindfolded Melissa and choked her. She had bruises on her neck, it was horrible! She was forced to kiss me and the blackmailer took pictures of that kiss. Our lives and yours were in danger if we didn't comply with the blackmailer's demands. I was forced to break up with you Olive. I was terrified and I didn't want you to get hurt," Marc said, his eyes turning watery.
I gaped at him because this all sounded too crazy to be true.
"Marc, tell me everything..."
"Melissa and I came up with a convincing lie to break up with you. I had to keep you and Melissa safe. I was also scared for my life. I recited the lie with Melissa, so I sounded convincing enough and I knew you would believe it. You don't know how much I cried after breaking your heart Olive, I was missing you like crazy. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I kept my mouth shut because I wanted you to be safe. Melissa and I tried to find out who the blackmailer was, but we hit a dead end. I suspected some crazy fan"
"Marc, are you serious about this? This isn't a game, right? Please tell me it's not true," I whispered as tears start to fill my eyes too.
Marc stood up and took a seat next to me. He wrapped me in his arms and I started crying.
"I'm sorry, but this is the truth. I never wanted to break up with you, I loved you truly Olive," he whispered.
I released myself from his arms. He wiped my tears with his hand.
"Did you love me?" he asked, looking me deeply in the eyes.
"Yes"
"Then why did you cheat on me? Did you get blackmailed too?"
"I don't know what to believe anymore. I always had some sort of feeling towards Neymar, but I wouldn't have cheated on you if it wasn't for one particular incident"
"What is it?" he asked.
"I thought you were cheating on me with Melissa," I confessed.
"Why would you think that?" he asked, surprised.
"I got jealous when I saw Melissa at the party. You have never mentioned anything about your ex to me before. I didn't like the way she looked at you and then I overheard her talking on the phone in the bathroom that night at Córdoba. She said that you guys almost kissed and that you had texted her to meet her that night. I completely lost it right then. That's when I cheated on you with Neymar," I sighed.
"She was being blackmailed, Olive"
"I didn't know about any of this Marc," I whispered as new tears filled my eyes.
"We were all victims of someone's sick game!" Marc growled, clenching his fists.
We stayed quiet for a moment, both of us lost in our thoughts, trying to digest all this new information.
"I'm sorry for cheating on you," I said, breaking the silence.
"I'm sorry for breaking your heart and for hurting you"
"I deserved it"
"No, you didn't Olive! I should have never hit you," he said and pulled me into his arms.
"Marc, this is all so fûcked up!" I cried and hugged him tightly.
"I know baby," he said softly and pressed a kiss on my cheek.
"Why would a person do this to us?" I whispered.
"I don't know"
I rested my head on his shoulders as he rubbed my back gently. I replayed the events of the past inside my head and all this new information seemed to fit like pieces to a puzzle. It all made perfect sense, the way Marc had behaved towards me, why he hadn't been with Melissa after breaking up with me. Everything made perfect sense and that disgusted me because there was only one person whom I suspected. He had blackmailed me, so it would have been easy for him to blackmail Marc and Melissa too. I knew he had been obsessed with me, but would he go this far?
Would he hurt a woman physically just to be with me? Had I fallen in love with a monster?
My head started to spin badly, filled with all these horrible thoughts and my vision slowly started to get blurry.
"Marc...I don't feel well," I mumbled.
"Olive, look at me" I heard him say, but I couldn't see him, all I saw was complete darkness.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marc's secrets are out and Olive finally knows why he broke her heart.