Hey guys! The flashbacks are over and we're back to regular chapters! Unless something happens and I need to change the schedule there will be biweekly updates on Wednesday and Saturday for the final 20 chapters. I hope you will like where the story is going and vote and comment on it! Thank you for reading and I hope you continue to do so!
~*~
We were almost the last ones to come back to Granja Comary, the place was as lively as ever when we got in. Neymar and I went to our rooms to unpack but I bumped into Mr. Jones on my way.
"Hello Olivia. Did you just get back? I didn't know you'd be gone for the weekend." He said and his surprise and confusion was evident. I should have told him I left, I realized.
"Yes, I just did. I went to see my brother in São Paulo."
"Yes, of course. Marina told me." He said. I was glad Marina and I had thought to say the same thing. "Okay, welcome back then. Get a good night's sleep, because we have practice again tomorrow."
"Will do." I told him. "Good night Mr. Jones."
I knocked on the door at my room but no one was there and the door was locked. I had left my key to Marina for the weekend so I left my things there and went around the compound to search for her. Neither she, nor Bernard were anywhere and no one had seen Marina today.
I knocked on Bernard's room and to my relief he was there.
"Hey Bernard! Did you have a good weekend? Is Marina here?"
"Marina? You don't know?" He said surprised.
"Know what?" I asked him. "Is she okay?"
"She's more than okay. She's at Peter's." He spat bitterly and closed the door to my face before I could say anything.
I stood there for a few seconds for the new information to sink in. I didn't know what to make of it. Marina had admitted to liking Peter but I thought her feelings for Bernard were stronger. I couldn't help but think that what she was doing now, being self-destructive and sabotaging her relationship with Bernard was because she was in pain. And I knew situations like that all too well.
My feet had taken me to Peter's room but in the end I decided against knocking. It wouldn't do anyone any good if I barged in there. I wanted to talk to Marina, or more importantly to get her to talk to me and being judgmental about Peter wouldn't be the right way.
Besides it's not like Peter was a bad guy. He was perfectly fine and he really liked her. So I shouldn't jump to conclusions about them. Maybe Marina broke up with Bernard because she realized her feelings for Peter were stronger and she hadn't had a chance to tell me.
"You heard." Neymar said, as he appeared around the corner, nodding towards Peter's door.
"You too?" I asked him, as he wrapped his hands around me and gave me a quick kiss before taking a step back. Anyone could walk in at any moment.
"Yeah, it's all everyone's talking about. They all feel bad for Bernard."
"Awesome." I said sarcastically. "Do we at least know why..."
"Not sure. It was a bit of a public thing though." Neymar said as we started walking again.
"What do you mean?" I asked him. "Oh, by the way, until Marina shows up I'm locked out of my room. Can I put my stuff at yours?"
"You have to ask? It would be like living together."
I looked at him sideways but he just smiled. "I'm asking because your dad might pop by again and last time it was a miracle he didn't notice me under the covers!"
Neymar chuckled. "Don't worry about him, he's still banned." He said, raising his fist victoriously. "And to answer your previous question," he said as he picked up my backpack from the floor, "apparently someone called Bernard to tell him that his girlfriend seemed to be spending a lot of time with Peter in his absence and he came back yester—"
"Tell me he didn't find them together!"
"Define together." He said as he opened the door to his room.
I rolled my eyes at him.
"No, not like that. But you know, I think she was going to break up with him once he came back."
I sat on the side of the bed pondering the news. "So Marina changed her mind so suddenly? It seems weird, doesn't it?"
"I don't know..." Neymar said, as he picked up a bottle of water from the mini fridge. "I've always got the sense that, there was more going on than she let on. And her and Bernard, they weren't..."
"But they were making plans! About staying in touch and staying together after the World Cup! Why do that if it was just a fling?"
Neymar shook his head. "So, should we make plans?"
"No. No plans."
"You don't want to?" Hurt flashed in his eyes momentarily.
"I don't want to see them get messed up."
"I love your optimism. It's one of the things that makes you, well you."
I chuckled. "You know what I mean though, right?"
"Yes babe. I know." He said and kissed me again.
~
"The lovers are back! Hooray!"
"Geez David. Don't make me regret missing you." I told him as he enveloped me in a big hug.
"How was the vacation?" He asked.
"Eventful."
"Isn't it always with you?"
"We thought the house was being robbed."
"Of course you did."
"Neymar almost killed someone."
"Can't say I'm surprised."
"Ended up going to the hospital."
"It's not a good time if no one ends up there, is it?"
"Wait, what did you mean you aren't surprised?"
David started laughing but didn't say more as we gathered around Scolari in the field.
"Good morning." He said. "First of all, congratulations. That was a good win."
Everyone started applauding happily. When the applause died down Scolari continued: "But advancing from the groups was only the first step. Things are starting to heat up now that we are in the round of 16. Chile." He said before pausing for a few seconds. "We leave for Belo Horizonte in 2 days' time. Let's make them count." And with that he send us off to warm up.
Running besides David and Hulk I tried to locate Marina or Peter. Indeed they were at the back of the heap, jogging next to each other, almost cut off from everyone else. David noticed me look at them and we exchanged a look.
"What?" I asked when it seemed like he wanted to say more.
"Nothing." He said and sped up. I purposefully slowed down until I was next to Peter and Marina.
"Liv, hey! I was wondering why you didn't come to our room last night!" Marina said when she saw me.
"I did come. It was locked."
"Oh, my bad. I forgot about that." She said, quickly averting her eyes from me.
"So what's up? What happened while I was gone?"
"Not much." Marina answered.
"Oh, okay." I said, not knowing if I should ask anything else. Thankfully Scolari called us to a halt and told us to divide ourselves the usual way and start practice.
"Actually Liv-" Marina started saying after Peter left her side. "Something did happen. Bernard and I are over."
"I know."
"Oh, I didn't know you did."
"Bernard told me. Yesterday."
"He did? What did he say exactly?" She asked, looking at me for the first time.
"Nothing. He was angry."
Marina nodded. "Well..."
"Marina, can I ask why? You were good together, weren't you? You seemed happy."
"No I was before but—"
"Ladies move it!" Coach Santos yelled as he approached us on his way to the goalkeepers. Marina followed him without a word and I turned around to join Coto and the attackers.
Neymar shot me a questioning look. I shrugged my shoulders. Everyone's love life seemed to go off the rails.