A Condemned Lust [Lionel Messi]

Chapter twenty-one

Are we so helpless against the tide?
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"I can't believe your lazy ass graduated!" Clara laughed taking her best friend in her arms.

"Oh please, i didn't just graduate, my clinic will be waiting for me in a month. You better schedule your appointment fast." Laura joked, before thanking her best friend for throwing her this graduation party.

It's been more than a year since she last saw him. It all started with sleepless nights, a stream of tears and endless pain, but day by day, she picked herself up again, like everyone knew she would.

Going back to college was of great help. She focused on her major and her future, aiming to go back to her best version, her strong confident self. And she did. It didn't stop her from missing him though. Even if a year had passed, her feelings for him remained untouchable.

She looked around her house, all their friends were there enjoying the party. Some were drinking, others dancing, it was a perfect atmosphere. But still not as perfect as she'd want it to be.

When he said they needed time on their own, she didn't realize he meant to stay away for that much time. She always waited for a phone call, expected a text, even a visit from him. But she soon realized that waiting for him was like waiting for rain in a drought; useless and disappointing.

Suddenly, Certain Things by James Arthur started playing causing her to slip into a completely different state of mind, one she'd always fly away from.

Something about you
It's like an addiction
Hit me with your best shot honey
I've got no reason to doubt you
'Cause certain things hurt
And you're my only virtue
And I'm virtually yours

Sipping more of her drink, she turned around to look for Clara right before her heart would combust.

And you keep coming back, coming back again
Keep running round, running round, running round my head

And there's certain things that I adore
And there's certain things that I ignore
But I'm certain that I'm yours
Certain that I'm yours
....

She felt the words eating her up, feeding on the remains of her heart, a heart that was put to rest, almost in a coma, for more than a year.

She got out to the balcony, needing the fresh air, and it was where she found her best friend.

"Seriously Clara? James Arthur?"

"But i thought you loved him, and it's your favorite song."

"Yes, loved, past tense. Just like everything else that's left in the past now."

Clara approached her, rubbing her shoulders, with a sympathy look on her face. She didn't know whether she should be happy, or completely sad for her vulnerable best friend that allowed herself to finally break out of this numbness, even if for few seconds.

"You're so strong, and i'm so proud of you."

"I know.. but it's just that-"

"Ohhh here are my favorite two!" Marc joined them on the balcony, preventing her for opening up again about this delicate subject. "Can we kick them all out now? I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

"Yes. You just wait here while we take care of it." He finished, before looking at Clara who responded with a nod.

Seconds later she was left alone on the balcony, staring at the stars of this night. They say, the darker the night, the brighter the stars; and she was indeed one bright star, that shined through the dark tunnel she was stuck in last year.

Maybe she reached the end of the tunnel now. Maybe it's time for her to find her real light. Where was he?

As the minutes passed, she hoped in every cell in her that he'd be this surprise that Marc talked about. But she knew better than to get her hopes up. She wasn't going to let anyone destroy her again, not even him. When she was with him, she had reached a high she had never experienced before; he put her heart so up in the clouds that when he let it go there was no words that could encompass all the ways it damaged her. And she wasn't ready to go through it again.

Rubbing slowly her temples, she tried to shake him off, locking up his remains.

"Wow, this took a while." A familiar voice suddenly spoke, "did you really have to invite almost everyone on campus, princess?"

She instantly turned around and ran, basically jumping into his arms, hugging him so tightly. "Neyneyyyy! God, i missed you."

Laura and Neymar always remained in touch, especially after she came back from Paris. They were getting closer with him being the friend she needed, always trying to cheer her up. And even Leo took advantage of this friendship to check up on her every now and then through Neymar, but of course without letting her know. But she knew nonetheless that there was a chance for him to spill few things out to Leo, which made her be careful of every word she said around him. After all, he was the one who took the decision, while she begged him repeatedly to stay. He had seen her at her weakest in that moment, so she wasn't going to let him see more of how he could easily break her. She didn't want him to know anything about her suffering. If he wanted to come back, he'll be back because he wants to, and not just to spare her the pain. She made sure of that in this year.

"Easy easy sweetie, you're suffocating the great Neymar da Silva Junior."

She laughed at his goofiness, "you never change."

"Always here to make you laugh." He smiled, giving her a red and blue gift box. "Congratulations, i'm sure you'll be a great psychologist."

"Wait is this what i'm thinking this is? Oh my god, a red and blue box, yes it must be!"

"Since you stopped making any sense, yes i think you got it right." Neymar chuckled, looking at how her pupils dilated when she opened the box.

He got her a barça kit signed by all of the players. All of them. Every single one of them. Including him.

"Oh my god!" She screamed, hugging the t-shirt like she wanted to bury it in her heart.

"I know i'm the best, thank me later."

She scanned all of the different signatures, looking for a particular one. She looked at the back of the t-shirt, before turning her attention to Neymar, a questioning look drawn on her face.

"Okay okay, before you say anything, you never told me which number you wanted. So, you know, at first i wanted to give you mine, just so you don't glare at me like that, but.."

"But what?"

"But, when he knew it was for you, he insisted on giving you one of his. This is why you're staring at the number 10 with your name below it instead of his."

"And you just accepted?"

"Do you even know Leo?"

She knew how stubborn he was. If he wanted something, he won't stop before getting it. And another thing she knew very well, is that everything he did had its purpose. So what was the purpose of this?

"Right."

"And, he wanted me to wish you a career full of success on his behalf."

"He can't do that himself?" she snapped, utterly annoyed by this situation. He can't even send a text message?

Neymar rubbed his neck nervously, not knowing how to defend his friend. He knew she was right. He even tried talking him into coming with him, but Leo refused, "it's still not the right time", he said.

No one knew when was the right time.

She stared at his signature for few seconds, letting her mind wander, before asking, "did he mention anything else?"

Neymar shook his head, the sadness apparent on his face.

"Okay then, i guess this will go into the closet until further notice." Laura continued, folding the t-shirt and setting it back in the box. Looking at his decomposed face, she moved in closer to him, "I'm sorry i reacted this way. Thanks a lot Ney, i love it."

"It's okay princess, i understand." He took her in a side hug, wrapping his left arm around her shoulder and walking her inside.

"So, did you like your surprise?" Clara said, after sipping her cocktail.

"Yes of course she did. It's Clara right?" Neymar replied, taking her hand and kissing it.

The last time he saw her was way back when he had dropped Laura off to rest. At the time he was so focused on his plan with Antonella to notice how charming Clara was. Out of all the girls he dated, this one right here in front of him stunned him like no other. Her short brown hair and her blue eyes gave her a unique charm he hadn't fell upon before. Yet again, he hadn't paid attention to her when he walked in with Marc earlier, because he was just focused on getting to Laura. But now that he saw the beauty standing before him, he wasn't ready to take his eyes off of her any time soon.

"Yes, nice to meet you Neymar." She replied in a rather cold tone.

"I heard a lot about you, but Laura forgot to mention how beautiful you are."

"Oh wow, you must have memorized this phrase by now."

Her sudden response bewildered him. Usually girls fall under his charm almost instantly, while she, on the other hand, looked indifferent.

"But i do mean it, you are gorgeous," he insisted.

"I'm sure you do," she said monotonously.

He turned his face instantly towards Laura as if to say 'how am i supposed to handle this', to find her quietly giggling with Marc while they were watching them.

He shook his head knowing that this meant he was in a mess, but he wasn't ready to back off. She was a tough girl, and a very confident one too. He could tell he'll have a hard time getting through her head.

"Uhm, so.. do you fancy that i take you to dinner sometime?" He found himself letting out the words nervously, which was very unlikely of him.

"Why?"

"Because, i'd like to get to know you."

"What for? So you could add me to your endless list?"

He almost slapped himself when he heard her words, "don't be quick on judging me."

She knew about him and his lifestyle, and what he didn't know is that she was in an internal battle on how she should react around him. She liked him too; of course she did, he was Neymar. But she didn't just want to be another girl that he'll get easily bored of in few days. And after all the troubles that her best friend faced in front of her eyes, her decision was even harder to make. She was the one who held Laura in her arms for countless nights while she cried her eyes out, repeatedly telling her how much it hurts to be without him. She was the one who woke up in the middle of the night to help her best friend deal with all the nightmares that were haunting her. She saw her trying everyday to heal the wounds caused by the love of her life, who happened to be a football player. And now, another football player, who dribbles around girls just like he does with defenders, was asking her out.

"My answer is no."

"I think you're the first to reject me. Impressive."

"Well, everything needs to start somewhere," she said, giving him a certain look that penetrated his soul.

What a mouth she had, he thought to himself. And what a brain. He could tell he was already falling in love with her edgy character, and drowning in her captivating sky-blue eyes. The more she pushed him away, the more he was hooked.

"That's true. And us start here, now."

She was impressed by his sudden need to get to know her even after she rejected him. Maybe she was judgmental, but nothing proves his seriousness about her for now. Maybe he just liked a difficult game, a competition, and nothing more.

No matter his intentions, no matter what she thinks of him, Clara felt it in her heart that this conversation won't be the last one.

"There's no us."

"We'll see about that." He finished, striking her with his mesmerizing smile.

It looked like another love story was starting to impose itself in that circle, while the original one was still on hold. But for how long?

Who's going to be the one to break the ice, and hit the play button once again on this broken love song?
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When will the right time come? Only Leo knows, and me of course haha. But for sure, there's still a chance.

My dears, one more chapter to go before this story reaches the end. Stay tuned, and thankyou so muchhh for all the support, the votes, the comments. It all means so much to me xo
-Y.A