Dark Moves Of Love ~ Neymar Jr

Present Day: Pt 2

Hey everyone! I'm back after a looooong time!  I got a few people asking for another ending, a better ending than the one we got on the present day chapter, so I thought why not?  I have trouble letting go, same as some of you :) This was a hard one to write, it literally took months... And as you will see by reading it, it's not-

Well I better let you read and not spoil it! So here it is!

~*~

Seeing him for the first time in a year isn't like I thought it would be. He doesn't look different. I guess that is to be expected, seeing how I've seen him, but he hasn't seen me. I've seen him on the TV, I've seen him on billboards, I've seen him on my phone screen. Even when I don't want to see him, I can't seem to escape him.

But him? His face doesn't betray his emotions. Do I look different to him? Have I changed? Does he feel happy to see me, or sad, or angry? Or nothing at all?

He looks at me like an old acquaintance, like someone he knew, but he doesn't know anymore. I guess that's also true.

"Liv." He says, the word smoothly leaving his lips, catching me off guard. No 'hi', no 'how are you', no 'it's been a while'. Only my name, which feels like a punch in my stomach. The same place the butterflies used to come from, every time he looked at me. The butterflies have long gone. There is only churning liquid now, burning my insides.

Neymar, I start to say but somehow, I stumble, and the word feels heavy and the whole world on my shoulders feels heavy and my hands are shaking and I'm crumbling.

I feel a hand on my arm, slowly pulling me towards the darkness. "This isn't the time or place for this." David says, and he and I start walking as Neymar says harshly: "The time and place for what?" before he turns his face back towards the cameras that are flashing. His face is a stone mask, the smile carved there with a knife.

"Liv, what the hell? Why on earth did you go out there?" David asks but my hands are shaking still. I am still blinded by the flashing lights. "Where's Xavi?" He asks me, when I don't answer the previous question. Xavi... I snap out of it. David sees the change in me and he lets go of my hand.

~*~

"I cannot believe Neymar is the newest member of PSG!" Lorenzo exclaimed, staring at the tv screen that was displaying the live feed from the next room. "I mean, I never thought he'd leave Barca, he must be mad!"

"Actually, it makes a lot of sense." Xavi says exactly what I was thinking.

Lorenzo rolls his eyes.

"In Barca he was part of the greatest team. But in PSG, he can be the greatest." I explain. And Neymar was always interested in being the greatest.

Lorenzo doesn't say anything more. Both he and Xavi are now aware of my history with Neymar, Xavi because I told him and Lorenzo by hearing it from Xavi.

"He didn't..." Xavi starts saying and I know who he is. "The way he greeted you... I don't know, I did not like him."

"He's actually a great guy..." I jump to Neymar's defense. "But he and I... Let's just say... there's lots of baggage here."

Xavi didn't ask for a clarification but instead looked at Neymar who just entered the room. We were at the banquet held for his honor at the PSG headquarters. His interview with the press had just ended and his new shirt with the number 10 was presented. And now it was time for the celebration.

Neymar headed straight for the long table on the big platform at the edge of the room, but I saw Neymar Sr. navigating through the tables. When Neymar sat at his seat and didn't see his father beside him, he scanned the crowd for him. When he saw him approach me, his expression darkened. I never thought I'd see the day when Neymar Sr. was happier to see me than Neymar Jr.