Cause and Effect

Twenty eight

A/N: that awkward moment when you're looking for photos of Alexis in a suit and all the good ones you find have a united crest on lol

Well.

As it turned out, it wasn't necessary to ask Ashley to prove himself not guilty.

After an intense morning of drills, followed by a training match, no one was in the mood to do anything at all. There was a pool in the hotel we were staying at, and a few of the guys went for a swim, but more of us opted to take up residence in the deck chairs which dotted the yard, and soak up some Arabian sun. Tomorrow was our last day in Dubai, and we wanted to make the most of it. Beside me, Hector and Neymar were discussing their plans for the evening. Granit was in the pool with Mustafi, and Mesut, Kos and Alexis were chatting underneath a large umbrella which shaded one side of the pool, and part of the lawn surrounding it. I'd seen Zara as I'd made my way to the pool, and asked if she was joining us, but she'd declined, saying she wanted to buy some souvenirs from the city, otherwise she would surely have been with Alexis as well.

To be honest, I was almost asleep. My deck chair was too comfy, and the sun was warming my body like I knew it never would back in England. I was only half listening to Neymar and Hector's conversation, although they tried to include me in it every so often. I admired the view of the city through fast closing eyes. The hotel was built in a way that we could see the city rising up before us, from the street below right up to the tops of the buildings several rows behind. I squinted into the sun, watching two girls walking along the street, until I realised I recognised one of them, and my eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh," I said, quietly. "I guess Zara's made a friend."

Neymar and Hector were instantly curious, and I pointed out where I could see our teammate chatting amicably with someone I didn't recognise. Neymar, as much as his complexion would allow it, went pale, and suddenly I wasn't sleepy anymore. I watched him, worriedly.

"No..." he muttered, the look in his eyes turning from shock to blank horror.

"Ney, what?" I asked, eyes flicking between him and the direction of his gaze.

The other girl on the street had dark hair, like Zara, and was slightly taller than her. Apart from that, she was too far away for me to pick out anything unusual in her features.

"What's up bro?" Hector was also looking at Neymar.

Neymar tore his eyes away to look at us both.

"What's Zara's last name?" He asked, his voice quiet.

"Romano?" Hector Said, in incredulity. "How do you not know?"

Neymar had the look of a man who hadn't realised he was on death row until the gallows were immediately before him. He stood up, and without another word to either of us, went inside. I looked at Hector for an explanation, but he only shrugged helplessly.

"Your guess is as good as mine!"

"I'll go after him," I sighed.

"Suits me," said Hector, lying back on his deck chair again.

I shook my head at him, and stood up quickly, to catch up to Neymar.

Neymar hadn't gone far. He was just inside the foyer that led out to the pool, a fancy tiled affair, with an ornamental fountain, and curved staircases leading up to the rooms. It was echoey like an empty ballroom, and Neymar's footsteps clattered on the tiles as he paced up and down like an agitated bull.

"Neymar, What the hell!" I exclaimed, trying, despite myself, to keep my voice down, lest our conversation be echoed to every corner of the hotel. "What's going on?"