You Before Me |Neymar Jr.|

Chapter 21

Natalia's POV

I rubbed my hands together to bring some heat to them as I sat in the stands of Parc des Princes. Today PSG was playing Real Madrid in champions league and I was pretty excited for this match.

"Here's Neymar with the ball!" the commentator shouted. He broke away from the rest and ran solo towards the box. Two defenders trailed after him. One neared closer but Neymar was on a role.

"Whoohooo! You got this Ney!" I cheered. As he was about to shoot to score his goal, the defender stepped on the back of his heel, nipping his ankle. The crowd gasped, Paris and Madrid fans both. I stood up, watching as he fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Come on, come on," I whispered, holding my breath waiting for him to get up. The team medics rushed on to the pitch to help him. They pulled out gauze and wrapped his ankle. Patches of blood covered the tissues. He was injured but I wasn't surprised when he waved the medics off, slipping on his socks and cleats. The crowd cheered as he gave a thumbs up, jogging to the center of the field.

- - - - - - - - - - -

It was the 65th minute and the crowd was ecstatic after Kimpembe's goal in the 63rd.

"Mbappe in control the ball again," the commentator said. Kylian kicked it far towards Ney who was near the box. He jumped up to receive it when the foot of another player slammed into his side. Again, the crowd gasped and I jumped to my feet. It was as if I had Deja vu as the medics ran out to him for a second time.

"Nay! Natalia!" I heard someone call my name. I turned to see one of the assistant coaches motioning for me to come over. I hurried to get out of the stands, weaving in and out of people.

"Wait here and if needed, go help him out there!" he shouted, pointing to the field. I nodded, waiting patiently to see what would happen. the two medics ran out onto the field. He was on his side, hands covering the injury. His face showed a distressed look of pain. The medics were repeatedly asking him to turn so they could assess the injury but he was refusing. He finally let them see what was happening and they quickly moved him onto a stretcher. Hurrying to meet them in the tunnel, I made my way through the crowd to intersect them.

"Ney, look at me," I said gently, running up to the medics. He hissed in pain but let me look at the extent of his injury.
"What hurts?"
"My leg and my back," he groaned, scrunching his face up.
"Your back?"
"Yeah, I landed the wrong way when I fell and now it hurts when I move."
Well that's not a good sign.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"According to the X-rays, he has a fractured tibia which will take about 2-3 weeks to heal. He also has a torn ligament which isn't a new injury, I'd say 3 or 4 days old," the doctor informed, raising his eyebrows at Neymar. He shrugged as if he hadn't known.

"And his back?" I asked.
"His back seems fine but I suppose there could be some minor bruising later on but nothing showed in the X-ray."

"Okay that's good," I nodded in relief

"He's good to go but he has to rest for at least a week and he can't do any physical activity. Make sure the bandages are changed if necessary," the doctor briefed me on what to do.

"Merci beaucoup," I thanked as he left the room. I jumped a little when the door to the connected bathroom opened abruptly. Neymar came out, dressed in a black Paris hoodie and dark navy sweats. I knew he was going to be a bit moody so I silently opened the door for him. He picked up his training bag but I was quick to take it from his hands. I could feel his gaze on me but I refused to look at him. If I did, he would get pissed about me babying him. Sighing, he took his crutches and exited the room. Running ahead of him I opened the main door.

*At home*

"Are you hungry?" I asked, sticking my head in the fridge. No response. I lean back, looking past the wall into the living room. "Ney?"

He just shakes his head, staring up at the ceiling. Today is not his day. Hell this week is not his day. I sigh, sitting next to him on the couch.

"I know this is a big setback," I started, "But you can't let this ruin everything you've worked so hard for."

Again, no response. So I continue.

"You can get through this, I'm here, your family and team mates are here. You're going to be fine."

He's quiet but I know he's listening. I decide to leave him alone to process everything. I get up to leave but he yanks on my arm. I let out a gasp as I fell into him. His arms wrap around me in a tight embrace. I don't say anything simply snuggling to his left uninjured side, loosely wrapping my arms around his torso.