The Better Comes After the Worse

*Present Day*

Lionel’s POV

I grasped Antonella’s wandering hand and placed it back on my chest, not bothering to look away from the movie playing on the big screen TV. Antonella didn’t accept defeat and once more let her hand slide down my body.
“Antonella, watch the movie.”
“Leo,” she pouted as she climbed onto my stretched out form lying on the sofa. “Do you know how long we’ve been together?”
“Eight months,” I replied distractedly as I brushed her determined hand away.
“Ten months Leo!” Antonella said irritably, sitting up and making me look her straight in the eye. “And do you know how many times we have had sex in those ten months?” I wanted to roll my eyes at her and groan at the topic she seemed not to want to let go of. “Zero,” she answered her own question clearly knowing I wasn’t playing her little game. “It’s not normal and you are not giving me what I need. Do you know…”
I let her go on in her tirade, really not caring about her arguments and millions of points. Of course I didn’t let on that I wasn’t listening. I nodded and made agreement noises every couple minutes, making sure to keep an understanding look on my face. Truth was that she was getting more and more on my nerves every day. I’d really only started dating Antonella to get everyone off my back about Vera. My parents were worried that Vera was still on my mind after four years and had ruined me for life. They insisted that it was her loss and that I had to move on. My teammates knew that I had been married but had never met Vera and constantly nagged me to get out in the dating world again. So I chose—wrongly—Antonella but it did finally get everyone off my back. Now Antonella wanted to take our relationship to the next level and have sex.
The thing was that I couldn’t but even if I could I wouldn’t. The truth that no one, even my parents, knew was that I was still legally married to Vera. I had been so sure in the first few months after the phone call that had destroyed me she would contact me to seek a legal separation but as the months ticked by nothing happened. For some reason that I still chide myself for every day I never tried to get a divorce. A small part of me was still Vera’s husband and even though she had betrayed me I couldn’t break my vows and lay with another woman. So I tried to keep Antonella happy without consummating our relationship and she didn’t mind at first but now it was all she talked about. I’d always heard that guys were the one that wanted in a woman’s pants at all costs but here it seemed that it was Antonella. Every chance she would get she tried to persuade me to have sex. She bought sex lingerie, had had romantic evenings, touched me, and once I had even caught her naked in my bed. Nothing worked and it never would.
All I saw when I looked at her were the things that didn’t make her Vera. She didn’t smile like Vera, or walk like her, or eat like her, or laugh like her, or kiss like her. Antonella was a haunting reminder that I had lost Vera.
“…I mean you act like a freakin’ monk! Am I not pretty enough? Do you not find me attractive enough to have sex with? Leo? Are you even listening?” Had she always sounded like a whinny two year old?
“I am, sweetheart,” I responded automatically glancing at the clock out of the corner of my eyes. “And you are amazing. I really want to finish this conversation but I have to go.” Antonellla was a great actress and put her sad face on for my benefit. “I don’t want to go but the bus to Madrid leaves in an hour.” Hell, I wanted to get out of the house and to Madrid to play football. “We’ll talk when I get back.”
Extracting myself from her grasp I stood and walked out the door. I was relieved that I wasn’t going to have to deal with her nagging for three days while my football team was in Madrid for training and a game against our rivals Real Madrid.
I was seriously screwed up in my life that the only thing that I could think about as I got in my car to drive to the meeting place was that I was free.
***********

Vera’s POV

I can’t do this I can’t do this I can’t do this! I thought frantically as I walked away from my modest hotel towards the rich district of Madrid. That morning I had been so sure of myself and the path that I had chosen but now I was second guessing myself. The long drive from my home in Paris to Madrid had given me plenty of time to think over my decision and see all the holes as well as realize what my actions meant.
After four years of agony and torture I was going to see Lionel.
There was no alternative to my problem. I couldn’t call him since his phone number had changed and I wasn’t about to call his parents for his number. Understandably they weren’t very friendly towards me after I broke their son’s heart. The only option left was to go to him directly and when I learned he was going to be in Madrid for a match I knew this was my one chance. Thanks to the help of a fan site that followed FC Barcelona’s every move I knew the hotel where Lionel would be staying at. It wasn’t hard to find since there was a huge crowd of fan girls standing outside with signs. I stopped at the corner of the street and watched as police officers escorted most of the hysterical women off the hotel’s property. I shook my head at the folly of those desperate women only to frown and narrow my eyes when I saw a teen with the sign “Marry me Leo!” with millions of hearts decorating it.
A sharp stab of jealousy and possession made my hand fist as I thought, Lionel was mine! He was my husband—what are you doing?! I inwardly pinched myself and reminded my heart that he was not mine. I had lost him and there was no way to get him back…yet he was still my husband. Over the years, after my horrible phone call to him, I had often wondered why he had not sent me divorce papers. He must have hated me for what I had done to him but never had he contacted me with thoughts of separation. I knew why I hadn’t, I was weak and the thought that I could still have some small claim on a man as loving and amazing as Lionel had been too hard to resist.
A yelling match between one of the fan girls and policeman snapped me back to reality. There was no more stalling. Somehow I made my legs move forward and slipped past the officers as they fought against dozens of females that were not about to let the chance of seeing their idols in the flesh pass. Once in the cool lobby i faltered, not knowing what to do next. I had no idea what room Lionel would be in and I couldn’t very well ask the manager for it since he would mistake me for one of the fan girls outside. On the other hand. I couldn’t knock on every door to find him or wait in the lobby until he showed up. I had to get back to my own hotel and I really wanted this whole thing over with. I pushed the small part of me that craved to see Lionel after so long and took a fortifying breath as I approached the desk.
“Hello, I’m here to see Lionel Messi.” I looked the man straight in the eyes and acted like it was my right to be asking for someone so famous. It was hard to keep a straight face as well as it being weird to speak in my native Spanish after using French for so long.
“I’m sorry but he isn’t available.”
“How can you know that?”
“He isn’t to be disturbed.”
“He’ll want to see me.” Probably a big fat lie but the man would never know.
“Please leave or I am going to have to call security.” The man didn’t give me a second glance as if expecting me to leave at his declaration. Not a chance, I thought.
“Look,” I leaned in closer to the man and glowered at him. “Lionel is not going to be happy if he hears you kicked me out so just tell me what his room number is.”
“Ma’am it is hotel policy, I can’t let a stranger go to the player’s rooms—.”
“Then at least call him on the hotel phone and tell him Vera is here to see him,” I kept most of my exasperation in check but this conversation was taking its toll on my already fragile nerves.
“I’m sorry—.”
“Please just call him.” There must have been desperation in my voice because he caught my eyes and then nodded. Picking up the phone he dialed a number. The ringing on the other end with no answer made me want to bite my nails off.
Not fast enough a voice sounded from the other end and the man before me said, “Good afternoon Mr. Villa I am so sorry to disturb you but there is a young woman here that is insisting on seeing Mr. Messi.” The phone must have passed to Lionel because I heard another mumble and the man said. “I am terrible sorry for this Mr. Messi”—Oh my god it was him! And he was so close!—“but there is someone in the lobby that would like to speak with you and is under the impression that you would like to as well.” There was a pause from the man. “Her name is…”
“I’m sorry!” A woman knocked into me and all her papers went flying. Distracted for a minute by the flabbergasted lady I never heard the clerk say into the phone “Fara” instead of “Vera”.
“It’s alright, no harm done.” I bent to help gather her papers and handed them to her as she apologized once more and then was on her way. My concentration went back to the man who hung up the phone.
“Mr. Messi has no recollection of you.” I winced, it hurt to know I had driven him to forget me. “Please leave the premises before I call security.”
I nodded and weaved my way through the people around and went outside. I leaned against one of the many trees planted in front of the hotel and tried not to let the tears come out at the disappointment I felt.
I had failed miserably.
I can’t fail! I closed my eyes to calm myself. I had to do this, there was no other option. A life depended on it. My eyes flashed open and resolved pumped throughout my body. I was about to march straight back into the hotel and demand that they show me to Lionel’s room, causing a scene and being arrested if I had to when a figure to my left caught my eye. Pushing off the tree I squinted and concentrated on the window of the hotel on the second floor. I was positive I had just seen David Villa through it. I willed him to walk by again since the man at the front desk had first talked to Villa before Lionel and they must therefore share a room. My luck seemed to turn because Lionel himself walked across the window that I was staring at. I ignored the jolt my heart made when I recognized his figure and grabbed a tree branch, hoisting myself up. It was close to the hotel and from there I would be able to reach Lionel’s room. I knew if anyone saw me they would think that I was insane but I had to get to Lionel and this seemed the only way.
And I did anything and everything when it concerned the life of someone I loved.
***********

Leo’s POV

“Does no one want me anymore?” groaned David as he pace around the room as I hung up the phone. “Every time there is a fan girl it’s for you or Geri but never old David.”
“It’s not true,” I denied.
“It is! Does no one think this is hot anymore?” He gestured down his body and flexed his guns while I tried not to laugh in his face because I could tell that he was serious.
“You have a beautiful wife and daughters, what would you care! They give you much more meaningful love than fan girls.” I tried to keep the envy out of voice as I looked over at David. His marriage was what mine should have been like but instead I was stuck with Antonella. Stop thinking of the past! I yelled at myself but couldn’t help cursing Vera and then wishing I still had her.
“You’re right,” David got a goofy smile when he thought of his women.
“Don’t look so smug!” I opened the window needing some air in the stuffy room.
“So when are you going to tie the knot? Have to get moving or you will miss your golden years.”
“I like my life just the way it is thank you.” I turned my back on him so he wouldn’t see the stricken look on my face. The only people who knew about my marriage to Vera was my teammates and they thought I had divorced her but David had transferred recently and didn’t have a clue about my past.
“The fast life of a footballer, it gets old quick. I say settle down with…um Antonella.” David didn’t sound very convinced and I faced him to see him rubbing the back of his neck, I sure sign he was embarrassed. Guess I’m not the only one that sees Antonella isn’t for me. “Married life is great,” David added quickly to hide his pause. “You get to—.”
“I’m going to go take a shower.” There was really only so much I could take and David talking about the wonders that I had briefly had and lost wasn’t something I wanted to listen to. I closed the door behind me and ripped my shirt off angrily. Gripping either side of the sink I looked at my reflection, hating what was looking back at me. Why the hell was I thinking about Vera so much today? I usually could push aside her constant presence in my mind but today it was overpowering everything. Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts…shit! Vera and I use to love watching Peter Pan when we were young. I hit my head with my palm knowing how pathetic I sounded. What you need is a cold shower to make you think of other things. I unbuckled my belt and undid one of the buttons to my jeans when I heard a crash from the other room followed by talking.
In two strides I ripped the door open to find David on the floor with Vera beside him.

*****

Vera’s POV
The landing hadn’t gone as planned. I’d managed to trip on the ledge with one leg already inside and then crashed into a body eventually landing on top of them. I glanced up to find the shocked round eyes of David Villa staring down at me.
“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry.” I scrambled off of him and knelt by his side. “Did I hurt you? I really didn’t mean to run into you.”
“I’m fine.” He actually looked pleased rather than mad and it was a definite plus when he didn’t go screaming for security.
I opened my mouth to say something more when movement to the right made me glance over to find Lionel. My mouth went even wider when I saw Lionel standing there in nothing but his jeans. His washboard stomach and well defined muscles almost made me drool. I kept remembering the times I had laid my head against it when sleeping, safe in his arms. He had always been fit but our years apart had turned his body into heaven. I tore my gaze away and focused on his face but almost wished I hadn’t.
He was magnificent.
His brown hair that I had always begged him to trim was cut short, showing off his facial features. My eyes wandered over the strong cleft in his chin that I loved so much before finally meeting his dark eyes. At the moment they were not the normal brown but dark, almost black which I knew meant he was overwhelmed with an emotion. Was it shock or joy or…hatred? I hadn’t gazed on him in four years and couldn’t look away. The familiar electricity seemed to sizzle in the air and I felt drawn to him like a hopeless magnet. My blood rushed in my veins and my heart pumped so hard I felt it would explode out of my chest.
“Leo!” cried Villa making my eye jerk down to his lying form and breaking the moment. “I haven’t lost my touch! I got attacked by a fan girl!”
I blushed and Lionel cracked a small grin at his friend as he strolled over and helped him up. After a small hesitation he held his hand out to me but I didn’t take it. My reaction before had been more dangerous than I had expected and I knew that one touch from him would send me sobbing into his arms.
“I’m really sorry about my entrance—.”
“What are you doing here Vera?” Lionel got straight to the point.
“I came to see you Lionel.” I replied unconsciously letting my eyes drift down to his unbuttoned pants. Lionel saw were my eyes were and swiftly fixed his jeans as I turned red and looked past him to a very confused Villa.
“Do you know this woman?” Villa asked.
“She’s my wife.” Lionel stated this like it was nothing important, like one would talk about the weather.
“Your wife?” Villa repeated glancing from Lionel to me than back to Lionel. He must have felt the tension in the air because he backed up to the door. “I think I’m going to go take a walk.”
When we were alone Lionel just started at me coldly not saying a word. He clearly liked that I was uncomfortable as I shifted in place. Knowing he wasn’t going to break the silence I said, “I thought you had forgotten about me.”
“I could never forget you.” The little smile that was forming abruptly fell away at his next words. “The wife that broke my heart without a word of explanation.”
It was worse that he said it like he didn’t care whatsoever, like I didn’t mean a thing. You deserve this Vera, I thought but wasn’t about to let him see my pain.
“Then why didn’t you let me see you before? I had the front desk call you.”
He frowned, crossing his arms and making me bite back a groan and barley stop myself from gawking at the rippling flesh, “They said it was a Farra.”
“Oh.” It was a small thing for my pride that Lionel hadn’t ignored or forgotten me.
Lionel dropped his hands and walked to my side, circling me like a hunter with its prey in sight, “So you took matters in your own hands and decided to climb through the window.”
“You did the same thing many times. Do I have to remind you that you climbed through my bedroom window at my parent’s house many times in Argentina to spend the night with me?”
Lionel froze for but a second that I almost thought I imagined it. He ignored my comment and came to a stop behind me, so close that I could feel his breath tickle my skin.
“Why are you here after four years with no word Vera?” I trembled despite myself and leaned back into his chest for a moment before he moved away and came around to face me. “What do you want?”
I took a deep breath, “I want a divorce.”
******

Leo’s POV

I felt her words like a punch to the gut. I should have expected this day would come but I felt pain and hate rise within me. After all these years with no words she decides to come see me for a freakin’ divorce?! No hello Lionel or explanation that I deserved for our break up in the first place.
“You want a divorce?” I repeated to give myself a little more time to process. Instead I got caught up in studying Vera. I soaked up every soft curve of her small height which I had teased her relentlessly for. Her lips looked as lushes and kissable as ever and she had cut her straight, brown hair so that it fell to her shoulder. I hated that it made her look beautiful in a sophisticated way. It was her eyes, however, that held me as hypnotized as the first day I had seen them, those light brown orbs with flecks of green were starting at me defiantly as she nodded. “Why now?”
“It’s my business,” she replied and I snapped a little.
“The hell it is,” I yelled grabbing her arms and pulling her into me. Vera tensed when just as before when I had held my hand to her, I wasn’t even important enough to touch her. “After four god damn years of not knowing what I did wrong to drive you away I think I deserve to know why you want to divorce me.”
“You did nothing to drive me away!” Vera cried back.
“Then you just happen to want to sleep with another man?!” I roared looking at her in disgust as I dropped my arms from around her. My furry died down when Vera flinched and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Please Lionel.” She was the only one that had ever called me by my full name, she had always refused to call me by my nickname and I admitted to myself that it was good to hear it from her lips. “Just give me a divorce.”
“Why?” I asked more calmly this time.
Vera raised her gaze to me, “I need the money.”
“You are divorcing me for my money?” I had been shocked to discover her in my hotel room but this statement was so unlike her that I was floored. Vera wasn’t one to care about material things but then again, I never thought she would cheat on me. A commotion in the hallway made us turn towards the door.
“What do you think she wants?” came Carles’s voice.
“Anyone knows what she looks like?” asked Xavi.
Bojan added, “Did she seriously climb through the window?”
“How come no one told me Leo is married?” David whispered loudly.
“He is divorced,” replied Xavi.
“Leo specifically introduced her as his wife,” David insisted. Were they seriously having a debate outside of the door?
“Who cares! Holy crap I can’t hear anything! Do you think they are having sex?” Geri questioned what seemed like half of the team. That last question had Vera and I looking uncomfortably away from each other but both our gazes landed on the bed. I cleared my throat and marched up to the door opening it.
“Shit!” swore Xavi.
“I thought you were going for a walk David?” I said.
“I did, up and down the hallway to tell everyone your wife was here,” David responded with no shame.
“We just wanted to say hello,” Bojan explained while at the same time trying to peek over my shoulder to get a glimpse of Vera.
“Right,” I sighed and stepped to the side. “You might as well come in and meet her.”
There was no way around this predicament and I let them file in. I grabbed a spare t-shirt and pulled it on before I went to stand by Vera and told my friends, “This is my wife Vera.”
They seemed visibly shaken by my announcement and also curious. I even saw Bojan give Vera an appreciative look up and down which made my jaw clench.
“Hello,” Vera smiled making me jealous that I wasn’t on the receiving end of it.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Xavi stepped forward and shook her hand.
“Sorry for our eavesdropping,” Bojan grinned and I narrowed my eyes in warning when he held on to her hand too long. She met the rest of the team with openness and kindness, taking their teasing in strides but when it was Geri’s turn she had the strangest reaction.
“Leo must be crazy to have let you go,” Geri flashed his typically rakish smile and moved to stand in front of her. Vera’s smile didn’t reach her eyes this time as she moved to stand closer to me. I was surprised and pleased when I felt her hand lightly grab the back of my shirt like she needed to physically know I was there.
“You are a charmer.” Vera responded, not letting them know anything about our private life. I could tell she was nervous to have so many footballers around her and seemed to be losing some of her composure as she sneaked peeks under her lashes at Bojan and Geri.
“I should go,” she whispered to me, letting my shirt go and looking down at her hand like it had betrayed her.
“We still have a lot to talk about,” I pointed out at her. The fact that she wanted to divorce me for cash hadn’t gone away.
“Come to my hotel tomorrow at seven,” Vera said hurriedly walking to the door. “It’s the Casa Hotel.”
“You aren’t going to run away again without answers are you?” I replied grasping her elbow before she could vanish.
“Even if I wanted to I can’t. I need my money.” Vera left me with more questions than answers. As much as I hated her for the torture and hurt she had caused me I kept picturing her during our whole conversations and the little tells she had let slip. Vera was not unaffected by me. So why did she want to leave me again and what was with needing the money? The way she had said it before she left had been like she was telling me this to hurt me and keep me away from the truth as if knowing that hearing she wanted my money would keep me away.
I was sick of secrets and tomorrow I was going to get answers.
*****

Practice the next day was over around twelve and with nothing else to do I decided to head over to Vera’s hotel. I needed answers and I didn’t think that I could wait until seven for them. I managed to make my way to her hotel without anyone noticing me, glad that I didn’t have to deal with cameras or fans at the moment.
I turned the corner and was a few feet from the hotel when out came Vera. I couldn’t stop the happiness that made its way to my heart just seeing her. At the moment she was talking to a woman that I recognized from our wedding as her eccentric aunt that lived in France. She was a hilarious single woman of forty-seven that live life to the fullest and loved Vera like her own daughter. I was pondering what she was doing here with Vera when a little girl ran past them, headed straight for me.
“Evita slow down!” cried Vera smiling at the fair-haired girl, more carefree than I had ever seen her. The little girl tripped in front of me and landed on the ground hard. I rapidly knelt by her, lifting her gently onto her legs. I saw tears in familiar green speckled brown eyes and before I could do anything she leaped into my arms and burrowed her head in my chest.
My eyes went wide and I felt my body melt in tenderness for the innocence I carried in my arms. Standing up with the young girl still tucked safely in my arms I turned to face Vera who had come to check on the hurt child.
“Lionel,” Vera gasped in astonishment when she realized it was me.
“You have a daughter.” It wasn’t a question but fact. It was also a fact that Evita couldn’t be more than three years of age and her hair was blonde…she was Vera’s but not mine.