|| Soft || Roy Kent

Chapter Nine

The amount of information that busied itself in Alex's ever-active brain was overwhelming. After the discussion with Keeley regarding what she had discovered about Rebecca's true motives, she found herself struggling to sleep at night. That alone would be enough to keep a person on edge. But insult met injury when she added the complications of what Richmond was facing looking down the barrel of the upcoming Man City game. The idea that she had to navigate the awkwardness of her recently complicated relationship with one of their most valuable players was somehow towards the bottom of her concerns.

Alex had resigned herself to the fact that things between the two of them were just going to be uncomfortable. For how long, she was not sure. But she had agreed that it may not be in the best interest of one of the team's star players to be hounded by the physio about a kiss under the influence during the last few games of their season.

    Richmond was facing relegation and the last thing Alex was interested in was playing a role in any more stress. Something she had always prided herself in was her amazing professionalism. She could maintain a successful professional relationship with Roy Kent for the remainder of the season. After that, there was plenty of time to evaluate just what the fuck all of this meant.

    Keeley was much less likely to let the entire thing go. A dear friend and a very loyal girls' girl, Keeley was foaming at the mouth to give Roy a piece of her mind. It was only at Alex's request that she played nice. Only charged by her desperation for justice after what she learned about Rebecca, it was starting to become harder to keep her at bay.

Rebecca had become more pensive since returning from their weekend away. It was difficult for Alex to catch her at a time where it didn't seem like her thoughts were pulling her in multiple directions. Alex knew she was facing the pressure of relegation and considered the impact that would have on her image. But more importantly, she was now facing the difficult conversation of admitting just how malicious she had been when bringing Ted onboard for the season.

    Rebecca had become more avoidant of her female confidants. The morning after Keeley had given her the ultimatum and figured her out, Rebecca found it easier to keep her office door closed for the majority of the day. Any run in with Keeley was charged with meaningful glances and thick with unspoken words. Even worse, her interactions with Alex were tense with an unsaid disappointment that caused an uncomfortable lump in Rebecca's throat. Ted, naturally, was someone she was working tirelessly to avoid altogether.

    Roy Kent's house was quiet. The silence used to be a source of comfort. After screams in the stadiums week after week, media and fans with their theories and entitlements to details of his life, he often found solace in the ever calm setting of his home. However, that silence that morning was merely an echo chamber for every negative thought.

    If he dared turn on the television, it was far too likely that he would see commentary about his recent performance over the past few matches. Impossible to ignore the possibility of relegation, and what felt like the possible end of his career as a starter, silence was the only option.

    He sipped his tea, staring out the sliding glass door into the back garden, considering all that was ahead of him. It was only days before the game against Man City, the one that would define the next year of Richmond's life as a team and his as a player. And it was not lost on him that he would be face to face again with Jamie fucking Tartt. As far as things were with the team's physio he had kissed, he couldn't even begin to let himself wonder.

    After watching Rupert leave her office, Rebecca straightened her spine. She knew what she had to do. Nothing could cloud her head or deter her from this necessary conversation as she walked down from her office toward the coach's office. She barely took in her surroundings, forcing a narrow focus on what was in front of her.