The Own Goal ✔️

Part 40

The party moves across to the Hilton. There's a balcony running across the bar we are in, and someone notices fans outside, so now Jack is leading a sing along of villa chants.

The tears my eyes are leaking now are of actual sorrow. Sorrow of what could have been. Of how today could have felt.

Jack keeps turning, begging me to join him.
But I can't do that to him, not get photographed with him publicly for the first time the day that I dump him.

"Please, please Chelsea. Can you just let him have this? Wait until you get home, have it out and talk it through with him"

"No Karen!" I hiss, "I've given him enough! Today, I said to you I would give him until today. That's it, actually, do you know what? Do you know what I overheard Wednesday night Karen?"

"No, what did you overhear?" I know from her face that she knows she doesn't really want to hear it.

"His mates joking with him about the fucking bites and hickies on his arse!"

Her face falls. She gives me the briefest nod, then takes me in for a hug "Chelsea I'm so so sorry" she sobs in my ear.

"You've nothing to be sorry about" I tell her.

***

Finally, done with singing and celebrating with the fans Jack reappears.

"A private room in a club nearby is booked for us all, ya fancy it?" He asks me. "Maybe it was a good idea that ya didn't bring Mia afta all" he grins.

"Erm, Jack, actually can we nip up to the room for a bit?"

"Oh yeah, wanna bit of this premier league player do ya" he smirks. Either the marks on his arse have gone, or he's so drunk he's forgotten about them.

As soon as he shuts the door to our room he's trying to kiss me.

I stop him. "Jack we need to talk" I say firmly.

"Wots up?" He's swaying a little.

I'm going to give him one chance to be honest.

Owning up to what he's done and being honest to me will definitely let him hold on to some credibility.

"Do you have anything you need to tell me Jack?"

His eyes fly around, trying to process what I might mean.

"Is there anything you need to tell me? About last weekend maybe?" I prompt him.

I've never seen the colour drop from someone's face so fast before.

"Wot, wot, d'ya mean?"

"You know what I mean Jack. I know, but I want you to tell me yourself. I think I deserve that"

He laughs nervously "nah I don' Chels, I don' know what ya mean? Last weekend? I had far too much to drink, made a mistake goin' back to me mates"

"You didn't go back to your mates Jack! Don't fucking lie to me! Honestly I fucking hate lying more than fucking cheating!! You cheated on me AGAIN at least fucking have the decency to be fucking HONEST with me!"

"I didn't cheat on ya I swear I fuckin' swear I didn't cheat!"

"Swear on our daughter's life?"

"Yeah I do 'cos I didn't cheat Chelsea!"

I take a deep breath to stay calm.

"I found the shirt you left at your mum's. I recognised the vile perfume I know you fucked STACEY! It was covered in fucking MAKEUP! Your arm was covered in fucking SCRATCHES! And apparently, your fucking ARSE is covered in bites and hickies, but you fucking stand there and fucking SWEAR to me ON OUR DAUGHTERS LIFE that you didn't cheat on me! You make me SICK!"

Jack physically recoils, not sure what part to respond to first.

"But I didn't fuck her Chelsea, I swear I never cheated!"

"OH MY GOD JACK!! what, were you raped by a fucking ghost?? How can you fucking deny it???"

"She was all over me in the club, literally falling asleep on me, I took her home to her house an' made her a coffee to sober her up.......she jus', look we kissed, an' she gave me a blowjob, an' I don' even know what she was fuckin' doin' biting me fuckin' arse, so I don' know how you even know that......"
I stare at him wide eyed, this is actually ridiculous.
"As soon as I come I knew it hadda stop, she got annoyed, that's how I got the scratches, she fuckin' attacked me Chels when I left, she's fuckin' mental. But I did not have sex with her, I promise ya Chels, I wouldn't cheat, not again!"

Oh my god, I have to turn away, I can't believe this. What the actual fuck.

"Jack I don't know what to address first, the fact that you don't understand why a woman would be upset that someone finds their morals AFTER being given a blowjob, or the fact you seem to think a blowjob job doesn't count as cheating!?"

He looks genuinely lost.

"But it's not? It's not proper cheating?"

I can't help it, I snap. I slap him as hard as I can across the face. My strength takes us both by surprise.

"YOU HAD YOUR DICK IN ANOTHER GIRLS MOUTH AND YOU DON'T THINK THATS CHEATING?"

He's lost for words. But I'm still full of them.
Although a strange calm has washed over me.

"Literally Jack you make me sick! I'm done! I'm going to pick Mia up then I'm going back to Manchester. I need to calm down so please, leave me alone. I'll call you in the week to discuss how I move into the Manchester house and arrange how often you have Mia"

The realisation of what I've just said hits him. It winds him and he crumples to the floor against the wall.

"Nah, nah ya can't do that, she's me daughter Chels, ya not takin' her!"

"You should have thought about that"

"You can't, please, I won't do it again - "

"- you mean now you know that blowjobs count as cheating?"

"Please don' take my baby Chels, I'm sorry, I love you, I really fuckin' love ya!"

"No, Jack, you don't, because if you did, you wouldn't keep hurting me!" I'm crying again, but they are tears of anger.

Jack's crying too.
"Look, I'm not going to stop you seeing Mia, I never would. You are an amazing dad, you are, but me and you, it's just never going to work. We tried, it failed"

"Please don't take her, please, give me one more chance? We can work it out can't we?" He's really crying now, actually sobbing, and the fact he's so distraught over the thought of losing Mia tugs at my heart. But it's not enough.

I kneel down next to him. "Jack I promise we will work it out with Mia, you won't miss anything. We will still bring her up together. But I can't be with you anymore" I stand up and start to straighten myself out.

"Why didn't you say anything before though?" He looks up at me with those puppy dog eyes.

"Because your mum begged me not to leave you until after the game. Also, because I didn't know for sure until I heard Madders and Phil talking about it with you the other night"

I turn back to him at the door.
"Goodbye Jack. I'll call you in the week"