The Own Goal ✔️

Part 61

"Ben why did you have to say anything?" I smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Jack sits forward and takes my hand across the table. He looks me in the eye and when he talks, his voice is low, serious, genuine and compassionate.
"I know your family and childhood has been massively different to mine, I know it's not something you'd have considered, and as her mom it comes down to you anyway and me mom knows that too. But yeah, in terms of me mates like that I would trust with Mia, Ben's the top, like you an' the girls y'know?"

I nod, I totally get it, I remember how Dele and Madders desperately tried to get hold of the helicopter guy when Mia was ill, how Ben and the girls called us constantly while we sat with her at the hospital.
Sometimes friends become your family, I know that more than anyone.

Jack looks at me wide eyed. He doesn't take his eyes off me as he addresses Ben "bro will ya keep an eye on Mia-moo for a minute?"

Before Ben even actually answers Jack is standing, pulling me up by my hand and leading me outside.

He leads me past a few groups of people milling around on the patio and we stop at a quiet corner on the terrace overlooking a vast green. I can see the training pitches off to the side and picture Jack running around on them.

"Ya know I said about me agent talking to city?"

"Yeah....."

"He's had two offers for me from London clubs, both over the threshold that Villa would let me go for"

I can see from his face that this information has thrown him into turmoil, it wasn't expected.

"Which clubs?" I ask, like it matters, because London is London, or like I understand what club is bigger or better.

"Chelsea and Arsenal"

"You've got friends at both" I ignore the temptation to make a joke about the club that's my namesake and his original chat up line to me about it.

He nods, "but I've got you in Manchester"

He's standing leaning over the balcony railing that runs around the terrace, staring out to the pitches.
I'm hearing loud and clear what he's leaving unsaid.
I move behind him and wrap my arms around his middle, I rest my cheek between his shoulder blades.

"I'd consider moving to london, I already said I'd been thinking about moving back to Birmingham with you"

I feel him swallow.

"But we also said we wheren't rushing anything, that........we needed to be sure before we properly lived together, an' if I'm in London I'm four hours away from ya an' Mia, an' if ya come with me, then its massive for both of us, an' the pressure ya know......"

He turns and wraps me up in his arms against his chest, I briefly see his face before his chin rests on my head, and it scares me. 
I feel him lightly pull at my curls, pulling a strand straight and watching it bounce back towards my head.
His breathing is deep and shallow, I try to look up at him and he just clamps me tighter to him.
I feel like whatever he's about to say is going to ruin everything.

"I've done something Chels" it's barely more than a whisper.
I close my eyes....don't say it, don't say it, don't say it.....I beg silently.

"I've done so many interviews this week....." I open my eyes.....huh?

"So many different people wantin' to talk to me" shit, Laura Woods, he fucking slept with someone that was supposed to be interviewing him.....

"I know they all get run past our media team before before they go out....." What the fuck is he trying to tell me?