Broken Hearts Football Club

Chapter 1

"I can't believe we are starting another season already. It feels like yesterday when we were playing our last game!"

"This summer has completely flown by. What do you think, June?"

"Uh?" she said.

"You weren't listening to us, were you?" Vittoria laughed.

"She probably was busy texting her hot dj" Lauren smirked. "Where is he now? Ibiza? Las Vegas?"

"He actually is in London."

"What?" both Lauren and Vittoria said at the same time.

"He's visiting his family and wanted to meet, but since we are playing in Liverpool and he is leaving tomorrow..." June shrugged.

"That's what happens when you date someone famous" Lauren laughed.

"We are not... Son of a bitch!"

"Hey, I'm trying to nap!" one of their teammates complained from the other side of the plane.

"Sorry!" June said. "But I can't believe what I just read."

"What did the dj do?"

"Him? Nothing. It's Mr. Chilwell. He says I don't deserve to be one of the captains!"

"Oh my God, June. Why do you keep paying attention to him?" Vittoria said, rolling her eyes.

"Because I can't understand why he is so obsessed with me."

"I've always thought he is in love with you."

"What?" June laughed.

"I think he is in love with you but has to be mean on camera because if he praises you, people will notice and he will never see the end of it" Lauren explained.

"Ben Chilwell in love with me? Please."

"Think about it. It makes sense" she shrugged.

"No, it doesn't."

"It does for me" Lauren shrugged again. "And you would make such a cute couple... Even your last names rhyme. Maxwell and Chilwell" Lauren smiled.

"You've gone mad."

"Oh, c'mon. I haven't forgotten about the huge crush you had on him when we all were at the academy."

"Every girl had a crush on him, to be honest" Vittoria pointed out.

Benjamin Chilwell, Ben, Chilly. He had been one of Chelsea's most promising players, making it to the first team when he was 18 and becoming one of the captains at 21. But everything ended when he was just 23 and diagnosed with a heart problem. Playing football on a professional level was over for him, but he discovered he could still be part of that world as a pundit. He knew the sport, how to speak, and had the looks to be on tv because he happened to be stupidly handsome. He had been the crush of so many over the years for a reason.

"Yes, everyone was in love with him. You included. And now you are two hot and successful adults obsessed with the other" Lauren said.

"I'm not obsessed with him. He is with me" June protested.

"Ok, fine. Maybe he is more obsessed with you. But his reviews are the first you always check and the ones that matter the most to you. There must be a reason behind that."

"That I don't get it! Have I done something to him?"

"Being talented, beautiful and simply amazing, which makes it easy to fall in love with you."

"He... urgh. This is the most pointless conversation ever."

"If you say so..."

"It is. Ben isn't in love with me, and I'm not in love with him, Lauren" June insisted.

"Then what is it, uh?"

"Maybe he's jealous because you have everything he wanted" Vittoria said.

Like him, June had grown up in Chelsea's academy, and even though she was a couple of years younger, their careers had followed a similar path. She made it to the first team at a very young age, being called by the national team not long after. She had become the star of both teams, winning individual awards right and left, the most important brands being interested in signing her as an ambassador. She was a star. And this season, she would be Chelsea's first captain, which to her was one of the biggest honours.

"See? That makes more sense" June said. "But still..."

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"Ok, girls. Let's do this!" June cheered up her teammates before going into the pitch to do their warm-up. As she stepped out, she couldn't help but look to her left, to where the tv set was. To where he was. "Ok, focus" she said to herself. She was there to play football, to win. Not to think about a certain pundit.

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"There goes June Maxwell. If she scores this penalty, it'll be a hat-trick for Chelsea's captain. She gets ready... and goal! What an extraordinary penalty by Maxwell."

"No goalkeeper could have stopped that" Jacob said.

"If the goalkeeper had been better positioned, it would have not been that easy."

"Oh, Chilly" Andrew laughed. "New season but you haven't changed a bit."

"Pretty sure that her 1, 2, 3 and that smile at the camera was directed towards you" Jacob chuckled.

"What she should do is care about playing football, not what I say" Ben replied, his eyes focused on the replay of her celebration and the big smile on her face.

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"Lauren, what the fuck?" June said while reading the things her teammates had written on the ball from the game.

"What?" she shrugged.

"May this be the first hat-trick of many this season. Suck it, Chilwell."

"C'mon, June. You were thinking about him when you did the penalty celebration."

"I wasn't."

"You were. It was a beautiful fuck you."

"It... urgh."

"If it bothers you it's because you know it is true!" Lauren laughed.

And she wasn't wrong. June always gave everything on the pitch and tried to play her best, but she had been extra motivated that day. She wanted to show Chilwell how wrong he was about her, that she deserved to be Chelsea's captain, to lead the team. When the ball had gone in after that penalty, her first thought had been for him. And she had the feeling it would not be the last time that season...