grave reminiscence
While the kids occupied themselves on the PlayStation in the living room, the father and the daughter remained in the kitchen and chatted amongst one another, reminiscing on some of their favourite memories and even brought up new ones that have yet to come. When the good and reasonably cheerful conversation came to a comfortable end, they fell into a new one that Wynter hadn't anticipated from Reed.
"So, what I'm hearing from everyone is that you and Trent are officially dating right now," Reed smirked, arms folded from where he sat.
She nodded, smiling. "Pretty much, dad. I thought you already knew about it way before Trent asked me."
"Oh, I did," he scoffed, raising a brow in her direction. "I just wanted to see if you would tell me and surprisingly, you openly told me."
Back in the day since Wynter's mom travelled around the world for her other football clients, Reed was practically left as a stay at home father. So even though the french girl discussed the topic of boys on her mind with her mom, she was also never hesitant to vent about boys to her dad as he was omnipresent throughout her teenage years where the boy troubles rallied into her life.
"I tell you everything, dad," Wynter rolled her eyes though soon eventually broke out with a fine grin. "Of course, I'm going to tell you that I have a boyfriend."
"I know you would, darling. I was just checking. It's just so crazy to think about. It feels like it was just yesterday you were coming to me about Oscar. Speaking of him, are you two still friends?"
Wynter thought for a second before she responded. She shrugged. "I mean, it's only occasional messages here and there, but I wouldn't exactly say we're friends. We're definitely civil with each other."
Reed nodded, understanding. "Well, that's good to hear."
"Do you think it's a bad thing that I don't hate him?"
"Definitely not," Reed shook his head. "You're just a very mature person and you forgave him for what did. There's nothing wrong with that."
"Yeah, I know but the boys from the school team like Thomas, Cam, Maxime. They all think I shouldn't have forgiven him, especially Ky," she huffed, rubbing her temple with her index finger.
"Well, you can't help the fact that you're not one to hold grudges on someone. It's simply natural for you. As a matter of fact, you should definitely invite them over to watch you play or something," he suggested as he took a sip of his drink.
The french player cocked her head to the side in thought, softly biting down on her bottom lip. "Uh, as much as I want to see the boys, I don't think the timing's right. If I invite them then I've to invite Oscar too and I would rather not do that right now, dad. Considering I just got into a relationship with Trent it would seem like I'm trying to one-up him if you think about everything that happened before," Wynter frowned at the unpleasant memories with the boy.
"I guess you're right, my bad. Let's see," Reed situated his chin in his palm, tapping his cheek with his index finger. "what about Kylian? You two are best mates right?"
"Of course, we are. We talk to each other almost every week. He's been my best friend since we were kids," Wynter said, again shrugging. "That's basic facts, dad. You know that."
"Exactly," Reed pointed out, however, in an indirect manner.
"Huh?" her brows pulled together as her grip on her drink loosened. "Dad, I'm confused with what you're trying to say."
"Let me ask you a question, Winnie," he gestured for Wynter to have a seat by his side which she complied to with no hesistaion. "I'm not even going to ask if you love Trent right now because it's way too earlier to tell so early in the relationship but you feel a special way for Trent, right?" her father asked.
She nodded, slowly. "Yeah, I do. He makes me feel safe and secure whenever I'm not with you, Nate, mom or the guys and I really appreciate it because it's a feeling that I missed in Russia. When I'm around Trent, I feel relaxed, calm and anxiety is far from my mind since he just so happens to have that kind of effect on me. He's. . he's like my stress reliever and he doesn't even know it most of the time. Dr. Torrens told me that I have made a significant change in my mood and emotions and for once, I actually believe it," Wynter explained, unknown to the spark in her eyes which appeared whenever she brought up the scouse. "But anyway, you were saying."
"Don't get me wrong me, Winnie. I love that you're finally in a relationship with Trent. From how he's presented himself to me for the past few days, I think he's a good person for you and if you're happy with him then your mother and I are happy too. However, don't forget what happened the last time when you got yourself involved with a boy and somehow, Kylian got himself dragged into it and both of your careers were on the line."
"It was four years ago," Wynter groaned, placing her face in her palms as she finally understood where the conversation was heading.
"I know, but four years ago you almost lost your best friend. You know, the one you call your best friend now and since you two were kids," Reed reminded his daughter. "Listen, I'm not going to pester you about your relationship now because you're legal and I've no real say in it but just be careful, okay? Terms are different for you now compared to when you were fifteen. With all the media gain you have gotten in the past months, if something breaks between Trent, Kylian and you and the media finds out, you know very well that the blame won't be cast on them. It'll be all on you."
"Yeah, I know, dad. I know," she nodded, visual stance falling slump.-
He nudged her shoulder, making her laugh by the slightest. "Hey, don't be so glum. I'm just giving you a little head-ups because I want to avoid that situation at all costs. You don't need such stress in your life again."
"I know."
"Come here," the father and daughter performed their little handshake with each other before Reed brought Wynter into a hug. "I love you, kiddo," he pressed a kiss on her cheek.
"I love you too, papa," she mumbled into his chest.
When they pulled away from the way-too familiar hug, her dad rose from his aisle seat. "Alright, I'm going to check up on the little rascals before they break something of yours. I'll see in a bit, Winnie."
Once Reed escaped the kitchen, the french girl couldn't help but let out a silent huff as her fingers flew up to her unbraided locks, the uprise of the conversation causing her current mood to switch to a sombre one within an instant. The quick talk didn't sit well with her, mainly because it drove uncalled for memories to rush back into her fragile mind without warning. Wynter understood that for her own sake, the unfortunate past needed to be discussed with someone, even if it mentally pained her, ultimately, it had to be executed.
Sometimes, Wynter simply wished the horrid memories didn't appear at all. However, she'd no complete control over when nor where they would suddenly strike her weak demeanour. Whether she felt as if she was in her prime state of mind or in the deepest depression, somehow, they always found their way back to haunt her.
30/06/18
After the France NT left the stadium from their victorious win against Argentina, the players arrived back at their hotel and dove quickly into celebration since they were told their hotel had a fancy party awaiting especially for them. The French team all seemed ecstatic when they caught sight of the heaps of foreign food packed into a buffet, energetic at the sound of Presnel's typical song playlist blasting through the speakers.
With everyone high on food, drinks, major victory and social media, it never occurred to anyone as to what was possibly going on in Wynter's mind.
Well, except for him.
"You don't have to be here if you don't want to."
Wynter rotated her head and caught sight of Antoine. She shrugged, raising her hands slightly. "If I'm not here then it'll seem like something is wrong, which is the thing, something is wrong but I don't want the guys to know," she explained as she played with her blue-polished nails.
She heard Antoine let out a sigh. "I know, Winnie, which is why I'm still willing to keep my promise to you. Why don't you go back to your room and I'll cover for you if anyone asks for you. Does that sound good to you?"
"Yeah, it does," she nodded. The pair stood up in sync before they pulled each other into a hug. When they finally pulled away from the hug, Wynter granted her teammate with a weak smile. "Thank you, Anto."
"No need to thank me, Winnie. If you need me at all, just give me a call, alright? Other than that, I suggest you go up to your room and rest up. You have had a pretty long day."
"I definitely will. I'll see you in the morning," Antoine pressed a kiss on her cheek before he finally allowed her to escape the festive scene.
When Wynter reached her room, she discarded her murderously tough heels on the floor. With a blank expression on her face, she harshly erased the minimum make-up applied on her face hours prior, fearful of the tears that may soon slip. She removed the blue dress she'd brought on the trip for moments like this though now, pure waste. When the dress fell to the floor, her eyes trained on her reflection in the mirror, the white bandages securely wrapped around her torso.
It was a relief to Wynter that she couldn't place her eyes on the bruises because if she could, then she knew she would've had no control over her unbridled emotions.
After she finished her business in the bathroom and had changed, she collapsed on her bed and let out a tired sigh. Wynter winced a few times whenever she tried to find a comfortable position on the bed, but eventually, she gave up, the abdominal pains and the evocations of agonising events from earlier on prevented the girl from doing so in a peaceful manner.
Just when she felt her eyes droop, a knock came from the other side of the door. A slow groan escaped from her mouth. She got up from her bed and made her way towards the door in an impatient mien.
When she opened the door, her face scrunched up. "Ky? What are you doing here?" she took a quick glance at his attire. "And why are in your pyjamas? You should be having fun with the guys."
"I know but the party wasn't any good without you there," for the first time since the incident, a shy smile landed on her face, causing Kylian to laugh. "Anyway, I was told by Antoine that you weren't feeling like partying and he suggested for me to come over. On my way back here, I got a few treats you may like to have and if you're up for it, we can watch some Netflix or whatever."
"I think I'll be up for it. Come in. I want to eat."
The pair settled themselves on Wynter's bed with the food that Kylian brought consuming most of the space on the bed. While the minutes calmly passed by, the two fell into mellow conversations as the TV acted as a background sound.
Kylian moved the leftover scraps of food out of the way and took a seat behind Wynter, arms over her shoulders. "Is that Oscar messaging you again?" he asked as he glanced over Wynter's shoulder. "He messages you like a hundred times during the day. You think he would get the message by now. Like, you're not interested and you never were."
"Who says I'm not?" she deadpanned and when Kylian didn't respond, she laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You out of all people should know that I don't like him."
"Then why do you keep messaging him? He's a dick."
"You're reading into this all wrong. He is just congratulating me for the win today."
"Why didn't he congratulate me? I won as well."
Wynter sent Kylian a knowing look, allowing a low hum loose. "You know well why he didn't send you a message."
"Whatever, he rightfully deserved everything that came his way," he snatched the phone out of her hand and threw it all the way across the bed, making Wynter yelp. "You've been texting him for too long. Give me some attention, damn," he pressed butterfly kisses along the back of her neck, a few soft giggles slipping pass the french girl's lips.
For the next hour or so, banters followed by genuine laughs erupted from the pair as they watched childhood TV shows while they ate until their hearts content, practically discarding their World Cup diets. With their close and affectionate proximity next to each other on the hotel bed, it didn't take long for their lips to mesh with each other in a slow yet hungry pace. A breathless groan left Kylian's mouth as Wynter pushed her body closer to his own if that were even possible.
It wasn't the first time this occurred between the two players, which is why Kylian knew Wynter's unexpected turn-ons and vice versa. The intimate session soon escalated into something much more than a simple make out. When Kylian flipped his partner on her back, she instantly pulled away from the kiss as she let out a low cry, unimaginable pains surging through her back.
Panic mode soon consumed Kylian. "Oh my, God! Winnie, are you okay? Did I do something wrong? Are you hurt?"
Wynter pressed her lips together while she squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to shed more tears after her waterworks fit back in the stadium. She shook her head frantically. "Just go and get an ice pack from the bathroom."
Soon enough, Kylian retrieved the cooler as requested. Wynter thanked him in a low voice as she laid down on the bed, pulling up her shirt to reveal the bandages. His eyes widened. "Winnie, what the hell happened?" he asked in a soft tone, his hand carefully rubbing her back.
Wynter sighed as she pressed the ice pack to her ribcage all while a tear slyly managed to escape from her eyelids. "There's something I need to tell you. . ."
. . .
"So, you and Winnie, huh?"
"What about us?" Trent retorted back to Virgil and Jordan. Though a neutral expression rested on his face as he nibbled on his food, he didn't necessarily have a problem with discussing his status with Wynter. The genuine thought of the player soon brought a thick grin on his features anyway. She made his heartbeat and in a way in which Trent couldn't understand, but on the other hand, he didn't oppose her effects on him in any way whatsoever.
"I don't know. Just give us anything. How are things?" Virgil said.
"They're good I guess. She met my family a few weeks ago. I've met her dad, her brother's kids and her mum. Well, I mean I'm pretty sure everyone at Melwood has met Claire by now," Trent mentioned and he was right. Whenever Wynter's mom was stationed in Liverpool, she always stopped by the training grounds to greet the players, staff and of course, embarrasse her daughter by a large extent.
"So the only the person you haven't met from the clan is Nate," Jordan pointed out, taking a bite out of his food.
Trent nodded. "Yeah, I know. I have talked to him through messages and that, but that's nothing compared to meeting him in real life. He's huge!" He stressed. The scouse understood that as he was involved with the french player on a romantic tier, Nate would have his say here and there on him. Though he couldn't lie to himself, the basketball player's banter along with his height had their intimidating effects on him.
"Honestly, Trent, don't worry about it. I actually got the chance to meet Nate during the summer when I went to watch the Warriors play and he's pretty chill," Virgil shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Okay, but that's different. The first time you met him you had no relation with Wynter, but I do and to make matters even worse, I'm her boyfriend!"
"If you are so scared of meeting him then just be a good boyfriend to Winnie so you don't give him a reason hate you. Simple as that," Jordan said in a sarcastic manner, making Virgil laugh while the scouse sent him a glare.
"You two are so helpful, you know."
"We try our best."
"Anyway, so like I was saying—"
Unintentionally, the scouse was interrupted by the numerous loud shouts of disagreements and banter from his teammates and his girlfriend. He turned his head and caught the very sight of a few of the players entering back into the training centre from the pitch as a smaller minority of them attempted to overpower each other's voices with their own.
"I honestly can't believe you allowed Winnie to do that to you, Joe!"
"Oh my, God! It doesn't matter. So what if she did?"
"Woah, what are you guys so hyped up? What happened?" James asked, successfully gaining the attention of the players.
Bobby struggled to keep a stable stance as he had to lean on Mo though he eventually came through. "When we were outside training, Winnie megged Joe five times and now he's a bit mad about it," he explained through his laughter, which instantly spread to everyone else in the room.
"Damn, Joe. You just allowed that to happen you?!"
"No surprise if you ask me."
"Okay, I get it. No need to rub it in my face," Joe mumbled as he sat down by one of the tables.
Wynter patted Joe's shoulders in an assuring manner. "It's okay, Joe. You'll recover from it someday. I promise," she chuckled, finally moving away from the group of players.
"Hey, Winnie, where are you off to? You literally just got here." Andy questioned once he noticed the player straying away from the canteen environment.
Wynter pointed her thumb in the backwards direction. "I'm going to talk to one of the medics about, uh, something. I'll be back in a few," she replied before she jogged her way of the canteen.
Once her presence finally vanished, Virgil spoke up. "Hey, Trent, Winnie shares. . things with you, right?"
"I mean," his nose twitched at his sudden question before he nodded, "yeah, she does pretty much every day. I know about her as she knows about me. Why? Is there something I don't know about that I should know?"
Jordan and Virgil glanced at each other, but their expressions failed to reveal their thoughts. "We just wanted to know, to make sure everything's going smoothly between the two of you."
"Are you guys sure?" Trent asked. He learned to understand that Wynter touched on some topics with the two players that she didn't with the squad so he just needed an extra hint of certainty from the players.
"Positive," Jordan nodded to which Virgil mirrored the gesture. "If Winnie had anything to tell you, you'd be one of the first to know about it."
Little did the scouse know that he would be one of the lasts to uncover Wynter's unkempt past.
——
[ edited—15-16/07/20 ]