If Only - Mason Mount Story

Nineteen.

        BenChilwell:

      Liked by; masonmount, declanrice, laceylou_x and 89,028 others

MasonMount: my brother ❤️
DeclanRice: favouritism

Lacey stood at the bar worktop, cleaning down the sides and watching as people rushed in and out, the whole shift feeling like a blur, her mind elsewhere.

"You seem out of it" Dani whispered to her best friend, watching her stare into the distance, looking at the door like she was expecting someone to come walking in any moment now. "I'm just thinking" Lacey whispered, as Callum laughed. "That is never and I mean never good, no good idea comes from thinking" Callum laughed, as Lacey rolled her eyes, throwing the cleaning towel at her brother. "Boy trouble?" Dani questioned, as Lacey leaned against the bar, her eyes looking over her best friend. "Okay, yeah, fine, boy trouble" Lacey mumbled, as Callum's eyes focused on his sister. "I slept with Mason, and I re-slept with him after saying that whatever was going on between us was just a heat of the moment thing, that it didn't mean nothing and it was nothing to cry about" Lacey mumbled, placing her head in her hand and rubbing her forehead, almost like she was trying to think of her reasoning for doing this. "Well, what's bad about being friends with benefits?" Dani questioned as Callum looked over at his girlfriend shaking his head. "Someone always falls for the other one, you state your feelings, you go back to being strangers with memories" Callum states calmly, like he had done this same thing a million times. "I've seen the way Mason looks at you though, it doesn't feel that way" Callum continued.

"It doesn't matter okay, we hooked up, his now sunning it up on his rest and recuperation with the rest of the lads" Lacey mumbled.

Lacey was upset that Mason and her didn't speak after that night. The inevitable happened, and Mason and Lacey spent the night intoxicated by alcohol, tangled in each others body, the only noise being heard was both of their heartbeats, feeling as if they were beating out of their chest and Lauren and Declan down the hall would hear them beating. But when Lacey woke up, she was in fact alone in the bed, feeling like it had all been some bittersweet dream, that she had made the whole of the night up in her head, but the pounding headache she had after moving suggested in fact it was the truth of what had happened the night before.

Lacey remembered walking into the kitchen, seeing Sasha and Lauren both stood in joggers and a baggy top each, with a takeaway breakfast surrounding them, hot cups of coffee fresh from the kettle. Lauren sending a smile over in Lacey's direction. "God you do suit a Hammers top" Lauren chuckled, as Lacey rubbed her head, walking over to them both. "Where are the lads?" Lacey questioned, looking at both of her friends. "Didn't Mase tell you last night?" Sasha questioned, as Lacey shook her head, trying to rummage through her brain towards the events of last night. "They've all gone to Mykonos" Sasha mumbled, rubbing her own head as she drank from her coffee. "But what a dick for not telling you" Lauren mumbled, as Lacey stood there, taking in for information she had just been told. "Why would he tell me? It's not like we do anything other than fuck anyway" Lacey mumbled, as she took a sip of her coffee and a bite of a hash brown, letting the food sink into her stomach.

—

"Well he looks like his enjoying himself" Dani mumbled, as she scrolled through Instagram seeing various photos from the boys posting about their holiday. "Probably finding someone else to fuck for a week" Lacey mumbled, her voice sounding bitter. "Just admit you like him, admit you caught feelings and it's easier to be bitter about the situation" Dani mumbled back, as Lacey rolled her eyes. "But seriously Lace, he left you without telling you, is that really what you want out of a hook up or a relationship" Dani questioned, as Callum sat there quietly. "It's a hook up, it doesn't matter what goes on in the other persons life" Lacey mumbled. "Lace, your human, you have feelings" Callum states, as Lacey nodded her head, agreeing with what her brother was saying. "Maybe I need my own break" Lacey mumbled, as Dani looks over at her best friend. "Maybe I need to go and see Mum" Lacey whispered.

Lacey wasn't one to run from a situation, she always tried to find the right answer and always tried to see the best in people even when there was nothing good running through their veins. But everyone had a point where they had to take a step back and evaluate the situation. "Do you really think that's the best option?" Dani questioned, her eyes studying her friends face for an honest reaction.

Lacey and her Mum were close, they still spoke and FaceTimed most days, and the circumstance of Covid-19 hadn't put a stop to that, only bringing them closer.

"Sometimes, you just want your Mum don't you" Lacey whispered, as she felt like her heart was being ripped in two. She wasn't experiencing a heartbreak, or a break up, but somehow her body felt like reminding her of what it was like to go through a break up, and the only person you ever wanted during a break up was the person who fixed your scraped knee, the person who helped you when you thought the world was against you.

"Do you want me to drive you?" Callum asked, as Lacey shook her head declining. "No, I need to say goodbye to everyone first, but if I need a lift, I'll let you know" Lacey smiled, as the clock rolled to 6pm, meaning Lacey's shift was no over and the two weeks leave she had took was hers to do what she wanted.

"I don't like the way you say you need to say some goodbyes, makes it sound like you're never coming back" Dani mumbled, as Lacey hugged her best friend. "You'll never get rid of me" Lacey laughs, as the three young adults leave the pub, Lacey's notice she had written the morning of standing in the office, unopened and untouched, that would be another conversation for another day.