When Fools Rush In

Chapter 18 - The One You Hadn't Told Us About

Lucy slammed the bonnet of her car shut and placed the empty screenwash bottle on the kerb. She wasn't sure she would need it with the rain that was hammering down on what was a chilly, autumnal Monday morning.

She had decided to take Tara's advice and spend a couple of days with her parents in Norfolk to reset her mind; she had also used Andy's advice to rest and recover and she had let him know she would be back at the Etihad on Wednesday, ready for their home Champions League game with PSG. That was a match she didn't want to miss despite Jack's presence, and her colleagues would have a heavy workload to share out amongst them - she couldn't let them down.

It was going to be a four-hour journey, even going the quickest way across to Leeds and down the A1. Her parents' suspicions had been aroused when she had spoken to them the night before.

"Mum, I'm fine, honestly," Lucy had reassured her, "I'm just feeling a bit run down with the long hours and thought I needed time out in the country to recharge."

"Hmmm, I know you...I know your voice when something isn't right," Lucy's mother had said, "well I shall have to ask you when you get here tomorrow - what time will you be here?"

"Should be there for 2pm hopefully."

"We'll be in - the weather forecast is awful so your dad won't be on the golf course, for once. Maybe we can have a pub dinner tomorrow night?"

"Sure, sounds good."

"And I will find out what's going on," her mother had promised, in that 'mother-knows-all' voice she had.

Recalling the conversation, Lucy sighed as she slung her back onto the back seat. She really didn't want to confess about her liaison with Jack to her parents. They would take a dim view of her having relations with one of the football players and they wouldn't understand. Lucy could not understand herself what it was about Jack that she was so mesmerised by, but as she sat in the front seat closing the door, she felt a pang of loss deep within her core. Jack had not sent her any more messages - after ten messages without a response, he had taken the message that Lucy did not want to speak. And she didn't. The pain she had felt since Saturday night had taken her aback and she could not process it. What was Jack playing at? Was he really with Serena? Why hadn't she moved to Manchester? Perhaps he was just using Lucy? Maybe he really is just a fuckboy no matter what? What was he doing now? Does he feel any remorse? Does he feel anything? Lucy had played the events of Saturday night over and over in her head and she only created more questions, more problems. There were no answers and none she could come up with herself.

***

Jack was lacing his boots as he prepared to begin training with the rest of the team. As usual, most of the other players had gone outside ahead of him. No matter how hard he tried, he always seemed to be running just that few minutes too late. He sighed as he imagined another bollocking from Pep. Everyone was shouting at him, it seemed. Even his mother had had a go at him at the gala dinner for being "vacant". Glancing up, he sighed again as he saw John approaching him from the doorway.

"Alright Stonesey," muttered Jack.

"Late again mate," observed John, "I think Pep's going to be on one today after Saturday's performance."

"Fuck's sake, not like it's my fault," groaned Jack, "everything's my bloody fault at the moment."

John shrugged his shoulders. He wanted to be a good friend to Jack but he also thought some straight talking was needed.

"Well mate...I mean you can't blame Lucy for what happened if that's what you're on about...what IS actually going on with Serena? I mean, you don't even talk about her anyway, and then she just randomly appears."