Illicit Affair • Ben Chilwell

C' est la vie

    Scarlett had accompanied Mason's family to all the games except the one in Rome. She decided to spend that game with her friends since traveling to the stadium wasn't an option. She was having a great time with the boys, Harry, Freezy, Ethan, Chip, ChrisMD, WillNE, and Theo. They were watching the match at a pub all dressed in England gear.

    Scarlett enjoyed hanging out with her YouTube friends, as it was always a laugh, but there wasn't any denying that she missed Chris, Mason, and Ben. Ben was all she could think about some days, they talked here and there while he was away with the team, but the calls always left her with a feeling of emptiness.

    Harry Kane had given them an early goal four minutes into the game, causing the pub to erupt with cheers. Her friend Harry ordered another round shortly after that, and Scarlett helped him bring all the pints back to the table. He could tell something was going on with her, but he didn't want to pry, so he settled on using his sense of humor to bring out a real smile.

    Scarlett knew exactly what he was doing and appreciated it, as she laughed along. She felt better just being around him. He carried an energy that made her want to be happier. She enjoyed the rest of the match by being in the moment and joking with Harry.

scarlettrose✔️

The next day she called Mason, they had been calling each other every other day to check-in. He was walking to the basketball court with Declan and Ben while she caught him up on the last two days.

    "Hey, Dec," Scarlett greeted as he stuck his head in front of Mason's phone.

    "Wass' happenin'?" he chirped as he took the phone in his own hands.

    "Not much at all. I'm thinking of cutting my hair short. Can you please talk me out of it? She groaned.

    "Oh, no. Lauren told me when a girl makes a big change to her hair, it means she's going through a breakup or having a crisis," Declan shared.

    "Well, I don't know," she sighed. "Can you just talk me out of it?"

     "You would look ghastly with short hair, like outrageous," he bluntly spoke, causing Mason and Ben to laugh. She heard his laugh; she would know it anywhere, and a sense of sadness washed over her.  "You told me to talk you out of it. Don't look at me like I killed your dog," Declan continued.

"No, no. Thank you. I appreciate your honesty. I just remembered I, um, well, I just have to go," she abruptly hung up.

    Declan handed the phone back to Mason, giving him a weird look. "I wonder what's wrong with her? She hasn't been very happy lately; she fakes smiles in all her insta photos. " Ben's smile faded into a frown. He knew what she was going through, and faking happiness was exhausting.

  He was frustrated, to say the least. A little over a month ago, he had the high of his life. He had it all for 24 hours: the Champions League title, the trophy, and the girl. Time had thrown him forward. He was riding the bench, and it seemed that Scarlett would never be his. Declan and Mason kept carrying on the conversation, listing everything they thought could have upset Scarlett. It was almost enough to send Ben over the edge. They were clueless, thinking that maybe her subscriber count had gone down. As Jack walked by, Ben ditched the court to join him, not wanting to listen to Sherlock and Watson.