Illicit Affair • Ben Chilwell

Sneaky Link

Three days after Christmas, Scarlett's family was leaving on an early flight the next morning. It had been a fun-filled two weeks and her parents were already planning to come back in March for spring break. Scarlett and her parents were upstairs packing while Ryan was playing with Teddy in the living room. The front door opened, and he wonder who it could be this time. He couldn't wrap his head around the idea that her friends just came over whenever they liked. Then again, this was normal for them and Scarlett didn't seem to care. He saw Ben round the corner looking in the kitchen and then his way.

"Is Scarlett upstairs?" He asked walking toward the living room. Ryan gave him a quick reply thinking he would leave, but he didn't. "She told me you have a lot of Uni's interested in you," Ben made small talk sitting on the couch. Ryan answered, continuing the conversation, but he was curious as to why he would care.

"Are you fucking my sister? If you are it's cool, but you don't have to be my friend," Ryan explained, not wanting Ben to think he could get brownie points for being nice to him. Ben was speechless, what was he supposed to say? He used to, but then they stopped, and now kinda? Neither of them had the time with her family being in town.

"Uh, we're together, but I was genuinely asking. Scarlett talks about you a lot, so I wanted to get to know you better. If you don't want to chat I can go upstairs," Ben replied scratching the back of his head.

He had learned a lot about Scarlett since her family had been in town. She got her stubbornness, wit, and bubbly personality from her father, and her athleticism, strong will, and ability to be outspoken from her mother. It was clear Ryan also inherited the capability to be blunt.

"No, you can stay. I just don't want you to think you have to talk to me," Her brother clarified.

Meanwhile upstairs, Scarlett was getting an earful from her parents. They were just chatting away about her friends, the city, and how lovely their visit had been. She stayed quiet, only speaking when necessary, sorting the clothes into different piles. She didn't mind the conversation, it was good to see they had a good time, until Ben was mentioned.

"You and Ben looked so cute on Christmas. Please tell me you're seeing him," Joy said.

"Yes, I like him. He's got the Steve seal of approval," Her dad smiled giving her a thumbs up. She chuckled at his goofy nature, shaking her head.

"You have to promise me, right now, that you won't say anything," Scarlett gave her mom a serious look.

"Okay, but why?" Joy asked. Scarlett sighed hoping she wouldn't regret telling her parents.

"Ben and I are seeing each other, but we're not telling anyone just yet," She confessed.

Her parent's faces lit up at the news, her dad giving her mom a high-five. Scarlett couldn't deal with them, giggling as she returned to the pile of clothes in front of her.

When Scarlett and her parents came down the stairs, venturing into the living room, they were surprised to see Ben and Ryan watching the World Darts Championship. The three observed for a minute, the two just casually having a conversation about the tournament. It warmed her heart to see he chose to bond with her brother instead of coming to find her. She went and sat next to Ben, kissing his lips as a thank you. He gave her a surprised look knowing her family was around, until she confirmed they knew.

She cuddled up to him, enjoying the fact that she was free to be affectionate. It made her optimistic, the love they shared was too magical to be kept a secret. She wanted the world to know that Benjamin James Chilwell was all hers.

    Two days later, Ben had his minor knee surgery. Scarlett sat at the hospital through the procedure, even though she knew the team doctor was good, it was hard not to be a little anxious. When a nurse came to update her that the surgery was successful, she was visibly more relaxed. It was 15 minutes later when she was allowed to see him. It was clear he had just woken up from the anesthesia as he was loopy.