𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓, 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭

TWENTY TWO

"Mate, get off your phone before I chuck it in the pool," Jack Grealish said as he sat down next to Mason, Ben, and Declan that afternoon in the lounge of St George's.

All of the team had arrived by then, most still looking around the facility as if everything had changed since they were last there, while others occupied themselves at the pool or the basketball court. Mason, however, had spent intervals in the last twenty minutes either checking if Berkley had responded to his texts or just simply looking at pictures of them two together.

"You ain't getting that away from him even if you pried it off his fingers," Declan laughed, leaning back comfortably in his spot next to Mason on the couch as his eyes darted to the screen, scoffing as he saw him, once again, lingering in him and Berkley's chats. "This getting out of hand bro."

"Mate, just let him. He misses her, innit," Ben chuckled, nudging Mason lightly with his foot as the boy glared at him shortly before finally shutting off his phone and throwing it beside him on the couch.

A long sigh escaped his lips as he rubbed his face to try and rid of the sloppiness and tiredness overcoming him. "Oh my God," he grumbled into his hands, slapping his cheeks lightly and repeatedly as he shook his head, "what is happening to me?"

"You're so whipped," Jack snorted a laugh as he sat down across from them.

Mason pressed his lips together into a line as he watched Reece and Jude take the spots next to Jack, engulfing themselves in the conversation shortly.

"Are we talking about Berkley?" Reece asked with a grunt as he let himself fall roughly back on the chair.

"How'd you know?" Declan snickered, feeling Mason's glare on him as Reece chuckled and shook his head.

"God Mase," he laughed with a head shake, "how have you gotten yourself so whipped over a bloody arsenal fan?"

"She's David Beckham's daughter bro," Jude laughed, "I think that's enough in its self."

"She hasn't replied to my text in like three hours," Mason grumbled, a look of concern painting across his features, "what if she died?"

"She hasn't died," Ben reassured, laughing as if Mason had been joking.

"She's got a life, you know. A job that isn't you," Jude told him, making Mason sink in his seat as he acknowledged his words.

Of course he knew that, but part of him just missed her so much that the only thing about her he could grasp onto in the present was the simple fact that she wasn't there and he hated it.

"Mase wishes he was her job," Jack joked, nodding to him from across the coffee table, "respect though. Her mum is so fit."

Declan and Chilly exchanged looks across the mopey boy between them, breaking out with laughs as Reece and Jude just shook their heads and chuckled at Jack's obsession.

"Ask her if her parents have ever considered an open relationship..." Jack paused, his smirk growing as he spoke, "and then ask if her mother has a number I can have."

"Bro, stop it!" Reece chuckled, slapping Jack's shoulder lightly as a frown found its way into Mason's face, grimacing at Jack as he just continued to absently smile and daze off.

"You guys are no help," Mason grumbled, reaching for the phone that he threw beside him so he could get up and leave. However, as his hand began to frantically search the surface of the couch, he turned to see Ben and his patient and mischievous gaze looking back at him. Mason narrowed his eyes, "ben."

"Mason," the boy nodded with a hum.

Mason stuck his hand out sternly. "Can I have my phone?"

"So you can see that Berkley hasn't responded to you yet again? No chance," Ben scoffed, "you just gotta calm down a bit, she's fine and you'll see her sooner than you think."