ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ ꜱᴏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ

PART EIGHT - CHAPTER FOUR; JOHN STONES

PART EIGHT – CHAPTER FOUR;

JOHN STONES

9th July – 12th July

The monumental win to take them into the final is starting to weigh heavy on some of the boys as they head ever closer towards the final on the 11th July. However even with all the preparations and additional training it still isn't enough for the team. England lose to Italy on Penalties after the toughest match of the tournament.

Declan Rice, Mason Mount and John Stones all start for the final time for England while Ben Chilwell isn't even picked for the squad. Declan and Mason have to watch the defeat on the bench after both being subbed off late in the match.

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"This can't be happening" Alex said to herself as the match went to penalties.

Both Pete and her dad had both shouted abuse at the ref about how he was obviously being paid by the Italians to turn a blind eye and allow dirty tackles. And now this, she wasn't sure if she could watch it.

But somehow she forced herself too, she watched as it unfolded, she watched the way John couldn't even look, she watched the moment the trophy slipped away from them.

There were tears from her, from both hers and John's family, but yet it wasn't sorrow of the missed chance, it was sorrow of watching their own love look so broken and dejected.

Alex had seen him at his lowest before and she always found the right words to say, but tonight she wasn't sure if that was going to be possible.

*

"I hate this" Alex said, her arms resting onto the bar top, her hands holding her head in them as she spoke directly towards the sticky wooden surface "I just don't know how to make this any better, I hate seeing him like this" she said as she felt a hand on her back, rubbing circles as she looked up.

"There is nothing you can say to make any of this right Lex" said Belle as she smiled slightly at her little sister wishing she could take the pain away "all you need to do is what you are already doing" she looks towards John as Alex turns to look at him to "just being there for him is enough, you know that".

"But what if it's not enough this time Belles? What if it doesn't work?" she speaks out the worries she has tried to keep hidden inside but seems to be unable to hide from her own sister as their drinks are placed in front of them.

Belle thanks the bar staff as she goes to lift up one of the trays filled with drinks to pass to Alex as she offers her another smile "All he ever needs is you, you're his rock, you always have been" she speaks as Alex takes the tray as Belle turns back around to reach for the other tray "just be there okay, and don't be so hard on yourself, it's tough on you too" she sends her one more smile before she walks over towards the table.

Alex takes a second to breathe, looking back towards John as he sits with his dad's arm around his back, speaking into his ear as his mum sits almost opposite him with concern etched upon her face as she struggles, just like Alex is, to find something to say.

As she walks back over she watches him lift his head to look towards her, a small smile on his lips as she approaches sliding the tray of drinks in front of her as she hands them out.

"Thanks love" said Pete as he takes his beer before turning to talk to Alex's dad.

Alex hands John his JD and Coke, opting for this for him rather than asking the nice barman to make him a sex on the beach to cheer him up, she felt it might be a bit too cheery for the night. He takes the drink with a smile as she sits down next to him, his arm coming round to rest upon the back of her chair as he turns to place a kiss against her forehead.