My Beautiful King

Chapter Forty Part 2

"But Finn, you cannot deny that was a good match!"

Finn shook his head in disgust at Louis' words. "Fluke. Complete and utter fluke. If you think the way your team is playing is 'good' then... Wow. Your standards are low!"

"You cannot be serious. You think that was a fluke? Did you not see the goals? They were beautiful!"

"Your defence is a mess, though." Niall added in, prompting nods of agreement from Finn, Liam and Harry. "Your manager needs to wake up and start buying some new players."

"New players aren't needed." Zayn contradicted sharply. "The current defence need to be trained. Where are your defenders half the time? Asleep or tripping over their own feet? Don't even get me started on the diving that goes on..."

I watched on flabbergasted as their debate continued to unfurl. Marcus tapped me on the shoulder. I whipped around to stare at him with open, confused eyes. His expression mirrored mine. I spluttered with mirth.

"Do you have any idea what they're on about?"

"Football is my best guess," I mused sarcastically as I curled my knees to my chest. "Those 90 minutes were the longest 90 minutes of my life. It literally took Zayn five seconds to react to anything I said. Finn and Niall nearly slaughtered me because I was apparently talking too much."

"I don't want to correspond with stereotype, so I'm not sure whether I should like football or not." Marcus admitted with a smirk. "If I like football then it's stereotypical because I'm a guy. If I don't like football then it's stereotypical because I'm a gay. Either way, I never want the offside rule explained to me. Ever."

I snorted as the other boys continued to argue over teams, scores and management. "Agreed. There aren't nearly enough girls in this house right now; oh wait, there's actually just only me here."

My good friend cheered in agreement. The buzz of a phone was heard and he fished his mobile out from the side of the chocolate brown sofa seat. Reading the obvious text that he'd received, he jumped to his feet and grinned. "Good timing. Not for much longer!"

I raised my eyebrow suspiciously. "'Not for much longer' what?"

He deliberately didn't answer the question and chose to skip out of the room instead. A frustrated groan slipped from my lips as my head lolled against my plush chair. Zayn watched me with a smirk.

"Marcus abandoned you?" He teased. "Come join in our conversation. You understand the offside rule?"

"Don't be fucking ridiculous-"

Soon, I was bombarded with the boys' best gabbled explanations which I simply plugged my ears and giggled at. We had been having a really fun and optimistic time...

Until Marcus walked back in.

Now, the last two weeks had been hectic enough for me. I'd suddenly had to turn down a relationship offer with one of my best friends; suddenly been reunited with a boyfriend I never expected to see again; suddenly reunited with a best friend I'd neglected; and suddenly introduced to a band of four people who my boyfriend considered as his brothers.

But nothing could have prepared me for who Marcus had brought in with him.

I stared into honey-brown eyes, watching as nervous hands fidgeted and fiddled. I didn't have to lift the sleeve of the jumper the person was clad in to know there were about a dozen sore, red, engraved slits on their wrists.

I instantly opened my mouth to speak - but what could I say? What kind of greeting does a betraying friend give after months of absence?

Hi?