Not Just Another Boy

Chapter 15

It all made so much sense. I was 16. Of course my Mother didn't let me go Manchester alone. She knew Dad lived in Manchester, and got him to rent an apartment in our building to keep an eye on me. He had always been there. Always.

It gave me comfort that when the man I loved most had left my life and left a hole in my heart that a man I had wanted and needed all my life had entered at last, and embraced me in his fatherly arms.

The Manchester Awards were tonight. It had been a week since Tom and I had split.

I opened the newspaper in my fathers kitchen on Friday morning. To my shock, I found a headline reading....

"MY CRAZY NIGHT WITH MANCHESTER FC CAPTAIN TOM WRIGHT"

My mouth dropped. I dropped the spoon into my cereal.

This was a girl named Amy Parks, claiming she had slept with Tom at a London hotspot when the team visited last month.

The disgusting story or her "recount" of their "crazy night" mentioned me once.

"He told me his girlfriend wasn't happy with him. He told me that wouldn't last forever, and neither would his career. He said he wanted to embrace the lifestyle that came with his career while he could"

Wow. This sounded like something Tom would say these days.... However when he went to London with the team earlier this year (when the "crazy night" happened) I was very happy with Tom. Why would he say I wasn't?

The fact I immediately after reading he story told myself the girl was a liar and Tom was once again not in the wrong made me feel naive.

After all we've been through, I should have believed it. I should have.

But I didn't.

I knew this would destroy him.

The boy who's father had told him his whole life that the most important thing was to be a good footballer. All him and his father did was play football. He had no friends. Football was his life. His everything.

Four hours later, the elevator opened into the lobby. I was dressed in a red evening dress. It was some outrageously expensive and tight dress Tom had arranged for nights just like these. With a face full of makeup, and my heels clunking on the hard wood floor, I made my way to a tall man near the doors. He was in a suit.

Tom turned around as I approached. He watched me with large, sorrow filled eyes as I got closer to him.

I wrapped my arm around his.

"You don't.." He started, hesitating.

"Shh" I murmured, looking into his deep green eyes.

Without saying another word, Tom and I stepped outside and were ushered to our car.

We were silent the whole drive. When we pulled up, Tom smiled without teeth, and looked down.

"You look beautiful tonight, Diana." He said, then looked up, into my eyes. His cheeks were red.

I smiled without showing teeth just like he had done, and nodded. I wasn't ready to talk. I couldn't talk.

I was doing him a favour.

As I suspected, as soon as we exited the car, paparazzi surrounded us.

Flashing lights came from everywhere. I clung on tighter and tighter to Tom's arm. Microphones suddenly made their way through, and Tom and I were made into a press conference. A TV camera was on us, with a short, chubby and well groomed man with makeup on holding a microphone.

"I'm here at the Manchester Awards with Tom Wright and his lovely girlfriend Diana Richmond. So, how are you guys coping with the cheating rumours? I'm sure you saw the daily telegraph today. What do you think of this woman's claims?"

Tom and I exchanged one quick glance into each other's eyes. It may have been quick, but there was a lot of trust in that glance.

Tom was stumped. Not saying anything. The newsman was putting his microphone back and forth between both of us, waiting for one of us to answer.

Of course, I took the microphone.

"Hi, I am wearing Armani tonight and I'm very proud to be Tom Wright's biggest fan, and here in support of him tonight, and the whole team who have done an excellent job this season. I don't want to take the focus of the players and their achievements. However, I can tell you Tom and I are very happy, and as for the rest...." I finished, trailing off.

Tom chimed in.

"As for the rest, I did not have relations with that woman. Diana is the only woman I've ever loved. I still love her very much to this day. Thank you, there will be no further questioning or comments from Diana nor myself, so excuse me gentlemen" Tom said, still holding onto each other tight, he pushed through the crowds to get to the door.

I don't really remember the rest of the evening. I sat there, I looked pretty, I smiled, laughed when I was meant to, met people, and congratulated people on awards. Tom won the Player Of The Year of course.

He was only captain this year, next year Jakob Nicks would be returning to captaincy. Tom was only in the position while Jakob had leg surgery and recovered.

So, very late that night, Tom and I, linked at the arms, walked out of the building.

We went into our car.

Again, we didn't say a word. The whole way home, we looked out the window.

When we pulled up at the apartment, we both got out. We ran to the lobby, as it had started raining.

We stood, three feet apart, facing each other in the lobby near peoples mail.

"Thank you Diana. I appreciate what you did tonight. It was great having you. I need you in my life." He said, staring into my soul.

"It's fine Tom. I love that football crazed boy I met in Lancaster too much to see the most important thing to him, his career, crash and burn because of one silly mistake." I said, sadly.

"Like our relationship did. One silly mistake... " he said, looking down.

"No Tom" I said firmly.

"There were many mistakes. You didn't spend enough time with me, you did impulsive things without telling me, you drunk even after saying you never would again. You lied, frequently...." I started, realising he had his listening face on. He was actually paying attention to me.

I realised then that Tom hadn't drunk the whole night.

"And you cheated." I finished.

At least it was all out now.

He thought for a moment.

"I really am sorry. I know that's not good enough. I got carried away with this life...I know, I don't want you to take me back. You're too good for me." He said, honestly.

I looked up, surprised. Too good for him?

"Oh, and just so you know, that story in the paper is cross my heart and sweat to god 100% false. I have never seen or met that woman in my life." He said, seriously.

I nodded.

"Good, I thought her story was rubbish." I said, almost glad.

He nodded awkwardly, as if acknowledging the end of our conversation.

"Goodnight Diana" he said sweetly, turning away.

"Goodnight Tom" I said, still not able to crack a smile.

That was one hell of an interesting evening.