ғᴏᴏᴛsᴛᴇᴘs | ᴋᴍ ✔︎

Three Bodyguards

"She was Heaven
And she was Hell."
- FOWLER, Mason.

| Jack |

"So, how do I look?" Cody asks Alex and I as we sit on my bed in the hotel. It's been a day since 'the talk' with Kristie, and now we're waiting on the girl to show up for Cody.

"You look beautiful, baby." Alex stands from the bed to brush a stray hair out of her daughter face. "But remember what I told you-"

"I know, mom. I know." Cody sighs, exasperated with the constant warnings from Alex, as well as my threats on Kristie's life. "If she hurts me, you'll break her legs, and Jack will cut her."

"Damn right." I mumble, eyes narrowing until Alex throws me a look that says 'shut the fuck up'.

"Can you two stop?" Cody finally breaks. "I'm not ready for anything serious, so you don't need to worry. It's just a friendly dinner."

Before Alex or myself can argue back, there's a knock on the door, but Cody doesn't beat her mother to it.

"Kristie." Alex 'greets' her, opening the door for her to enter the room, but Cody stops her and immediately tries to get out. "Have a good night, girls."

"Yeah." I practically yell, catching Kristie's attention as I narrow my eyes at her threateningly and miming that I'll cut her if she hurts Cody.

Alex closes the door and turns to me, "Was that really necessary?"

| Cody |

"Oh my God." Kristie laughs. "Then what happened?"

"She wouldn't stop moving to let us help get the bucket off her head, ran straight into a lamp post." I tell her, finishing the anectode about one of my many days with Arsenal.

"Sounds like you've really settled in." She smiles at me as we continue to talk after our meal at a local Mexican restaurant.

"I have, but it was easy. Jordan helped me feel at home, Leah, too. Kim knew Hope from her time in Seattle, Jack was in London for a while. It was easier than I thought it'd be."

Our conversation flows effortlessly, as though we hadn't stopped talking for a few months, as if she didn't break my heart. It was easy, as if it was meant to be this way. We ignore the world around us, the waiters, the other customers, the bell above the door dinging to signal new customers entering the restaurant, or old ones leaving with full, satisfied stomachs.

"Do you ever think about moving back home?"

"To Idaho?" I ask, almost disgusted.

"No, America, in general." She chuckles, knowing full well why I don't want to move back to Idaho, no matter how beautiful it is.

"I'd be lying if I said no, because I do. All the time, but-" I pause, hesitating on my next words, when Kristie speaks up.

"But...?"

"I love playing for Arsenal, they're like my second family. London is hectic, but it's starting to feel like home."

"What else?" She asks, apparently reading my mind to know I'm holding something back.

"I'm worried about being compared to Alex. It's different in England, yeah they've heard of her, but I'm my own person, I'm not just her kid."

"Well, I think if you move back, you'll be surprised."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I think people will see the progress you've made while at Arsenal, they won't see you as a Rookie or as Alex's kid. They'll see you for the player you've become." She tells me, her eyes showing nothing but sincerity as the bell above the door dings again.