parity | trent alexander-arnold²

twenty.

another take on broken faith

After she sent the messages to the group chat and the individual one to Trent, Wynter let her phone seep into her pocket as she sunk back into her seat with one leg hoisted over her seat's armrest. Her eyes aimlessly wandered around the private jet as the faint sound of the plane's engines floated in her eyes. Unfortunately, she couldn't have anyone company her on the flight since Claire had to take control of the whole situation in Liverpool while Reese had to return to her classes once again.

With her recovery which occupied the majority of December, having to take time off football again within the early stages of the new year didn't sit well with Wynter, the timing not so ideal for her playing time on the pitch. She had only just begun normalising her usual football schedule once again though the situation with the rumours had now just disturbed her regular routine, placing the french player two steps back rather than forward.

And it wasn't as though she couldn't play due to injury or health issues. It's the fact her own club prohibited her from playing on their training soul was what got Wynter fumed over the whole situation. Like everyone else seemed to be uttering, it's a rumour – meaning it's uncertified information placed on her name so she couldn't understand why Liverpool had the audacity to victimised her when they should've backed her as any other club would if any of their players were under rigid fire.

Though she wasn't travelling abroad for the best circumstances and despite the tense negativity hanging over her head, Wynter hoped she could perhaps overcome her dull mood and actually enjoy her time over in the states because with the combination of her own and Nate's hectic schedules with their individual sports, seeing each other came as a rare moment for the pair so she planned to take full advantage of the trip to California.

Upon landing at KOAK, the french player quickly got her belongings together before being escorted through the airport by security who she assumed Nate had sent for her arrival. She could tell that her situation wasn't as heavily talked about over in the states. Minimum glances were sent her way by those she passed with a few snapshots heard from time to time from the subtle paparazzi but other than that, she surely can't compare the attention given here to her mainstream status over in England and across Europe.

Pulling on the straps of her bag, Wynter bit down on her bottom lip as her eyes scanned over the perimeter of the airport, particularly attempting to spot someone with the height that Nate had been gifted with. Just when she believed she would have to wait for her brother's arrival, the security guard tapped her on the shoulder and pointed out Nate, causing the french player to grin for the first time in the last few hours once she noticed Nate's tall stance from afar.

She left her suitcase with the security guard to handle as she ran towards her brother, jumping into his arms. "Nate! I missed you!" she said into his shoulder.

Nate carefully rocked his sister in his arms. "Missed you too, Winnie," he pulled away a bit so then he could view her face properly. "What's up? Everything going well across the lake?"

Wynter didn't know what came over her but she soon felt a wave of emotions run over her after her ears comprehended her brother's words. Maybe her emotions sourced from the fact that she couldn't play football for the time being or perhaps from the idea that more people around her disliked her for the wrong reasons or even both. Though either way, she couldn't deny that she was upset and wanted to stray away from the public environment she found herself in.

When he noticed the tears swelling up in her eyes, Nate's face fell. "Oh shit, sorry. Wrong question to ask now. Come on. Let's get out of here, yeah?"

As she had her head buried in his shoulder, the french player couldn't understand what words were being exchanged between Nate and the security guard, though she tightened her grip around his neck and his middle when he began to walk away from arrivals. After what felt like five minutes or so of being in her brother's arms, the pair reached Nate's car. Nate settled Wynter down in the passenger's seat before he jogged around the car to get in the driver's seat.