The Own Goal ✔️

Part 77

"I need to see Jack!" My heart is hammering at my chest.

I get up "Jasmin will you stay and look after Mia, you guys can stay too" I look to Ben and Layla.

"Chelsea you need to phone that detective" Ben says

"I will, in the morning! I NEED to SEE Jack" the tears are falling again. I feel awful.

"It'll be like 1.30am by the time you get there!" Ben exclaims

"And you've been drinking!!" Cries Jasmin.

"Oh for Fuck sake!" Ben bangs his head on the table "you girls stay here with Mia, I'll drive you Chels, just please tell me Jack has got a shit load of lucozade in the fridge and can you make me a fucking coffee!"

We drive down to Birmingham in relative silence, Ben keeps fiddling with the windows and  stereo and strikes up a random conversation when he's feeling tired.

"You know Layla had a pretty good idea earlier"

I turn to him "really? That's a first"

He laughs. "No, she said about asking lily to send the dick pic over, ask you to say if it was Jack or not" he chuckles.

"I actually had that idea myself......."

"Chelsea I've known Jack for so long, he's going to be most upset about the fact you didn't believe him, he'll shrug everything else off, he'll find a way to get back in Peps good books, and Gareth's for that matter, but you, you should have been able to tell if he was lying or not Chelsea"

"I know, you obviously did"

"I knew he'd have faced up to it by now......I've known him years Chelsea, I've travelled the world with him, experienced huge highs and lows with him, but you, you're supposed to be the one that knows everything, he calls you his soulmate"

I blink back tears.

"The last two days his world has crumpled and you didn't believe him when he needed you - and I'm sorry Chelsea but yet again it comes down to your - "

" - please Ben," I cut him off  "I know ok, I know, I don't need you to say it"

A few minutes pass before I speak again.
"Will he forgive me?"

"I honestly don't know"

"Would you forgive me?"

"No" he answers instantly, no thought or consideration.

"You forgave Layla?"

"Bit different, we're no where near you and Jack level and we definitely wheren't then"

We arrive in Solihull and drive through the empty streets in silence.

-

Ben stops the car at the end of the road and tells me to ring Jack

"Maybe you should?"

"No you should, he'll assume it's about Mia and answer. Plus your number is excluded from his do not disturb setting"

It strikes me just how deeply Ben and Jack know each other.

Ben's right, Jack answers on the 3rd ring.

"Ello? Wassup?" He's voice is all deep and gravelly.

"Jack, I'm parked down the road, with Ben, can we see you?"

"Why"

"It's important, please....."

"Where ya parked?"