Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
STEVEN
“Why don’t you take today off?” Javier said as he sipped his morning coffee.
Steven frowned. “But…”
“Think about it,” Javier interrupted. “It’s going to be awkward enough when you have to see Udo on match day. Let him train in peace.”
Javier had a point. Every interaction between them would be scrutinised by staff and players alike. When all was said and done, Udo still had to perform on the pitch.
“Fine,” Steven said. “I’ll read the papers instead. No doubt they’ll tell me everything I’m doing wrong in my life.”
“Trust in Howard,” Javier replied before draining his cup. “He’s got friends in high places. We’ll stay ahead of the game.”
Steven nodded grimly. He watched Javier leave for work. How he kissed Nikki as she came through the door from dropping the kids off at school. Him finding his car keys because they were where they usually are. The casual chat about dinner that night. That was life. Steven yearned for that with Udo.
As expected, the morning papers were full of Udo’s mad hospital run with Adam and Goran. Thankfully they’d taken the bait that his teammates were consoling him.
Steven hated too much time on his hands. After a long shower, he came into the dining room to find Nikki staring at her laptop.
“Hey,” she said. “Can I get you anything?”
“I can do it,” Steven replied. “You look busy.”
He sat down opposite her and rubbed his eyes.
“Did you sleep?” she asked.
“Not much.”
“What are you going to do today? You need to keep busy.”
Wasn’t that the truth? With most of his possessions at home, Steven was stuck. He might have a workout in the Tosars’ gym. In his playing days, the treadmill had been the only place to escape the pressure of winning. Maybe it would work for this too.
“I should go home at some point.”
“Give it another couple of days,” she replied. “It’s not worth putting yourself through the stress of dealing with those wankers.”
Ingvar lived near to Steven and had confirmed that the press were still very much in attendance at his gates.
Steven had tried his best not to read the crap they were printing. What was the point? It would all be hearsay and judgement.
There was something he had to do that day. Something he had been putting off ever since he and Udo had been parted.
He took out his phone and connected the call.
“Mum?”
“Darling. Oh my goodness. Are you okay? Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
The truth was he hadn’t been able to face hearing her voice. Even now, the tears were threatening to overwhelm him.
“It’s been crazy here,” he said. “Can you do me a favour?”
“Of course. Anything.”
“Call a family meeting.”
“What for?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you.”
“Come over as soon as you can,” she said. “We can spend some time together. Just you and me.”
He needed that so badly he hadn’t even realised. His mother had always known how to make things better. She had her work cut out this time.
“I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”
Steven had bought his mother’s house early in his career. His father had been alive then. It had been one of the proudest moments of his life.
As he rolled up on her drive, he was thankful that the scumbag reporters hadn’t thought to come here.
Before he’d left, Nikki had done an internet sweep. It appeared that the media was focusing more on Udo than him. He supposed as a retired footballer he was yesterday’s news. It might be tough on Udo but at least it gave Steven’s family a break.
It was another warm day as he walked toward his mother’s front door. The house sat on an estate. It had a big enough garden that they were hidden from view for the most part.
He let himself in and soon found his mother waiting in the kitchen. She immediately flung her arms around him. Her comforting smell and soothing words were enough for Steven to let his body sag.
“Oh, Mum,” he sobbed into her shoulder. “What am I going to do?”
“Come on, son,” she replied, leading him out onto the terrace.
He scanned the area to make sure no houses were overlooking them. Photographers wouldn’t be above bribing the neighbours for a decent vantage point.
Satisfied they were not exposed, he sat at the table.
His mother sat next to him. Not releasing his hand from hers for the whole time.
It reminded him of his first day at school.
He’d been absolutely terrified. She hadn’t let go of him once.
Not until he’d seen his friends from nursery and run off to play with them.
Years later she’d told him that it was her that had cried all morning when she got to their house.
The older he got, the more he understood the sacrifices she and his father had made to give Steven’s talent what it needed to flourish. Here she was, ready to make everything okay again.
“Talk to me.”
So he did. Steven spent the afternoon telling his mother all about his hopes for the future with Udo.
He reassured her that he wasn’t going to lose his job.
When she heard how supportive Javier had been, she declared that she would bake him something to say thank you.
His mother was the best baker for miles around.
To his joy, she suggested he help her. They spent a happy hour making chocolate brownies.
Javier’s kids would love them. They’d given Steven a wide berth while he’d been staying there.
They were confused why their father’s work colleague was sobbing in the spare room.
Steven had tried to compose himself as best he could around them.
He didn’t want to upset the kids on top of everything else.
“Why do you want a family meeting?” his mother asked.
Her face etched with worry. Guilt seized him. He’d put her through far too much over the years. Now here he was, doing it again.
“I need to find out who took that bloody picture,” he replied.
“And you think it might be one of the family?”
He put his head in his hands and tried to focus. His mind whirred overtime.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
They’d set the meeting for six o’clock. When their mother summoned them, the Cox kids knew better than to be late.
He and his mother spent the rest of the afternoon watching quiz shows on television.
It was the most mundane thing in the world.
Steven needed that. To focus on anything other than the shit mess he found himself in came as a relief.
His mother held the remote control tightly and changed the channel before any news bulletins.
There was no training that day either, so Udo would be at home.
He never strayed from Steven’s thoughts for long.
Their time apart physically hurt. Would he see him before the match that weekend.
He hoped so. It would be bad enough to reunite in front of the team.
To do it for the cameras and fans seemed unbearable.
Soon enough, six o’clock came. First to arrive was Andrew. He walked straight into Steven’s embrace and held on to him tightly.
“You okay, brother?”
Steven nodded. “Hanging in there. I thought Naomie would have come with you.”
“She’s on her way,” Andrew replied. “She got caught up with something.”
They walked through into the kitchen. Andrew hugged their mum and sat at the kitchen table. It was the original table that they’d had in their small family home as kids. So many arguments, laughter and homework had been done there.
Steven sat next to Andrew and ran his hands over the wood. As if trying to summon the past to help him with the present.
They chatted about Hanna and other things before the door opened and in came Naomie. As soon as Steven saw her, he knew.
She hugged their mother but kept her distance from him. Classic Naomie. Whenever she was in the wrong, she would shut down. It amazed him she’d even turned up.
“What’s this all about?” she asked as she took a seat next to their mother.
Clinging onto mother’s skirts for protection, are you?
Steven took a breath. All eyes were on him.
“I wanted to know how much you got paid,” he said.
“What?”
“A lot or a little? Why did you have to do that?”
Naomie had her defiant face on.
“I know you’re having a shit time,” she said. “If you’ve made me drive all the way here for some paranoid delusion, then you’re out of your mind.”
Steven got his phone and pulled up the front page. He held it up to his sister.
“That photograph was taken on the grounds so don’t fucking play me.”
“Hey,” his mother said.
The anger gripped Steven.
“What’s this about, Naomie?” Andrew asked.
“I told you, he’s lost his marbles. I didn’t have anything to do with this.”
“You might not have. That weasel you’re going out with did. Admit it.”
Naomie didn’t move. She glanced from one family member to the other. Her silence proved her guilt.
“Naomie?” Andrew said. “Is this true? Did Kyle take that photograph?”
Her lip began to tremble.
“Oh, Naomie,” their mother said.
“It wasn’t my fault,” she exclaimed. “He shouldn’t be screwing one of his players anyway.”
The slap that came from their mother knocked Naomie for six. She almost fell off her chair and had to steady herself.
“You would choose that…that…that snake over your own brother?”
Naomie rubbed her cheek. “I love him.”
“Get out,” their mother said.
“You always take his side just because he has the cash.”
Their mother raised her hand again. This time Naomie leapt to her feet.
“No you don’t,” she said. “I’m an adult. You can’t treat me like that.”
“I give you plenty of cash,” Steven said. “Why?”
Naomie backed farther away from the table and her mother.
“I didn’t know what he had in his head,” she said. “It’s not like we planned it. He guessed that you and Udo were together.”
Could no one be trusted?
“When did you find out?” Andrew asked.
“After he’d called the paper. I swear.”
Andrew glanced at Steven. Through everything in their lives, they had remained a family unit. This fracture would hurt them all deeply. Naomie had no idea what she was risking.
“You covered up for him?” their mother said.
“It wasn’t illegal.”
“It is on private property,” Steven replied. “The media tried to say it had been taken from the road. I could tell it was on the grounds.”
Naomie narrowed her eyes. “Then why aren’t you suing?”
“Because I suspected you were caught up in it, you silly little idiot,” Steven replied. “You can tell Kyle from me I will be getting legal advice. If you think I won’t because of the publicity, you’ve fucked everything up for me already. So come on, how much did he get?”
“I…I haven’t spoken to him. My calls go to voicemail.”
What a surprise.
His sister considered herself a grown woman. She had a long way to go until that day.
“I think you should go,” Andrew said. “Leave the grown-ups to talk.”
Steven looked at his mother. She was trembling. He hated that his suspicions had been true.
“Steven, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to get so out of control. I should have called you the minute Kyle told me what he’d done.”
Everyone froze. Even Hanna, engrossed in cartoons, kept watching them over her shoulder. She might be a child but she wasn’t a fool. She must sense the tension in the room.
“I think perhaps you should go,” Steven said. “I wanted to hear from your voice whether you were a part of it.”
Naomie took his hand and he wrestled it free. “You have to believe me that I wasn’t. I love him.”
Steven stared her in the eyes. “I can tell you now that Kyle will be on the first flight to Ibiza. He’s taken you for a ride, my darling.”
She sobbed. He hated to see her in so much pain. She wouldn’t be the first or last family member duped for access to a celebrity. If she wanted to be an adult, she would have to deal with this like one.
“Please go,” he said. “I love you. I need you to leave me be.”
Naomie looked at the rest of her family.
“Mum?”
“Come back later when Steven has gone,” she replied. “We can have a proper talk. For now, do as you’re told.”
Naomie stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Andrew squeezed Steven’s hand.
“She thinks she’s in love,” he said.
Their mother collapsed, sobbing. Andrew and Steven dashed around the table and hugged her from both sides.
“Mum,” Steven said. “Come on now.”
“How could she do that? To you of all people. When we lost your father, you stepped up. I can’t stand this.”
Steven understood her pain.
“Things will be okay,” Andrew said. “Honestly they will. Kyle has taken her for a ride. It’s going to be a hard lesson for her.”
He stared over the top of her head at Steven. He had genuine fear in his eyes. Was this shitshow going to break up their family as well as Udo and Steven?
“He’s right,” Steven said. “We won’t let an insect like him break our family up.”
They continued to hold each other. Yet now it felt like giving strength instead of comfort. The Cox family were made of stronger stuff than this.