PENALTY by Annika Sturm (best contemporary novels TXT) 📕

him food, which he barely touched. His dreams turned feverish again and every time he woke up he was looking for Tom next to him. And sighed whenever he realised he was gone.

Finally towards the evening, he managed to get up. He called Emma several times but only got through to her voicemail. Eventually he managed to sit down for a meal with his sister. 'Did you not have to go to work today by the way?' Alex asked her thinking about it all of a sudden. 'I had a job to do here today,' she smiled, 'and you're quite a handful.' Alex looked at her gratefully. 'She won't pick up the phone.' He said frustratedly. 'Well, I would leave you to suffer for a bit too,' Alex nodded, 'can you go to training tomorrow?' 'I hope so.' Anna touched his forehead. 'Hmm, still hot. I doubt it. You better ring your manager.' Alex thought of Tom and how he would come home from training now to speak to Christine. To distract himself, he decided to call his manager and explained that he had had to move out of his home temporarily for personal reasons. At the same time he asked him to keep any information to the press as vague as possible until he was able to sort things out. His manager promised him his support, which Alex was grateful for.

As he was about to go back to bed, Tom rang again. Alex answered quickly. 'Tommy?', he asked hectically, 'are you alright?' He listened out for his voice. 'Alex!' Alex gulped as he recognised Christine's voice. He could tell he was on speaker phone in a car. 'Hey Christine.' He said as calmly as possible. 'You didn't expect me to call you, did you?' Alex took a deep breath. 'Is Tommy not with you?' He asked her anxiously and could hear her laugh bitterly. 'I managed to steal his phone before he noticed,' Alex was getting more and more worried but before he could ask her about it further, she continued, 'so who is it?' She asked him angrily. Alex was confused. 'Who is what?' Christine took a deep breath. 'Tommy just broke up with me. He told me he's in love with someone else,' she said in tears, 'you're his best friend. You must know who he's sleeping with! Tell me Alex,' Alex gulped, 'tell me!' She shouted again. 'I don't know.' Alex muttered. 'Liar!' She screamed into the phone. Alex rubbed his forehead in despair. 'Christine, please calm down.' He tried to sound as gentle as possible. 'Whoever it is, I'll make life hell for her I swear.'

'Christine, where is Tommy?' 'I left him in the house. I just had to get out. I was going through his phone trying to find any women's names I don't know. Any text messages. But there's nothing,' she sobbed, 'who is she?' She screamed again. Alex's mind was racing. He decided to play along and somehow try and calm her down. 'Christine, where are you going? You sound like you're in your car. You shouldn't be driving in this state.' 'I can't drive far enough away from HIM!' She shouted. 'Where are you going?' Christine took a deep breath. 'To see my parents,' she gasped for air from all the crying, 'who is she Alex? Just tell me.' Alex felt awfully guilty again. 'Would he not tell you?' He asked carefully. 'Well. I didn't give him much time to explain himself,' she grunted, 'I certainly gave him a good slap in the face though.' She sounded pleased. Alex pulled a face at the thought of it. He was desperate to speak to him now. 'So I'm asking you one last time Alex, I'm begging you. Tell me who she is.' 'I can't.' Alex said and rubbed his forehead in despair. He was so close to telling her. But Tom had to do this alone.

'Fine. Be like this. I should have known better,' she forced a laugh again, 'you boys always cover for each other. Even now! At least you can't speak to him straight away. Taking his phone was the best thing I could have done,' Alex closed his eyes, 'I had a missed call from Emma this morning by the way. Do you know what that's about?' She said all of a sudden. 'What?' Alex muttered. 'She called me and left a message but I haven't managed to speak to her yet. Do you know what she wanted?' Christine asked impatiently. 'No, I..., I...,' Alex stammered, 'I don't know. Surely it wasn't important.' He said quickly. 'Well it sounded pretty urgent to me. Is she around?' Alex gulped. 'No...,no. She's not actually.' 'Fine, I'll call her tomorrow. I'm here now,' Alex exhaled with relief, 'well thanks for nothing,' Christine said bitterly, 'when you eventually speak to him, tell him he's an arsehole.' She hung up.

Alex threw himself onto the bed and took a deep breath. His fever and illness were temporarily gone with the stress but now he felt unwell again. His mind was racing and he was desperately trying to think of ways of contacting his friend. 'Felix.' He thought suddenly and sat up in bed. Alex dialled his number and waited impatiently as it rang. 'Alex?' Felix asked half surprised, half expectantly. 'Hey,' Alex said nervously, 'is Tommy with you?' 'Are you two telepathic as well now?' Felix laughed in disbelief as he passed his phone over to Tom.

'Alex?' Alex felt relieved and lay back down in bed. 'Tommy,' he whispered tenderly, 'what the hell happened? Are you okay?' Tom took a deep breath. 'It's good to hear your voice,' he said quietly and Alex wished he wasn't ill and hundreds of miles away from him, 'how did you know I was with Felix?' He asked him surprised. 'She called me from your phone Tommy. Felix was our only common ally you could have turned to,' he paused, 'she asked me who she was.' Tom gulped. 'What did you say?' 'That I didn't know.' Tom exhaled with relief. 'That was the right thing to do. Thank you. Where the hell is she gone?' 'She was on her way to her parents'.' Tom forced a laugh. 'She totally lost it when I told her. She certainly slapped me quite hard and if you thought Em throwing a wine bottle was dramatic, you should have seen Christine. I believe not a single plate is still intact.' 'Tommy,' Alex said, 'Em has already tried to call her. She'll find out before you know it.' 'What?', Tom shouted into the phone, 'well did you try and stop her?' 'She's ignoring my calls.' Alex said calmly. 'Bloody women.' Tom grunted. Then his voice turned gentle again. 'Alex,' he whispered into the phone, 'I wish you were here.' Alex gulped and nodded. 'I know.' He mumbled quietly. 'How are you feeling?' 'Still sick.' Alex said. 'I'm sorry Christine dragged you into this. I'm sorry I put you into this situation.' 'How come you didn't tell her?' Alex asked carefully. 'I didn't get that far,' Tom explained hectically, 'she was hysterical.' 'Okay, okay,' Alex said gently, 'it'll be alright Tommy.' 'What a bloody mess.' Tom laughed exhaustedly.

The boys spoke for another hour until both managed to joke again. Tom felt better after their chat and Alex was reassured that his friend was over the worst now. He asked to speak to Felix before he said goodbye to Tom. 'Blimey, you've got a lot to talk about,' Felix laughed nervously, 'how are you doing man?', he asked him, 'Tommy is in a right state.' Alex sighed. 'I knew it would be tougher for him than he expected. Is he staying with you tonight?' 'That's the plan I think,' he laughed, 'Jesus, you know you two are so love sick, I have never seen anything like it.' Felix shouted in disbelief and Alex smiled. 'I'm glad he came to see you.' 'Yeah,' Felix hesitated, 'Tommy told me about Em and the whole Markus thing. I'm sorry man.' Alex gulped. 'It's alright. At the end of the day it's best that she knows.' He laughed tiredly. 'Tommy says he's after Emma? He's a sick idiot Alex', Felix sounded angry, 'you don't deserve this shit.' 'It's alright. He won't get her. But there's nothing I can do now. I'll just deal with it.' 'Okay. Look after yourself. I'll pass you lover boy again.' Felix said and Alex couldn't help but chuckle. His heart jumped when he heard Tom giggle too as he grabbed the phone. 'Idiot!' He laughed at Felix.

'Are you okay now?' Alex asked him gently. 'Yes,' Tom said, 'better anyway.' 'I guess you'll have to call me from other people's phones over the next few days.' 'I know!', Tom cursed but had to laugh, 'will you go to bed now?' He asked him quietly. 'Yeah well I have tried to do just that for the last three hours.' Tom chuckled again. 'Okay, I won't keep you any longer,' he tutted, 'feel better.' There was a pause. 'I love you Tommy.' Alex whispered and closed his eyes. 'Me too.' Tom said quietly and the boys eventually said goodbye to each other that night.

The next day Alex felt better. He skipped his training session but was well enough to get up at least. Anna made him breakfast and they sat down together in the kitchen. Alex told her about the previous night's events and his sister couldn't believe her ears. 'He split up as well now? Blimey you two must be serious,' she paused eating some toast, 'I wonder what the press is going to make of all this when they eventually get wind of it.' Alex shuddered as he sipped his tea. 'Don't,' he mumbled and felt panic rise in him again, 'I was thinking of going home...,' he paused and corrected himself, 'to see Em later to try and talk to her. Before she tells Christine anything,' he looked at his sister, 'why do you women always have to be so cruel?' Anna laughed out loud. 'We are cruel? Who is cheating on us in the first place?' 'This is different.' 'Yes,' Anna nodded, 'it's worse. You are playing in a different league. Em can't compete with a man.'

Alex still felt dizzy and a little weak as he got in his car and hit the road. It was another cold wintery day in Hamburg. Alex shivered from the fever and felt depressed as he drove back towards his home town. He tried to think of something positive but struggled. Even thoughts of Tom didn't cheer him up that morning as he painfully realised that their world wasn't as perfect and safe as it used to be.

As he reached the house, Alex’s heart sank. He dreaded the confrontation but was also desperate to see his son. He slowly walked towards the front door and took a deep breath before he rang the bell. Then he opened the door with his key. Alex carefully stepped into the hall and listened out for any noises. 'Hello?,' he called up into the living room, 'Em?' He slowly went upstairs. Emma was having breakfast with Max at the dinner table. She looked tired and her face was tear-ridden as she was feeding Max. 'Em?' He said again quietly and cleared his voice.

'What are you doing here?', Emma's mother had walked into the room from the kitchen. She looked at him in anger, 'get out of this house!' She shouted at him. Alex was so surprised that he couldn't move. He took a deep breath and looked at Emma, who just stared at him in disbelief. 'Em, please. I just want to talk to you for five minutes. Please.' 'You have a nerve to show up here. You are nothing but scum!', her mother shouted again, 'get out!'

'Daddy!' Max's face was beaming and Alex took deep breaths trying