Striker (Christen Press x fem reader)

Chapter 17 | Trust the process

The team was on the airplane on the way to Ohio for a match against Germany. You had avoided Christen since she's gotten back and spent most of your time with Abby and Midge, who were still mentally and emotionally recovering from Christen's sudden return.

"So, what do we do now?" Midge hissed to you. You and her were sitting together on the plane while Abby sat in the three seats next to you.

"We don't say anything about what happened to anyone. To them nothing has happened," you whispered back, "there's no point in worrying everyone else at this point."

"Okay, but I feel we're letting her off the hook with her stunt. (y/n), why did she leave?" Abby asked you.

You turned your head to look back at where Christen was and saw her a couple rows behind reading a book. She sat next to Julie who was fast asleep in the window seat.

"I can't tell you. It's not my story to tell, but please trust me when I say she had a reason. Not a good one, but she had a reason to be by herself for a while," you responded. You looked at the two, who looked annoyed, but took a deep sigh.

Abby was right, it did feel like she was getting off the hook and it was still taking you time to process she had to leave to figure out her sexuality. I guess people work things out differently you thought.

"It better be a reason I can get on board with," Abby stated firmly.

"Yeah, or else you'll fight her?" Midge teased.

"You saying I couldn't hold myself up in a fight?"

"No, but you definitely wouldn't win," Midge smirked. You chuckled at their small bickering as you sat in the middle of them.

"Against Christen? Tsk, I think I have the upper hand," Abby defended herself.

"Maybe, but you couldn't win against Ashlyn that's for sure," you stepped in.

"That woman would crush me into a pulp, of course she would win," Abby's voice croaked slightly at the thought of her going against the keeper.

You chuckled and looked back again to see Christen looking at the three of you. She looked guilty and gave a small wave towards you. You waved back slightly and turned your eyes to the ground. You didn't know what to do with Christen and the more you were apart from her, the more it felt like she was a stranger.

You looked in front of the rows and saw Tobin who was also looking back. You studied her face and saw confusion and exhaustion in her eyes. She made eye contact with you who kept her blank stare.

You decided to talk to her for the first time since Christen's been back. You remember when Tobin saw Christen for the first time since she's been gone when she was waiting to get on the bus. Her whole body was frozen, and she couldn't make a sound. You got up from your seat and sat next to Tobin the row next to hers.

"Hey, how's it going?" You asked.

"You mean after the fact Christen showed up without a heads up? Could be better," she answered. She looked at you and you could now see the bags under her eyes.

"When was the last time you got some real sleep?" You asked, sounding worried.

"The night before she left," Tobin said, her voice laced with slight venom, "I mean she could have had the decency to leave us a note, right? What kind of a friend does that?"

"I don't know, none of us were in our right minds-"

"I was in my right mind. She did this to us remember that (y/n)," her voice raising.