Never Not You

Found

During a break in training, Leah's phone buzzed with a notification. She had left it nearby, within reach of her teammates. Vivianne, seated closest to Leah's phone, glanced at the screen when it lit up with the name "Rory." She immediately called out to Leah, who was in the middle of catching her breath.

"Leah, it's Rory," Viv announced, holding up the phone.

Leah's heart skipped a beat. Aurora hadn't messaged or called her in a few days, and every day without hearing from her had been torture. Leah jumped to her feet, her urgency palpable. The rest of the team, who knew something had happened to Aurora from the news but were unaware of the details or her current whereabouts, immediately turned their attention to Leah.

Katie, always perceptive, quickly joined Leah. "What's going on? Is she okay?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

The other girls, sensing the seriousness of the situation, began to gather around. They had been full of questions ever since the incident, but Leah had remained tight-lipped about the specifics.

Viv, still holding the phone, handed it to Leah. "Here, Leah," she said gently.

Leah took the phone, her hands slightly trembling. "Thanks, Viv," she muttered, her mind racing. She could feel the eyes of her teammates on her, each one silently asking the same questions: Is she safe? What happened to her?

Leah ignored their stares, her focus solely on the message from Rory. Her heart pounded as she opened the message, needing to know what Rory had to say.

"Is she okay?" one of her teammates asked, voicing the collective concern.

Leah didn't answer right away. She walked a few steps away, her back to the team, and opened Rory's message. Her breath caught in her throat as she read the words on the screen.

Rory <3

Hey le

Call me when you're done training for the day

Leah immediately called Aurora, her heart racing. When Aurora picked up, her voice was calm but firm.

"I know you haven't finished training, Leah," Aurora said.

"It doesn't matter," Leah replied quickly. "You needed me, and anyway, I'm on break. It's fine."

"I'm sorry for not messaging or calling, but I promise you I had a reason," Aurora said, her tone apologetic.

"It's okay, really. How are you doing?" Leah asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm good, but... I have to tell you something, and I don't know how to," Aurora admitted.

"You can tell me anything," Leah reassured her.

"I don't know how to tell you," Aurora repeated, her voice shaky.

"Everything will be okay. Just take a breath," Leah encouraged.

Aurora took a deep breath, but she struggled to get the words out. She started her sentence over and over, each attempt failing. Finally, she said, "I don't want to tell you over the phone. I would rather tell you in person."

"Do you want me to come there?" Leah offered, ready to drop everything.

"No, you have to stay there, Leah. You have a job," Aurora insisted.

"It doesn't matter," Leah countered.

"It does," Aurora said firmly. "I'll figure it out and tell you soon, but for now, you have to go back to training."

Leah sighed, not wanting to hang up but knowing she had to respect Aurora's wishes. "Okay, but promise me you'll let me know as soon as you're ready."

"I promise," Aurora said softly.