LOVE THY ENEMY - REECE WALSH.

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑻𝑾𝑬𝑵𝑻𝒀-𝑶𝑵𝑬

Reece was pissed. His team lost the decider. They fucking lost state of origin. They didn't WIN. Reece just couldn't stop seeing red. He didn't understand how that happened, they worked so hard, he worked so hard.. And they lost.

The drive back to Reece's apartment was long and mostly silent, Tatiana was trying to be supportive but Reece didn't want a word of it, he was reminding himself of the love they have together so that he would just stay quiet instead of blowing up at her.

Tatiana glanced at Reece as they were driving back from the game; despite the silence between them, she knew Reece was still beating himself up. He clenched the steering wheel in frustration, and his face wore a deep frown.

After a few minutes, Tatiana tentatively broke the silence with a sympathetic voice. "Babe..." she began, her voice gentle. "It's not the end of the world. Losing comes with being an athlete."

Reece listened to Tatiana as if it was in one ear and out the other, his grip tightened on the steering wheel, fingers clenching, knuckles turning white. Anger coursed through him, and Tatiana's attempt at consolation only seemed to heighten his frustration.

"Not the end of the world? Not the end of the world?" he echoed her words bitterly. "You don't get it. I've been working my ass off for this for weeks. And we lost. In front of thousands. In front of my daughter."

Tatiana just gave a nod, looking out her window. She didn't want to say anything to upset him again.  Reece noticed Tatiana's silent acknowledgment and it only fueled his anger further. He could feel the tension mounting in the car, the silence between them growing heavier with every passing moment.

As they continued driving, Reece's frustration boiled over, and he couldn't help but lash out at Tatiana. "You know what," he snapped, his voice filled with cold anger. "This is your fault."

Tatiana looked at Reece with a laugh, not thinking he was actually serious. "I'm sorry?" She questioned, but there was a warning undertone. "You better think about that one again, babe." She shook her head and crossed her legs away from him. Reece caught Tatiana's laugh, and it only added fuel to the fire within him. He gritted his teeth and doubled down on his statement.

"I'm serious," he snapped back, his voice sharp and cold. "You've been distracting me. All this baby-making... it's been taking up my time and energy. My focus should've been on the game."

Reece's fingers gripped the steering wheel even tighter, his knuckles turning white under the strain. Tatiana wanted to be supportive, she wanted to calm him down.. But was he actually blaming her for this? That wouldn't fly at all.

"I've been distracting you?" Tatiana scoffed while rolling her eyes. "It was your fucking idea. All of this was your idea, 'oh Ana please move in with me, let's make a baby..' but it's MY fault?"

Reece's frustration surged, and he shot Tatiana a sharp, cold glance. "Yes, it's your fault," he snapped back. "You've been all over me, and I can't focus. My mind's been elsewhere, and it's affecting my performance on the field."

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, knuckles turning white beneath the skin, tension building in his body. "I need you to back off a bit, give me some space so I can focus on the game, on my career." Tatiana was silent for a moment, taking in the harsh words as Reece spoke them. "Turn right." She said to him with a huff. Reece's expression was a mix of irritation and confusion as Tatiana's instruction penetrated his mind. He wasn't expecting that response. He glanced at Tatiana before responding.

"Where are we going?" he asked, his voice tight with suppressed anger. "We aren't going anywhere, I'm going home." She said simply as she looked at the road ahead. Reece couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh as he heard Tatiana's words. He was getting more agitated by the second, but he tried to keep his cool.