𝙄𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙈𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 - 𝘊𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥

𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙮. 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩'𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴

Steph's POV

I stood on the sidelines after training, watching Elena and Caitlin walk off the pitch separately again. My eyes followed Elena as she quickly disappeared into the changing room, not even bothering to wait for Caitlin like she used to. Something was off, something bigger than I first thought.

I still remembered the night that Elena came crying in my arms. She wouldn't tell me what was up and I respected that, but I think now I had an idea it was about Caitlin.

I turn to Beth, who had noticed it too since she was so close with Els. Beth had a way of reading people, always in tune with the little things, and now it was clear I'm not the only one who had picked up on the shift.

"They've been like that for weeks," Beth mutters, glancing between Caitlin and Elena's retreating figures. "You noticed it too, right?"

Steph sighs, nodding. "Yeah, something's up. I don't know what happened, but they're not okay. Not even close."

Beth raises an eyebrow. "Do you think they had a fight?"

I shrug, but my mind's already racing. It wasn't just the way they avoid each other— it was everything. How Elena's laughter didn't reach her eyes like it used to, how Caitlin seemed quieter around her, more reserved. Training sessions that used to be filled with easy banter between them now felt strained, like there was an invisible wall that neither was willing to break through.

"It's not just a fight," I mutter. "It's deeper than that. They're too... distant. And it wasn't like this before."

As Beth walked off to catch up with the others, I felt a pit growing in my stomach. Over the past few months, I had seen a side of Elena that most of the team didn't get to see. The late-night talks in our shared apartment, her playing the guitar in her room while singing soft songs with her melodic voice, the way her face would light up when she got a text from Caitlin, how she'd quietly hum after a good day.

But that had changed. And now, even during games, Elena played like she had something weighing her down, something she didn't want to talk about. It was affecting her performance, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could just watch without stepping in.

After our match against Brighton, I saw my opportunity. Elena had been subbed off early, and while the rest of the team was still winding down, I found her in the changing room, sitting on the bench, staring at the floor. Her usual fire was gone, replaced by a heaviness that made my chest ache.

I sit down beside her, nudging her shoulder gently. "You alright?"

Elena doesn't look up, but there'a a slight hesitation in her answer. "Yeah, just tired."

I'm not convinced. "You sure? Because even Beth's starting to ask questions. And you're not the type to let things get in your head like this."

Elena gave a faint smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine, Steph."

I'm not one to push, especially not to Elena, but something told me she needed to talk. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you and Caitlin... but whatever it is, it's messing with you. I see it, the others see it, and I think you need to figure it out."

That got Elena's attention. She looked up, her eyes tired but guarded. "There's nothing to figure out. It's just... complicated."