A Fresh Start - Joe Burrow

Chapter 2 - A Step Forward

Joe woke up the next morning to the sound of his phone vibrating on the nightstand. He groaned, reaching for it without opening his eyes. The light from the screen was too bright for his groggy state, but he squinted at the incoming text.

Ja'Marr: "You better be alive, man. Party was wild. Breakfast?"

Joe rubbed his face, slowly sitting up in bed. His head felt heavy, but not from drinking—he had stuck to water the whole night. It was the emotional weight of the previous months, combined with the unexpected connection he had found on the terrace with Y/N.

Joe: "I'm alive. I'll meet you downstairs in 20."

He threw the phone back on the bed and stretched, feeling his muscles stiffen from hours of sitting hunched over the railing, talking to Y/N. He hadn't meant to stay out there so long, but something about her made him feel at ease. The way she listened without judgment, how she gave him space to just be himself. It had been a while since he felt that kind of comfort around someone.

Joe splashed cold water on his face, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His hair was still a mess, but he didn't care. Pulling on a simple hoodie and some joggers, he grabbed his room key and headed downstairs.

The hotel lobby was already bustling, filled with people nursing hangovers or making their way to brunch. Joe spotted Ja'Marr and Tee lounging in a corner booth of the hotel restaurant, sipping coffee and scrolling through their phones.

"There he is," Ja'Marr said, grinning when Joe approached. "The man of the hour."

Joe slid into the booth next to them. "Yeah, yeah, calm down. I showed up, didn't I?"

"You actually look like you slept," Tee said, eyeing him suspiciously. "You good, or did something happen last night?"

Joe shrugged. "I just needed some air, that's all."

Ja'Marr raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Air, huh? Is that what we're calling it now?"

Joe rolled his eyes. "Seriously. I just stepped out to clear my head. Ran into someone. We talked for a bit, nothing major."

Tee leaned forward, interested. "Oh, yeah? Who'd you meet?"

Joe hesitated, not really wanting to get into the details. Y/N had been a breath of fresh air, but he wasn't ready to make a big deal out of it. Besides, he barely knew her.

"She's a CEO," he said casually, reaching for the menu to change the subject. "Runs a company that builds brands for athletes."

Ja'Marr whistled. "A CEO? You're not playing around, huh?"

"Doesn't matter," Joe said, keeping his tone light. "We talked for a bit, that's all."

"Uh-huh," Tee said, smirking. "And are you planning to 'talk' again?"

Joe gave him a look. "Can we just eat? I'm starving."

The conversation drifted into safer territory—football, offseason training, and the upcoming season. Joe appreciated it. Talking football was easy. It didn't force him to think about the emotional mess he'd been dealing with, or the unexpected feelings Y/N had stirred up.

But even as he bantered back and forth with his teammates, he couldn't completely shake the thought of her. There was something about Y/N that lingered in his mind—her confidence, the way she didn't treat him like a celebrity, how she seemed to understand the importance of privacy in a world that constantly demanded public attention.

By the time breakfast ended, Ja'Marr and Tee were already making plans for the rest of the day. They wanted to hit the gym, get a quick workout in before doing more exploring around Vegas. Joe agreed to join them but made his way back to his room first, hoping to get a few things done before they left.

As soon as he stepped into his hotel room, his phone buzzed again.

Y/N: "Last night was nice. Good to meet someone who doesn't just want to talk business. Hope the rest of your weekend goes well."

Joe stared at the text for a moment, surprised by the ease of her words. There was no pressure, no expectation. Just a simple message.

He thought about what to say in return. Something casual? Something that opened the door to more conversation?

Joe: "Yeah, same here. It was good to get away from the noise for a bit. What are you up to today?"

He hesitated before sending it, but decided there was no harm in keeping the conversation going. Y/N had made him feel normal, and that was something he didn't often find. A few minutes passed, and just as Joe was about to head out again, his phone buzzed with her reply.

Y/N: "Meetings this morning, but I'll have some free time later. If you're not too busy, maybe we can catch up?"

Joe smiled to himself. Maybe this weekend wasn't so bad after all.

Joe: "Sounds good. Let me know when you're free."

He slipped his phone into his pocket and grabbed his gym bag. Whatever this was with Y/N, he wasn't in any rush to figure it out. For now, he was just going to take things one step at a time.

As he met up with Ja'Marr and Tee, the Las Vegas sun already high in the sky, Joe felt something shift inside him. Maybe this weekend wasn't about the party or the distractions. Maybe it was about starting fresh—both on and off the field. And for the first time in a long while, he felt like that was a real possibility.