Years Of Love

Is She done with me

Paige sat on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands, heart heavy with guilt. Azzi had just left, her words still echoing in Paige's mind. She'd tried to explain, but the look on Azzi's face—the hurt, the anger—was etched into her memory. Paige wanted to chase after her, but deep down, she knew she needed to give Azzi space.

With a heavy sigh, Paige grabbed her phone. The group chat was still blowing up, and her notifications were endless.

Kk:
"You good? How's Azzi handling it?"

Caroline:
"Talked to her yet? We're here if you need us."

Ice:
"Want us to come over? Or maybe talk to Azzi?"

Paige hesitated before typing a quick reply.

Paige:
"I tried. She just left. She... needs time."

Her phone buzzed again, but this time it was from a DM that made Paige's heart sink—Shay.

Shay:
"Hey, last night was fun. We should hang out again sometime. 😘"

Paige clenched her jaw, disbelief and anger coursing through her. Shay had drugged her, and now she was acting like it was nothing.

Paige:
"Are you serious? You drugged me."

A few seconds passed before Shay responded.

Shay:
"Whoa, relax. It was just for fun. No harm done."

Paige felt nauseous. Her fingers trembled as she blocked Shay's number. The last thing she needed was more drama, especially with Azzi already hurt.

Just then, the dorm door creaked open. Kk stood there, her face serious but laced with concern. Behind her, the rest of the team filed in, their usual energy replaced with tension.

"We thought we'd check on you," Kk said, crossing her arms. "Since Azzi isn't really talking."

Paige forced a weak smile. "Thanks, guys."

Ice sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

Paige shrugged, trying to hold back tears. "Not great. I think I really screwed up this time."

"It wasn't your fault," Caroline said, sitting across from Paige. "Shay drugged you. That's on her."

"I know, but it doesn't change how Azzi feels," Paige muttered. "She's not talking to me."

Kk leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You'll figure it out. Azzi's just hurt right now."

"Yeah, but it's like she's completely shutting me out," Paige whispered. "She won't even look at me."

Caroline nodded. "Just give her time. She needs to process everything."

Kk glanced at her phone and sighed. "Speaking of Azzi, she just posted something on Instagram."

Paige's stomach dropped. "What? What did she post?"

Kk handed her phone to Paige, and there it was—Azzi's story. It was a picture of Azzi out with some teammates, smiling, looking carefree, like nothing had happened. But the caption stung:

Azzi's Instagram Story:
"Some things just aren't worth fighting for anymore."

Paige stared at the screen, her heart sinking. Azzi had seen the post from the night before, the one of her kissing Shay while drugged, and now this. She had never seen Azzi act so cold, and it broke her. The caption wasn't just about the situation; it was about Paige.

"She's ignoring me," Paige said, her voice barely above a whisper. "She's done with me."

The room was silent for a moment. Ice rubbed her back gently. "No, she's not done. She's just mad, Paige. She cares about you too much to just walk away."

Paige wasn't convinced. "It feels like she already has."

"We're not letting you sit here and spiral," Kk said suddenly, breaking the tension. "Get up. You need to clear your head."

Paige frowned. "What? I can't leave. Azzi—"

"Azzi's not talking to you right now, and staying in here isn't going to fix anything," Caroline said firmly. "We're going to the gym. You need to get out of your own head for a bit."

"But—" Paige started.

"No buts," Ice interrupted, pulling Paige to her feet. "Come on. You always play better when you're pissed off anyway."

The gym was quiet when they arrived, the hardwood floor gleaming in the sunlight. Paige stood in the center of the court, bouncing the basketball between her hands, feeling the weight of it, but her mind was elsewhere.

She couldn't stop thinking about Azzi—about the way she had stormed out, the Instagram post, the look in her eyes. It was like a wall had gone up between them overnight, and no matter how hard Paige tried, she couldn't break through.

Kk snatched the ball from Paige's hands and threw it up in a perfect arc, sinking a three-pointer with ease. "You're thinking too much. Just play."

Paige shook her head, forcing herself to focus as she grabbed another ball. She dribbled it once before driving to the basket, making a quick layup. The rhythm of the game helped, but only for a second. The second she stopped, the thoughts came rushing back.

"You can't keep beating yourself up over this," Ice said, jogging over to Paige. "Azzi will come around, but you need to give her space."

"I know. I just... I don't know how long I can wait," Paige muttered. "She's not just ignoring me, she's blocking me out completely."

"Then give her time," Caroline added, shooting a free throw. "She'll talk to you when she's ready."

Paige sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow. She appreciated her teammates' support, but none of it made her feel better about the situation. All she could think about was how much she missed Azzi, how much she wished she could just fix things right now.

But it wasn't that simple.

Later that night, back at the dorm, the team sat around watching a movie. Paige sat on the couch, barely paying attention as the others laughed at the screen. Her phone buzzed again, another message lighting up her screen. She hesitated before looking, half-expecting it to be Shay again.

But it wasn't.

It was Azzi.

Azzi:
"I saw the post."

Paige's heart raced as she typed back.

Paige:
"Azzi, I swear, I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I was drugged. I don't even remember most of the night."

Azzi's response came quickly.

Azzi:
"I don't know if I can trust you right now."

Paige felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She had expected Azzi to be mad, but hearing those words—I don't know if I can trust you—felt like a punch to the gut.

Before she could respond, Ice reached over and grabbed Paige's phone. "You're done for the night."

"What? Ice, I need to talk to her," Paige protested, reaching for the phone.

Ice shook her head. "Not tonight. Give her some time. You keep pushing, it's only going to make things worse."

Paige slumped back on the couch, defeated. She wanted to fight for Azzi, to fix everything, but maybe Ice was right. Maybe pushing wasn't going to help.

For now, all Paige could do was wait—and hope that Azzi would come around before it was too late.