𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑺 & 𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑼𝑷𝑺

𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑹𝑻𝒀 𝑶𝑵𝑬 ; 𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑴 𝑩𝑬𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝑴

Sloane sat on her bed, phone in hand, staring at the latest text thread between her and Paige. The screen lit up with a new message, but her excitement faded as she read the response.

paige; i'm busy tonight
paige; maybe another time?

Sloane sighed, her fingers lingering over the keyboard. This was the third time this week Paige had given her the same excuse. Every conversation was dry, and every time she reached out, she felt like she was pushing for something Paige didn't want. It wasn't like this before, not right after Christmas. Not after they'd posted each other on Instagram, showing the world that they were officially a couple.

But now? It felt like Paige was pushing her away.

Sloane locked her phone, tossing it to the side with frustration. She leaned back on her bed, staring at the ceiling as her mind raced. They hadn't hung out in a week—since the Crumbl cookie review live—and ever since that night, Paige had been distant. At first, Sloane thought it was just basketball or school stressing Paige out. She knew how much time Paige had to dedicate to practice, team meetings, and classes. But this wasn't just being busy. This felt different.

She rubbed her temples, trying to fight off the anxious thoughts crowding her mind. Every text she sent felt like she was reaching into a void, waiting for Paige to respond, but when she did, it was so... dry . Sloane couldn't remember the last time Paige had actually sounded excited to talk to her, and that hurt more than she'd like to admit.

She had tried asking Paige if anything was wrong, but the answer was always the same: "Everything's fine." Yet, the more Paige said it, the less Sloane believed it. She felt like she was walking on eggshells, trying not to push too hard, but also wanting to figure out what was going on. Their relationship had always been intense, full of chemistry and passion, and love, but now it felt like everything was falling apart.

Sloane picked up her phone again, scrolling through their messages, hoping to find a reason on why things were changing. But all she saw were her efforts—her trying to make plans, trying to keep the conversation going—and Paige's 3 worded responses. It didn't make sense. They were happy, weren't they?

Her heart clenched. Maybe Paige wasn't as happy as she thought.

PAIGES POV

HOURS AFTER SLOANE LEFT THE DORM

Paige sat cross-legged on KK's  bed, laughing at something KK had said.
The night had gone well.

This would be the last few hours everything was normal.

After Sloane left about 4 hours later KK had gone into Paige's room wanting to go live again and obviously she complied. They had been live for about 40 minutes and were getting ready to end it, comments were still rolling in and one caught Paige's attention. It seemed innocent enough at first, but these would be the words that will send her and Sloane spiraling.

Iloveuconnnn442; What are you and Sloane's plans after this year? 💖"

Paige froze, her eyes fixating on the words. She hadn't thought about that. Not once.

After this year? What were their plans?

She had no idea. She and Sloane hadn't talked about the future, not beyond the next game, the next practice, the next hangout. They were both so focused on the present—on enjoying their relationship as it unfolded—but the comment hit her like a truck. What were they going to do after? When college was over, when basketball was done, when everything they were so used to just... changed?

Suddenly, the weight of their relationship felt too heavy. Paige's heart raced as she tried to keep up appearances, nodding along to whatever KK was saying, but her mind was already elsewhere, spinning with thoughts she had never let herself consider.

What if they couldn't make it work? What if this thing with Sloane wasn't built to last? The idea of the future scared her—because it wasn't just about basketball or school anymore. It was about them. And she wasn't sure if she could see a future where they were still together.

Paige wanted to go to the WNBA and she could be drafted anywhere and Sloane wanted to go to medical school to become a doctor realistically, she was starting to think it wouldn't work and for the first time in their relationship she was having genuine doubts about it and it was making her panic.

Paige felt her stomach twist with guilt. She loved Sloane, more than anything, but the future felt so uncertain, so fragile. Maybe they were too different, too caught up in their own lives to make it work long-term. Paige didn't want to admit it, but the thought was there now, eating away at her.

She couldn't ignore it.

As the live continued with them saying goodbye , She found herself barely able to focus, like she was watching herself from outside her body. She didn't even realize how long she'd gone without speaking until KK nudged her.

"You good, Paige?" KK asked, a bit concerned.

Paige blinked, quickly pasting on a smile. "Yeah, I just—uh, I have to go," she blurted, not even bothering to think of an excuse. The urge to escape was overwhelming. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

KK raised an eyebrow but didn't question her. "Alright, see you."

Paige quickly left KK's room and went into her own, her heart pounding in her chest as she tossed her phone aside. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor, trying to process the sudden wave of panic.

The thought of the future, of having to figure out what came next for her and Sloane, was too much. Paige had never planned that far ahead—she was always in the moment, especially with Sloane—but now, it felt like all of those future decisions were crashing down on her at once.

And the worst part was, she couldn't see how they could possibly work it out. They had such different paths ahead of them, different goals, different lives waiting outside of college. Maybe... maybe it would be easier to end things before it got too serious. Before they were too far in. Paige wasn't sure if she could handle that kind of heartbreak.

She knew it sounded cold, but the idea of pulling away now seemed like the only option. The sooner, the better, right?

With a heavy heart, Paige crawled into bed, trying to quiet her thoughts. But as she closed her eyes, the only thing she could think about was Sloane.

And how much this is gonna hurt the both of them.

A/N: yall not gonna like these next couple chapters
#angst
#willtheybreakup
#willtheygoonabreak
#iwantchipotle
#threeofmysoftballgameshavebeencancelledthisweekandimstartingtogocrazybecauseihaventplayedintwoweeksandthefirstworkoutatmynewschoolaretomorrowandihaventdoneshitintwoweeks

love u all

-lea

sept 29