Two Minute Warning

Breaking Point

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

The weight of the last conversation hung heavy between Joe and me. We had avoided seeing each other for a few days, letting the dust settle, but it only made the situation worse. The media frenzy hadn't died down, and every new headline seemed more speculative than the last.

I felt like I was walking on eggshells at practice. Some of the Ben Gals who once smiled at me now avoided eye contact, while others whispered behind my back. Harlow, my closest friend on the squad, stuck by my side, but even she was starting to act like something was bound to break.

"You've gotta make a decision, Alé." Harlow said one afternoon as we sat in the locker room after practice. "You either keep going with Joe and deal with all this, or you call it off before it spirals any further."

I nodded, biting my lip. "I don't know what to do. I care about him, but this....it's too much."

Meanwhile, Joe wasn't faring much better. Every day brought new stress, new critiques from the media, and new doubts about his focus on the field. His connection with his teammates was strained too, players were starting to whisper about the distractions and whether Joe had his head in the game.

One evening, after practice, Joe found himself staring at his phone, his thumb hovering over Alessandra's name. He wanted to call her, to talk through everything, but something was stopping him. The pressure from the coaches, the constant media attention, it felt like no matter what they did, it would always be under a microscope.

Instead, he threw his phone down and leaned back on the couch, exhausted. It was too much. He didn't want to let Alessandra go, but he also couldn't shake the feeling that his career, everything he had worked for was slipping out of his hands.

That weekend, Joe texted me asking if we could talk. My heart pounded as I read the message. I knew this was it, the moment where we'd either fight for what we had or let it go.

We met at a quiet cafe on the outskirts of town, somewhere far from the paparazzi's lenses and the fan's prying eyes. When I walked in, Joe was already sitting at a table in the back, a coffee in front of him, his eyes tired but determined.

"Hey," I said softly, sitting across from him.

"Hey," he replied, his voice low. There was a moment of silence as we both searched for the right words.

Finally, Joe broke the tension. "I've been thinking a lot about us, and about everything that's been happening."

I nodded, my stomach tight with nerves. "Me too."

Joe leaned forward, his eyes locking with mine. "I don't want to lose you, Alé. But.... I also can't ignore how much pressure this is putting on everything... my career, the team, even you. I'm trying to stay focused, but it's getting harder every day.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I quickly blinked them back. "I feel the same way. I don't want to lose you either, but this is... overwhelming. I never imagined things would get this crazy."

He reached across the table, taking my hand in his. "I care about you, a lot. But I can't let the team suffer because of all this attention. I've worked too hard to get here."

I squeezed his hand, my heart breaking a little as the truth settled in. "So what do we do?"

Joe was silent for a moment, his thumb gently brushing the back of my hand. "Maybe we need to take a step back. Just for now. Until things calm down."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, but deep down, I knew he was right. The pressure, the media, the constant scrutiny, it was suffocating. And as much as I didn't want to let go, I couldn't ignore the reality of the situation.

"I don't want to lose you," I whispered, my voice trembling.

"You won't," Joe said softly, his eyes filled with sincerity. "This isn't goodbye, Alessandra. It's just.... giving us both space to breathe. I want to be with you, but I need to get my focus back. And you deserve to have your life outside of all of this chaos."

A tear slipped down my cheek, and Joe reached up to wipe it away. "I promise," He said quietly. "This doesn't change how I feel about you."

I nodded, my heart aching, but somehow his words brought a small sense of relief. "Okay." I whispered. "We will take a step back."

The following weeks were a blur of routine, but there was a noticeable change. Joe returned to the field with renewed focus, throwing passes with the precision that made him a star in the first place. The Bengals started winning again, and the media slowly shifted their focus back to his performance rather than his personal life.

For me, things got quieter too. The gossip faded, and the team settled back into their rhythm. Some of the cheerleaders who had distanced themselves started to warm up to me again, and Coach Harper seemed relieved that the headlines had died down.

But despite the calm that had returned to our lives, there was still a void. I missed Joe, missed our late-night talks, missed the way he'd make me laugh, missed the connection we had started to build. But I also knew that we had made the right choice. The pressure was too intense, and we both needed time to figure out our own lives before we could truly be together.

Weeks later, as the Bengals headed into the playoffs, Joe and I ran into each other at a team event. It was the first time we'd been in the same room since we agreed to step back. The moment our eyes met across the room, the spark was still there, undeniable and electric.

After the event, Joe approached me quietly, his expression softer than it had been in weeks. "Hey," he said, smiling slightly.

"Hey," I replied, feeling my heart skip a beat.

"How've you been?" he asked, genuine concern in his eyes.

"Good," I said, though there was a part of me that wasn't entirely sure. "I'm glad to see you doing well. The team's on fire."

Joe nodded, but there was something else in his eyes, something deeper. "I've been thinking a lot about you," he admitted, his voice low. "About us."

I swallowed hard. "Me too."

Joe took a step closer, his eyes locking onto mine. "I don't want to let you go, Alé. Not for good."

My heart fluttered, hope creeping back in. "What are you saying?"

Joe smiled, a little sheepishly. "I'm saying.... once the season's over, I want to give us a real shot. No distractions, no pressure, just us."

Tears welled in my eyes, but this time, they were happy ones. "I'd like that," I whispered.

Joe reached out, gently pulling me into a hug. "Let's get through this season," he murmured into my hair. "And then we will figure it out. Together."

As Joe and I walked out of the event side by side, I felt a little sense of peace settle over me. The road ahead wasn't going to be easy, there would still be challenges, still be public scrutiny, but this time we were prepared. We had made it through the toughest part, and now, there was a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, we could make it work.

For now, I would support Joe through the rest of the season, cheering from the sidelines, knowing that when it was all said and done, we'd have another chance. And this time, we'd be ready for whatever came our way.