A Fresh Start - Joe Burrow

Chapter 20 - Tension

The car ride home was quieter than it had ever been. The excitement of Joe's first game of the season, the victory on the field, all of it was overshadowed by the tension that still lingered between them. Joe glanced over at Y/N, her arms crossed as she stared out the window, clearly deep in thought. He could feel the distance between them, and it wasn't just the physical space in the car—it was something deeper, something that had started when the conversation about her job had taken a turn neither of them expected.

When they arrived at Joe's place, Y/N was the first to get out of the car, heading toward the front door with a pace that felt purposeful, like she wanted to put distance between them. Joe followed behind, trying to figure out what to say, how to smooth things over. But nothing came to him.

Once inside, Y/N dropped her bag on the floor and stood in the middle of the living room, her back to him. Joe took a breath, the weight of the unresolved argument heavy in the air.

"Y/N," Joe said, his voice tentative, "I didn't mean to push you about the job thing. I was just... I don't know, thinking out loud. I just miss you. That's all."

Y/N turned around slowly, her expression unreadable, her arms still crossed. She took a deep breath, clearly trying to hold back her frustration. "Joe, I get that you miss me. I miss you too. But I can't keep having this conversation where it feels like you want me to choose between my career and being with you."

Joe stepped closer, his hands out in front of him like he was trying to plead his case. "I'm not asking you to choose, Y/N. I'm just saying—"

She cut him off, her voice sharper than before. "But you are, Joe. You might not realize it, but that's exactly what you're doing. Every time you bring up the distance or like today,  how much easier it would be if I worked for you, you're asking me to give up part of myself. And I can't do that."

Joe stood there, feeling like he had just been hit with something heavy. He hadn't meant to make her feel like she had to give up anything. He thought he was just trying to find a solution, to make things work between them. But seeing the hurt in her eyes made him realize how deeply he had misjudged the situation.

"I'm sorry," Joe said quietly. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

Y/N sighed, looking away for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "I know you didn't. But that doesn't change the fact that this is going to keep coming up. My work requires me to travel, to be away sometimes, and I don't want to feel guilty about that every time I leave. I don't want you resenting me for it either."

Joe felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He hated this—hated how they were getting tangled in something that felt bigger than either of them. He didn't want to lose her, but he didn't know how to fix this.

"So what do we do then?" Joe asked, his voice edged with desperation. "Do we just ignore the fact that the distance sucks? Pretend it's not a problem?"

Y/N's jaw clenched, and for a moment, it looked like she was about to say something, but she stopped herself. Instead, she shook her head and grabbed her bag from the floor.

"I can't do this right now," she said, her voice thick with frustration. "I don't want to keep arguing with you about this. I need some space."

Joe's heart sank. "Wait, Y/N, don't—"

But she was already walking toward the door, her movements quick, like she needed to escape. Joe stood frozen, his hands at his sides, unsure whether to follow her or give her the space she was asking for. His mind raced with all the things he wanted to say, all the ways he wanted to make this better, but nothing came out.

Y/N paused at the door, her hand resting on the handle. She didn't turn around when she spoke, but her voice was soft, tired. "I am all in with you, Joe. But I can't keep having this conversation if it's going to keep going in circles. I need you to understand that this is my life too, and I'm not going to give up the things that make me happy."

Joe swallowed hard, his chest tight with the weight of her words. "I don't want you to give up anything. I just... I don't know how to fix this."

Y/N sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Maybe we don't need to fix it right now. Maybe we just need some time."

And with that, she opened the door and walked out.

Joe stood there, staring at the empty doorway, the sound of her footsteps fading as she left. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. He had thought that suggesting they work together would bring them closer, that it would solve the problem of the distance, but now he realized how wrong he'd been.

He sank down onto the couch, running a hand through his hair. The house felt too quiet, too empty without her. And now, for the first time, Joe didn't know if Y/N would come back. The argument wasn't over, and the unresolved tension hung in the air like a cloud that wouldn't go away.

All Joe could do now was wait and hope that they could find a way to navigate through this—because the thought of losing her for good was something he couldn't bear.