Faulty Trust || Katie McCabe

10

I woke up to a bright light shining in my eye, and when I realised it was the sun, I let out a groan in annoyance. Unaware of where exactly I was and who I was with until I tried rolling over to hide my face from the rising sun. It hit me like a truck.

The first thing I noticed was how sore my neck was and that I wasn't sitting up on the couch anymore. I was laid down now and was rather comfortable, if in my opinion, but I slowly realised someone was practically lying on top of me. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I zeroed in on Katie laying with her head on top of me, still sound asleep. I also couldn't stop the huge smile that spread across my face; she was a sight for sore eyes. Everything was peaceful, and I didn't dare to move a muscle even if my neck felt like it was broken and my arm was completely asleep.

We must've moved during the night, meaning she spent the night even if it was by accident. Maybe she was starting to trust me more; that was something, right? I let out a soft sigh in contentment and rested my hand on her back; this had to be one of the most peaceful mornings I've had in a long, long time. Katie's the one who brought the peace, no matter how rocky our past had been; these were the moments I cherished with her.

I wasn't sure how long it was until Katie began to stir, but when she did, I don't think she realised she was laying on top of me. I suppressed a laugh as she buried her head into the crook of my neck and began training my fingers up and down her back. Katie's movements frozen, and so I stopped my own. Slowly, she lifted herself from me, an unreadable look on her face causing my smile to falter slightly. "Good morning, Katie," I whispered.

I watched the silent battle that flashed across Katie's eyes as she hovered above me, until finally she caved and laid back down. Letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding, I giggled and trailed my fingers up and down her spine.

"Morning," she mumbled.

"Sleep well?" I asked in slight amusement, savouring every moment of this intimate morning.

"Hmm," she hummed. Not making any movements to get up, and I was silently celebrating this.

"Hey Katie," I whispered. She hummed again. "I need to pee."

She lifted herself off me, an amused look plastered across her face. "Why didn't you say anything?" Her Irish accent prevelant this morning,

"Because you looked too peaceful to disturb," I answered honestly. Katie's eyes softened for a moment before she removed herself from me completely. Our eyes locked in a silent conversation, neither of us saying what we obviously wanted to.

I blinked, rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes, and got up to go to the bathroom. Needing an escape from her intense gaze. When I returned, Katie was in the kitchen making coffee. I began cooking us a quick breakfast since training was in a few hours. Neither of us really spoke about how we'd fallen asleep together; it quickly became a subject to avoid. Even if I wished it wasn't.

I sat in the silence of my flat when Katie left to freshen herself up in her own flat. Sitting alone with my thoughts had never exactly been fun; a majority of the time it'd feel like they were consuming me. Drawing me deeper into my own head and allowing me to overthink the slightest things. My head stayed like this until I made it to the training grounds, going through the motions in the locker room.

Lia noticed my demeanour but didn't say anything right away. I'd often find myself in this state until training began. Like a switch going off, my attitude would change immediately. Football had always been my escape; it allowed me to think about absolutely nothing. All that passed through my mind when there was a ball at my feet was football. Nothing else mattered; nothing else existed, just me and the game of football. I loved the way it made me feel, and I loved that it was my escape. Because God knows everyone needs some sort of escape in their life.