Go for Gold

11

Mal
-

"Mom, I messed up." I say to my mom as I sit in the kitchen, I had arrived in Colorado two days ago, and being home was what I needed. Portland was hell, the apartment was hell. No matter how many times I change the sheets, that damn bed still smells like Y/N and she left her framed jersey from her senior year; Y/L/N with a 12 under her name just stares me down every time I sit in the living room, which is all the time, after practice, after I go somewhere, after I work out. All the time.

"How so honey?" My mom asks and I sigh as Bri comes into the kitchen, popping one of my grapes into her mouth on her way to the fridge.

"She broke the heart of her soulmate." Bri says and I sigh, putting my head in my hands.

"Bri." Mom warns and Bri shrugs.

"I'm just telling the truth." She says and I look at my sister.

"Aren't you supposed to be anywhere but here?" I ask and she shrugs.

"I'm a journalist, baby sister, I go where the story is, and this? Is a great story. I can see it now 'Mallory Pugh fucked up relationship with only girl that could ever love her.' Best headline ever. What do you think, mom?"

"Bri, honey. Leave your sister alone." Mom says and Bri groans before leaving. "Tell me what happened, baby."

"Y/N went off to play in Australia for the offseason, and I messed up. I really messed up." I say and sigh heavily. "I didn't trust her enough to stay with her for the few weeks that she'd be gone."

"But you trusted her enough to stay in a cross-country relationship? What was the difference that broke the deal?" Mom asks and I shrug.

"I don't know, I just was terrified."

"Of?"

"Losing her."

"So you broke up with her?" Mom asks and I sigh.

"I know it wasn't the smartest thing ever, but I panicked, what if she went off to Australia and found a girl better than me?" I ask and my dad grunts as he walks into the kitchen where we are.

"Mal, from what you've told your mother and I about Y/N, she could have anybody she wanted, but she decided to spend seven months of her life with you. She could've snapped her fingers and had anybody on the UCLA team, the national team, or the Thorns, but she stayed with you. Y/N loved you, Mal." Dad says and I nod.

"I know she did."

"Did she tell you?"

"Not verbally, but she got me a gift before she left. Put a note with it telling me that she loves me. I got it a week ago. What do I do to get her back?" I ask.

"Nothing. She just tweeted a picture with some girl, brown hair, green eyes. Better looking than you." Bri says, coming back into the kitchen with her phone, handing it to me to show me the picture, but I don't look at it, just raise an eyebrow at my older sister.

"You do know that we are practically identical." I say and Bri stops. "Yeah, idiot. Take your phone, I don't want to see Y/N with someone else."

"Her name is Rachel." Bri says, walking off and I hop up, running after Bri.

"Rachel? Hill? Daly? Platten? Berry?" I ask and Bri scoffs at the last name I spat out.

"Yes, your ex is dating a fictional person." Bri deadpans and I sigh. "It's not Rachel Daly, or Hill, definitely not Platten, I don't know her last name. Just that she's hot. Poised to steal your girl."

"Dad. I know you messed up like I did before. How'd you get mom back." I say, walking back into the kitchen and my parents share a look.

"I proposed to her."