Before The Whistle Blows
- Reads 30,474
- Votes 474
- Parts 72
Complete Sun, Nov 2, 202512h 32m
⚽ Before the Whistle Blows
Grief brought Rory home. Football brought her back. Love might just keep her there.
Aurora "Rory" Davis has always belonged on the pitch. Scouted at sixteen, a rising star for Orlando Pride, and now, her dream call-up to the World Cup for Team USA.
But when her mum passes away, Rory's world comes crashing down. Football feels meaningless, grief is consuming her, and stepping back onto the field seems impossible.
Until a second chance appears-an unexpected spot on England's squad. With her best friends Ella Toone and Alessia Russo by her side, Rory takes the leap. But playing through heartbreak isn't easy, and every day is a battle between who she was and who she's becoming.
Then there's Leah Williamson-captain, teammate, and the one person Rory never saw coming. Sharing a room with her brings late-night talks, unspoken feelings, and walls Rory isn't sure she's ready to break down. But Leah has her own scars, and when she pulls away, Rory is left more confused than ever.
Love. Loss. Family. Football.
Before the final whistle blows, Rory has to decide if she's ready to let someone in again-or if some games are meant to be played alone.
Three best friends, one captain, and a love story written between heartbreak and the beautiful game.
-Regular scheduled Uploads, multiple times a week.-
All Rights Reserved
#144
alessiarusso
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
Fake It Till We Make It
Maeve Linton's transfer from Manchester United to Arsenal was supposed to be a fresh start - new city, new teammates, and no unnecessary drama. Two years on, her career is thriving... but her personal life is a mess, thanks to her parents' relentless questions about her love life. In a moment of desperation, Maeve blurts out that she's already seeing someone. And when they press for details, she drags in the only person she trusts enough to fake it with - her best friend and teammate, Leah Williamson. Leah agrees, because that's what best friends do. They hold hands at family dinners, post the occasional carefully-staged photo, and laugh through awkward questions. But the longer they play pretend, the less it feels like acting. Jokes turn into late-night confessions. Staged kisses feel alarmingly real. And suddenly, Maeve and Leah are caught in a game neither of them prepared for. With the season heating up and feelings threatening to derail everything, the two must figure out if they're willing to risk their friendship for something more - or if love, like football, sometimes requires the boldest moves of all.Complete
London Girl
Lioness captain, Leah Williamson, is finally heading off to Ibiza after coming off a Euros win. She's there with some of her closest friends, who encourage her to let loose and throw herself out there for a good time. But she didn't expect to meet her. Born in the U.S., Ellie Carter is on a short two week vacation. Just to get away from reality. She's not had it easy, but she's always found a way to make it by. Ellie's strong and confident, especially when she sees something, or rather someone she finds interesting. While at a bar, the two of them meet, starting a two week romance. But the real struggles comes when they're thrown back into reality. Reality being, Ellie lives, works, and is a nobody in America. Leah's the England captain and Arsenal legend, and she can't go anywhere without her life being plastered up on a wall.Complete
Fragile
When the England Lionesses arrive in the U.S. to train for their highly anticipated match against the U.S. National Team, Leah Williamson, Arsenal and England captain, is focused on one thing: preparation. For her composure, leadership, and loyalty keeps her emotions in check both on and off the pitch. But a chance encounter with a six-year-old fan, Riggs, and his independent mother, Evelyn Grant, shakes her carefully constructed world. Evelyn, a 21-year-old nursing student juggling work and motherhood, never imagined a football match could change her life. When Leah gets a slight knock during the game and Riggs is eager to meet the captain, the brief, world-rocking interaction between Evelyn and Leah leaves both women questioning their paths. Evelyn, who has kept romance on the back burner for years, is drawn to Leah's confidence and warmth. Leah, navigating the pressures of leadership and her own closed-off heart, finds herself unable to forget Evelyn. As their worlds meet during Leah's time in the States, a connection begins to grow-fragile but full of possibility. But with the Euros looming and Evelyn's demanding life at home, the possibility of love seems to dwindle down to hope...leaving both of them fragile. ~ Sequel : UNBREAKABLE ~Complete
My Sisters Best Friend
Leah Williamson x Mia RussoComplete
Why Would Any One Date A Footballer?
Charlotte Mackenzie can't stand footballers. Arrogant, overpaid, emotionally stunted - she's got a list, and none of them come off well. So when her best friend Imogen (who insists on calling her Lottie, like they're in some Jane Austen novel) drags her to a glitzy football party, Charlotte is less than thrilled. She's only there for the free drinks and moral support. Enter Leah - smart, funny, sharp-eyed, and far too attractive for her own good. They hit it off almost instantly, trading dry wit and flirty barbs in a quiet corner of the party. Charlotte doesn't know who Leah is, and honestly? She likes it that way. For once, she's not judging. She's just... intrigued. What Charlotte doesn't realise is that Leah Williamson is the captain of England. And a key defender for Arsenal. And very, very used to being recognised - just not by the one girl she's suddenly desperate to impress. As sparks fly and secrets simmer, Charlotte starts falling for the woman she thinks is just Leah. But when the truth comes out, will everything she hates about footballers come crashing back - or will Leah be the exception who proves her completely, heartbreakingly wrong? 🚨Mature Content 18+🚨Complete
In Her Boots
In Her Own Boots The world knows Lucy Bronze. Now it's time they meet Amaya. She was Lucy Bronze's little sister, England's newest rising star, and the girl who stole Leah Williamson's heart. But at just 22, with the World Cup calling and the world watching, Amaya Bronze is ready to prove she's more than a name. Between chasing glory on the pitch, surviving the chaos of best friends, and falling for the captain she was never supposed to love, Amaya is finally stepping into her own boots. At twenty-two, Amaya Bronze is ready to step out from behind her sister Lucy's shadow. A rising star at FC Barcelona and England's newest call-up for the World Cup, she's determined to prove she's more than just "Lucy Bronze's little sister." Balancing the pressure of international football, a growing reputation off the pitch, and a whirlwind friendship with Grace Clinton, Amaya learns to navigate fame on her own terms. When a Nike deal puts her name on a new collection - including her own pair of boots - she finally feels like she's claiming her own identity. But life isn't only about football. Between family, unexpected love with Leah Williamson, and the weight of expectations from fans and media alike, Amaya must learn what it truly means to stand tall as herself. A heartfelt story of ambition, sisterhood, and first love, In Her Own Boots follows a young woman on her journey to becoming her own person, both on and off the pitch.Complete
Can You Hear Me?
At twenty-four, Ellie O'Connell has fought harder than most to make it in football. Partially deaf since childhood, she's spent years learning to read the game in her own way-through instinct, timing, and sheer resilience. Talent has never been her problem; being underestimated always has. When Arsenal offers her the chance of a lifetime, Ellie knows she belongs-but she also knows the Women's Super League spotlight will test every weakness she's worked so hard to hide. Leah Williamson, Arsenal's unshakable captain, doesn't believe in weakness. Stone-faced and disciplined, Leah leads with an iron will, never allowing herself to falter-on or off the pitch. To Ellie, she's everything untouchable: a role model, a wall, a woman impossible to impress. But as the season unfolds, Leah starts to notice the quiet strength behind Ellie's guarded exterior. And Ellie, in turn, discovers that even the toughest leaders have their own cracks, their own silences. What begins as respect grows into something far more dangerous: a slow-burning, impossible-to-ignore connection that threatens to break through every wall they've built. A story of resilience, trust, and the unexpected ways love can be heard-even in the quiet.Complete
Hold me at half-time
At 23, Camilla Sinclair is one of Real Madrid's rising stars a fiery yet focused striker with dual English-Portuguese heritage and a storm of ambition in her heart. But behind the goals and headlines, she's restless, stuck in a city that no longer feels like home, still waiting for the one thing she's always dreamed of: her England national team call-up. When her contract nears its end, an unexpected offer from Arsenal sets her on a collision course with a new life and a new captain. Leah Williamson, 28, is the composed, commanding leader of the Lionesses and a stalwart defender for both England and Arsenal. On the surface, she's everything Camilla isn't steady, respected, and always in control. But when Camilla transfers to Arsenal, sparks begin to fly in ways neither of them can ignore. As club season intensifies and England's spotlight looms larger than ever, Camilla and Leah must navigate chemistry, chaos, and the pressure of playing for both love and legacy. Will they keep their hearts offside or finally take the shot?Complete
Maeve Linton's transfer from Manchester United to Arsenal was supposed to be a fresh start - new city, new teammates, and no unnecessary drama. Two years on, her career is thriving... but her personal life is a mess, thanks to her parents' relentless questions about her love life. In a moment of desperation, Maeve blurts out that she's already seeing someone. And when they press for details, she drags in the only person she trusts enough to fake it with - her best friend and teammate, Leah Williamson. Leah agrees, because that's what best friends do. They hold hands at family dinners, post the occasional carefully-staged photo, and laugh through awkward questions. But the longer they play pretend, the less it feels like acting. Jokes turn into late-night confessions. Staged kisses feel alarmingly real. And suddenly, Maeve and Leah are caught in a game neither of them prepared for. With the season heating up and feelings threatening to derail everything, the two must figure out if they're willing to risk their friendship for something more - or if love, like football, sometimes requires the boldest moves of all.
More detailsContent Guidelines