Fragile Fire

Talia Blake was the girl everyone warned Leah Williamson about.

Reckless on the pitch. Sharp with her words. Impossible to control. The media called her England's bad girl, the fans called her trouble, and most people decided who she was before she ever got the chance to prove them wrong.

So when Talia is called into England camp, Leah expects chaos.

She expects attitude.
She expects arguments.
She expects the headlines to be true.

But the longer Leah is forced to spend around her, the harder it becomes to ignore the cracks beneath Talia's perfect image. The unread messages she hides too quickly. The way her smile disappears when her phone rings. The tired eyes behind the sharp eyeliner. The fear she covers with fire.

Talia Blake is not just difficult.

She is hurting.

And as England camp pulls them closer, Leah begins to realise that the girl everyone calls trouble might be the one person who has never been protected enough to feel safe.

Talia is fire to the world.

But to Leah, she might just be fragile.