Come Find Me
December 2023
Leah found out she was going to New York on a Tuesday morning while half-asleep in a recovery meeting.
"We'll need you there for the Earthshot and UN events," Arsenal's media manager was saying. "A few appearances. Panels. Press. Standard stuff."
Leah nodded automatically while stirring coffee that had already gone cold.
Then paused.
"Wait," she said slowly. "New York?"
"Three days."
Her stomach flipped immediately.
Which was deeply irritating.
Because she was twenty-six years old. Captain of England. Supposedly emotionally stable.
And yet somehow the thought of being in the same city as Elle Smith made her feel like she was seventeen again.
The meeting carried on around her but Leah barely heard another word.
Three thousand miles suddenly became... possible.
Real.
Dangerous.
By lunchtime she still hadn't texted Elle about it.
Mostly because she was overthinking every version of the message.
Hey, I'm coming to New York.
Too casual.
Want to meet while I'm there?
Too obvious.
Please say yes before I emotionally combust.
Too honest.
Leah groaned and dropped her forehead lightly against the steering wheel of her car in Arsenal's parking lot.
Her phone buzzed.
As if summoned by the universe itself.
Leah opened it immediately.
A blurry rooftop video of Manhattan at sunset. Wind catching Elle's curls while Frank Ocean played faintly in the background.
Caption:
New York in winter feels like a movie until the wind attacks you personally.
Leah smiled helplessly.
God.
Everything about this girl felt cinematic.
Before she could lose her nerve, Leah replied.
Good news.
Almost instantly:
That sounds threatening.
Leah laughed softly to herself.
I'm coming to New York next week.
There was no reply for twelve whole seconds.
Leah counted.
Which was insane behaviour.
Then finally:
You're joking.
Would never joke about international travel.
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then:
Leah Williamson are you serious right now
Leah bit back a grin.
Unfortunately yes.
Her phone rang immediately.
FaceTime.
Leah answered before the second ring.
Elle appeared on screen breathless, standing in what looked like a bookstore aisle.
"You're coming here?" she asked immediately.
Leah leaned back against the car seat, smiling despite herself. "That is generally how flights work."
"Oh my God."
"You alright there?"
"No actually," Elle laughed nervously, brushing curls from her face. "You can't just casually drop that into conversation."
Leah's chest warmed at the reaction.
Which was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"I didn't realise you'd be this excited to see me."
Elle stared at her for a second too long.
Then smiled slowly.
"That's because you're annoying."
Leah laughed quietly.
Around them, people crossed the Arsenal car park, but the world suddenly felt very far away.
"When?" Elle asked softly.
"Tuesday."
"That's soon."
"Yeah."
Neither spoke for a second.
Because suddenly this wasn't hypothetical anymore.
This wasn't late-night voice notes and flirting through screens and falling asleep mid-conversation.
This was real.
Leah was actually going to see her.
Actually hear her laugh in person.
Actually exist in the same space as her.
And terrifyingly, Leah wanted that more than she should.
"You know what's embarrassing?" Elle admitted finally.
"What?"
"I've imagined meeting you like... eighty times."
Leah grinned immediately. "Only eighty?"
"Shut up."
"What happens in these imaginary meetings?"
Elle pointed at the screen threateningly. "I'm hanging up."
Leah laughed properly now, head falling back against the seat.
God, she liked this girl.
Far too much already.
—
Over the next week the flirting somehow got worse.
Or better.
Depending on perspective.
Elle started sending Leah photos of places around New York with captions like:
Potential date location.
Leah replied:
Bold assumption that I'm taking you on a date.
Elle instantly:
You're flying across the Atlantic and smiling at your phone like an idiot. Be serious.
Leah genuinely had no comeback to that.
Which annoyed her immensely.
Three nights before the flight, Leah sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor surrounded by clothes she'd thrown from her suitcase.
She held up two jumpers to the camera.
"Be honest."
Elle squinted through the FaceTime screen from her apartment couch.
"They're literally identical."
"They're different shades."
"Leah."
"One says emotionally available."
"None of your clothes say emotionally available."
Leah burst out laughing.
"You're horrible."
"You like me."
Leah looked down briefly, smiling to herself.
Too much.
That was the problem.
She liked Elle too much already.
And maybe Elle realised it too because her voice softened slightly when she next spoke.
"You nervous?"
Leah hesitated.
"Little bit."
"Why?"
Because what if the chemistry disappeared in person?
Because what if reality couldn't live up to this?
Because what if Leah had accidentally built a home inside conversations with someone she'd never even touched?
Instead she shrugged lightly.
"Haven't met someone I actually wanted to impress in a while."
Elle went quiet.
Then smiled slowly.
"Good," she said softly. "Me neither."
Leah's heart stuttered embarrassingly hard.
Outside her London window, rain slid down the glass in silver lines.
In New York, snow had started falling lightly behind Elle's apartment skyline.
Six hours apart.
Three days away from finally meeting.
And both of them already knew this was about to change everything.