Heathrow
London — Two Days Later
Long distance hurt immediately.
That was the problem.
There was no slow adjustment period. No gentle easing back into normal life.
One moment Leah was waking up with Elle tangled sleepily against her in a New York hotel bed.
The next she was standing in Heathrow Airport at six in the morning feeling like someone had physically removed something from her chest.
The worst part?
They hadn't even dated properly yet.
And somehow Leah already missed her constantly.
"Earth to Williamson."
Leah blinked and looked up from her phone.
Beth Mead sat across from her in the Arsenal recovery room with an ice pack balanced on one knee and the most irritatingly knowing expression Leah had ever seen.
"You've smiled at your phone thirty-six times today."
"That's wildly specific."
"I counted."
Leah rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the grin pulling at her mouth anyway.
Because her phone had just buzzed again.
Leah smiled immediately.
Unfortunately.
Another message came instantly.
Tragic. Stay strong soldier.
God.
Everything felt lighter when she texted.
That was the issue.
Leah leaned back against the treatment table while physios moved around the gym nearby. London rain streaked softly against the windows. Christmas music played faintly through speakers someone should legally be banned from touching.
Her knee hurt today.
Not badly.
Just enough to remind her rehab still existed.
But weirdly, for the first time in months, football wasn't consuming every thought in her head.
Now there was Elle.
Elle laughing against her mouth in Manhattan.
Elle reading beside hotel windows.
Elle on that rooftop asking her to stay.
Leah had never expected another person to become part of her inner world this quickly.
And honestly?
It terrified her slightly.
"You're gone again," Beth observed.
"What?"
"You've got the face."
"There's apparently a face now."
"There is absolutely a face."
Leah shook her head laughing quietly.
Beth narrowed her eyes. "Is this New York girl serious?"
Leah's expression softened instinctively before she could stop it.
And that answered the question immediately.
Beth leaned back dramatically. "Oh my God."
"Relax."
"You're emotionally invested."
Leah groaned and dropped her head back against the wall.
Because yes.
That was exactly the problem.
—
That night London felt unbearably quiet.
Leah lay sprawled across her sofa still jet lagged, Arsenal hoodie pulled over her head while FaceTime lit her living room blue.
Elle appeared curled sideways in bed wearing glasses and one of Leah's hoodies she'd "accidentally" left behind.
Leah stared immediately.
"Oh that's evil."
Elle blinked innocently. "What?"
"You're wearing my hoodie."
"Yes."
"In my defence," Elle continued calmly, "it smells like you."
Leah physically covered her face with one hand.
"Jesus Christ."
Elle laughed softly. "You're blushing."
"I absolutely am not."
"You absolutely are."
Leah groaned louder.
God.
She was down catastrophically.
The distance between London and New York suddenly felt enormous tonight. Painfully enormous.
Because now Leah knew exactly what Elle's laugh sounded like in person. Knew how warm her skin felt. Knew what it was like falling asleep beside her.
Screens suddenly felt insufficient.
"You look tired," Elle said softly after a moment.
"Training."
"That's your answer for everything."
"Usually true."
Elle studied her quietly through the screen.
Then softer—
"You miss me?"
Leah looked down briefly.
Smiled helplessly.
"Bit."
Elle laughed quietly. "Liar."
Leah sighed dramatically. "Fine. A lot."
The honesty settled warmly between them.
Neither joked for a second.
Just looked at each other through separate cities and separate time zones and the awful reality of an ocean between them.
Then Elle smiled slowly.
"You know what I realised?"
"What?"
"You flirt more when you're sad."
Leah burst out laughing immediately.
"That's deeply manipulative information for you to have."
"I'm just saying," Elle grinned, "you've called me beautiful four times tonight."
Leah leaned back against the sofa smiling to herself.
Because maybe this was terrifying.
Maybe the timing was complicated and the distance worse.
Maybe she was still recovering from injury and rebuilding herself piece by piece.
But when Elle smiled at her through that tiny phone screen from thousands of miles away—
everything still felt worth it somehow.