Her
London — March 2023
The first time Leah mentioned Elle to the team without trying to sound casual, Beth Mead nearly fell off the treatment table.
It happened by accident.
Which honestly was becoming a recurring problem where Elle was concerned.
Arsenal training had finished late, rain hammering against the windows while half the squad stayed behind in the recovery room complaining dramatically about ice baths.
Leah sat on the floor beside her locker retaping her wrist while Katie McCabe argued loudly with someone across the room about music.
Normal chaos.
Beth walked in carrying coffees and immediately threw one toward Leah.
"Your girlfriend texted yet?"
The room went silent for exactly half a second.
Then every head turned.
Leah looked up slowly. "Why are you all obsessed with my personal business?"
"OH MY GOD," Alessia Russo shouted from across the room. "She admitted it."
Beth looked deeply smug. "Thank you."
Leah realised her mistake immediately.
Too late.
Katie physically gasped. "There's a girlfriend?"
Leah groaned into her hands while the entire room erupted.
"A secret American girlfriend?"
"You are so private for no reason."
"Wait—is this the New York girl?"
"Oh she's DOWN bad."
Leah looked genuinely betrayed. "Beth, I trusted you."
Beth grinned. "And now you're in love. Beautiful character development."
Leah rolled her eyes but couldn't stop smiling slightly anyway.
Which only made it worse.
Because now everyone noticed that too.
The softness.
The automatic smile whenever Elle came up.
Katie narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You really like her."
Leah shrugged weakly. "Maybe."
The room exploded again.
"Oh my God she's gone."
"Cooked."
"Emotionally deceased."
Leah laughed helplessly despite herself.
Because maybe it was embarrassing.
But it was also true.
Elle had somehow become part of every version of her life now.
The quiet one.
The football one.
The family one.
And for the first time in a long time, Leah didn't really want to hide that anymore.
—
Later that week Leah sat at Sunday dinner with her family again, phone face-down beside her plate.
Her mum noticed immediately.
"You're less miserable."
Leah blinked. "That's incredibly harsh."
"It's true."
Her brother pointed accusingly with a fork. "You've become one of those people."
"What people?"
"The constantly smiling at texts people."
Leah tried not to smile.
Failed instantly.
Traitorous face.
Her mum laughed softly from across the table. "How is Elle?"
And there it was again.
Not the girl from New York.
Not "your friend."
Elle.
Like she already belonged inside conversations here.
Leah looked down at her plate briefly before answering.
"She's good."
Too soft.
Way too soft.
Her brother physically gagged. "Disgusting."
Leah threw bread at him.
But inside her chest something warm settled quietly into place again.
Because this was new.
Not hiding.
Not pretending someone didn't matter.
Grace used to exist in blurred lines and unfinished conversations and almosts.
But Elle?
Elle was real enough to say out loud.
Real enough that Leah caught herself mentioning her naturally now.
Her brother leaned back dramatically. "You're actually in love. This is insane."
Leah rolled her eyes automatically.
Then paused.
Because for once, the word didn't scare her.
Not anymore.
Her phone buzzed against the table.
Leah smiled immediately.
Hopelessly.
Her mum noticed and laughed quietly to herself.
"There it is again."
"What?"
"That face."
Leah looked down at the message one more time before typing back.
Miss you.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Miss you more, captain.
And sitting there at the kitchen table surrounded by family while rain fell softly outside, Leah realised something simple and terrifying:
Elle wasn't just becoming part of her life anymore.
She already was.