THE BEGINNING OF THE FALL
372 Words
It wasn’t supposed to get worse.
But it did.
TOO MUCH
Lena pushed harder.
Longer hours.
More drills.
Trying to force control back into something solid.
But the harder she pushed—
The more everything slipped.
Because this—
Wasn’t something she could outwork.
THE CONFRONTATION
“You’re going to burn out.”
Ethan’s voice was low, controlled.
Concerned.
And that—
That made it worse.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
“I said I am.”
A step closer.
“You don’t get to lie to me about this.”
Her chest tightened.
“Then stop acting like you know what I need.”
Silence.
Because that—
That wasn’t about hockey.
That was everything else.
THE TRUTH COMES OUT
“This is messing with you,” he said.
“No—it’s not.”
“Yes, it is.”
Her voice cracked slightly—
Just enough to give her away.
“And whose fault is that?” she snapped.
The words hit.
Hard.
Because now—
She was blaming him.
Or trying to.
Because blaming him was easier—
Than admitting the truth.
THE FRACTURE
Ethan stepped back.
Just slightly.
But it was enough.
“You think I wanted this to affect you?” he said quietly.
Her breath caught.
“Then why does it?”
A beat.
Because the answer—
Was obvious.
Even if she didn’t want to say it.
THE THING SHE WON’T SAY
Because it mattered.
Too much.
And the more it mattered—
The less control she had.
And that terrified her.
THE FIRST REAL DAMAGE
“I can’t lose this,” she said again.
Her voice sharper now.
More desperate.
“My career—this is everything.”
Ethan’s expression tightened.
“I’m not taking that from you.”
“But you are.”
Silence.
Because that—
That wasn’t fair.
But it felt true.
And sometimes—
That was worse.
THE BREAKING LINE
“Then maybe you should walk away,” he said.
The words were quiet.
But they hit like impact.
Her chest tightened painfully.
“Maybe I should.”
But neither of them moved.
Because walking away—
Was the one thing neither of them could actually do.
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