THE COST OF NOT WALKING AWAY
358 Words
It didn’t stop.
It got worse.
TOO CLOSE, TOO OFTEN
They found each other.
Not intentionally.
Not always.
But it kept happening.
After practice.
Between games.
Moments that weren’t supposed to exist—
Started becoming routine.
And that routine—
Was dangerous.
THE SECRET
No one said anything.
But people noticed.
“You’ve been different,” Marcus said one night.
Lena didn’t look up.
“How?”
“Distracted.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
Silence.
Because she couldn’t argue it.
Not anymore.
THE PRESSURE BUILDS
Coach watched her more closely now.
Noticing the hesitation.
The split-second delays.
The moments where she wasn’t fully present.
“You’re slipping,” he said after practice.
“I’m not.”
“Then prove it.”
The words hit hard.
Because she had something to prove now.
More than before.
And it wasn’t just about hockey anymore.
WHEN IT STARTS TO BREAK
The next game was rough.
Fast.
Physical.
Lena pushed harder.
Tried to shut everything else out.
But it didn’t work.
Because every time she stepped on the ice—
She felt him.
And every time—
It pulled her focus just enough to matter.
A missed pass.
A late reaction.
A goal against.
Her chest tightened.
Because now—
It wasn’t just affecting her.
It was costing the team.
THE CONFRONTATION
“You need to get your head straight.”
Coach’s voice was sharp.
“Or you’re sitting out next game.”
That—
That hit harder than anything else.
Because this—
This was the first real consequence.
THE TRUTH SHE CAN’T IGNORE
Later—
She found him.
Of course she did.
Because when things went wrong—
She always ended up there.
With him.
“This is messing everything up,” she said.
No anger.
Just truth.
Ethan didn’t deny it.
“Yeah.”
Her chest tightened.
“Then we stop.”
Silence.
Because that—
That was the logical answer.
The right one.
The only one that made sense.
But logic—
Didn’t matter anymore.
“Okay,” he said.
The word landed heavy.
Final.
And somehow—
That hurt more than anything else.
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