Invisible String [T.S-E.S BOOK ONE]

18

May 15th, 2013

"Did you guys land in Portland?" Taylor asks Eleanor as soon as she answers the call.

"Well hello to you too." Eleanor laughed in response. "We just got to the hotel."

Since Taylor left to continue her tour, the two of them spent most days on the phone with each other when they weren't busy with their careers. It felt like the most natural thing is the world as they sat on the phone together. It was exciting and new, yet familiar all at once.

The only problem was the secrecy.

Eleanor didn't want to force Taylor into anything and she understood taking their time to come out, she just couldn't help feeling like she was making things harder. As an out athlete, she felt like people would make the jump way too quickly. Her and Taylor had already seen some fan theories on twitter and tumblr. She would hate herself if she was the reason Taylor was outed and lost all that she had been working for. But Taylor didn't seem overly worried yet, so she'd just take her cues from her. She couldn't ruin the one good thing she had let herself have.

"Are you staying there or with Al and Kel?" Eleanor could hear rustling on the other line and people talking over one another, meaning Taylor would have to go for rehearsal soon.

"I'm going to the team meeting and then to their place." Eleanor told her, a soft smile spreading across her face. "But it sounds like you've gotta go baby, so I'll call you before the game tomorrow?"

"I'll be in sound check." Taylor sighed. "I'll call you after when I'm with your family."

Eleanor's face lit up at the idea of getting to talk to her family and her girlfriend. "Yeah we'll talk then for sure."

Someone shouted something over on Taylor's end. "Ugh!" She groaned. "I have to go. I love you."

Eleanor could hear the smile in her voice. Neither of them ever seemed to get tired of those three little words that heals so much. "I love you too."

And just like that, her anxiety began to simmer. Even after they hung up and were separated by the thousands of miles between Portland and Houston. Taylor had that effect on her.

"Well listen to that, Slate's in love." Her teammate, Kendall, came up behind her and patted her shoulder with a wide grin.

"Oh we knew that." Christie laughed, also behind her.

Eleanor turned around, shaking her head. They had decided not to tell anyone except their families, the National Team, Alex, Kelley, Emma, Selena, Abby, and Hayley, so her Sky Blue teammates were none the wiser. But Eleanor hadn't exactly had the chance to tell the National Team or Alex and Kelley yet. They wanted to do it in person, so Slate would tell Alex and Kelley this weekend and the National Team when she went to Canada for their friendly.

So how the hell did Christie know?

"I don't know what you mean Rampone?" She played innocent.

Christie just smirked. "I was at the Olympics." She told her as she walked away.

Okay so maybe Eleanor hadn't been so subtle about her love for Taylor or her confusion. Maybe she owed Maisy an apology. She did feel kind of shitty about dating the one girl she had told Maisy she hand nothing to worry about. No matter how toxic Maisy may have been, no one deserves that punch in the gut.

She shook off her guilt and turned to Kendall, focused on throwing her off of the subject of her love life. "I guess you'll have to find out for yourself." She shrugged nonchalantly as she walked with the player into the hotel conference room.