I walk out of the office, slamming the door on my way out like Leah did. Jonas calls my name from behind me several times but I dont stop and turn around. I dont think I can listen to what more he has to say, I've heard enough already.
'You and Leah are going to to commit to a pr relationship' is what they said.
My thoughts are all over the place, my entire body is overwhelmed. I run one of my hands through my hair anxiously, trying to slow my breathing down.
'It will be good for both of your cases' they said.
That's not how I see it. It won't do any good for me. If anything, it will do me even more damage. This is the last thing I need right now.
'It won't last long, just until all this press settles down'
My legs won't stop walking further away from Jonas' office. Having to see Leah every day as it is is torture, having to act like we're friends in front of cameras is nearly impossible, how am I supposed to pretend to like this girl? Or even love her enough to be in a relationship with her?
'I know you aren't fond of the idea but there is only one way out of it...'
Jonas might not have said it, but I know what he meant. Either agree to fake date with the devil or leave Arsenal and possibly the WSL for good. If only it were that easy.
The entire thing feels so unreal, and if it wasn't for the paper I'm holding in my hand confirms it, I would probably feel like I imagined the entire thing. I skimmed through the paper quickly, not reading too much of it in detail, but there's a set of rules in it which we supposedly have to follow if we agree to it. At the end of it, there's a blank space where my signature has to go.
How am I going to survive this?
Katie's POV
I'm walking around the training ground lost in my thoughts when I bump into her.
"Hailey" I say and she looks up to look at me.
"Katie" she says and I can hear it in her voice that she's not doing okay. Her eyes are red and she looks lost, like she's not paying attention to anything that's going on around her right now.
I duck down to reach for a paper that fell out of her hands.
"Whats this?" I ask, beginning to read it but Hailey practically snatches it away from my hands.
"Dont worry about it" she says, hiding the paper behind her back.
"Are you alright?" I ask, concerned even though it's a stupid question; she's clearly exhausted.
She doesn't reply at first and then lets out a long sigh.
"It's just been a very long day" Hailey forces a reassuring smile on her face, trying to make me see that she's alright when she's clearly not.
I dont like it when she does that. I dont like it when she hides her feelings from me. I want to help her but I can't if she won't let me.
"Was Jonas that harsh on you?" I reach for her arm, slowly stroking it to comfort her.
I'm dying to ask about what they talked about, about why Leah was half naked with her, but it doesn't seem like the right time to do that. I dont want to make her feel worse.
"Well you know... Jonas was just being Jonas"
It's true that Jonas can be a bit... determined about certain things sometimes although ive never experienced it myself. The head coach has always been very fond of me and it really seems like I can do no wrong in his eyes, however I can't say the same when it comes to Hailey. She's clearly struggling.
"Come here" I pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her in a hug. She seems like she needs one. I gently stroke her head, trying to let her understand that im here for her.
"You'll be alright"I reassure her and when she pulls away from my embrace to look at me, she gives me a smile.
Hailey's POV
"Thank you Katie" I tell her, genuinely.
"Why dont you go and rest for a bit?" she says with concern in her eyes.
I dont think I would be able to rest with all that's been going on around me right now, but I still want to curl up in my bed and do nothing for the rest of the day.
'Yeah, that sounds like a great idea right now"
"Can I walk with you?"
"Sure"
We walk back to the apartment complex, Katie keeping me company and talking to me about the upcoming game against Aston Villa this weekend, her life back home in Ireland, her dreams and where she sees herself the future which really takes my mind off things.
As we are walking, our hands brush together every now and then, and jolts of electricity run through my entire body. I can't figure out if this is because I haven't been with anyone in a very long time, or if it's because I actually feel something fort Katie. It's just that she seems to be the only one that genuinely cares about me and my feelings and maybe that's why she has really grown on me.
"Here we are" I say while turning a bit towards Katie when we get to my apartment.
"You get some rest alright?"
"Yes sir!" I say while smiling at her. She returns it.
"Night Katie" I use my key to open the door, but just as I am about to walk in...
"Hailey" I turn towards Katie to face her. She is standing there looking a little nervous.
'Yeah?" I say to encourage her to say whatever it was that she was just about to say, but instead she looks down to my lips and then back again into my eyes, as if she is rethinking her actions before taking my arm, pulling me towards her.
Katie's POV
I smash my lips into hers, taking my chances and doing exactly what ive been thinking about doing since the very first time I saw her.
This is wrong... very wrong... but it feels so right.
I can feel her tense at first, taken aback by my actions but as I slowly bite her lower lip, she eases in to my touch and goes with it, kissing me back.
My hands are on her waist, my tongue in her mouth, my stomach twisting in knots. She drives me fucking crazy.
Its scary how addictive she is, how one look in her eyes and she's got me wrapped around her finger, how all it took from her was a kiss for me to not want to hold back.
Hailey whimpers when I bite on her lower lip again and it drives me crazy. Nothing could be heard apart from our heavy breathing. She wraps one of her hands around my neck, pulling me closer to her while my grip on her tightens.
Just as im starting to think she will invite me into her apartment, she pulls away, taking a deep breath.
"Katie"
Hailey looks up at me with an expression I can't read. Is that perhaps... regret? Did I misinterpret this? All the glances she would give me, all the smirks and the comments she would make about me. Was she just being nice?
My face drops because of the way she is looking at me. It hurts because I'm exploding from excitement and she probably can't wait to get away from me.
'Im sorry, I shouldn't have done that" I say dropping my hands from her waist.
"No, its not that its just..." she says while putting her hand on my upper arm, making me look at her, "its complicated"
Complicated? What does she mean by that?
I look at her, confusion in my face.
"Im sorry but I can't explain it to you... at least not yet" she says, taking my hands in hers.
"You know you can tell me anything right? If there is something-"
"You can't help me" her eyes starting to water, "not this time"
She gives my hand a nice squeeze before letting go and going inside her apartment. I stand there, frozen, the feeling of her lips on mine still lingering.
What is going on?
Hailey's POV
Im still standing by the door, my back pressed against it.
I dont know if it's been just a few minutes or an hour, but I can't stop thinking about everything. It's like my mind won't turn off. Everything has been happened so fast and I dont like it. It feels like im not in control anymore, like I can't make my choices anymore, like other people are living my life for me.
I hurt Katie by what I did, I can tell and I hate myself for it. She has been nothing but kind to me and I... I dont know how I feel. But it still doesn't matter. Not anymore.
I grab the contract that's lying on the floor, opening my apartment door and walking out. Thankfully Katie is not still standing there.
Maybe I need to take some time to think about this before jumping into action...
I stand there for a few minutes. Some noise and movement could be heard from inside before the door to the apartment unlocks.
"Why are you here?"