I arrive at St. George's Park for International Break and, before I can even pull my bags out of the boot, I hear the sound of footsteps thudding behind me. Within seconds, Rachel's arms are thrown around my shoulders, nearly knocking me off balance as she jumps on me.

"Rachel, you're gonna break my shoulders." I laugh, trying to shift the weight of both my bag and her as I turn around, pulling her into a proper hug. We rock from side to side for a few seconds, our laughter blending with the cool morning air.

"How are you?" I ask, catching my breath, but before I can finish the question, she cuts me off.

"Forget me, Els. How are you?" There's something mischievous in her tone as she raises an eyebrow.

I know exactly where she's going with this. I try to play it cool, hoisting my bag higher on my shoulder and pretending to be oblivious. "What do you mean?"

Her voice practically explodes with mock disbelief. "Caitlin Foord?" She stops walking, grabbing my arm to make me face her. "You kissed Caitlin Foord on the pitch in front of everyone and you think I wouldn't be asking about that?!"

Before I can respond, I hear another voice approaching. "Wait, wait-what's this about Caitlin?" Millie's arm snakes around my shoulders as she joins us, grinning like she already knows the answer.

Rachel doesn't miss a beat. "You saw her kiss Foord, didn't you?" She points to Millie, her voice getting louder, almost excited.

Millie nods, clearly thrilled to be part of the conversation now. "Oh, I definitely did. It was impossible to miss. So, spill the details!"

I sigh dramatically, trying to stop the heat from creeping up my cheeks as both of them close in on me. "Alright, fine," I say, holding my hands up in surrender. "Yes, I kissed Caitlin. And yes, we're together." I say with some uncertainty in my voice. "We were dating in secret, then some... complications broke us apart. But now we're back together."

"Elena's in love," Georgia sing-songs, popping up out of nowhere with a grin on her face.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." I roll my eyes, shaking my head, but I can't fight the smile that tugs at my lips. I'm trying to stay low-key, but the girls' teasing is relentless. Before I know it, we're walking towards the lounge, and I can hear them whispering behind me, still buzzing with the news.

The moment we walk into the lounge, all heads snap towards me. My heart sinks for a second before I realize it's not serious-it's just this again.

"God, you guys are treating me like I've just said I've seen Jesus in my front room." I collapse onto the sofa next to Lucy, groaning in exaggerated frustration.

Lucy chuckles, patting me on the back. "Did you see him?"

The familiar sound of Leah's laugh comes from the corner of the room. "You sounded so much like Beth just then," I say, still laughing myself. "Did anyone else hear that? Or am I just missing her too much?"

Beth had been injured in our game against United. Seeing her collapse on the ground, clutching her knee, was terrifying. But finding out she'd done her ACL was worse. I stayed by her side until the medics took her inside. Jonas told me to focus on the game, but my mind stayed with Beth the whole time. It's been hard not having her around.

"I miss Beth too." Mary says quietly, taking a seat on the arm of the sofa beside us.

"My room's going to be so empty without her now," I sigh, letting the genuine sadness slip into my voice. "Who's going to piss me off every night until I have to cover my ears with my pillow?"

Jordan chuckles from across the room. "Let's call her," she suggests, and before I can even say yes, she's already pulling out her phone.

Everyone laughs as I eagerly scoot closer, waiting for Beth to pick up. She answers within the first ring, her face lighting up the screen as everyone cheers.

"Hellooo," I say, grinning like an idiot, and the whole team erupts into more laughter.

"Same old Elena," Lucy pats my shoulder, amused.

"Beth, how have you been?" Alex asks, leaning over me to get a look at the phone.

Beth's expression softens, but there's a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Alright, I suppose. Wish I was with you guys."

Jordan doesn't miss a beat, turning the camera back toward me. "Elena misses you."

I instantly recoil, scrunching up my nose in denial. "Ew, who said that?"

Beth, of course, seizes the opportunity to mock me. "Aww, Elena misses me," she says, placing her hand dramatically over her heart.

I roll my eyes, but before I can respond, Beth suddenly turns the camera toward someone else-someone I recognize immediately. A familiar brunette who's trying and failing to hide her face behind her hoodie sleeve.

The team erupts into a collective "Aww" as Caitlin peeks at the camera shyly, her eyes flicking up for just a moment before she looks away again, clearly flustered by the attention. My own cheeks heat up as I realize everyone's watching me closely.

"Go on then, say something," Rachel nudges me, but I can't even muster a proper response. I hide my face in my elbow, the heat of embarrassment creeping up my neck as the girls laugh around me.

"It's okay, Cait's shy too," Beth says, her voice teasing. I can hear Caitlin mumble something in the background, and the sound of her voice makes me laugh despite myself.

Rachel nudges me again, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Go on, Elena, don't get all shy now!"

I hide my face further in my elbow, cheeks burning as I try to play it cool, but the team isn't having it. They're all waiting for me to say something, teasing smiles on their faces. Leah's biting her lip to keep from laughing, and Jordan's practically bouncing on her toes, waiting for me to react.

"C'mon, Els, you were pretty bold on the pitch! What's happened to all that confidence now?" Millie teases, shaking her head.

I look up at the screen where Caitlin is still sitting next to Beth, hood up, trying not to meet my eyes, and I feel my heart do that stupid flutter thing it always does when I see her. The fact that she's shy right now makes me smile wider than I intended to.

"Hi, Cait," I finally say, waving awkwardly at the camera.

Caitlin glances up and waves back, her smile small but unmistakably warm. "Hey," she says softly, and I can hear the team collectively sigh at how awkward we're both being.

"She's blushing! Look at her!" Rachel points out, laughing and causing the rest of the team to join in.

I groan and lean back into the couch, pulling the hood of my own hoodie over my head. "God, you lot are relentless," I mutter, though I'm smiling despite myself.

Leah leans closer, still grinning. "It's alright, Elena. We're just happy for you. It's nice seeing you like this."

Before I can respond, Beth interjects from the screen. "Alright, enough bullying Elena for now. I'll handle the teasing next time I see her."

The team chuckles at that, and I feel a sense of relief that the attention is shifting away from me for a moment. But then Beth turns the camera back towards Caitlin, who's now leaning back in her chair, looking a little less shy but still very much in the background of the conversation.

There's a moment of silence as we all look at each other, and it's almost like the weight of everything - the past few months, the kiss, the confusion - hangs between us, even through the phone screen.

Then Caitlin clears her throat, her voice a little more confident now. "I'll... uh, see you soon, yeah?" she says, looking directly at me.

I nod, my heart skipping a beat at the soft promise in her words. "Yeah, see you soon."

Rachel leans in, smirking as she whispers loud enough for everyone to hear, "You two are so cute, it's ridiculous."

Before I can throw a pillow at her, the phone call ends, leaving the room in a brief moment of silence. It feels like a strange, surreal mix of relief and tension, knowing that things between me and Caitlin are slowly getting better but still complicated.

Jordan breaks the silence by stretching dramatically, getting up from the couch. "Alright, as much as I love gossip hour, we've got training tomorrow, and I'm not about to get chewed out by Sarina for being late."

The rest of the team murmurs in agreement, and we all start to disperse, heading towards our rooms. Leah lingers for a moment, patting me on the back as she passes by. "Don't worry, Els. You've got this. We'll be here for you, whatever happens."

I nod, grateful for her support but still feeling a strange sense of uncertainty. I head to my room, my thoughts swirling between Caitlin, the kiss, and the future we might have if we can get past all the history between us.

As I close the door behind me, I sit on the edge of the bed, exhaling slowly. My phone buzzes, and I glance down to see a message from Caitlin.

𝘾𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣

𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙀𝙡𝙨.

I smile at the screen, my heart warming at the thought of her, despite the nerves still twisting in my stomach.

𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝘾𝙖𝙞𝙩.
𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙝, 𝙡𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬.

I put my phone down and lie back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. It's a small step, but it's something. And for now, that's enough.