It's been a long day....
“Harry, you need to eat.”
Tobin just straightened her posture on the sofa. Other than that, the midfielder remained quiet.
“Why are you making this so hard? You need to eat so you can get better!” Allie shouted from the kitchen.
Tobin ignored her current housemate. It has been a month after she read the text. She didn’t call Christen or even text her to explain her situation. After the accident, luckily, her sister, Perry was in LA to help but after Tobin stubbornly refused to stay with her for the rest of her recovery, she relented. Even their mom cannot get Tobin to listen to reason. So they decide to let Tobin to get back to her apartment in Portland as she wanted.
But to her surprise, as she was wheeled out by one of the stewardess on the arrival gate, Allie and Baiti was already waiting for her. On their drive back toward her apartment, Allie just stated that they will be her housemate until further notice. Tobin initially refused because she didn’t want to disturb the newlyweds. They were supposed to be on their honeymoon. But the couple refused to budge from their decision.
“You need help, Tobs. Don’t be stubborn. It’s already decided.” Baiti just said when she brought it up.
For the past few weeks, Baiti and Allie took turns bringing her to the hospital for her physiotherapy. To be honest, Tobin really didn’t put that much of an effort in getting better. She didn’t see the point in that. It’s already end of the season league for women soccer and since their team was currently losing horribly she didn’t think her team will missed her. Her national duties of course suffered but since Jill didn’t have a lot of game schedule at the end of the year, Tobin is not worried. She will just missed three games after all. But if she was really honest to herself, she just didn’t have the courage yet to see Christen. Not with her new love interest.
She suddenly felt a slap from behind her head. “Oii! I’m talking to you here. Go eat. I’ve made you lunch.”
Tobin just rubbed her sore head but she didn’t make any move at all.
“Urgh…you are not paralyze, you just broke your damn foot. Go eat!" Allie instructed.
Tobin ignored her and continue watching the TV.
"Fine, be like that! You need to learn to use that crutch sooner or later. You can’t avoid it forever.” Allie said but she went back to the kitchen to take Tobin’s full plate and bring it back to her.
“Just eat something, Harry. If I don’t think it’s possible, you looked like sticks and bones! And you smell!”
“No I’m not!” Tobin replied back begrudgingly.
“Yes you do. Even Baiti think so but he was just being polite about it. You still need to take care of yourself, Harry.”
The midfielder just shrugged her shoulder.
“Do you want me to call her?” Allie threatened suddenly.
“No!” Tobin replied back vehemently.
She didn’t think she can bear the thoughts that Christen didn’t care about what happened to her. It’s better this way. She will just imagined that Christen was oblivious to what happened and that’s why the forward never texted or called her at all. Not because she didn’t care. She just didn’t know. Yeah, that’s it.
Only a handful of people knew about what happened to her. Other than her close friends, most of her teammates just assume Tobin took a long leave of absence due to her old injury. While in actual case was that she broke her left foot in the accident. Clean break, the doctor said. Lucky too, her sister added. But she didn’t feel that way. She just feel that maybe somewhere in the universe that it was giving her a sign that she was not meant to be with Christen.
Every night since the terrible accident, so many thoughts running through her mind.
Christen has clearly chose Alyssa. She should have just leave the forward alone.
She already had her chance and she blew it so she should just let Christen be happy.
Christen didn’t trust her. Nothing can change that.
She just want her to be happy. Alyssa seem to make her happy.
She should just give it up. It hurts but she should.
While Tobin continue busied herself with her own pity party, Allie in the meantime texted Alex.
Allie: She’s still the same, Al.
Alex: I think we better tell Chris.
Allie: But she asked us not to!
Alex: Well, I’m gonna tell Chris this week. If she really didn’t care about Tobin we don't have to talk about it. Toby will never know.
Allie: Urgh…I don’t think this is a good idea. But she refused to follow the doctor orders and I’m scared it's just getting worst.
Alex: I know. So that’s why we need Chris.
During the weekend, Allie watched Tobin trying to look uninterested in the Orlando vs Chicago game. She seem to perk up whenever the cameraman focus on Christen and when the forward score the winning goal on the 89th minute for her team she can see Tobin slight jump of excitement. Her face darken however, when she saw Christen hugging Alyssa during their group huddle. Allie just shook her head. If only this two can get their act together.
That night Allie received a text from Alex with only three words. “I told her. She didn't say anything.”
Since Alex didn’t text more than that, she know their mission to get Christen's help has failed. Now it is up to them to make sure their best friend doesn’t jeopardize her own future, Allie resolved.
After their visit to the hospital the next day, Allie resolves faltered. The doctor was reprimanding them for not getting Tobin to use her crutch. Her cast needed to remain because her bone was not healing properly. She supposed to start using her leg muscle but Tobin’s refusal to move from her perched on the sofa didn’t help at all. She only walked when she need to go to toilet and that’s it. Allie didn’t know what to do and that made her very frustrated. To avoid blasting her frustration on the morose midfielder, Allie just make up an excuse to go out from the house. She need some air.
An hour later after letting out her frustration on the phone to Alex and her husband, Allie took a deep breath before opening Tobin’s apartment door. When she walked into the living room, she was surprised to see that the midfielder was sitting on the stool at the kitchen instead of the sofa.
“Hey..” Allie greeted.
“Hey..” Tobin replied back unhappily.
“Erm…what are you doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing? I’m eating lunch!” Tobin replied back testily.
Ignoring the slight hurt she felt from Tobin’s tone, she looked down on what Tobin’s holding and that’s when she realised that there was a few Chinese takeout’s boxes on the counter.
“Oh? You’ve ordered in?” Allie asked back curiously.
Before Tobin can uttered another word, another voice answered from the hallway.
“No.. she did not. I did.” When Allie turned to face the owner of the voice, she can’t stop her smile from spreading over her face.
Looking at the dark hair woman in front of her, she now understand why Tobin was getting testy with her.
"Hey, Allie."
“Hi, Kell....”