Chapter 6
The next morning, after the England win that caused the team to celebrate until late, Katie sat on the old wooden bench in the park next to her new house, her fingers tracing the outline a carving in the wood. It was a sunny afternoon, the kind that made everything feel just a little bit too bright, as though the world was conspiring to make her feel every ounce of her discomfort. She’d been sitting there for an hour, watching people pass by, trying to summon the courage to text Caitlin. It was always easier when Caitlin had reached out first—Katie could never find the right words, the right tone, when it was her turn. That’s how they had gotten into this position before.
The whole thing felt ridiculous now. Now that she had realised her feelings and realised that not everything had to fall into place before a move was made.
They used to be inseparable, Katie and Caitlin, they used to co-exist. The kind of friends who shared secrets no matter how terrible or deep, the ones that made up inside jokes that no one else understood and spent hours talking about everything or nothing. Then... it had all shifted and within a week, they were like a puzzle piece that didn't fit anymore.
Katie hadn’t realised how much Caitlin had meant too her until the night of the kiss in the bar and then the continuing of the evening at home, her eyes had been opened and now she had a mountain to climb to fix her friendship.
“Katie?” A sudden voice said, startling her.
Katie looked up, heart leaping in her chest. There she was. Caitlin. Her hair down and sunglasses pushing it off her face. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Katie could see the uncertainty in Caitlin’s eyes, the way she was fidgeting with the strap of her bag. It was like no time had passed at all and yet, everything had changed.
“Hi,” Caitlin finally said, her voice quieter than Katie remembered. “Can I sit?”
Katie nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn’t expected to feel this nervous—this unsure. But seeing Caitlin again, especially after their admissions yesterday afternoon, felt like waking up from a dream, one where everything had been familiar, but somehow just a little bit off. Caitlin sat down beside her, just a little too far away.
They both stared ahead at the small body of water in the park, the sound of the water splashing from the fountain
“I’ve missed you, I don’t think we’ve gone more than a few hours without talking before,” Caitlin said after a while, her voice barely above a whisper.
Katie’s chest tightened, the weight of the words pulling at her. She looked at Caitlin and smiled.
“I’ve missed you too,” Katie said softly. “After... after that night, I just didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t think and I said the wrong things and I blamed you”
Caitlin turned toward her, her gaze intense. “I ran away too,” she said, the words heavy with regret. “I was scared that you hated me and was disgusted. I... I didn’t know what you meant or thought. And I guess I just assumed you didn’t want me.”
Katie shook her head, biting her lip.
“I’ve spent the last week or so overthinking so much Cait and I know now for sure I do want you. And god, I’m so sorry, I never want you to think I’m disgusted by you, far from it. When I went back home, I used it to reflect, and I know the time it took me to realise how I feel is unfair, so I get it if you don’t believe me. But Amanda really helped, I was trying to be ready for everything and it went too quickly, I got in my head that I’d mess it all up and ruin us, without realising that our friendship is stronger than any silly mistakes. Amanda said that we’re best friends and figuring this out together is worth more than apart. I know its silly, but it opened my eyes. Theres a reason we have fallen for each other is because we’re good together, we’ve just got to do it together” Katie admitted honestly.
A deep silence settled between them again, but this time, it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that comes from understanding. From acknowledging the mess they’d both been in, the confusion that had clouded everything.
“I never meant to hurt you by leaving and giving you the cold shoulder,” Caitlin said, her voice quieter now, as if the words had been weighing on her for a long time. “I thought if I just... backed off, we could go back to normal. But I couldn’t go back to normal, I fell for you a long time ago Katie. I hated myself for letting it go too far, I tried to stop the feelings getting too strong and I hate myself for pushing them on you, my intention was to never let them surface.”
Katie looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time in a long while. She saw the vulnerability in Caitlin’s eyes, the way her hands were clenched tightly in her lap.
“I’m glad you did let them come through. I’m not sure if you remember that I realised my feelings for you before you kissed me. I encouraged everything and also flirted back with you. So please don’t blame yourself.” Katie said, her voice thick with emotion. “I freaked out because I developed feelings very soon after my relationship ended, I knew I didn’t want a rebound and I was worried about jumping in again”
For a moment, they both just sat there, the weight of their words hanging in the air, soft and fragile. Then, slowly, Caitlin turned to her, a small, tentative smile on her face. She moved her hand from her lap and covered Katies which was still tracing the carvings in the bench.
“I’ve got you Katie, okay? At least we both now know each others feelings” Caitlin said a bit perkier than before.
Katie’s heart swelled in her chest. She could feel the old bond between them, beginning to shift back into place. Maybe it wasn’t about going back. Maybe it was about moving forward—learning from the mistakes, the pain, the silence. Maybe it was about being brave enough to try again.
“I’m mad at you for moving out” Caitlin said, a smirk appearing on her face. She bumped her shoulder with Katie who gasped, feigning surprise.
“I gathered with how your face dropped on the phone. I’m sorry for it being out of the blue, I was looking before we… you know… but it never really came up. But it’s a nice place, it’ll be a good base and we can spent time together alone?” Katie said hopefully.
“That’ll be nice.” Caitlin nodded in confirmation, moving to close the gap between them on the bench. “Lets go and get some lunch” she said happily and pulled Katie to stand up. Grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly.
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The afternoon was spent walking through St Albans until they ended up outside Katie’s house, wondering what was next.
“Thank you for lunch, I guess I’ll text you?” Caitlin said squeezing Katie’s hand that she was holding
“Woah woah you’re not coming in?” Katie asked shocked.
“I’ve not been invited?” Caitlin pointed out laughing.
“Please come in. I thought I could show you the new digs and maybe we can watch the match? Its on at 6 so got enough time to cook dinner and relax?” Katie asked with a cheeky grin, Caitlin nodded smiling widely.
Afternoons and days like this were their favourite — just the two of them, no distractions. No tension. Just laughter, easy conversation, and the quiet hum of a game in the background. They were cooking dinner together, something simple but satisfying: a big pot of risotto, fresh bread on the side, and a salad with tomatoes they’d picked up from the market earlier in the day.
“Do you think this is enough garlic?” Caitlin asked, holding up a bulb of garlic with a raised eyebrow. “I feel like you can never have too much, but… I don’t know. I might be getting carried away.”
Katie took a sip of her wine, considering the question. “I think garlic is the foundation of every good meal,” she said, a grin tugging at her lips. “More garlic. Definitely.”
Caitlin laughed, clearly pleased with the answer. “You’re just saying that because you know I’ll do it.”
Katie shrugged, smiling. “It’s true, though. You can’t go wrong with garlic. It’s like a secret ingredient. Like… life’s little cheat code.”
Caitlin rolled her eyes but smiled as she continued to work. Katie, content to be near her, set down her glass and started working on the salad, chopping tomatoes with deliberate slowness. The familiar rhythm of cooking together was grounding, and Katie felt a pull to where Caitlin was standing, touching her at every opportunity.
“You know,” Caitlin said, suddenly quieter, “I’m really glad we’re doing this. I mean, it’s nice, isn’t it? Just… like this. No rush. No pressure.”
Katie looked up, catching the sincerity in Caitlin’s eyes. Her heart gave a little lurch.
“Yeah,” Katie agreed softly. “It’s perfect, actually.” She stopped what she was doing and put her hands on Caitlin’s hips and slowly pulled her face down to hers, meeting her lips gently.
Caitlin smiled after pulling away, a little shyly, before turning her attention back to the garlic. “So, which game are you wanting to watch tonight?” she asked, as if to change the subject. “Theres Switzerland or Germany.”
Katie nodded, “Switzerland. May as well support Lia.”
Caitlin laughed. “You’re not going to get jealous are you?” she eyes suspiciously
Katie gave her a playful look. “Maybe. Depends if you still fancy Lia. I recall asking if you were seeing someone new, you may have said no but we’ve never actually discussed the Sam comments”
Caitlin raised her eyebrows. “Oh so this is a thing?”
Katie laughed, then shrugged. “Maybe.”
Caitlin chuckled, nodding as she chopped a few more cloves of garlic. “Alright, alright. I’ll entertain you.”
“But not right now” Caitlin said as she looked at Katie who was about to respond.
The conversation shifted after that, back to the game and the risotto, and before long, dinner was ready. They settled down in front of the TV, switching the game on, their plates piled high with food, and a bottle of wine in the middle, half-opened.
“Here we go,” Caitlin said, flopping down onto the sofa with a bowl of risotto in her lap. “Let’s see what the Swiss can do.”
Katie sat next to her, their shoulders brushing, both of them leaning forward slightly as the teams lined up. It was one of those moments—quiet, unspoken, just the two of them sharing something small but significant. They were together, comfortable, and for once, there was nothing between them except the game on the screen.
As the match kicked off, they settled into the rhythm of it, Caitlin getting fully invested, cheering for the Swiss, groaning when France made a good play, and laughing every time they mispronounced one of the Swiss players’ names.
The match was tense, and by the second half, Switzerland were down 1-0, but they were holding their own. Caitlin’s eyes were glued to the screen, her fingers drumming on the arm of the couch. She didn’t say much, but her body language said everything. She was on the edge of her seat, waiting for a moment of brilliance from the Swiss players.
Then, in the 75th minute, it happened. Lia received the ball on the edge of the box, dodged a defender, and with a burst of energy, took a shot that flew into the bottom corner of the net. The Swiss fans in the stadium erupted in cheers.
“YES!” Caitlin shouted, her arms flinging up in the air. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
Katie laughed, clapping along, amused at the energy coming from Caitlin.
By the time the match ended, Switzerland had managed a draw - 1-1. It wasn’t a win, but it was a solid result. Both of them were content, their laughter and chatter filling the room as the final whistle blew.
As they finished their dinner, the conversation shifted to lighter topics such as upcoming plans for the summer, and the start of the pre-season which started soon after the Euros finished.
“I’m really glad we did this,” Caitlin said again, this time looking over at Katie with a soft, fond expression. “It’s perfect, you know? Just… being together. Watching football. Eating good food. No drama.”
Katie smiled, taking a slow breath. She didn’t need anything else. Just this moment, the simplicity of it, felt like everything.
“Yeah,” Katie said softly. “This is perfect.” She smiled and turned her body to lay her head down on Caitlin’s lap, breathing out contently.