My second-chance almost-first-love is back on my field.
And this time, he notices everything I’m trying to hide.
Nathan Bellows was the boy who knew my game before I knew my heart.
Then he disappeared without giving me a say.
Now he’s a Global Cup champion. I’m captain for Team Canada playing for the Ocean Cup. And, tournament media thinks pairing us for defender panels, youth clinics, and tactical breakdowns is a brilliant idea.
They call it chemistry.
I call it poor scheduling with cameras.
Because Nathan still sees my weak side.
The injury I’m managing.
The old hurt I refuse to name.
The way I still know exactly how he moves beside me.
But defenders don’t chase ghosts.
We hold the line.
We protect the space that belongs to us.
And if Nathan wants a do-over, he’ll have to prove he can stay without taking over.
Because loving him once nearly broke me.
Trusting him again could cost me everything.
