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Lindsey couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She had received a Twitter notification and opened it to see total chaos. Fans were tagging her and Emily in loads of posts talking about Sonny leaving but what were they talking about??? She was so confused so she kept scrolling through her feed and that’s when she saw the announcement. The headline read: Emily Sonnett and Caitlin Foord traded to the Orlando Pride in exchange for the #1 draft pick. Lindsey was still frozen in one spot when she heard a knock on her hotel room door. She slowly got up and walked to the door to open it. She opened it to find the source of her mess of emotions standing there. Emily looked at her with a sad and pained look on her face with red-rimmed eyes. As Lindsey took in her appearance she silently stepped back and held the door to her room open for Sonny to walk through.
Sonny started pacing the length of the room and was mumbling to herself. Lindsey sat on the edge of her bed and watched Emily closely and waited for her to say something. When it became obvious that her friend was not going to be the one to start the conversation she simply asked, “Did you know?” Sonnett stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Lindsey with fear and trepidation in her eyes and whispered, “Yes.” As Lindsey looked at her with anger in her eyes Emily started talking really fast. “ Ok I know you’re mad and I get it but I didn’t want you to find out about it like this. I just found out a few days ago and I just didn’t know how to tell you. I knew you would be upset and sad and that’s the last thing I ever want to cause you to feel. I just didn’t know how to tell you but I didn’t plan on you finding out like this. I swear! I was going to talk to you tonight no matter what so you would know.” As Lindsey sat there watching her best friend, her Sonny try to justify her actions she could tell that she did feel really bad about how it all went down. “Sit down Sonnett.” Em looked in her direction and saw Linds patting the spot on the bed beside her. Sonnett sat down beside her best friend and tried to gather her thoughts. She thought back to receiving the call from Mark and her talk afterwards with Kelley.
*Flashback*
Emily was lying in her bed Saturday evening resting before camp started the next day. She started thinking about all the changes that this camp would bring. New coaching staff, no Alex, new faces being called up for their shot at making the roster, a married couple at camp. Emily couldn’t wait to see Ali and Ashlyn to congratulate them in person on their Royal Wedding. It was definitely something else and Emily had been blown away by some of the details they had found out so far. As Emily sat consumed in her thoughts her phone started ringing. She looked down at the display to see Mark’s name on her screen. That’s weird she thought, Why is he calling me? She answered the phone and listened to him start to explain the decision they had made and how it affected her. “Emily you are going to be traded to the Orlando Pride.” Emily sat there in shock and couldn’t find any words to say. After she finally got off the phone she sat on the edge of her bed and stared blankly at the wall. She could see a movie of her life in Portland playing out in her mind. All of the coffee shops and best places for avocado toast, her friends, Tobin and Sinc and Hayley and Ellie and Lindsey. Lindsey was going to be devastated she thought. Caitlin was actually going to the Pride with Sonny so at least she would have someone. She thought about Lindsey again and their friendship and everything they had been through. They had been through wins and losses, championships, world cups, injuries, smiles and laughter and tears. Emily thought about the many times she would lend Lindsey her shoulder to cry on after Richard had done some other dumb ass thing and caused Lindsey pain. She hated seeing Lindsey in pain but she knew that this news would definitely cause her pain. “Or not,” she thought bitterly. Richard and Lindsey had gotten back together… AGAIN! How many times would her friend keep going back to that dirt bag? She didn’t understand what Linds saw in him. Maybe it was the fact that Sonnett didn’t like guys that she didn’t understand. Maybe it was all the times he had made her friend cry and doubt herself. Or maybe it was the fact that Emily was in love with Lindsey. Of course, Lindsey didn’t know how Emily felt. Every time she thought she had worked up the courage to tell her how she felt, Lindsey would go right back to Richard. As Emily sat there thinking about everything that was happening she heard a knock on her door. She walked zombie like to the door and looked to the peephole and saw Kelley standing there. She opened her door and let her friend inside the room. As Kelley entered the room she turned to look at Sonny and saw her face, “What’s wrong?” She asked immediately. “It’s a long story,” Emily replied. “I’ve got time,” Kelley replied as they sat on Emily’s bed. “I’m in love with Lindsey.” After a few moments of silence Kelley scoffs and says, “Yeah Son I know. Everybody knows but you and Lindsey. We all see the way you look at her and how she looks at you. Why are you telling me this now?” Emily looks at her friend in shock and stutters out, “You know?! Everyone knows??” Emily jumps up and starts pacing the room. “Calm down Em,” Kelley says gently as she approaches her and puts her hands on her shoulders, “Everything will be ok. Nobody is judging you and no one is going to tell Lindsey anything either unless you want them to even though I’m positive she feels the same way about you.” Sonny scoffs at Kelley’s last words and mumbles, “No she doesn’t.” “Why would you think that Son?” “Because she is with that jackass Richard again! They saw each other after the season was over and started talking again. Then next thing I know she tells me that he says he is serious this time and they are going to try again,” Emily rambled on, “He is never actually serious. All he does is use her and treat her like shit and then I pick up the pieces and she goes running right back to him! They even went to fucking Hawaii together Kell! It hurts so much to watch her with him and know that he doesn’t deserve her but he gets her and I don’t. It just really freaking hurts!” At this point Emily is standing in the middle of the room with tears rolling down her face so Kelley walks over and grabs her in a big bear hug and whispers, “Shhh Em, I’ve got you. Just let it all go.” They stood in each other’s arms for a few minutes and then broke apart and sat back down on the bed. “You know Emily,” Kelley started, “ It really sucks that this keeps happening and you get the short end of the stick. Maybe it would hurt less if you didn’t have to see it all the time. Maybe you could distance yourself from Lindsey.” Em looked at her and started to complain but Kelley cut her off. “I’m not saying to cut her off or anything or not be friends with her but some distance might be good for you so that you don’t continually get hurt.” Emily sat there contemplating what her friend had said. “So what would you say if I got traded to another team?” Em asked softly. Kelley whipped her head around to look at her friend, “Why would you ask that Em? It’s not the worst idea for you to get some space from Lindsey but it seems a little dramatic.” “Well it’s not like I had a choice, “ Emily quips back. Kelley’s eyes widened in surprise, “What?! You got traded? To where?” “Calm down Kelley. I just found out right before you got here,” Emily said softly, “Mark called to tell me that they traded Caitlin and I to Orlando. It’s not the worst option. I will have Alex, Ali, and Ash and some other good players but how am I supposed to leave Portland?? How am I supposed to leave the only place I have ever played at professionally? How am I supposed to leave Sinc and Hayley and Tobin? How am I supposed to leave Lindsey?” Emily finished rambling near tears just thinking about having to leave everything behind. “Aww Em, “ Kelley said sympathetically as she wrapped Sonnett in a hug. Kelley just let Sonny cry for a few minutes before she spoke again. “I know it’s really hard to leave everything you have known for the past four years but you are one of the strongest people I know. You can do this.” Kelley continued, “The hardest part will be leaving Lindsey but you are already hurting by being there with her. Lindsey won’t stop being friends with you just because you aren’t on the same team anymore. You will still see her and Tobin at camps and stuff. Maybe the distance will cause Lindsey to see what she is missing out on but being with Richard instead of you.” Emily looked at her thoughtfully, “Maybe. You make some good points Kelley but it’s still hard. I just don’t know how to tell Lindsey that I’m having to leave.” “I know. It’s going to be hard no matter what but you should tell her in person so she doesn’t find out any other way.” “I know,” Emily said softly, “I just need to figure out how to do that.”
*End Flashback*
“So Mark called me Saturday to tell me that they traded me and Caitlin to Orlando and that they appreciated the last 4 years but they had to make some roster moves to get better.” Emily started telling Lindsey the whole story minus parts of her conversation with Kelley of course. As she listened to Sonny spill everything that had happened over the past few days Lindsey could only imagine how hard it has been for her friend. As Emily wrapped up the story by pleading with Lindsey to understand that she was going to tell her about it that evening Lindsey wrapped Sonnett in a big hug and buried her face in the crook of Sonny’s neck and cried hot tears as she said, “I believe you Sonny. I know you were hurting too and wanted to find the right way to tell me. I’m just really sad.” “Me too Linds, Me too,” Emily said as she wrapped her arms around Lindsey’s midsection and held her while her friend cried and cried a few tears of her own.