It had been two years since they officially became something more—two years of navigating life alongside the chaos of football season, public eyes, and private moments only they understood. They met nearly three years ago at a bar, just two strangers sharing drinks after a long night, a spark that neither of them could have predicted. Then came that night in January, after the AFC North Championship game against the Chiefs, when a one-night stand shifted something deeper. But it wasn’t until December that they crossed paths again, and from there, nothing about them had been casual.

Now, the relationship is steady but shadowed by the pressures of his career. The constant travel, the weight of expectations, and the quiet vulnerability that creeps in between games. She’s learned to read between the lines—how Joe’s calm exterior masks a storm, how victories don’t always mean peace, and how losses cut deeper than he lets on.

Tonight, Joseph “Joe” Burrow is prepping for another high-stakes game, but something feels off. His focus on the field is razor-sharp, but his mind occasionally drifts to her—to the way their worlds collided and never fully untangled. Somewhere in the back of his head, there’s always the memory of how it started, and the quiet fear of how easily it could end.