heart of glass • joe burrow

021

February 26th, 2022

did joe burrow know that today would be the worst day of his life? not by a long shot. but let's start from the beginning.

he and kenzie made up, everything was fine. they were actually going to the mall today with travis and izzy.

the mall was pretty packed today, but not too bad. "i'm gonna go throw this away." kenzie said finishing her starbucks. the group waited for her while she went to the garbage can a few feet ahead of them.

that's when it happened. 3 gun shots went off. people started yelling and running. but kenzie, didn't move. why?

one shot hit the ceiling, another hit the glass window of a nearby store. but the third hit kenzie. on her left side.

it's like time stopped. the shooter ran. kenzie turned around, hand on the wound. blood covered her hand and her clothes. you couldn't even see where the initial wound was.

her eyes were glossy. she had to have been in a immense amount of pain.

izzy gasped. travis stood there with a blank expression. kenzie dropped to the floor. paramedics were already trying to help her.

joe tried to follow the shooter. for what reason? who knows. he shot her. she was innocent.

travis wrapped his arms around him and held him back. "kenzie!" he yelled from travis's grasp as she was being taken away by medics.

"joe." travis said. joe didn't respond. "joe?" tee said. he still didn't respond.

"joe, we landed." tee said. joe woke up. it was just a dream.

"where's kenzie?" joe asked looking around, furrowing his eyebrows.

"isn't that why we came here?" tee said looking at joe confused.

"right, yeah." joe said shaking the horrible dream from his memory.

it was 5pm is kansas city at the moment, an hour behind cincinnati. they got a rental while they're were there.

tee, jamar, joe mixon, and evan checked into ther hotel. joe got a room their as well, hopefully he wouldn't have to use it.

he drove over to kenzie's house. he knew that jason, travis, izzy, and layla were all there.

he texted travis that he was here. travis opened the door. "she's in her room, she doesn't know your here yet." travis said dabbing up the quarterback.

"hey, joe." layla said, not loudly, but it wasn't a whisper.

he noticed patrick and brittany were also there. he greeted everyone then went upstairs. he grabbed kenzie's door handle and took a deep breath before knocking on it.

"you can come in." kenzie said from the other side of the door.

"joe?" kenzie said once joe walked in. "what are you doing here?"

"can we talk?" joe asked. kenzie nodded, motioning for him to sit down on the chair by her desk. she sat on the edge of her bed.

"i'm confused." joe said. "what you said on the phone definitely sounded like you wanted to break up with me. and i've also been getting the idea that you want space."

"i'm confused on how your feeling. but if you're confused on how i'm feeling, i'm just gonna say it." joe said. "i don't feel like we are rushing into things, relationships happen at different paces and i trust you. i also care about you a lot. and if you're having second thoughts or overthink a little too much, you can tell me. i'll reassure exactly why i'm in this every time. i just want you to trust me, kenzie."

"when i was in the car after i left to airport i realized," kenzie said before taking a breath. "i realized that i'm in love with you and don't know how to stop. it's not like i want to stop it's just i've never felt so deeply about a person before and i just don't want this to be one sided."

"i feel like i'm going insane." kenzie said grabbing her head. "you make me go insane."

"i feel like i'm facing my fears of the unknown with you. and i, honestly feel like there's never been someone who's so perfect for me." joe said.

kenzie stood up, making joe stand up awkwardly. she walked over to him and hugged him. her arms wrapped around his torso.

"thank you." kenzie said.

"for what?" joe said hugging her back.

"for existing." kenzie said. "and i met you at the right time in my life."

"i love you." joe said pressing a kiss on her head.

"i love you, too." kenzie said, kissing his dimple.

"did our favorite couple make up?" layla said barging into kenzie's room.

"whatever." kenzie said smiling rolling her eyes.

"did you guys even know joe was coming?" kenzie asked.

"who do you think let him in?" patrick said.

"wait, so everyone knew?" kenzie said furrowing her eyebrows. "and you didn't tell me."

"it's a surprise, kenzie." izzy said. "come on, let's go watch tv."

"did you come here by yourself?" kenzie asked as her and joe were walking down the stairs.

"no, jamar, tee, evan, and mike came with me, they are at a hotel." joe said.

"invite them over, i can order pizza." kenzie said.

"okay, i'll text them." joe said pulling out his phone.

around 20 minutes later, jamar, tee, evan, and mike showed up. they were all already good friends, they hung out at the banquet and stuff.

"i am something to tell you guys." layla said looking at jason.

everyone could sense what it was, they were dating.

"i'm gay." layla said. everyone was silent, which made layla nervous.

"huh?" mike said. "but i thought." he said looking at jason.

"we all thought you were dating jason. like we all thought it." travis said.

"no, i told him first, he kinda had a crush on me and i had to turn him down. don't really swing that way." layla said shrugging her shoulders.

"well thanks for telling us, do you have a girlfriend?" kenzie said raising her eyebrows.

"nope, i'm not around enough women to find one." layla said.

"no matter gay, straight or bi." patrick started singing before layla told him to stop. "sorry, felt fitting."

"what movie should we watch?" joe said.

"the fault in our stars." kenzie said with a smile. she loves that movie, nobody else has watched it so they didn't know the ride they were in for.

"you're kidding." mike said once the movie ended, izzy and layla were crying, so was kenzie.

"o freaking k? that's how the movie ends? how about you ok these nuts because he basically said i love you." travis said.

"what to actual heck was that?" joe said pointing to the tv. "justice for hazel and augustus."

"this is actual bull." evan said standing up. "i've never been more heartbroken by a movie in my entire life."

"this is worse than losing the superbowl." patrick said.

"i feel you on that one." joe said thinning his lips.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

i love the fault in our stars, the book is amazing too

i'm so upset by the damar hamlin situation that occurred last night, i hope he's ok