And am I paranoid about this because I get the feeling Max is plotting something, or am I paranoid because I have no idea how to handle how much I like her?
But finally—finally—we reach the hotel. I’m nearly the first off the bus, and I head to the stairs instead of risking getting trapped in the elevator with any of my teammates or any of the women who sometimes hang out in the lobby of our hotels when we’re on the road.
Takes me three swipes to get my key card to work on my room, and when I push in, I have my head down, typing out a message to Waverly, telling her to call me no matter when she’s done tonight, and it takes me more time than it should to realize something’s off.
Off-off.
“Cooper Rock, you aresucha dead man,” Mackenzie says.
She’s standing in the middle of the living area of my suite, flanked on one side by Tanesha and on the other by Marisol, whose nostrils are flaring as she glares at me.
I want to know how people keep getting keys for my hotel rooms, but this isn’t the time.
Not when I’m under fire from the three most powerful Lady Fireballs.
I gulp, then force a smile. “Aw, it’s my three favorite ladies.”
Marisol growls at me. Tanesha’s murdering me with her eyes.
“I don’t even know where to start with you,” Mackenzie says.
“I’m so disgusted right now.” Marisol’s nostrils flare again. “If you’d ever told me I’d have to walk into Cooper Rock’s room andtell him to have sex for his game, I would’ve—you know what? Idowant to puke right now.”
“And then you damage Waverly Sweet’s reputation,” Tanesha hisses. “Icannot evenwith you.”
I freeze.
Hard freeze.
There’s no amount of charm buried in my depths that will save me now.
Tanesha throws her hands up. “What thehell, Cooper? You’re theone guyI could always count on foryearsto do what was right for the team, and now we’re finding out you’re giving your superstitions the middle finger and secretly hanging out with Diego’s crush and veryfavorite personin the entire universe, and do you know what he’ll do when he sees the news and what they’re saying about her because she’s associating withyou? I’ve wanted to help youall season, but I am somadat you right now for all the secrets you’re keeping that are hurting everyone around us.”
I open my mouth.
Then shut it again.
Taneshaharumphs. Marisol lifts her perfectly sculpted brows, silently asking what I have to say for myself.
“What news?” I croak out.
Tanesha shoves her phone at me so I can read the headline.
Waverly Sweet—Role Model Out of Control! From Hollywood Hunk Fiancé to Baseball Bad Boy Fling.
I skim.
It gets worse.
Superstition. Sex. Fallen role model. Beneath her. Mental breakdown.
Mackenzie pokes a finger so hard in my direction that it makes an actual breeze in the hotel room. “We’re having a ritual. Tonight.Now. And then you’re going to apologize to—where are you going?”
I pause with my hand on the doorknob. “I’ll take my punishment, Mac. Swear I will. Tanesha, you know I’m good for it. Marisol, you too. But first, I really need to make a phone call.”
I dash out of my room and down the hall to bang on Max’s door.
He opens with cranky face on full display. “What?”
