“If they believe it’s my shoulder, I’m not gonna correct them.”
He smirks. “You’re stubborn.”
I shrug. “Yeah, well…”
It’s not like I can tell them the truth either.
If they want to play it off like they’re being cautious, I’ll go along with it. I’ll move slower in warm-ups. I’ll let the trainers tape me up.
But I’m not putting space between Brinley and me. Not again.
***
The bus rolls on, and somewhere past the halfway mark to Ashford, I pass out.
Not real sleep. It was more like my body was shutting down.
When we pull into the hotel parking lot, someone nudges my shoulder, and I slowly blink my eyes awake. My neck is stiff, and my mouth is dry.
I’m dead on my feet as we unload and check into the hotel. I keep my head down and follow Owen, knowing we’re rooming together again. My bag is slung over my shoulder.
The second we’re in our room, I drop my gear at the end of my bed and collapse face down onto the mattress like a starfish.
“You coming to dinner?”
“Nah,” I mumble into the pillow.
“Want me to bring back something for you then?” Owen asks.
I think he’s starting to feel sorry for me because he’s never offered to do shit like this for me before.
“No, I’ll order something on the menu from room service. Thanks, though.”
He doesn’t say anything. The room falls silent, and I almost think he’s waiting for me to change my mind before I hear him slip into the bathroom. Then he’s out the door a few minutes later.
Once I’m alone, I roll over onto my side and grab my phone from my pocket. Without wasting any time, I pull up Brinley’s contact information and hit the FaceTime button.
I need to see her face.
She answers almost immediately, and I can’t help the smirk that curves the edge of my mouth.
She’s sitting on the couch in the loft. I can tell by the color of the wallpaper behind her head. Her hair is pulled up in one of those messy bun things. I recognize the hoodie she’s wearing as my own as well.
“Hey,” she says. Her face is soft as her eyes roam over me through the screen.
“Hey.”
“You just getting checked in?”
“Yeah.” I adjust the pillow beneath me and position the phone against the lamp on the nightstand.
We’ve stayed in this hotel before when we’ve played Ashford University. It’s not bad, but it sure as hell doesn’t beat having Brinley next to me.
“How was the drive?”
“Long. I passed out, though.”
“Probably because you slept for shit last night.”
