The Hardest Fall(68)

I nodded and looked up from the detailed schedule. “Sounds good. I think I’m going to skip snack time and head up to our room. Are you coming?”

She looked over her shoulder to where Cash was talking with one of the players. “I think I’ll stick around.”

“Okay then,” I murmured to myself when she walked away after a quick wave.

Dragging my teeth along my lip, I looked around again. Half of the players were already gone. I saw a few standing around the elevators and a few walking toward the back of the hotel where I assumed the snacks were waiting, if the sign with the team logo and Meal Room written on it was anything to go by. I glanced around to see if I could spot Dylan, but with lobby still being so busy, I’d lost him. Pulling my carry-on behind me, I headed toward the elevators.

My phone pinged with a new message.

I let out a huge breath and filed into the elevator with three other players. Even though they were talking among themselves about the following day’s game, I could still feel their curious eyes on me. Ducking my head, I focused on my phone.

While I was hoping it was a text from Kayla or Jared, my already nervous stomach twisted even more when I saw that it was Mark who had texted me.

Mark: Which room?

My fingers hovered over the screen. I was either going to keep ignoring him and try to stay as far away as possible, or I was going to get over it and focus on what I’d come to do. I waited until I was standing in the room before I texted him back. My phone pinged again, but this time it was Jared replying. Feeling the inevitable anxiety creep in, I decided not to write anything back to my friend until Mark found his way to my room, said what he needed to say, and left.

Only ten minutes had passed when I heard the insistent knock on the door. The first thing I did when he stepped in was to tell him that the trip was for one of my classes. I didn’t think he was even listening to what I was saying, because he started in on me before the words had even left my mouth. The energy he was giving off was scaring me, but I tried my best to keep my face neutral. After a long rant about the same things I had become all too familiar with, he warned me to ‘watch myself’ around his boys and strode out.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, I took a deep breath and let it all go. I was not going to let him get to me, not anymore.

After sending a quick text to my dad to let him know when he could come pick me up, I worked on some shots I was going to put up as stock photos on a few websites while talking on the phone with Jared. Miriam came up a bit later and eventually announced that she was ready to head down to the team meal room, so I grabbed my bag and my camera then followed her down.

“When will you get back?” she asked once we were in the elevator heading downstairs.

“I’m not sure. Why?”

“Well, the curfew for the team is eleven. Do you think you’ll be back before that?”

“I didn’t think the curfew was for us. Do I have to be back before that?” If I did, that would only give me a few hours with my dad, which wasn’t much considering he was driving in from Phoenix just to see me.

“I don’t think so. I mean, we can ask Cash to make sure, but I doubt it. I’m only asking because…well, I was wondering if you could send me a quick text before you head up to the room when you’re back.”

I gave her a quick look just as the elevator doors slid open. “Why?”

“Cash and I will…you know.”

“Oh. Yeah, sure. I’ll sit around in the lobby until the coast is clear.”

She let out a relieved sigh and linked her arm with mine as if we’d been best friends for years. “You would do that? Ah, thank you, Zoe. My roommate is a real killjoy. If she were here, she’d just walk in and interrupt us in the middle of—”

“I don’t mind,” I cut her off. “I mean, as long as it’s not for hours on end, it’s okay. I’ll grab my laptop before I leave so I can work while I’m waiting.”

She squeezed my arm a little tighter. “Oh, you’re the best. Thank you. Tomorrow is going to be so much fun. I can’t wait.”

We walked into a huge room where hotel employees ran around arranging tables and chairs for the players. There were still twenty minutes until the guys would be filtering in, and Cash wanted us to be ready to take shots of them as they piled food onto their plates. If they were happy with the photos we took during the weekend, apparently the team was going to consider using them in their brochures for the next year.

Under Cash’s careful watch, it took us fifteen minutes to take the photos then it was our turn to choose from whatever was left on the open buffet table. I grabbed some mashed potatoes, broccoli, and chicken.

When I hesitated while following Miriam, she touched my arm. “You coming?”

My eyes were glued to Dylan, who was sitting alone at one of the tables. Mark had already eaten and left, and I hadn’t seen Chris around after I’d taken a quick shot of him constructing a steak mountain on his plate. If there was ever a choice between Dylan and anyone else, I’d always go with my roommate.

“No, you go on. I’ll see you later.”

One hand holding the strap of my camera, the other balancing my plate, I pulled out a chair with my foot and sat across from Dylan.

“Hi,” I said softly, offering him a smile as I settled down.