Page 58 of Breakaway
The bus started to move, and I braced myself against the seat as we turned out of the parking lot. The police officer hadn’t left, waiting in his car for us to vacate the premises. Once we were clear of the hotel, I took a deep breath when he didn’t move to follow.
“We’re going to stop at a fast food place on the edge of town. I’ll send in a few people to get enough for everyone to limit our exposure. Coach Cromwell is looking for a new hotel in a different town. Does anyone have any questions?”
Several hands were raised in the air. I pointed at one, feeling oddly like a teacher suddenly.
“Yes, Jack.”
“Why do they hate us?”
I shrugged. “Not sure. It could be they have an unknown history with Lux, or they’ve heard rumors and decided not to like us. I honestly have no clue. But I can tell when I’m not wanted. I’m sure you all felt the same today.”
Several heads nodded, and a few hands stayed raised. I pointed them out and answered their questions as best I could. In the end, most of them were more concerned for me, Reese, and Molly, warming my heart and showing how far this team had come since the beginning of the season.
“If you keep working as a team like you are now, you’ll always be in good shape,” I said, smiling and feeling lighter than I had. “Now, let’s keep it simple for ordering. Cheeseburgers, raise your hand?” I counted off and went through a few more items, clumping people together.
Once we sorted everyone for food, I turned around and rubbed my head. Dax pulled me to him, and I relaxed for the last few minutes to the restaurant. We would get through this. I didn’t want to ask the question in the back of my head—was it just bad sportsmanship, or was it the Society showing their reach?
Thankfully, there were no problems at the restaurant, and Dax and Fletcher had found a hotel two towns over with enough rooms. By the time we pulled into the parking lot, it was 11 pm, and most of the team had fallen asleep. Reed and Fletcher went in this time, giving me a look to sit back down as I stood. I raised my hands in surrender, knowing when to choose my battles.
They returned ten minutes later with keycards, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The guys broke the kids into groups and followed them to their rooms, ensuring everyone made it in and did the ‘lights out’ check simultaneously. If things continued down this path at our school, we might need to hire security to come with us. It was a lot of pressure on four people to ensure the safety of twenty kids.
I unlocked my room and peeked into the bathroom; my hope of a hot bath was crushed as I stared at the glass that extended across half of the bathroom. Tears I’d held back all day welled up, and I sank to the floor. I knew the guys would be back any second, so I let myself have a little cry while they weren’t here to witness it. Sometimes a girl just needed to cry without everyone getting all up in arms about it.
The sound of a keycard being inserted had me sucking back my tears and standing on the bathroom floor. I wiped my face and grabbed some tissues to blow my nose.
“You in there, Henley?”
“Yeah. I’ll be out in a few. Just going to take a quick shower.”
“Okay. Do you want company?” Dax asked. I could hear his voice now that he was closer. I smiled, so grateful he’d been able to join us. I would’ve been incomplete without him. He’d been great today.
“I’m good. Thank you, Dax.”
“No problem, Petal. I got something for you when you get out. I know today’s been rough, so take your time.”
My heart thumped loudly in my chest, my love for this man overpowering.
“Thanks, Dax. Love you.”
“Love you too, Petal.”
Feeling bolstered, I took my shower and pretended to be in a nice, relaxing bubble bath. It was all in the imagination, right?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Henley
Landing in Utah, I felt the team take a collective breath at being back on home turf. Dark circles and red eyes seemed to be the team uniform today. From the looks of the player’s faces, I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t gotten much sleep last night.
“Try to do something fun this weekend. I’ll see everyone on Monday,” I said as the team gathered their belongings and climbed into their respective vehicles. Those who weren’t picked up by a parent climbed onto the school bus, giving me a brief nod and hand wave as they disappeared.
“Reese,” I shouted, catching my sibling. “You going with Braden?”
“Yeah. Briana and I are working on our project for English, and Sera had some bridal tasks she wanted help with.”
I nodded, glad they’d have something to do this weekend and be protected.
“That sounds good. Don’t forget the campaign’s dropping tomorrow. There might be backlash, so stay off social media for a few days just in case.”