Page 74 of The Strike Zone

I raised an eyebrow, holding my hand under the soap dispenser. “I’m not sure why you’re pretending I have a choice.”

“Exactly. I think if people are gossiping, you may as well enjoy it by making it true.”

I couldn’t decide if it was better or worse that she had a point.

NINETEEN

PARKER

“Oh man, I am beat,” announced Tanner, dropping his bag on the floor as the elevator doors closed behind us.

Lux hit the button for our floor. “Didn’t you sleep on the plane? You were snoring like you did.”

“I don’t snore.”

“Dude, you snore.” Ace scoffed. “Snoring like a little baby.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You’re gonna need to get it under control if you want to hook up with Millie. She won’t put up with sleeping next to a jackhammer.”

Tanner lifted his head from where it was resting on the elevator wall and frowned at Ace. “I don’t want to hook up with her. I want to be her boyfriend.”

“Saying it as it is. I like it, Tan.”

Tanner yawned wide and shrugged. “No point pussying around it. I do. You should take my advice.”

The best I could do was nod in agreement.

I didn’t bother to point out he hadn’t given any advice because I was currently lacking the energy and mental capacity to add to this conversation.

It was somewhere around three a.m. Eastern, but we were on the West Coast where we’d be enjoying the California sunshine for the next few days, before flying home via Chicago. I normally didn’t mind the travel, I could sleep anywhere, but this journey was particularly brutal. At least we could sleep until lunchtime tomorrow before we had to be over at Dodger Stadium.

The only plus side of it was the efficiency of the Lions travel department, which meant we were off our plane and onto the buses waiting for us within five minutes of touchdown, forty-five minutes after that and we arrived at our hotel for the next three nights.

Or would have been if we hadn’t got stuck in traffic.

“Was Scout on the plane?”

I opened one eye and nodded at Ace. “Yeah, she was up at the front.”

He waggled his brows in response, which I ignored, and went back to leaning against the wall with my eyes closed.

She’d been one of the last to get on the plane, and so I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her. Once we’d been wheels up, the air stewards came around with our usual postgame snacks, then it was lights out for everyone to get as much rest as we could. She’d gone onto a different bus, and I hadn’t seen her since.

Man, this elevator was taking forever.

“What room are you?”

“Sixty-two fifty.”

“I’m sixty-two forty-five. I asked to have joining rooms again so we can set the PlayStation up.”

“Not tonight, we’re going to bed.”

“In the morning.”

“Those numbers don’t sound like you’re joining,” muttered Lux, who also seemed to be giving in to the tiredness.

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