Page 126 of The Shake Off

I could feel the lines forming in my brow. “I told you. They’ve never singled me out for this much attention, even when I was pitching like shit.”

“Hmm,” replied Tanner, stroking his chin like he was trying to solve some great mystery, but we were interrupted by food arriving.

I picked up half my sandwich and bit down, eating in silence while my thoughts went back to Payton, and wondering what she was doing. I’d gotten so used to talking to her every day that it was hard to remember what I’d done last season during the hours outside playing ball. I must have done something, but for the life of me, my mind was blank.

I fucking missed her.

I missed her smile, her laugh, and the snort she let out when she was really amused, like the barriers she kept herself hidden behind had suddenly come down for a minute. I missed the way she was always half asleep when she’d open the door to me after a game. I missed the sliver of time every morning when I watched her get dressed. I missed the way she’d started falling asleep curled into my side.

I missed her.

“Maybe Shepherd knows you broke up, and he’s checking to see if you’re okay without asking about your love life.”

My eyes shot to Parker’s as he stuffed a handful of fries in his mouth. “Maybe, but that wouldn’t explain Payton’s behavior.”

Tanner hadn’t been wrong about acting like a girl. I’d been wracking my brain over and over, trying to pick apart our interaction, the way she kept bringing up the subject of me as her boyfriend, the way she wouldn’t meet my eye.

“Maybe Shepherd told her to do it,” Tanner added.

“Why would he do that?” Parker asked as he picked up his bottle of water and swigged through a smile. “As if Shepherd would care enough.”

But Tanner just shrugged. “I dunno. You said they were friends, and no idea is a dumb idea, right? That’s what everyone says.”

“You’re right, Tan,” I yawned. My brain had been working overtime and now my belly was full, I was finding it hard to stay awake. From the looks of it, so were the other two. I put my plate on the table between us, and pushed my seat back. “I’m going to get some sleep for the rest of the flight.”

If I was lucky, I’d dream about Payton.

* * *

“Okay, listen up. You know the drill. Buses will check you off, and you’ll head to the hotel downtown. Your itinerary and instructions for tomorrow will be waiting in your rooms. Get some sleep, gentleman.”

“Max could be the guy announcing WWE if he left The Lions,” whispered Parker as we made our way off the plane and into the cool Chicago midnight air.

“Yeah,” I chuckled, letting out a wide yawn.

I hadn’t dreamed about Payton, but somewhere in the pit of my belly, a warning began going off. I still don’t know what came over me, because I’d all but forgotten what Tanner had said earlier, until I saw Penn Shepherd standing a little way off from the bottom of the plane steps talking to a couple of the PTs.

And suddenly I could hear some sense in his words.

Slapping Parker on the arm, I said, “Give me two minutes. I want to check something,” and jogged in the direction Penn Shepherd was now walking.

“Hey, Mr. Shepherd, wait up.”

Penn turned around, his eyes flicking from me to Parker, who’d followed, and back again. “Ace, hey, everything okay? You feeling okay?”

There was that weird tone again. It was the same one he’d used on me all this week, and it’s what I hadn’t been able to figure out. It was different to the way he always spoke to me before – as a boss – and this was… careful. Like I was about to break.

“I’m feeling fine,” I frowned. “I’m not going to fall apart because my girlfriend broke up with me.”

“Ace…” Parker’s tone was low with warning, “what are you doing?”

“Your… girlfriend?” Penn cleared his throat, but I didn’t miss the surprised catch in his voice. “I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend.”

“I do – or I did. I will have, again. I’m getting her back.”

He pushed his hands into his pockets as casually as he could. “What can I help you with?”

“Some relationship advice, if that’s okay?” I smiled at him. “You said to ask if I needed anything.”

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