Page 33 of Play Maker

Being hungover sucked.

Once I could stand like a normal human, I hobbled to the mystery door, then let out a breath when it revealed a compact room containing a toilet, sink, and shower stall. The whole place smelled like him, and my stomach gave a different kind of jolt.

I distinctly remembered throwing caution to the wind and hitting on him last night. In the mirror, I watched my face slowly turn pink. Fantastic. I was only a little embarrassed by my actions, but I’d feel a lot better if Adam had been here when I woke up.

What did it mean that I spent the night alone in his bed?

Part of me, the part that sounded disturbingly like Rob, tried to claim he’d left out of disgust. I knew from Eva he had no problem sleeping next to his friends, male or female. If we were friends, he’d have simply claimed his side of the bed.

Wewerefriends. Yet he wasn’t here.

I shook my head at my disheveled reflection and did what I could with the limited supplies. Once I’d relieved myself and rinsed my mouth out with water, I felt better. RJ had mentioned training in the morning, and Adam had skipped enough time with the team I knew his friends would make sure he attended.

My first concern was getting home, but with the store permanently closed, I suddenly didn’t have anywhere to be. Walking the several miles to my building sounded horrible, and I’d only spend the time depressed and packing. The boxes could wait.

When I returned to the bedroom, I noticed the note sitting on the nightstand next to my wallet and phone. A simple piece of lined paper ripped from a notebook and folded in half. “Sunshine” was written on the outside in a messy scrawl, hopefully Adam’s.

I tilted my head as I picked it up, riding the wave of excitement heating my belly.

Morning, beautiful. Had to go to training. Be back at 8. Don’t go anywhere.

I glanced at my watch. 7:38. Wow, I’d really slept in. Adam’s terse order should have annoyed me, but it calmed the desperate little voice half-expecting him to ask me to go. Besides, it would be stupid for me to leave now just to make a point.

Fatigue pulled at me, but I wasn’t quite ready to find out what Adam would do if he came home and I was still in his bed. Coffee would handle the exhaustion, if I could find some in his kitchen.

My shoes weren’t where I left them by the door. No doubt I could walk around in my socks without issue, but I wanted all my things accounted for when Adam got back. Just in case.

I did a cursory search under the bed and in the corners. Nothing. Adam had probably moved them into the living room. I found myself next to his desk, staring down at a computer and a beat-up Wonder Woman notebook.

The image of him studiously taking notes made me smile, but Adam wasn’t the studious type. Maybe he used it for football plays? Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened it to a random page.

Music. Pages and pages of notes, some with lyrics, some without.

Adam wrote music. I had no frame of reference for the skill level, but the effort alone was impressive. I spun in a slow circle, looking around the room again, this time surprised to find very few references to football. A TU duffel bag in the corner, a framed picture of Adam in his uniform standing with a bunch of women and one harried looking man, a football on the dresser.

Eva’s room was plastered with cheer paraphernalia, which made sense considering how big a role cheerleading played in her life. My mom’s apartment could double for a tiny yoga studio. At least, it could before she’d packed away everything. Adam’s room didn’t share the same level of passion.

A kernel of knowledge solidified in my gut. Adam was a lot more than a smooth-talking, top-ranked receiver. He played into the role, letting everyone believe there wasn’t any more to him, to Mac. No wonder he liked it when I called him Adam.

I wondered why no one else bothered to look beyond the surface.

The sound of the front door opening snapped me out of my introspection. Adam and his roommates were home, and I needed to decide if I was going to come out of his bedroom disheveled and wearing the same clothes RJ had seen me in the night before.

Adam didn’t give me the choice to hide.

“Blue, get your fine ass out here,” he yelled from the living room.

Snickers followed his bellow, and I winced. Social situations weren’t easy for me, but I knew these people. Albeit, not as well as I knew Eva. Worst case scenario, they’d think Adam and I had hooked up. Hopefully, they wouldn’t care.

I ran my fingers through my hair one more time, then walked out of the bedroom.

Shaw and Noah turned to me as I appeared at the end of the hallway, and I could hear RJ rummaging in the kitchen. Adam leaned against the wall with a big grin on his face.

“Sleep well?” he asked with innuendo thick in his voice.

He knew very well how I’d slept since he’d clearly come into the room to change before leaving for his football thing. Shaw grabbed a pillow off the couch and threw it at Adam’s face.

“Don’t worry,” he assured me. “We know he slept on the couch last night.”

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