31. Isla

31

ISLA

W ith a small groan, I shift my body to get comfortable in this hard-ass seat. But nothing can calm the jittery nerves bouncing around in my stomach. This is my first time traveling with the team for an away game, and it’s exciting but also nerve-wracking. I glance out the bus window as the sun sets in the sky. The longest I’ve ever spent with the team is a few hours. But now I’m trapped in close quarters with them for an entire weekend.

Not even the true-crime podcast I’m listening to right now can take my mind off this.

My eyes land on Asher, who is only sitting a few rows ahead. He’s chatting with Levi, unaware I’m staring at him. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I force myself to look away before anyone notices.

I dig into my camera bag and come up with the only thing that can make me feel better: a bag of Skittles that Asher snuck into my bag at some point, and I only discovered about an hour ago.

I stare at the bright colors of the Skittles as I pour a few out, though they’re somewhat dimmed because of the lack of light on the bus. This is all just another subtle reminder of Asher’s thoughtfulness. I toss the candy in my mouth and let it melt on my tongue. The sweet flavors serve as a momentary distraction from my nerves as I listen to how a serial killer avoided being caught for the last twenty years.

When I look up again, I catch Asher’s gaze as he’s now turned in his seat, talking to Blaise. A smile appears on his face, and I know who it is for because his eyes haven’t left me. I pull the bright red candy wrapper out of my camera bag and mouth‘thank you’to him. He winks at me before returning his attention to what Blaise is saying.

I tuck the wrapper back into my bag and turn away. There is another moment we’ve shared that is ours alone. Just how we need it to be, at least for now.

A few minutes later, laughter loud enough that I can hear it over the podcast I’m listening to pulls me from my thoughts, and I look toward the front of the bus. Levi is leaning over the back of his seat, showing Knox something on his phone. Wildertosses a crumpled piece of paper toward the aisle, and his grin widens when it lands near Blaise’s feet. I stop myself from checking to see what Asher’s doing, but the guys are relaxed. That’s great, as they are preparing for a big game tomorrow.

A few rows ahead of Asher, my gaze lands on Dad, who is busy talking to Darryl. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are going over game plans for tomorrow. I shrink a little lower in my seat, hoping he doesn’t notice the quick glances I keep stealing at Asher.

The team continues talking and every so often, I catch a phrase or two—something about tomorrow’s game or an inside joke or two—but it’s not enough for me to be engaged in what they are talking about.

I delve back into focusing on the words flowing through my headphones, and soon, I watch as the bus carrying all of us pulls into the hotel parking lot. With that, a fresh wave of nerves washes over me. I gather my things and wait for the team to exit before I stand up. Dad is at the front, giving instructions about room assignments and curfew. I try to focus on his words, but my heart is pounding loudly in my ears.

We file off the bus and into the lobby, where a frazzled-looking receptionist is waiting with keycards. Dad steps forward to handle the check-in process, and I hover nearby, unsure of what to do with myself. Asher is standing a few feet away, engrossed in conversation with Levi, but I feel his gaze flicker to me every so often. The guys are handed their keycards one by one, but when Asher receives his, he glances over his shoulder at me before walking toward the elevator.

I check my phone as I wait for it to be my turn to get my room key.

“Isla,”Dad calls out, waving me over. I snap to attention and hurry to his side.“There’s been a mix-up with the rooms. You’ll have to stay with me.”

My stomach drops. Sharing a room with Dad? For the entire weekend? I force a smile and nod, trying to hide my disappointment.“Sure, no problem,”I say. But I was looking forward to having a room to myself.

Not to mention, it feels as if this is shoving our father-daughter relationship down people’s faces even more. I still have a chip on my shoulder about showing that I got this job because of my talent and hard work, not because I’m Coach Johnson’s daughter.

With a sigh, I take the keycard from Dad’s hand as I’m trying to think of anything positive related to this situation. I follow Dad to the elevator with my things. My irritation is at an all-time high as the doors slide shut.

At least I have a place to sleep.

“I know it’s not ideal,”Dad says.“But we’ll make do.”

“Yeah, it’s not a problem. I’m flexible.”

It’s a lie, and Dad glances over at me out of the side of his eye to confirm he doesn’t believe my shit either. Thankfully, neither of us says another word because the elevator dings, and the doors open, announcing we have made it to our destination. We step out onto our floor and make our way down the hallway. Dad swipes the keycard and pushes open the door, revealing a standard hotel room with two queen beds.

I set my bag down on the bed furthest from the door. I throw myself on the bed while Dad moves around, unpacking his things and hanging up his suit for tomorrow’s game. The room feels cramped only because I don’t want to be here.

I pull out my phone, desperate for a distraction, and see a text from Asher. My heart skips a beat as I open it.

Asher: Room to myself tonight. 704. Wait till Coach falls asleep and come up.

I stare at the message, confused about what I’m seeing. What the hell is that all about? How did Asher get a room to himself?

I glance over at Dad, who is still moving around the room, oblivious to the fact that I’m potentially going to have a panic attack. I type out a quick reply to Asher.

Me: How? What about your roommate?

Asher: Carson stayed back because he is sick. Trey is taking his place and already has his own room booked.

The butterflies in my stomach flutter hard as I read his words. How did I miss this? A room to ourselves, even just for tonight, could have been magical. Sure, Asher should be focused on tomorrow’s game, but I can’t stop the possibilities swirling through my mind.

But then reality crashes back in. Dad is right there. How am I supposed to sneak out without him noticing?

I need to come up with a plan. I know Dad falls asleep early the night before a big game. If I can just wait him out...

“I’m going to grab a shower,”Dad announces, interrupting my scheming.“You need the bathroom before I go in?”

I shake my head, and he disappears into the bathroom. As soon as I hear the water running, my brain goes into overdrive once more. Dad sleeps pretty hard and has been known to use the pair of sleep headphones I gifted him for Father’s Day a couple of years ago. Hopefully, he brought them with him, and that will make this so much easier.

But if I go, I don’t want to be a distraction to Asher.

Me: But you need to rest ahead of your game.

Asher’s reply comes through almost instantly.

Asher: I’ll rest better with you here, promise. I want to see you. No, it’s a need.

I tap my phone on my forehead twice as I think about my options. The temptation is overwhelming, even as every part of my brain whispers that this is a bad idea. But this is an excellent opportunity for us to be together alone. As long as I don’t get caught.

As. Long. As. I. Don’t. Get. Caught.

Me: Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

I hit send before I can second-guess myself. Selene is the one who is all in on sneaking out, not me. But this is an opportunity I can’t sit back and not take. In order to pretend like I’m doing something, I grab my laptop from my bag and pull up Photoshop to edit some shots I’d taken a couple of days ago.

The sound of the water from the shower turning off makes the nerves in my gut spring up once more. It takes another few minutes before the bathroom door opens, and Dad emerges with some steam trailing behind him. Thankfully, he’s already dressed in his pajamas.

“The bathroom is all yours,”he says as he sits at the only desk in the room. He grabs his phone from where he was charging it and speaks again.“I’m going to give your mother a call before turning in. You should get some rest too. It’s a big day tomorrow.”

I nod, trying to look tired, but I’m anything but.“Yeah, I will soon. I’ll shower once you get off the phone with Mom. I want to say hey.”

Dad pulls up his glasses to get a better look at his device before he taps the phone screen to call my mother. After a couple of rings, she picks up, and I can see her face from where I am on my bed.“Hey honey,”Dad greets her warmly.“How are things back home?”

“Oh, you know, just holding down the fort,”Mom replies with a smile.“How’s the trip going so far?”

“Good, good. We just got settled at the hotel.”Dad angles the phone so Mom can see me.“Look who’s here too.”

“Hi, Mom.” I wave.

“Isla! Excited for your first away game?”Mom asks.

I nod.“Definitely. It’s been great so far.”If only she knew just how great I’m hoping it will be, with Asher waiting for me just a few floors away.“There was a minor hiccup with the hotel room situation, but Dad and I are making it work.”

Mom pauses before tilting her head slightly to the side. “Oh? What happened with the rooms?”

“Just a mix-up,”I say quickly, not wanting to get into details.“I didn’t have a room, so Dad and I are rooming together. It’s fine.”

“Well, as long as you’re both comfortable,”Mom says.

Dad waves a dismissive hand.“It’s no big deal. It’s just for a couple of nights, and we have our own beds. We’ll be so busy with the game and everything, we’ll hardly be in the room. And it’s not like Isla hasn’t snuck in the bed to sleep with us a time or two in the past.”

“Dad, I was a kid!”I can’t help but roll my eyes because seriously?

Mom just laughs and shakes her head while Dad shrugs. Thankfully, the conversation shifts in a different direction, giving my face an opportunity to calm down. As they continue chatting, I find it increasingly difficult to focus on their conversation. My mind keeps drifting to thoughts of Asher, alone in his room, waiting for me. I try to look as if I’m paying attention, nodding, and smiling at the appropriate moments, but I’m barely processing their words.

After what feels like an eternity, Dad finally says,“Alright, well, we should probably get some rest. Big day tomorrow,”he says, echoing his earlier sentiment.

“Definitely,”I agree, perhaps a bit too eagerly.“I’m just going to hop in the shower real quick, and then it’s lights out for me.”

Mom smiles warmly through the screen.“Sounds good. Get some good rest, both of you. And, Isla, I’m so proud of you. You’re going to do great tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Mom,”I say, genuinely touched by her words, despite my world being tilted on its axis.“Love you.”

“Love you too, sweetie. And I love you, Aaron,”she adds, blowing a kiss to Dad.

“Love you more,”Dad replies with a grin before ending the call. He stretches and yawns before he turns to me.“Alright, I’m turning in. Don’t stay up too late, okay?”

“I won’t,”I assure him, gathering my bag of toiletries and pajamas.“Just a quick shower.”

I disappear into the bathroom, my heart pounding as I turn on the water. The sound of the spray usually helps put me in a relaxed state, but that’s not the case tonight. My mind is still on how the hell I am going to get out of this room without waking my dad up.

I go through the motions of my shower with my body on autopilot because my mind is elsewhere. The warm water cascades over my skin but does little to soothe my nerves. I can’t stop thinking about Asher, about the opportunity that awaits me just a few floors up. But the fear of getting caught by Dad looms large, threatening to overshadow my desire.

I step out of the shower and dry off. You would think I would be running through my routine, but I’m hoping that the likelihood of Dad being asleep increases because I’m taking my time. I slip into my pajamas, which consist of a cami and shorts. I make a mental note to myself as I brush my teeth to grab the hoodie that I wore here because there’s no way I’m walking through the hotel wearing just this. As I brush my teeth, I watch the steam evaporate from the mirror I’m staring into. I take deep breaths and repeat,‘I can do this,’until it’s drilled into my head. Where the hell is Selene when I need her?

Selene.

That’s it. Why didn’t I text her before?

I grab my phone from the bathroom counter and text her.

Me: HELP. Need your expert sneaking-out advice.

I stare at the screen, waiting for those three dots to appear. Selene may be wild and unpredictable at times, but she’s always there when I need her. Her reply pops up after an eternity, but in reality, it’s probably only a minute.

Selene: Ooh, sneaking out for a secret rendezvous with a certain someone? Do tell!

I roll my eyes, but it doesn’t stop the smile from appearing on my lips.

Me: Asher has his own room tonight. He wants me to come up, but I’m stuck sharing with Dad. Do you have any ideas?

Selene: Girl, this is too good. Okay, here’s the plan...

She proceeds to outline a step-by-step guide to sneaking out undetected. Wait until Dad is snoring (she suggests taking a video for proof and future teasing purposes), arrange the pillows under the covers to look like my sleeping form, keep the lights off, and tiptoe out of here. This is basic stuff but hearing it from her raises my confidence.

Me: You’re a lifesaver. Wish me luck!

Selene: Oh honey, you won’t need luck for what I’m sure you and Asher have planned,but go get your man! And I want ALL the details later!

I cover my mouth to try to stop laughing, but it doesn’t help. However, the laughter does help release the tension I’ve been holding in my body. This is just one reason why Selene is the best. I take one more deep breath before quietly opening the bathroom door.

The room is dark, only the glow from the parking lot lights peeking through the curtains. I can hear the slow, even breathing that indicates Dad is already asleep. I tiptoe over to his bed just to confirm. Yep, dead to the world, with his sleeping headphones on.

This might just work.

I tiptoe over to my bed and arrange the pillows like Selene instructed. It looks convincing enough in the low light. I grab the spare keycard off the end table, throw my hoodie on quickly, and, after one more glance at Dad, I ease open the door and slip out.

My heart is pounding so loudly that I swear it echoes in the empty hallway. But I make it out, and that is the hardest part. Now, the only thing standing between me and Asher is if someone sees me roaming the halls.

I pull my hood up, as if that will be enough to disguise myself, and make my way to the elevators. I can’t help but thank the universe that I haven’t seen a soul so far because I don’t want to stand there and have to explain what I am up to. The doors slide open with a soft ding, and I step inside, stabbing the button for the seventh floor as if my life depended on it.

The doors close, and the elevator begins to move. I lean against the back wall, trying to calm myself down. Everything is going to be okay, so chill out.

The elevator dings again, and the doors open on the seventh floor. I step out into the hallway, which is empty as well. Room 704... I scan the numbers on the doors as I walk. 702...703... there. 704.

I pause outside the door as uncertainty begins to creep up again. Is this really a good idea? It’s too late since I’m already here. I raise my hand and knock softly.

The door opens immediately, and I’m left staring at the sight before me.