22. Chapter 22

What is that terrible pounding?

As I pry my eyes open, I realize there must be a hammer beating my brain because this pain is almost unbearable. Rolling over, I groan as my stomach churns. My mouth tastes like vodka and vomit.

Oh no, what did I do?

My phone chimes and the noise seems to echo all around me. As I find the device in my bed, I see a string of texts.

Sawyer: We need to meet at ten at the arena.

Dad: I tried to call you last night, did you go to bed early?

Ally: Some strange guy showed up, he said he knew you. Let's get together again soon.

Logan: We need to talk tonight

Wincing, I read over each text again. Flashes of last night seem to replay through my mind like a nightmare. I remember going out with Ally and having drinks. Then, everything becomes fuzzy. The last thing I remember was Logan in bed with me. At the thought of Logan, I turn but find the bed empty.

Realizing I need to get up, I pad over to the bathroom until something hits me. I'm not in my room. All of the toiletries on the sink are men"s, and the suitcase has piles of men's clothes pouring out of it.

Hurrying back to the bed, I find my small clutch and retrieve my hotel room key hidden in one of the small pouches inside.

Grabbing my black heels, which I find discarded on the ground, I quickly move to leave the hotel room. I only have thirty minutes to get showered and to work with Sawyer. I can't let her down, even though I feel like I let myself down. Logan's text haunts me, and I know that he saw me beyond drunk last night. Regardless of if I like it or not, it's time for me to share my past with him.

Moving to the door, I throw it open and step out into the hallway. The guys should all be down having breakfast after their first round of workouts this morning. I have the full schedule for today and tomorrow, so I should be good to slip out of here and back to my room without getting caught.

"Ashlynn?"

The sound of my name in that voice stops me dead in my tracks.

"Dad?" I ask, as I slowly turn to where the sound is coming from.

Down the hall, I spot my dad standing in the center of the hallway. His eyes are wide with shock and there's a look of both anger and confusion etching his expression.

"Are you lost?" he asks, though I hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice. That is the same tone he used when I was a child, and he would catch me doing something I wasn"t supposed to be doing.

"Umm," I go to respond, but quickly clamp my mouth shut. What in the hell do I say?

"Ashlynn, why were you coming out of Logan's hotel room?" Dad asks, taking cautious steps my way.

I feel like a child again, about to be chastised. The look of pure disappointment on his face makes me want to curl up into a ball and die. I had worked hard over the last few weeks to prove to my parents that I was not the wild, party-girl fuck-up they believed me to be. Now, I am erasing all my progress as I stand outside of Logan's room with yesterday's dress on, holding my shoes.

"Dad, I can explain, but not here," I say.

"Ashlynn, you are coming out of one of my players" hotel rooms. I don't think I need an explanation of what has happened," he almost shouts.

Shaking my head, tears prick my eyes. "It isn't what it seems. Really. Well, it is, but not what you are thinking," I ramble. This isn't the walk of shame he is assuming it is. However, the truth isn't much better either.

All of the secrets and lies have finally come crashing down on me. I tried to hide my past from Logan, but last night, he saw the girl I tried to keep away from him. And now, my dad just caught the biggest secret of all: my relationship with Logan.

"I can't even think about this right now. I've got to get my boys ready for a huge game tomorrow. We will discuss whatever this is," he states, waving his hands around in the air, "after the game."

All I can do is nod. There are no words to fix this, no lies to get me out of this.

Everything has finally come to the surface, and all I can hope is that this isn't the end of everything I've worked so hard to achieve.