This room is worth a very pretty penny to the university and I don’t want to break anything.
When it finally freezes on the end frame, Tom turns to me.
“Awesome, right?” I ask at his captivated grin. I’ve seen this look before. He’s totally sold. “Let me just shut everything down and some of the guys should be waiting at the desk outside to take you over to the arena.”
I tap the screen and begin to shut things down. I’m sweating a little with Tom staring at me while I try to juggle my phone and the tablet. “Sorry, it’s my first time closing it out for the night.”
“No problem.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, and I turn slightly and walk toward the door. It isn’t pitch dark in here, but it isn’t exactly a comfortable light level either. Dakota is much better at sequencing everything, so it happens seamlessly.
“Okay, I think I got it,” I say as I tap the final button. Except instead of opening the door it shuts off all the TVs and now we really are in the pitch black.
Shit. I forgot to open the door before shutting down.
No problem. I’ve got this. With trembling hands, I try to turn on the TVs, but they won’t come back on until the system’s reset. I search for another button hoping to find one labeled lights.
Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.
“One second. I’m so sorry.” My breaths come in quick, short gulps as I text Dakota and then press buttons at random on the tablet hoping I get lucky. I’m sure there is a very simple solution, but I’m panicking. Oh my god.
“Are you okay?” Tom asks.
I think I nod, but it isn’t exactly believable because I cower against the wall retreating into myself.
One, two, three…
28
Heath
When Adam and I get over to the Hall of Fame, it’s chaos. There’s a crowd hanging out in the back of the main area, and a couple of security guards stand outside of the hype room.
“What the hell?” Adam asks.
My pulse accelerates and adrenaline swells as we head toward the commotion.
“What’s going on?” I ask one of the football guys hanging out watching the security guards talk into their walkie talkies.
“Two people got trapped in the hype room.”
At that moment, the doors open and a frazzled Ginny pushes out. Her breathing is so labored I can see the rise and fall of her chest, eyes wild, clutching the tablet to her stomach. Adam and I move to her, and when she sees us, her pace quickens.
“Oh, fuck,” I hear Adam mutter quietly under his breath.
He’s a step ahead of me and I’m so thankful he’s here because she looks like she needs him. She’s on the brink of a complete meltdown. But when we finally get to her, it isn’t him she throws her arms around. It’s me.
Her body is limp as she sucks in air with ragged breaths. My throat is tight, and my chest cracks open, letting her slip inside. I feel her fear with the force of a Mack truck slamming into me and then dragging me a mile down the road. I can’t find the oxygen to speak, so I wrap my arms around her and pull her head under my chin.
I glance at Adam, feeling his presence like a dark cloud hovering over us. His glare goes from confused to pissed, but this isn’t the time or place to have this conversation.
Adam senses the same thing, and I shield her while he gets us some privacy, calling for everyone to get lost with only slightly more polite words.
“Ginny.” When his attention is back on us, his voice is softer than I expected for the rage rolling off him. “G, are you okay?”
She pulls herself away from me, not meeting my gaze, and hugs him instead. He looks relieved as she glues herself to his side.
“What happened?” he asks gently, cupping the back of her head.
She tries to speak, but her voice is shaky, and he shushes her. “Later, G. Just relax.” He’s calm and loving with her, and I feel a sense of relief that he’s here with all the right words, even if it means he’s going to kick my ass later.
Adam’s jaw flexes and he nods over my head. “Can you see Tom to the arena?”
Ginny’s face is buried in his side, giving me her profile. She’s not crying, but her eyes are closed, and her dark lashes fan out against her smooth skin.
“Heath,” Adam says again, voice as sharp as razors.
I take a step back. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”
Adam doesn’t show up to the arena while I’m showing Tom the locker rooms and team training facilities. The guys who are free this afternoon are hanging around, including Maverick and Rauthruss. They both question me on Adam’s whereabouts. I shrug it off and focus on getting through the quick tour.
When Coach shows up, I hand off Tom and decide to do a quick skate to clear my head. I assume Adam is going to show up and slam me into the boards at any moment, but he doesn’t.
I trudge home with dread and guilt weighing down each step. No matter how many times I tell myself it’s none of his business, I can’t find any solace in it.
Adam’s sitting on the couch with his phone to his ear when I walk into the apartment. I hesitate, but ultimately decide a shower is what I need before he goes nuclear on me. When I’m clean and dressed, he’s still sitting in the same spot—sans the phone to his ear. He doesn’t even look at me as I join him in the living room.
I’m already
