CHAPTER TWENTY
MASON
Coach said it like it was nothing.
“NYC trip. Three days. Exhibition match. Film sessions. No distractions.”
No distractions.
That part almost made me laugh.
Because I already knew what was going to be a distraction.
I just didn’t say it out loud.
The locker room buzz changed immediately after that announcement.
Not excitement.
Pressure.
Same thing, different shape.
Jace leaned against my locker as I packed.
“New York,” he said. “That’s going to be loud.”
“It’s a game.”
He snorted. “It’s never just a game when scouts are watching you like you’re a stock option.”
I didn’t respond.
Because my phone was already buzzing in my bag.
I didn’t need to check it.
I did anyway.
Rowan.
heard you’re leaving town
I stared at it longer than I should’ve.
Then typed:
who told you
Three dots.
i have sources
I exhaled slightly through my nose.
Of course she did.
Then:
you’ll survive three days without staring at me
That hit wrong.
Not because it was true.
Because it wasn’t.
I shouldn’t have answered.
I did anyway.
i don’t stare at you
Immediate reply.
liar
I stopped packing.
Jace noticed.
“Don’t get weird now,” he said.
“I’m not.”
“You are absolutely getting weird.”
I ignored him.
Typed:
you talk too much
She responded almost instantly.
you notice too much
That made me pause longer than I meant to.
Because she was right.
And I hated that she was right.
Rowan
I didn’t expect him to reply so fast.
That was the first mistake.
The second mistake was noticing I was waiting for it.
Serena looked up from her laptop.
“You’re smiling at your phone,” she said.
“I’m not.”
“You are absolutely smiling at your phone.”
“I’m not smiling.”
She leaned back. “Who is it?”
“No one.”
That was also a lie.
I looked back down.
Mason.
No reply for a while.
Then:
i don’t notice anything
I almost laughed.
Almost.
Typed:
you noticed me leaving before i even left the room last time
Three dots.
Longer this time.
Then:
coincidence
I stared at it.
Then replied:
sure
Because now it wasn’t about whether he noticed.
It was about the fact he was denying it.
That was worse.
Mason
Packing took longer than it should’ve.
Not because of the trip.
Because of her messages.
Jace watched me close my locker.
“You’re thinking about it,” he said.
“I’m not.”
“You are absolutely thinking about it.”
I shut the locker harder than necessary.
“I said I’m not.”
He smiled slightly. “New York’s going to mess you up.”
“It’s a game.”
“It’s never just a game when your head’s elsewhere.”
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t want to admit I already knew what he meant.
Rowan
The next message came late.
Too late.
don’t expect anything from this trip
I stared at it.
Then typed:
i don’t expect anything from you
That should’ve ended it.
It didn’t.
Because he replied:
that’s the first honest thing you’ve said
I stopped for a second.
Because I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment.
Or a warning.
Maybe both.
Mason
We boarded the bus early morning.
Same noise.
Same chaos.
Same routine.
But everything felt slightly off.
Not because of travel.
Because I kept checking my phone.
Without meaning to.
Jace noticed on the second stop.
“You’re doing it again.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“You’ve checked your phone six times in ten minutes.”
I didn’t respond.
Because I was waiting for something I didn’t want to define yet.
Rowan.
Then it came.
don’t lose
I stared at it.
Then typed:
i don’t lose
Three dots.
that’s not what i meant
I paused.
Longer than I should’ve.
Then:
what did you mean
No reply.
Not immediately.
That silence stayed with me longer than I liked.
Rowan
I didn’t reply right away.
Because I didn’t know why I sent it.
Serena noticed immediately.
“You’re worse than I thought,” she said.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You’re texting him before a trip game like it matters.”
“It doesn’t.”
She raised an eyebrow.
I locked my phone.
Because I didn’t like how that felt like a lie again.
Mason
Bus moved.
City started to change outside the window.
Everything got louder.
Bigger.
New York.
Jace leaned back. “This is where things get interesting.”
I didn’t answer.
Because my phone buzzed again.
don’t prove me right
I stared at it.
Longer this time.
Then locked my phone.
Because now it wasn’t just distraction.
It was expectation.
And I didn’t know which one of us started that.