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“If I didn’t compartmentalize, I’d never be able to function,” Cassie said hotly. “It’s the only way I can survive without being a total basket case.”
“I get it, Kitten. Still impressive.”
Jack smiled at her with what looked like love in his eyes, and I found myself desperate to change the subject.
“So, when do you leave for Texas?” I asked Jack, then took a bite of my cheeseburger.
“We fly out Thursday morning. Why?”
“Just wondering,” I mumbled around my bite.
Cassie straightened up and turned to Jack. “What do you do when you’re there? Like, how does it work? Do you practice? Do parents go?”
I laughed at Cassie’s intense curiosity. I’d seen her on more than one occasion ask Jack a million and one questions at a rapid-fire pace when she didn’t understand something.
Jack snagged one of my fries and popped it into his mouth. “Well, we typically fly in the day before our games start. We check in at the hotel. We’ll have practice and work out, and have dinner as a team. Some parents go, but not many.”
“Does everyone get their own room?”
“No.” Jack laughed. “We share rooms.”
“Do you have like bed checks and stuff?”
Melissa leaned forward, clearly interested in this topic of conversation, and I leaned toward her.
Jack nodded before taking a bite of his pizza. Once he’d swallowed, he said, “We do. Usually Coach comes by and makes sure everyone’s in their rooms by ten.”
Cassie breathed out in what looked like relief. “Any other rules?”
“No girls and no drinking.” Jack raised his eyebrows and glanced at me as Cassie shoved against his shoulder, almost pushing him over.
“I’m sure those rules never get broken, huh?”
“Nope. We’re all complete angels when we’re on the road.” Jack’s gaze darted between Melissa and Cassie, before stopping on me in some sort of silent dare.
I burst out laughing. “Angels, my ass.”
“No, wait wait wait!” Cassie’s voice broke through the chorus of laughter. “Do you guys sneak girls in your rooms? Like random strangers?”
Her gaze was focused solely on Jack. She wouldn’t settle for any less than the truth, and I glanced at him, wondering how he would handle this.
“Yeah.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Kitten. The eyes.”
Cassie rolled her eyes a lot, and Jack had taken to giving her shit about it each time she did it. It didn’t make her stop, though, and I believed he secretly enjoyed that side of her.
“You’re such a pig.” She shook her head.
“This isn’t news! But I’m a changed man, Kitten. I swear it.”
I had to suppress a smile at the sight of my brother pleading with his girlfriend, who was clearly disgusted at the news of his old road-trip behavior.
“We’ll see about that.” She stared back at him, her tone cautious.
“Care to make a wager?” Jack offered.
