Convenient Fall (Players of Marycliff University Book 2) (6 page)

It was fun to see names she recognized on jerseys again, even if they weren't related to her.
 

It was a close game. At halftime the other team was up by a touchdown. They maintained their lead throughout the second half. But at the end of the fourth quarter, Chris caught an interception. He ran it back, dodging and twisting to keep away from would-be tacklers. Right before he got to the end zone it looked like they were going to get him. A CCC player got ahold of his jersey.
 

The crowd was on its feet cheering him on. Lance's deeper voice cut through the noise of the crowd, screaming for Chris to keep moving. Megan bounced on the balls of her feet yelling, “Go! Go! Go!” Abby stood between them with a hand clapped over her mouth.
 

Chris kept going, but he struggled to stay on his feet. It didn't look like he would be able to make the touchdown before he went down. Then Matt came out of nowhere, wrapped his arms around the CCC guy's legs, and took him out. Chris managed to shake free, and ran the last few steps down the field, spiking the ball.

The whole stadium erupted in cheers. Lance was screaming and she and Abby were both jumping up and down, wordless cheers coming from everywhere. The last play of the game was a two point conversion, putting Marycliff ahead. CCC made a valiant effort for a final touchdown, throwing a long Hail Mary pass. The receiver touched the ball with the tips of his fingers, but fumbled it before he could pull it in. Marycliff players covered the ball, taking final possession. When they lined up for the next play, Marycliff took a knee, and the last few seconds on the clock ran out.

Megan was exhilarated by the game. She'd been bored when the score stayed the same for almost two full quarters, but the last five minutes of play had been pure adrenaline.
 

Lance led them down to wait by the player's entrance so they could catch up with Chris and Matt and some of the other guys. They hung out for a while, waiting for the team to complete their post-game rituals. Soon enough, players started trailing out alone and in small groups. Several of them stopped to talk to Lance. She and Abby recognized a few of the guys from meeting them over the summer at a couple of parties.
 

Megan waved at Cooper, the guy she'd met at the pool party right before classes started. He stared at her for a long moment before he lifted his chin in return, but didn't approach. His eyes moved to look over her shoulder and she turned her head. Chris loomed over her, his eyes hard and his jaw firm. She looked back at Cooper. His eyes flicked to her and back to Chris, then he turned and walked away.

Megan turned toward Chris, who still watched Cooper's retreating back with the same stony expression. “What was that about?”

Chris waited a beat before he looked down at her. He let out a breath, his puffed-out chest returning to its normal dimensions. He shook his head once. “Nothing.”

Before she could push for an actual explanation, he turned away from her and started talking to Lance and Matt. She looked at Abby, who'd watched the entire thing with raised eyebrows.
 

Their eyes met and Abby stepped closer to her. “What was that?”

Megan looked over at the trio of guys talking and laughing like nothing had happened. They were caught up in the details of the game, congratulating Chris on his interception and touchdown. She shook her head. “I have no idea.”

“C’mon, let's go to the bathroom before we head out. I don't think we're going home any time soon and I have to pee.” She waved to get Lance's attention and let him know where they were going. He nodded and Abby pulled Megan after her by the arm.

Once they were around the corner and out of earshot Abby stopped and turned to her. “Okay, we haven't talked in awhile. What's going on with you and Chris?”

“Don't you have to pee?”

“Yeah, but not that bad. You normally tell me everything that's going on, and I haven't heard anything about Chris going all macho and possessive around you. Why are you holding out on me? I never thought I'd be the one hounding you for information.”

Megan rolled her eyes. “That's because there isn't anything to tell.” She started walking again, heading for the bathroom. Abby came along too. “The guy I waved at danced with me at a party the weekend before classes started. The way he reacted, though, it makes me wonder if Matt and Chris scared him off without me realizing it at the time. And I have no idea what that was about back there.” She stopped and did her best impression of how Chris had puffed out his chest, then relaxed with a laugh and kept walking.
 

Abby laughed with her and glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. She pushed open the door to the bathroom and held it for Megan. “Weren't you guys flirting quite a bit over the summer?”

Megan stopped halfway into a stall and narrowed her eyes at Abby's faux-innocent expression. “Yes. What's your point?”

Abby just shrugged and went into her own stall. “No point. Just asking a question.”

“Right. No point at all, I'm sure. The answer to your real question is no, nothing's going on there. We flirted over the summer, yeah, but he's barely spoken to me since I've been living there. There's been nothing that could even be remotely construed as flirtatious in any dimension since the day I moved in.”

Conversation stopped until they were both washing their hands. Abby looked at Megan in the mirror. “Did something happen on move-in day?”

Megan considered the question for a moment before she answered. Did something happen on move-in day? She couldn't put her finger on anything specific, but it did seem like that was when everything had changed between her and Chris. Their relationship had gone from easy and flirtatious to uncomfortable and barely speaking to one another. She and Matt had gotten closer since then, but Chris was always prickly and monosyllabic whenever they were in the same room for more than a few minutes. It had gotten to where she didn't even try to engage him in conversation anymore, which was why dinner the night before had been so surprising.

She shook the water off her hands and reached for a paper towel, bringing her eyes back to Abby's face. Abby watched her, waiting for an answer to her question. Megan shook her head back and forth while she thought about it. “I can't think of anything, really.” She filled Abby in on the basics of what had happened at the pool party, pausing for a second to think before she finished. “Chris got really drunk even though he was supposed to drive, and Matt ended up driving. I don't know what that was all about.” She grinned at Abby. “They don't give in to my bullying for information as easily as you.”

Abby laughed at that. “They just haven't learned how persistent you can be. Plus, I bet you don't follow them into their bedrooms or the bathroom continuing to pester them until they give in.” She arched one blonde eyebrow at Megan.

“True. Chris makes it clear he doesn't want me around. And Matt's like my big brother. I don't want to see him naked. And I have the feeling that if I followed him into the bathroom he'd pee in front of me regardless. You're too shy to do that, so I could always hold you hostage that way when you wouldn't fess up.”

“That is one thing I definitely don't miss about living with you.”

Megan poked out her lower lip in a fake pout. “You don't miss me?” She sniffed.

Abby just laughed at her. “Of course I miss you. It's weird living with a boy.”

It was Megan's turn to laugh. “You practically lived with him all summer.”

“I know, but it's different now that it's our place. Before it was his place and I just stayed over. Now I'm actually living with him and we share a bathroom and a kitchen and stuff. I haven't lived in the same house as a guy since Daniel bailed on Mom and me, and he was my brother, so it's not at all the same thing.”

Abby pulled out her phone and laughed. “Lance is wondering if we got lost. We should probably head back.”

Megan pulled the door open and held it for Abby before she followed her out. She linked her arm in Abby's and laid her head on Abby's shoulder for a moment as they walked. “I know what you mean. It is way different living with guys. I miss being roommates. You're quieter and cleaner and not gone for days at a time for football games. It's weird. I get used to having them around making boy noises all over the house, and then they're gone. I just start getting used to being alone in the house, and then they're back, tromping around, slamming doors, and playing video games till late.”

Abby laughed. “I told you it would be weird.” She pulled them to a stop so she could look at Megan's face. “You are doing okay, aren't you? You'd tell me if it was too much, right?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. It's only been a few weeks. We're all still adjusting. You're happy with Lance, though, right?”

The grin that split Abby's face was answer enough. Megan tugged on her arm to get her moving again. “Good.”

CHAPTER SIX

“Dude, what was that all about?”

Chris pulled his eyes away from the retreating forms of Megan and Abby and turned to Lance. “What was what about?”

Lance just laughed. “You went all possessive caveman around Megan when she waved at that other guy. I didn't recognize him. He new?”

“Yeah. He's a sophomore, I think. It's his first season here.”

“Right. And your little show of intimidation? You screwing her or something?”

Chris shoved Lance. “Fuck off, man. It's not like that. That little asshole was talking trash about her in the locker room. I just wanted to make sure he remembers to leave her alone.”

Lance just laughed and glanced at Matt, who nodded, confirming Chris's story. “What was he saying?”

Chris clenched his jaw and flexed his hands, trying to keep from making fists again. “I don't want to talk about it.”

Lance looked at Matt again, who just shrugged. “I don't know, man. I walked in just in time to stop Chris from breaking the guy's face. I didn't hear what he said, but from what Chris told me it wasn't very flattering to our little roomie. It's probably good I didn't hear or we'd've all gotten suspended for fighting.”

“So what's the plan for tonight? I need to blow off some steam.”

Lance turned to Chris and shook his head. “Huh-uh. Don't think you're getting off that easy. Something else is going on there. I've never seen you get all defensive like that about a chick before. You don't do attachments, and that looked like some attached shit going on.” Lance had crossed his arms and tipped his head back to stare Chris down.

Matt watched him, too. That same watchful expression on his face that he'd been wearing since Megan had moved in with them. Fuck.

Chris rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “There's nothing going on. She's our roommate. I don't want assholes using her and tossing her aside. That's all.”

“Since when have you ever cared if a girl gets used and tossed aside? Isn't that your standard MO?” It was Matt's turn.

“What's your problem? You've already warned me off her and I'm leaving her alone.” Chris looked Matt up and down, his expression calculating. “Unless there's something you'd like to share with the group?”

Lance raised his eyebrows and turned toward Matt now. “Yes. That's a good question. Megan said she's tutoring you?”

Matt laughed at both of them. “Yeah, she's tutoring me. We have some classes together and she's really smart. She hides behind her party girl reputation, but she works hard in school.”

“Uh-huh. And?” Lance gestured with one hand for Matt to go on. Chris watched with a smug smile.

“And what? She's smart and funny and she plays video games with me now that all Chris does when he's home is grunt at us and hide in his room.” He shrugged. “We hang out some outside of the tutoring, but that's it.”

“She plays video games?”

Matt laughed at the look of longing on Lance's face. “Yeah. She sucks, but it's more fun than playing the computer. She's super competitive and gets mad when she fucks up. It's cute. Can't get Abby to play, huh?”

“No.” Lance almost looked like he was pouting. Chris couldn't help laughing. Which brought the attention back to him. Shit.

“So, now you know what the story is with Megan and me. Now it's your turn to share with the group, Chris.” Matt made a sweeping gesture with his arm.
 

“My name's Chris and my friends are assholes.”

Lance and Matt both laughed, but didn't stop looking at him, obviously expecting more than that.

He sighed. “There's nothing going on. She's our roommate. I'm not going to stand by and let some little asshole sophomore run his mouth about her.” He looked at Matt. “You wouldn't either, so why is it a big deal when I do something about it?”

“Because Matt will actually date a chick that he likes. He doesn't just fuck 'em and drop 'em like you do.”
 

“You're one to talk. Didn't you do the exact same thing?”

Lance flashed him a cocky grin. “I always took them out to dinner first, at least.”

“It's not my problem that you felt the need to pay for it before you got pussy-whipped.”

“Jealous?”

Chris snorted. “Not hardly.”

Lance gave him a speculative look again. “I seem to remember you trying to get into Megan's pants this summer. What happened? She turn you down?”