15. McQuinn

15

McQuinn

T he summer air is already hot as balls and I offer thanks to the air conditioning gods for central cooling. I don't know how track and field athletes do it. I love that my chosen sport takes place in a pool. But I'm not in a pool right now. I'm staring out the front window like a weirdo waiting for the incoming storm.

A cute little blue hatchback pulls into the driveway, followed by Nils's white two-door coupe. The awe on Meggie's face as she slides out of her car and takes in the house is fucking adorable. Her parted lips and wide eyes draw my focus. But I shouldn't stand here like an ass watching from the living room window, so I holler to the guys that she's here and bound through the front door to meet up with Nils.

He steps out of his car, balancing three drink carriers—an impressive feat. My heart skips in a ridiculous way that's almost embarrassing. Seeing my man come home always makes me happy, but the way he hops out of the car and grins at Meggie and Emily coats the feeling with something slimy.

He doesn't smile like that often. He's more of a straight man, serious and shit. One of my favorite things is teasing a smile out of Nils. I don't like the fact that he's giving Meggie one so easily.

I jump over the porch steps and jog to meet them, stopping a few feet in front of Nils to keep from throwing myself at him like a complete fool. I shove my hands in my pockets and give Meggie and Emily a half-hearted hello, still feeling awkward.

Harrison gets out of Nils's car and takes a coffee cup out of one of the carriers Nils is holding.

Emily walks over and joins us. "I knew you were my favorite."

Her voice is too cheery for this early in the morning.

Nils sets the coffee carriers on the hood of his car, pulls out a cup, and hands it to her. I'm sure it's an iced dirty chai. Emily's favorite.

"It's an abomination, but I know you love them." He turns to look at Meggie and holds out a coffee carrier full of drinks. "I wasn't sure what you like, so I got a latte, black coffee, coffee with milk and sugar, and some sort of chocolate monstrosity that McQuinn recommended."

"It's not a monstrosity." I quip, searching the coffee cups for mine. "Someone just prefers coffee that tastes like dirt, to deliciousness."

"That's not coffee," Nils wrinkles his nose in disgust. "That's a milkshake."

"It's delicious," I reply, finally finding the right cup and taking a greedy sip. I'm very protective of my salted caramel mocha frappuccino.

"You're delicious." Nils says the words without expression, but it stirs little butterflies in my stomach. I clear my throat, trying to push away my dirty thoughts. Now isn't the time.

Remembering the tray of coffee in his hand, Nils extends the options toward our new beta. "Your choice, Meggie."

Her smile is hesitant as she makes her way around the hood of her car to join Emily. "I actually don't drink coffee."

Nils looks shocked, like she just told him she murdered a baby koala. Finally, a point against Meggie. I'm tired of hearing how great she is from Ellis. Jackie was the better player, but whatever, I got out-voted.

"I'm more of a tea person." To prove her point, Meggie holds up a travel mug covered in stickers.

"You like Satan's Panties?" Nils asks.

My stomach lurches, waiting for her response. The red and black Satan's Panties logo is one of several stickers that cover the bottle. It's a logo I know well. "Gagging Hrd" and "We Had 2 Rename This Song 2 Not Get Sued" are two of Nils's favorite songs.

"I've seen them live five times," she gushes. "You like Satan's Panties?"

"McQuinn went with me to see them last summer at The Index Card." The smile that creeps across Nils's face transforms his features. Fuck yeah, I got those tickets for him. Took hours, waiting in the website's presale room, getting kicked out of the server, and stress eating a sleeve of cookies, but I got the tickets.

"Did you get pit tickets or are you a lawn seats guy?"

"The pit was sold out." There's true regret in his tone. I hate that I couldn't get the perfect seats, but we had a blast. It's one of my favorite memories, even if I think the music is like listening to someone banging trash cans in an alley full of cats.

Nils steps closer to Meggie, giving her another fucking smile. "We were maybe fifth row from the front and right next to the mosh pit, so still really good seats."

Meggie's fingers brush over the SP logo. "Cool."

I hate this. I don't want Meggie and Nils bonding. Not over Satan's Panties. Concerts are our thing.

"So where's your junk?" I say, crossing my arms.

Coffee-less, Meggie pops open her trunk. It's full of cardboard boxes. Harrison opens the back door, revealing a backseat full of trash bags. He picks up one bag and tosses it at Oz as he, Ellis, and Dante stride out of the house. Oz catches it mid-air. "What the shit is this?"

I pick up another bag. It's squishy. "Pillows?"

"Um… Yeah." Meggie bites her lower lip as she glances at the pillows in the backseat.

"All of them?" There's got to be at least twenty trash bags in there. How many pillows does one woman need? She's not an omega, for Christ's sake. Probably some little decorative things she doesn't even sleep with but will leave around the house on couches and chairs.

Nope. Not letting that happen. Her crap needs to stay in her bedroom.

I leave the pillows and look in the trunk. Two suitcases, a tote bag, and four boxes. One labeled clothes, another toiletries, a third books, and a fourth miscellaneous.

"Is this everything you have?" Oz asks. The man has more shoes than the rest of us combined, so I'm sure he's surprised her things fit in one sedan. His shoes alone wouldn't fit in one sedan. Now that he's run out of body space for tattoos, his sneaker habit has taken up any possible slack in discretionary spending.

"Yeah." There's something almost defensive in her tone that I recognize, having not grown up with a lot myself.

"Alright." Harrison interrupts the conversation and takes charge. "Emily, you help Meggie with the pillows. Everyone else, grab a box."

We all move towards the boxes, but Ellis stops Dante with a hand on his chest. "Nope. You aren't allowed to lift anything."

Dante gives an annoyed sigh. "And you aren't allowed to baby me."

"You can help with the pillows." Ellis pulls Dante closer and whispers something that he punctuates by nipping at his bonded's ear. My dick stirs, thinking of Nils doing that to me. Their little public displays always leave me aching and angry.

"Why won't Ellis let you lift anything?" Meggie asks Dante.

"Fucking shoulder injury." I answer for him.

"Is that going to mess with the Olympics?"

"Not as much as other things could," Nils says under his breath. It's not an accusation, just the truth, and I appreciate his honesty. Meggie needs to know where she stands.

"I know I have work to do," Meggie says defensively. "But I promise you, I won't bring this team down."

"We know," Dante reassures, picking up two bags of pillows, while Nils and I each grab a box.

I really wish I could believe Meggie's promise, but the pit in my stomach that started when we found out about Dante's shoulder, and deepened when the team picked Meggie, doesn't ease.

My gaze shoots to Nils as he disappears into the house. I don't know what I'll do if we don't take home a medal.