Convenient Fall (Players of Marycliff University Book 2) (23 page)

Chris nodded, waiting until Matt turned away and took a few steps before pressing his forehead against the bark of the tree, lightly banging his head against it a few times, trying to work out what to do.
 

Raucous laughter sounded from around the corner of the building. Chris tried to ignore it, lost in the mire of his own frustration.

“No, dude, that's not how it went down.” The voices grew louder. “He probably got tired of her, and who can blame him, y'know? Or she was whoring around with their other roommate and he didn't want to share. That's what happened with us.”

“What? That's not what I heard, man.” A new voice talked over the first one and a chorus of other voices made noises of disbelief and laughter. “I heard she never even gave it up to you, that you were chasing her all summer and couldn't hit that no matter what you tried.”

More laughter, even louder, and the first guy's voice again. “What? No no no. That's not what happened at all. You guys saw Megan with me all summer. You know I wouldn't be hanging around with a chick if I weren't getting some on the regular. She can't give head to save her life, though.” He made a chomping sound. “Gotta watch out for the teeth.”

Chris's head snapped up and rage rolled through him at the sound of Megan's name. He turned to see a group of four guys coming around the corner, and he recognized the one in the lead. It was that asshole that had been giving her shit at the beginning of the semester. Isaiah? Ezra? Something like that. He was walking backward, looking back at his friends like they were an audience at a comedy club. That sophomore that he'd almost beaten the shit out of in the locker room was there too, laughing his ass off like this was the funniest conversation of the year.

Not waiting for the next response, Chris grabbed the lead asshole—Isaac, that was his name—spun him around, and pushed him against the brick wall. “You obviously haven't gotten the message that Megan is off limits as a subject of conversation.”

The jackass laughed and pushed at Chris's hands where they clutched the fabric of his sweatshirt. “Look, dude. It's not a big deal. I'm sure we could swap some fun stories.”

Chris slammed him into the wall. Not too hard, just enough so that his teeth snapped shut and he stopped laughing. “I don't think we can. See, from what I've heard, your boy over there's right. She wouldn't give you the time of day, and you were chasing after her all summer without getting anything more than a couple kisses. And that pissed you off, so you started spreading rumors all over campus about what a slut she is.”

“That's not what happened. No, see, we—”

Chris slammed him into the wall again, a little harder. “You think I give a shit what you think happened? Let me be clear. I don't. I don't want to hear your version of events. I don't want to hear you talking about Megan Davidson ever again. Got it?”

Isaac let out a weak laugh, still trying to keep up his bravado and save face in front of his friends. “What's your problem, man? You're not even hitting that anymore. Everyone saw you with Brianna on your lap after the game Saturday.”

Chris landed a punch to the gut and let go of Isaac so he could double over, his breath wheezing out with the impact. This asshole wasn't worth this much time and effort. It was time to make his point and figure out what to do about Megan. Chris grabbed Isaac's sweatshirt at the shoulder again, pulled him up a little, and bent down so their faces were close together. “Listen to me. I'm only going to say this once more. Leave Megan alone. Don't talk to her, don't talk about her. Pretend you never even met her, okay? If I hear you or your boys running your mouths about her again, you're going to get a lot worse than a fist in the gut.”

“No, you listen, you fucker—”

Chris didn't let him continue, shutting him up with a punch to the jaw that knocked him on the ground. Shaking out his hand, Chris glared at the other guys standing around watching. One stepped back with his hands up, palms out, wanting no part in this exchange. The sophomore from the football team watched with wide eyes. He met Chris's gaze for a moment before he dropped his eyes and walked away.

Done with this, Chris turned and grabbed his bag. Matt came back around the other corner, his phone still in his hand, his eyes flicking from Chris to the guy on the ground behind him. He raised his eyebrows. “What happened here?”

Chris shook his head. “Tell you later. Did you talk to Lance or Abby?”

Matt's eyes flicked behind Chris once more, then fell in step beside him, letting that scene go. “Lance didn't answer. He's at work, so that's not surprising. I left him a voicemail. I did manage to talk to Abby.”

“And?” Chris prodded when Matt didn't go on.

He sighed and shook his head. “You're not going to like what she had to say.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

“Your dad's carving the turkey and the rolls are in the oven. Once they're done it'll be time to eat.”

Megan looked up from the football game she was watching with her brothers. “Okay, Mom. Do you need any help getting anything on the table?”

“Thanks, honey, but no. I've got it covered.” Her mom gave her a small smile and a shake of her head, smoothing back a stray strand of blonde hair before she went back in the kitchen.

Megan's oldest brother Logan whacked her with a throw pillow from his seat on the other end of the couch. “What's up with you? Mom's acting weird. She's usually all over your offers of help, and today it seems like she's freezing you out.”

Charlie, their other brother, turned to face them from where he lounged in a recliner, taking a drink of his soda, waiting for her answer. He took after their mother with his blond hair and blue eyes while Megan and Logan had their father’s darker coloring. Megan grabbed the throw pillow out of Logan's grip and whacked him back.
 

“Hey! What was that for?”

“You started it.” She tried to whack him again, but he snagged the pillow before she could hit him in the shoulder, then grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to put her in a headlock. She squirmed and tried to get a hand up to the back of his head so she could pull his hair to get him to release her. He kept it pretty short, but there was enough to grab ahold of if she could get to it. But the way he had her pinned pushed her shoulder into the back of the couch, and she couldn't get her arm around. “Let me go!” She could hear Charlie cackling.

He held her without seeming to expend much effort. “Not until you answer my question.”

Megan went limp, resigned. “Fine. Let me go and I'll answer your question.”

He released her, and she sat up, running her hands through her hair, trying to straighten it. Dinner would be soon, and her mom wouldn't like it if she came to the table with her hair all messed up. She had enough problems with her parents without adding to it.
 

Blowing out a breath, she gestured at Charlie but kept her eyes on Logan. “Charlie over here told Mom and Dad that I have a boyfriend.”

Charlie arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Logan gestured for her to continue. “Oh, really? And do you?”

“No.”

“That's not what it sounded like when we were talking on the phone a couple weeks ago.” Charlie was still lounging back in his recliner, but his eyes were intense, focused on Megan. “I never took you for a liar, Megan.”

Megan threw a pillow at Charlie. “I’m not lying. Now mind your own business, Charlie.”

Logan cut Charlie off with a look when he opened his mouth to say something else, then turned to Megan. “Why does Charlie think you're lying about not having a boyfriend? Did you have a boyfriend earlier this month?”

Megan held his gaze for a moment, but couldn't maintain it while she shrugged and mumbled something so he couldn't hear. She couldn't bring herself to say yes, because was Chris ever really her boyfriend? But she couldn't say no either, because they had been in some kind of relationship. So she tried to evade. Not that it worked.

Logan's dark eyes sharpened and he leaned closer to her. “You don't have to lie about dating someone, Megan. I'd think Mom and Dad would be happy about that. If you got married, then they'd know you were at least taken care of.”

Megan looked back at him, eyes blazing, heat rushing through her body from the intensity of her anger and frustration. “Who said anything about getting married? I dated a guy for a while this semester, but it wasn't ever anything close to serious. And why do I need to be taken care of? I've been doing a pretty good job taking care of myself for the last few years. I work, I pay my bills, I took out loans to go to school. Since I wouldn't bow to the family's wishes for my life, I haven't had any real help with money since I moved out the summer after I graduated. That's more than either of you could say at my age.”

“I knew it! You were dating someone!” At Charlie's triumphant declaration, Megan turned her anger on him.
 

“Can it, Chuck. This is why I don't tell you things. This is why we don't talk anymore. Every word gets relayed back to Mom and Dad. If I wanted them to know I'd tell them myself.”

“Hey, hey, let's all calm down.” Logan, ever the peacemaker, put a hand on her shoulder but she brushed him off. “We care about you, Megan. We're on your side.”

She snorted. “Please, Logan. I know you all think I'm some rebel who needs to be brought back into the fold, or at least some frail waif that needs to be taken care of.”

“I don't think that at all. The only reason I've ever pushed for you to change your major is because I want you to be able to support yourself. Art isn’t—”

“Realistic. Yeah, I know. I've heard it all before. But you haven't even seen my work since you graduated from high school when I was still in middle school. You've never bothered to come to any of my shows. You have no idea that I've actually started to sell my paintings. For good money. And that I'm taking marketing and business classes so I can learn how to compete and find an audience. You know nothing about any of that.” Megan was spitting mad now, but kept her voice low so their parents wouldn't come in and see what was wrong. “You know nothing about my life, so just stay out of it. I can take care of myself just fine.”

Logan opened his mouth to say something, but she held up her hand, palm out, and he stopped. “Just do me a favor, okay? When this stuff comes up at dinner, and we all know it will, just stay out of it.” She let her gaze encompass Charlie as well. “Both of you. If you're not going to support me, fine. But at least don't help them tear me down.”

Logan's brows drew down and he glowered at her for a moment, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted by their mother's voice from the kitchen. “Dinner's ready!”

The three of them filed into the dining room in silence and took their usual places—Charlie and Megan on the side by the wall, Logan at the foot, leaving the head of the table for their dad and the other side for their mom.

Her mom brought a basket of rolls into the dining room followed by her dad carrying a platter of sliced turkey. They both set their burdens in the places reserved for them on the table and were about to take their seats when the doorbell rang.
 

Her dad's head popped up. “Karen, did you invite someone and forget to tell us?”

Her mom shook her head. “No. Obviously you didn't either. Kids?” They all stared blankly at each other, Megan and her brothers shaking their heads.

“Well, I guess I'll go see who it is.” Her dad made his way to the front door. They could hear low voices, but couldn't make out what was being said.

“Megan! Could you come out here, please?” Her dad's voice was laced with barely restrained irritation. What could possibly be going on now?

Megan stood, squeezed behind Charlie's chair, and went out to the foyer through the living room. “What is it, Dad?”

He stepped out of the way, revealing Chris standing in the open doorway, backlit by the sun lowering on the horizon, even though it wasn't even three in the afternoon. It was one of those rare clear and sunny days in November, but twilight came early this time of year. Megan stopped in her tracks, not sure what was going on.
 

Chris hunched his shoulders, his hands in his pockets, looking more uncomfortable than she'd ever seen him. He usually had an easy manner and got along with most people. Never awkward or uncomfortable. “Hey, Megan.”

Her dad stood with his arms crossed  and stared at her. She looked back and forth between him and Chris before settling on Chris. “Hey, Chris. What are you doing here?”

“Uh, I needed to talk to you.” He shifted on his feet, but held her gaze.

“You couldn't use a phone?” Her dad's arch tone cut through the tension stringing between them, and Chris's eyes cut sideways. He shrugged, but didn't say anything. Megan was kind of glad that he didn't bring up that she'd been ignoring his calls and texts, because that would've opened up another line of questioning that she didn't want to deal with right now.

“Richard, Megan, invite the boy in for dinner.” Her mom's voice carried from the living room, where she was peering through the doorway to see what was going on.

Chris held up his hands, palms out. “Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were about to eat. I'll—I'll go.” His eyes flicked to her dad and mom, but settled again on Megan.

Megan didn't say anything, just stood there, unsure how she was supposed to respond to this. Her mom didn't have any such qualm. “Nonsense. We have plenty of food. You're obviously a friend of Megan's and you're not home with your own family. Come in. Richard, grab the extra chair.”