20. Quinn
CHAPTER 20
QUINN
The smell of men’s soap and laundry detergent is the first thing I notice as I mentally wake up. With my eyes still closed, I reach over to the nightstand to grab my phone.
Except it’s not there.
That’s weird.
I’m nothing if not consistent with my nighttime routine, at least when it comes to my phone.
I never forget; it’s one of the first things I do when it’s time to go to bed. I make sure it’s charging, and my alarm is set if I need it. If not, I definitely make sure that fucker’s off.
But it’s not there. I mean, the only other times I’ve forgotten to plug my phone in are the nights I’ve stayed out with Levi…
Well, shiiit.
That’s when I remember last night—the way Levi knew exactly what I needed to lose myself, and boy, did he deliver. Last night, I couldn’t think about anything but the way his words lit me on fire, the way his touch fueled the flames until the only thing I could focus on was how we were together. The way we burned brighter together than apart.
That thought hits me right as the rest of the memories of last night come flooding back. How I went to dinner with my family, expecting the worst, yet somehow, it was even more awful than I anticipated.
The worst part of the night was seeing the hate in my sister’s eyes, knowing I had no idea what I'd ever done to deserve that from her.
My big sister. My first best friend. My role model—the girl I wanted to grow up and be just like… Yeah, she hates me.
But none of that mattered as Levi and I left the restaurant together, an intense silence between us filled with so many unspoken secrets and plenty of silent arguments as we both processed the night.
Yet the second I looked at Levi, letting him know I needed him to take the control from me, he stepped up to the line, ready to play. Somehow, it was exactly what I'd expected, yet the fear of him turning me down was so intense I nearly ran straight to my room and kicked the door closed.
Thank fuck I didn't. I got plenty of incredible orgasms, snuggles from the big, buff hockey player, and enough conflicting emotions to make even the most levelheaded person a little bratty.
Where the hell is Levi?
Sitting up, I look around and finally find my phone. I open it, hoping maybe he messaged me or something, but I didn't think he had to be at the arena until later this morning.
Unfortunately, I have nothing from Levi, but my phone still has way more messages than I would like to see, especially since they're all from my family.
Uncle Ronnie: I'm really disappointed in the way you behaved at dinner tonight. Your sister has been through a lot, and we all know she doesn't always mean things the way they sound.
Uncle Ronnie: Please call her and try to work on things.
Yeah, that's a no from me, dog.
Worse than my uncle’s texts is the fact that I have two missed calls from my parents, one of which ends in a voicemail where my mom goes on to tell me I need to fix things with my sister because she's upset and it's my job to make sure she's okay.
Like, what?
I didn't do anything except point out the way she treats me and pretends like I'm incapable of doing my job. So again, that's a no from me.
After ignoring those notifications, I see that, of course, Ally had to join the party of turning what should’ve been an amazing day after the night I had with Levi into an absolute shit show.
Ally: Leaving in the middle of dinner? Wow, you really don't care about being the golden child anymore.
Ally: But I guess you were probably fine leaving early. I mean, you were leaving with my leftovers.
Ally: Wonder what would happen if I told him I missed him.
My heart drops, knowing damn well there’s every possibility that he’ll run back to Ally. I mean, yeah, she cheated, but it's Ally. She's sassy, fun, always dressed up, and I'm usually in Converse and a t-shirt, using ChapStick like it's going out of style.
But that's exactly why I can't let all of this get to my head. As much as I'd love to fall into his trap, let his dick convince me these happy feelings can happen outside of the bedroom, I know better. I'm a good fuck. We get along, and it's easy…for now.
As soon as it's not easy, or he finds someone better, I know I'll be moved right back into the friend zone like I'd been for years.
Rolling out of bed, I step my bare feet onto the hardwood. The heated floors he said he installed are instantly my favorite part of the house. Now that I've bummed myself out a bit, I look around, trying to find my clothes from last night. It looks like a tornado went off in this room—clothes are everywhere, and pillows and blankets are thrown off the bed, leaving pretty much just the necessities to sleep and fuck.
Yet somehow, I can't find my clothes anywhere. Except for my bra that's hooked on the side of his TV like he used it as a slingshot. Grabbing his flannel from the chair next to his bed, I button it up enough to be covered, thanking all of the gods that it's long enough to cover my ass. If I’m going to search for my pants, I need coffee first.
At this point, I might need coffee before I even try to talk to someone; I'm still in monster mode.
Walking out into the living room on the hunt for coffee and Levi, hopefully in that order, I freeze in the hall when I hear talking. Well, more like whispering, almost mumbling.
It’s Levi, that much I can tell, but I can't figure out who he's talking to or why he's getting so worked up. All I can hear is his side of the conversation. Either they’re the best whisperers on the face of the planet, or he's on the phone. The only thing I know for sure is that this is definitely not a good phone call, and it’s probably one he's hoping no one is eavesdropping on.
Slipping past the living room he's in, I sneak into the kitchen in search of the biggest mug of coffee I can find.
Except I don't need to search.
No, Levi has breakfast made and already plated at the island, along with two big cups of coffee, steaming beautifully like a smoke signal calling out to me and only me.
I can practically hear it screaming my name, just begging for me to burn my mouth on that first sip.
Slipping onto a chair, I wrap my hands around the piping hot mug of coffee, bringing it up to my nose and inhaling the rich aroma before finally taking that first sip. Yep, that's the stuff dreams are made of. I sit there, sipping my caffeine and picking at the fruit Levi cut up, waiting to dive into the waffles until he's joined me. Because that's only polite, right?
After flipping through the rest of my messages, I've successfully downed my first cup of coffee, which officially makes it safe for me to be around others. Perfect timing, as Levi makes his way into the kitchen, a stressed-out look on his face as he walks to the fridge and grabs a water bottle. Closing the door, he notices me and immediately plasters a smile on his face, but it's one that doesn't quite reach his eyes.
The only thing reflecting back at me is a man drowning in pain.
But what's causing the pain? Is it me? Is it someone else?
All I want to know is what's wrong and who he was talking to. Is that too much for a girl to ask?
Instead, I settle for, “Good morning, Levi.” I say it with a smile, hoping he can’t read how well I am reading him, and pulling my feet up and hugging my knees.
“Good morning, Q,” Levi says as he leans against the counter, a pair of sweats hanging low on his hips, a Firebirds loose tank thrown on like he's about to go work out.
The thought of him working out, pushing his body to the limit until he's sweating. Yeah, let me just save that image to my mental finger bank.
“Why are you smiling?” he asks with a knowing smirk, but I don't speed up my slow perusal of his body as my eyes finally meet his.
“Oh, just admiring the view.”
“Is that so?” Levi says, his cocky grin back in place.
“Yeah. I really like the navy blue cabinets with the gray counter. It's really pretty to look at,” I tell him, running my hand over the counter as I fight the corners of my lips from curling up.
“You're such a little shit.” He laughs, and it's a real laugh—one that helps wipe away the sadness from his eyes, even if just for a moment.
And that makes me smile. On the inside, though, I don't want him thinking I have a heart or anything.
“Always and forever,” I say, sticking my tongue out before reaching for the carafe of coffee.
“Good,” he says, coming to sit beside me, grabbing my mug and the carafe from me and pouring it himself.
Who is this man?
“What's all this for?” I ask, gesturing at the breakfast, still curious what brought on such a feast.
“Uh, I was awake early, like usual,” Levi says, spinning his coffee mug around, fidgeting with anything he can to avoid looking at me. “I don't know. I guess I just wanted to do something nice for you,” he says, finally meeting my gaze, his cheeks pink with embarrassment, and it's adorable.
I want to scoot closer and kiss the man, drop to my knees, and thank him myself, but I also want to know why he did this.
“So, you're saying you did all of this to say thank you for me fucking you?”
“Wh-what? No!” he says quickly, nearly stumbling over his words, and it almost makes me giggle. “It's more than that!”
“Oh, okay. So it was because I sucked your dick.”
“Quinn Elizabeth, knock it off and let me do something fucking nice for you for once,” he snaps, yet somehow his voice is still soft. “I just…I appreciate you. I've enjoyed spending time with you, and even though—” he says, right as the front door swings open.
“Sup bitches?” Jax says as he steps through the front door, his eyes immediately bouncing between me and Levi before finally settling on me with a look of panic. “I didn't mean to imply you're a bitch. I'm sorry, Quinn.”
“For what? I am a bitch.” I smirk as Levi spins my chair to face him while Jax and Asher make their way into the house, grabbing a water before taking a spot on the couch.
“After breakfast, I'm going to go work out. Do you need anything before I go?” Levi whispers, and I can feel the guys staring at us.
“Nope. I'm going to catch up on some TV and then probably take a shower.”
“Wait to shower until I get back.” Levi winks. “I'll help you get clean.”
“I know you, and you'll do exactly the opposite.”
“I've never heard you complain,” Levi says as he stands up and presses a kiss to my forehead. “I'm going to go grab shoes. I'll be right back.”
With that, he's gone, but I can feel the guys both watching me. It feels like little laser beams in the side of my head, and no matter how hard I try to fight it, I find myself forced to look their way, if only to confirm.
“Hi,” I say nervously.
“What have you done to him?” Jax jokes.
“What do you mean?”
“He's…happy. But like, the good kind of happy.”
“Isn't all happy good happy?” I ask.
“Nah. Some happy doesn't stick around. This is the kind of happy I can tell he wants to keep.”
“I think what Jax is trying to say is he's different with you. In a good way—we like it,” Asher says with a smile before turning to look past my shoulder.
“Ready to go?” Levi asks, and before I can process what was said, they’re out the door, leaving me with my thoughts and my conflicting emotions, wondering what the hell sort of mess I just got myself in, and do I want to get out of it?
I'm starting to think I like this little mess.