“But everything was consensual, and I promise that we know what we’re doing.”
Niko covered his face and groaned, but August wasn’t sure what he had done wrong.
Callahan’s eyes were wide, and his skin was turning a scary shade of red, but he only nodded and stood, showing August a weak smile. “Right. That’s great.”
August had barely heard him speak over the sound of his pounding heart, and he couldn’t bring himself to breathe again until Callahan walked toward the front of the bus, shouldering past Niko, and never looked back.
Niko fell into the vacant seat and leaned forward, holding his face in his hands. “You are the biggest,dumbestfucking moron.”
“Forwhat?!” August barked back. “I was clearing things up before he strangled me.”
Slowly, Niko raised his head and turned to look at him, cheeks red and brows creased. “You know that revelation in the hallway last night? Do you remember saying Quinn’s name duringanypart of that conversation?”
August couldn’t remember if he existed half the time or if he was stuck inside a simulation from Hell, so how the fuck was he supposed to know?
“Did I not?”
Niko’s answer was to drop his head back into his hands and start laughing.
“Shoot me now.” August smacked his head on the window hard enough to make his migraine spring back to life. “He’s going to kill me.”
“Worse,” said Niko. “He’s going to start a campaign to get your ass traded to a shitty team—probably Florida. I bet he would quit hockey and buy our team just to make it happen.”
There was no way—
“Don’t say that.” August glanced at Niko, keeping his gaze away from the front of the bus where Callahan was sitting. “He’ll be fine. He didn’t lookthatupset.”
Niko took out his phone, and August had a feeling that the group chat was about to blow up. “You keep telling yourself that, Gusty.”
August knocked his head against the window again.
And just because the universe hated him,Quinn, of all people, got on the bus and took the seat beside Callahan. August was so stunned that he felt like he couldn’t feel his body from the neck down.
“Neeks?”
Niko didn’t bother looking up from his phone. “Yeah?”
August swallowed to give himself a second before he asked, “Has Quinn travelled with us before?”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Niko slowly lower his phone and turn his head toward him. “Did you…not notice? He’s not here all the time, but he’s been on the jet and bus with us for a lot of the trips. He even carpools some of the guys when they go drinking with Callahan. He’s good friends with Shawzy’s wife—I think her name is Bea. She and Shawzy have a cute little boy.”
Niko may as well have been speaking in riddles because August didn’t know any of this.
“How do you remember it all?” August whispered, sticking close to Niko’s ear so no one could hear him over the rumbling engine. Their teammates were starting to gather, and he didn’t want anyone else to know how much of an idiot he was.
“I mean…” Niko trailed off, giving August a pitying look. “I hang out with the team more than you do, and some of the spouses are super cool and have all the gossip, and I like to listen to it.”
And Niko calledhima diva when he was the one drinking with the wives and collecting gossip.
“Don’t judge me, Mr. Antisocial.” Niko returned to the group chat, grinning at whatever text response he saw. “And if not knowing anything bothers you, maybe when you’re feeling better, you can start going for drinks with us after games.”
August said nothing and put his headphones back on. The bus was getting too rowdy with conversations, his head was beginning to throb, and now he had to avoid making eye contact with Quinn until the Callahan shitstorm settled.
He didn’t want to know how that awkward conversation was going. Even if it was cowardly of him, he was going to stay out of it for as long as possible.
August started his audiobook, getting lost in fantasy because it was an easy escape from reality. The trip home was so long that he finished the book before the plane touched down,andhe took a nap for the thirty minutes before it was time to disembark.
Quinn had stayed on the opposite end of the plane with Callahan, which was great because it meant it was easy to avoid them, but he also didn’twantto avoid Quinn. Listening to him laugh and converse with his teammates had made August want to join in several times to see if he could make Quinn smile, but he liked being alive, too.
