Page 147 of The Penalty

“He demanded I play, actually.” I shrug. “He told me to make them work for it, Rhys included, because they wouldn’t want the win any other way. He was right.”

We sit in silence again and the smell of dinner is starting to seep in, making my stomach grumble.

“I don’t know how to get over it,” Tobi admits. “I’m angry. I’m hurt. I’m heartbroken.”

My shoulders drop and I stare at my hands in my lap.

“I don’t know how to be happy for you,” he continues. “When I see you smiling at your phone, I’m going to assume it’s him, and it’s going to hurt all over again. Same for the reverse.”

I nod and pick at my fingernail. “Will you talk to him, please? I know he fucked up too and I know it’s really fucking selfish, but he needs you right now. And I think you need him, too.”

I lean my shoulder into his and watch him from the corner of my eye. He’s looking at me again, tears threatening to fall.

His voice is a soft whisper that I will never master. “Okay.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Sure.”

“I’m in love with him, too.” I meet his gaze even though it’s hard. “That’s the second time I’ve said that out loud.”

His lips tip up in a smile, but his eyes are swimming. “He’s pretty easy to love.” His voice breaks and I give into the need to hug him.

Tobi’s wall finally breaks, and he cries. Soaking my shirt in his pain and betrayal. With everything in me, I hope this means we’re on our way to some kind of recovery. He’s my brother, my little brother, and I’ve done a shit job of protecting him.

“I love you, little brother.” I say against his hair, and he lets out a pitiful whimper. “I’m sorry I haven’t shown you that. I’ll do better.”

THIRTY-NINE

RHYS

Moving out of the dorm is bittersweet but the nice thing about having brothers is they hired someone to help me. When I asked them to help me themselves, Oliver laughed and said, “Oh we won’t be doing that, but we’ll come offer moral support.”

Whatever that means.

Tobi is barely speaking to me, but some communication is better than nothing. At least I’m not blocked. The rest of the season went well, and I got through finals despite all the fucking drama.

I’m moving back home for the summer and I’m dreading it. Things have been so cold with my mother all year. I don’t know how I’m going to last all summer there. And it’s not like I can stay at Teddy’s. Even if his parents would be happy to have me, staying there will rub our relationship in Tobi’s face and crush him.

Oliver, Owen, and I end up standing around awkwardly while my room is loaded into a truck. The movers are quick and efficient, and it is a hell of a lot better than sweating bullets while doing it all by myself.

When they finish in under an hour, Teddy and Colin magically appear out of nowhere.

“What’s up, my dudes!” Teddy drapes his arm over my shoulders. “How did packing up go?”

“Quick. Are you done already too?” I ask, not sure why Teddy is even here. I expected him to take all day and planned to go help him when I finished.

“Yes, Colin brought some beefcakes to help us.”

“Guys?”

“Women too,” Teddy corrects like I’m being ignorant.

“Isn’t that usually a term reserved for?—”

Colin interrupts me, bursting out laughing. “I found a moving company called Beefcake Movers. They don’t discriminate.”

Owen rolls his eyes. “Really?”

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