Page 30 of The Penalty

“Tell your brother.”

He looks at the room door and scrunches up his face. “I’ll send him a text. I don’t want to touch his sickness riddled body.”

“He doesn’t have typhoid,” I mutter.

“Are you a doctor?” Teddy asks matter-of-factly.

“Just text him.”

Teddy gets out his phone and sends a message. “Good, let’s go to my dorm.”

We go up to the eleventh floor, and he unlocks his door.

“Do you have a suit or something?”

“Don’t worry. I have the next best thing.” He pulls a tuxedo tee shirt out of his drawer, and it’s so wrinkled I’m not sure it can be saved.

“You’re not really going to wear that, are you?”

“Yes, I am.”

What would Colin do?

“Alright. I guess it works,” I say not sure I’m making the right decision but at least I’ll have fun going down with the ship.

TEN

TEDDY

In my fancy tux shirt and jeans, I grab my Crocs, but Rhys takes them. “No. You have to wear actual shoes.”

“These are real shoes!”

He takes them and steps away. “I swear to fuck I will throw these in a trash compactor.”

“You’re right, I’ll wear my fancy ones.”

He groans. “Fancy ones? What the hell does that mean?”

My phone screams in my pocket but I figure it’s Tobi telling me how I’m the best brother ever for helping out his friend. The guilt tries to creep in. Did I want to help out Tobi? I mean, kind of, but I’m more so doing it so I can spend time with Rhys…

I dig in my closet for a minute and find the black crocks covered in green glitter.

He stares, obviously struck by their beauty. “What the fuck are those?!”

“They’re my fancy Crocs.” I slide them on while he’s admiring their amazingness. “I only wear them for special occasions.”

“Do you see what I’m wearing?” Rhys holds his arms away from his body so I can get a good look. A look I’ve been trying really hard not to have.

“I see you looking like sex on a stick, so unless you want me to walk through the building with a hard-on, I suggest you stop pointing it out.” I pose so he can get a better look at them. “We look so hot together.”

Rhys pinches the bridge of his nose again with a loud sigh. After tossing my purple Crocs to the side, he puts his hands on his hips and stares at me.

God, he’s hot.

My phone screams again so I pull it from my pocket to see what my brother wants.

Party Pooper: You do realize I was going with Rhys as his DATE right?

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