Page 141 of The Penalty

“Down boys.” Cox laughs.

Wolfe and Seaborn glance over their shoulders.

“We are trying to help,” Wolfe says.

“I’ll get Archangel.” Cox says in an almost parental tone.

Wolfe grumbles. “I will be checking in to make sure he talked to someone! Therapy is for dudes too!”

“You done too?” Cox asks Seaborn.

“I’m the muscle. I’m just doing what I’m told.” He holds up his hands. “We just want our homie to be well.”

“I got it from here,” Cox says and I could hug him.

“At least you’ll tell coach if he’s not doing okay,” Seaborn says, seeming to feel better about things before going to change.

“You okay?” Cox asks.

“Just more of the same. My brothers just want me to side with them. I’m barely speaking to my mother, and my best friend found out I’m dating his brother right after he professed feelings to me. I feel like I have no one.” It hits me in the chest as I say it. I guess I’m worried that Teddy will stop seeing me if Tobi is too upset about it, but I don’t say that part out loud. “So it’s been a week.”

“Fuck bro. Do you need to sit this practice out? Take some time for yourself? I can talk to Coach.”

I shake my head. “The ice is the only place I feel semi-normal.”

“Fair. I’m the same,” he hesitates. “Let me know if that changes. Okay?”

“Okay.” I walk past him to go to my cubby.

“Hey, Rhys.” Cox calls.

I turn back around. “Yeah?”

“You know we’re your family, right? The whole team? Wolfe and Seaborn and all the guys wouldn’t do that shit if they weren’t worried about you.” Cox’s words sink in and he’s right.

They have become my family, and if that’s all I have, that’s a lot more than most people do.

“Thank you.”

I decide during practice that I need to go talk to Oliver myself. I can at least work out one of my issues since I tried to talk to Tobi, and he has my number blocked. I get a car to Oliver’s office, figuring he’ll still be there.

Frank is at the desk outside his door when I step out of the elevator. “Rhys! So nice to see you. I’ll tell him you’re here.”

“Thank you.”

Frank winks, and it makes me want to go to a few of the leather clubs in the city just to see him in action. Merely for curiosity’s sake. I bet Teddy would go with me…

“You can go on in, honey,” Frank says.

I give a nod of thanks and push into Oliver’s office.

He stands with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out over the Hudson.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” I say, keeping it short.

“What brought on the sudden change of heart?” Oliver asks without looking at me.

“Teddy had some great insight and helped me see what really matters.”

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