Page 29

TWENTY-NINE

RHYS

W ith the intensity of practice ramping up going into the Frozen Four, and the last few games of our season, our time seems more rushed than usual. Strained too, but I can’t put my finger on why.

“Your boyfriend sent me a message last week,” Colin says over lunch.

Because of how busy hockey has become, dinner with them got too hard, so I agreed to meet them for lunch once a week. Oliver is sometimes present, but it’s always Owen, Colin, and Isaac. Since the later two go to school with me, it’s hard to say no.

“Oh? Anything interesting?” I ask, sitting back in my chair.

“I’m pretty sure he was mad at me, but it felt like we were having two different conversations.” Colin pauses, stabbing his salad, his crop top pulled tight across his shoulders.

“That’s a frequent occurrence. Was he drunk? It’s often far worse when he’s drunk.” I pick up my water, wishing Teddy was here. Some days, opposite sides of the city feels like different sides of the planet.

“He might have been. It was pretty late.” Colin flips through his phone. Finally finding what he’s looking for, he flips it around to show me.

I read through the exchange, and I can’t help but smile. He’s defending me. Badly, but I don’t care. I still like it.

“Oliver not coming?” I ask about the elephant in the room at last, tired of having it sitting over my head. This is the second week in a row he’s avoided.

“No, he’s dealing with a lot at work.”

“You didn’t go into work at the family business?”

Owen shakes his head. “No, Oliver was always the one meant for that. I’m the spare.”

“What does that make me?” I ask, not sure I want an answer.

“He obviously wanted you,” Owen says offhandedly, but it hits me right in the chest.

My gaze flashes to his. “What makes you say that?”

“I can only imagine he’s paid off more than one woman to have an abortion. But you are here.”

“Maybe my mother fought for me.” I’m sure she did. As strained as things are with her right now, I knew she wanted me immediately. She’s always said so.

“Sure, that’s possible, but knowing my father, I can’t imagine his indiscretions were solely kept to your mother. Even though he kept seeing her.”

“Which only tells us how he felt about her.”

“But you knew him. He spent time with you?” Owen clearly has been harboring his own questions.

“Yes, although not much,” I answer honestly, not sure how he’ll take it. I don’t know how much time our father spent with them. Would he be jealous?

“I thought so. He wanted you. You wouldn’t be in his will if not. He would have taken his secrets to the grave and left you a pittance if he didn’t care.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I do know it.” Owen falls silent and so does the rest of the table.

I’m not sure how that makes me feel, but pain stabs between my ribs and all of it hurts. Every inch of it. All the parts of me that knew I’d never be one of his real sons. And I still don’t have a place. Maybe I never will.

As we’re saying our goodbyes, I grab Owen. “Is Oliver going to come back to these?”

Owen lifts his shoulders. “Oliver will do what Oliver does. You can’t base your life around his whims. I’d never have been with Colin if I did. He wants the best for all of us, but that doesn’t mean his idea of what’s best works for you.”

I nod, not feeling any better. Why do I want to be accepted by them? This craving for family that I’m not part of might fucking kill me.

Rhys changed Teddy’s contact to Tendy Bear

Breeder: Please tell me you’re here tonight.

Tendy Bear: im not there im in my dorm

I roll my eyes but laugh. I almost call him, but that would just be weird. Who talks on the phone. Gross.

Breeder: Can I come there tonight?

Tendy Bear: dont u have practice n the morng?

Breeder: I don’t care.

Tendy Bear: r u k?

I don’t reply until I’m outside. He lets me in and we make it to his room.

“What’s wrong?” Teddy asks.

I press my face into his chest, slipping my arms around him. “Nothing. It’s stupid.”

Teddy tries to pull me back far enough to look into my eyes, but I don’t let him. “I can feel your energy not aligned right. I know something is wrong.”

I nip at him through his shirt. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been reading about chickpeas, and when your chickpeas are misaligned, your body is wrong.”

I glance up, sure I’m mishearing him or he’s pulling my leg, but he’s serious. “Where did you learn about this chickpea stuff?”

“A book the team shrink gave me to help me feel better about dating the enemy.”

“The team psychologist? Not a trainer?” I can’t figure out if he means a health plan or if he’s seeing a sports psychologist.

“The shrink! It’s about energy and making sure your body and mind are aligned.”

I stare at him for a minute. “Do you mean chakra?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Get on the bed and take your fucking pants off.”

He gets a smile and backs up, shoving down his sweatpants and wrapping his hand around his cock. “Is this what you want?”

“I’m going to help you realign your energy, Teddy Bear, and it’s going to require you getting on your knees.”

He lowers down to one and then the other, reaching for my pants. I let him take my cock out, stepping forward so he can lick my tip. My head falls back as I pump my hips forward. He swallows me like the good boy he is.

I pull back and he chases my cock, trying to deep throat me, but I grab his hair stopping him. “I have an idea.”

He grunts, trying to get on my cock. “I like this idea.”

“Mine is better. Believe me.” I wrestle him away from my cock. “Get on the bed and lay on your side.”

“Why?” He reluctantly gets up, throwing his massive body around like he’s going to have a tantrum. It makes me harder.

“Do as you’re told or you don’t get my cock.” I stroke it for effect.

He grumbles, but does as I asked.

I lay the opposite way, leaning up on my elbow. “Now I can suck your dick while you suck mine.”

Teddy’s eyes light up, and he grabs me, dragging me closer by the thighs to take me straight into the back of his mouth. I’m slower, swirling my tongue around the ridge of his head. Licking his balls. Teasing until he’s moaning around my cock.

He comes off me, lips swollen. “Please.”

“Please what, my bear?” I whisper my words over his dick.

“I need to be in your mouth.”

I suck on his tip, but just his tip.

He thrusts forward, but I expect it and move with him, not letting him have what he wants. “Rhys!”

“Yes?” I ask playfully.

“I need to come! Be nice.” He’s panting because I keep stroking him with my hand as he speaks. “Please, pretty please.”

I shove his hip, rolling on top of him, finally allowing him fully into my mouth while I fuck myself between his lips. He gasps around my cock as I take his throat. His entire body tightens with pleasure, and he loses it, filling my mouth and throat with his cum. He greedily tightens his lips until I give him mine, sucking me fucking dry.

We flip around and lay there long after we both come down, and I feel better than I have all day. But I don’t know how to tell him that he calms me in ways I didn’t know possible.