Pure concern pours from Wyatt’s soul and floods the room. He reaches for Cal, placing his hand on the back of his neck again—an act of comfort that has always seemed to help Cal relax, but it does nothing for Penny, whose eyes fill with even angrier tears.
“I just didn’t want this to become a fucking spectacle, you know?” Callum says, breathlessly. His voice hitches. Declan winces at the sound. I glance down at my hands. This isn’t something I should be in the room for. “I know what I signed up for, but god—I wanted to be able to have something that belongs tous.With no public opinion. He…” he glances at Wyatt again, “you don’t deserve this, Wy.”
Wyatt smiles gently, pretending like this will be no big deal. But it is. It feels like it is. No matter what they wanted or intended, Morgan should have never been a factor. She is not a part of their story. She has no right to believe she is.
“I love you. That’s all that matters to me,” Wyatt mumbles. “The rest of it is just the rest of it.”
Boston stares at the phone in his hands, clutching it tightly, his thumbs working a mile a minute.
I reach over Arden to take my brother’s trembling hand in mine as he sits back down. He shakes his head, like he can’t talk right now. He doesn’t have to. None of them do. This is a nightmare and I’ll sit here with them until they decide what comes next.
Arden places her hand on top of ours.
“Lucky, take a breath,” Dec begs.
I glance over at her. She is seconds away from exploding, and I don’t think anybody will like what happens when she does.
“It’s not your fault, Boss,” Callum says, the very second that Boston buries his head in his hands. “You’re just the one who got the text.”
My heart breaks looking at him. I can feel his guilt, the belief that he startedallof this, and not for the first time do I realize how big of a heart that giant grump carries in his chest. He loves his people. Deeply. Even if he doesn’t say that part out loud.
“Lemmy’s burying it,” he says, “but we need to decide on how to handle Morgan.”
“Do you want us to leave it?” Declan asks, and all eyes slide to Wyatt and Callum.
Callum swallows, unprepared for that question.
Wyatt studies Callum’s face with careful precision. I see the anger that he’s harbouring, how he’s trying to suffocate it for his partner, because at the end of the day—this is Cal’s career. It’s Callum’s teammate's wife. It’s all wrapped up in him and what he needs. Yet, it’s abundantly clear Callum feels like he’s the one to blamebecauseof all that.
Callum sniffs, looking around the room. “I never want to see her face again. Understood?”
A calmness spreads over this balcony. A unified agreement. This is being handled. Head-on. And it starts now.
“Good,” Penny says with a firm nod. “Because I am going to fucking kill her with my bare hands so you won’t have to.”
Declan says nothing, just pulls her to his chest, kissing her head.
“Dibs on her husband,” Carter bites out, catching Penny’s eye over Declan’s shoulder. Through the tears, I see a soldier. Someone who is always on the front line for her friends. That rage is different. It’s overpowering. She dips her chin as she and my brother exchange a look. I think they just made a deadly deal.
“I’m never going to make a public statement about this,” Callum tells the room. Wyatt’s still got his hand on his neck. “Ever. My sexuality, my relationship—it’s nobody’sbusiness. Even if the story breaks. No comment. From anyone.”
Penny’s eyes slide to Wyatt, but he dips his chin in agreement without ever looking away from Cal’s face.
“If I leave the stadium with Wy, if I’m spotted with him at a bar, if there are four hundred pictures online,I do not care.”Cal’s voice is shaking and Wyatt physically winces at the sound, like Callum’s pain causes him pain. He turns his head over his shoulder to shield his emotion from the rest of us. “I’m not hiding him. I never will. But he is not up for discussion. My job is hockey. My job is being your Captain. I owe the public and the teamnothingelse.”
“We got you,” Boston says. “Both of you.”
Carter shakes out his hands again. Arden takes them in hers, bringing them to her mouth and presses a kiss to his fingers.
“Is that okay with you?” Cal asks gently, looking beside him.
Wyatt keeps his face turned away from us. He nods, reaching up to wipe his eyes. Cal’s expression softens. His hands slide to Wyatt’s middle, angling his head so that he can look at him.
“I’m just scared for you,” Wyatt says quietly, clearing his throat. He wipes his face again quickly, leaning down to press a kiss to Cal’s hair. “I know what it’s like. You shouldn’t have to deal with this. I’m angry, Cal. I’m just…fucking pissed.”
“We’ll be okay,” Callum promises. He runs his thumb against Wyatt’s hand. “You think I’m letting Tom Danford’s wife ruin this for me? A guy who can barely skate? Come on.”
Wyatt cracks a crooked smile, huffing a surprised laugh. Shockingly, Carter, Declan, and Boston break into chuckles of disbelief, too. It’s followed by a moment of quiet. A moment where the laughter tapers and we all take a second to absorb what this means. What that woman has done.
