Page 14 of The Waiting Game

“You hate this,” Jonah said in his ear. The club was loud and they sat close. It was either that or shout to be heard.

Felix grimaced at how well Jonah could read him. Sometimes it was scary. He knew things Felix could barely admit to himself.

Though, he was getting better at facing all of them. Ninety days of intense therapy would do that to a guy.

God, it had made his skin crawl to peel back the layers and expose his underbelly to the kind and earnest therapist at the rehab facility.

It had been a good place. Upscale and discreet, and no one had made a big fuss about him being an NHLer there. Of course, compared to one of the pop stars he’d seen wandering around the place, he’d practically been a nobody.

It had been a good feeling. He was fine being a little more anonymous during the lowest point in his life.

He’d put his head down and done the work, grateful to have a chance to right some of his wrongs. Fix what he’d fucked up.

Still, he’d never been so glad to return to his life here in Toronto.

“I …” Felix sighed. “Being back with the team, back with you--it’s helped my sobriety a ton. But I detest that the team feels like they have to treat me like I’m too fragile to even be around alcohol.”

Jonah frowned.

“I can handle this,” he insisted quietly. “I appreciate the concern but I’m fine.”

“I just worry about you.” Jonah pressed the sides of their heads together.

“So nothing has changed since we were kids?”

“Like you can talk. You’ve been fighting battles for me since day one,” Jonah protested.

“Ehh. Shut up, asshole.” Laughing, Felix elbowed him in the ribs. “At least I’m not turning into Rambo. At this rate, you and Grandma Ji-min are going to have matching penalty minutes for the season.”

Jonah grumbled under his breath, which just made Felix laugh harder.

He wondered if the guys had heard about her latest antics.

“So, get this,” he said, still laughing as he turned back to his teammates sitting at the table with him and Jonah. “Grandma Ji-min almost got thrown out of the arena for cussing out a ref at the game tonight.”

“That woman.” Jonah dropped his head, slumping until his forehead rested on the table. “She’s driving me nuts.”

Chuckling, Felix patted Jonah’s back affectionately.

Jonah straightened. “Every day she goes on and on about how she wants to see me settle down before she dies. ‘You need to get married, Jo-nah. Let me set you up with a nice Korean boy, Jo-nah.’ I don’t want a nice Korean boy. I just want her to stop bugging me about my personal life!”

Felix snorted. “I still think it’s sweet she’s so supportive of you being gay.”

Jonah glared.

“Sweet my ass. She’s trying to manipulate me. She goes on and on about how she needs to see me married and happy before she can die in peace. She’s not getting any younger. And she had that health thing last year … and I start to feel guilty and think maybe I should just start dating someone to make her happy and then the next night she’s screaming at refs like she’s going to live for another eighty years!” He threw up his hands. “You deal with her, Haler. I don’t know what to do with her anymore.”

Felix cackled. “I love that woman.”

“You would,” Jonah said aloud, muttering, “Suck-up,” under his breath.

The whole table dissolved into laughter and Felix grinned, unrepentant.

“Someday she’s going to show up with a list of eligible dates for you.”

Felix shrugged. “Well, the last breakup sent me to rehab, so maybe I should try something new. I might have better luck if I let Grandma Ji-min run my dating life.”

That sent the table into another round of laughter.

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