Page 6 of The Waiting Game

“I didn’t mean my outfit.”

“I know.” Jonah wet his lips. “The guys really want you there though.”

“Why? So I can watch all of the happy couples and think about how fucking alone I am?” Felix snapped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Sorry. I …”

“Hey.” Jonah slid a warm hand up his arm, squeezing. “I get it. It sucks.”

Yeah. It did fucking suck. Felix had thought he and Whitney Perkins were a forever thing. It turned out she didn’t agree.

Eight fucking months since their breakup, ninety days in rehab unpacking all his damn issues, and it still stung.

Didn’t help that everyone on the team was getting married lately.

Their captain, Dustin Fowler, had tied the knot in Vegas last summer with Charlie Monaghan.

Charlie was a breath of fresh air around the team and he’d slotted into the role of captain’s spouse like he was made for it.

But then it was Nico Arents and the former referee August Manning. They’d made it through hell and back with Nico’s brain tumor and come out stronger because of it.

Nico was doing well and they appeared solid as a couple, which Felix was glad of. And he liked Manning, despite his previous career.

But on top of all the other couples already around the team, it was a lot. More than Felix felt like dealing with, that was for damn sure. Selfishly, he was grateful Jonah wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment.

And then Felix guiltily wondered if he was the reason why.

“Hey, why aren’t you dating anyone right now?” he blurted out.

Jonah looked up from the stain on his own shirt he’d been frowning at. “Huh?”

“Why aren’t you seeing anyone right now? What happened to whatshisface?”

“Dunno. Which whatshisface are we talking about?”

Felix shrugged. “Any of them?”

“Ehh. Haven’t met any guys lately who I want to get to know for more than a few nights.”

“So you’ve just been man whoring it up? Picking up Nico’s slack now that he’s locked down or something?”

Jonah snorted. “No. It’s been like … four guys in the past year. They just … weren’t the kind of guys I was going to spend the rest of my life with, you know? It’s fine. I’ve had more important things to worry about.”

“Like me?”

“Yeah, like you.”

“Jonah, I …”

“Oh no. We are not starting this again.” Jonah waved a finger in his face. “Nope. None of that shit. What I do is on me. You don’t get to feel guilty about the decisions I make.”

“But—”

“I don’t fucking care, man. My life. My decisions.”

“But—”

“Would you stop it?” Jonah sounded exasperated. “You’ve been my best friend since I was five years old. You need me, I’m here for you. Whatever the consequences.”

“Okay but I kinda get why the one dude was pissed when you left your date with him to come hang out with me here and listen to me whine about getting dumped by Whit.”

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