Chapter 128: The Spreadsheet Has a Bug
Miller
"I think I actually like Leo, but the problem is that he doesn’t care. He told me Alaric is his fantasy and I’m just a reality he has to deal with. What the hell does that even mean? He’s so nonchalant about it, Rhys. He’s acting as if I’m a chore."
I looked down at the sink, staring at my knuckles turning white. "I’m a professional athlete. People pay to see me play. And he looks at me like I’m a broken piece of equipment he’s forced to repair."
Rhys went quiet for a second, then tilted his head. "Wait. Did you two... did you fuck?"
I shook my head immediately, though the heat in my face intensified. "No. But we almost did. We shared a kiss... and it was... it was amazing. I wanted more that night, but he didn’t, so we didn’t go any further."
I let out a frustrated groan. "He looked me dead in the eye and said he doesn’t do athletes. He has been saying that for so long now. I just wanted to hear him accept me for me. He said we were high-risk, low-reward variables. But then he follows it up by saying he ’cares’ for me in his own way."
"In his own way," Rhys repeated, a small, knowing smirk tugging at his lips. "Miller, you’re dealing with a guy who treats emotions like they’re a disease he hasn’t found the cure for yet. You know how Leo acts. He overanalyzes everything to protect himself. He’s probably spent his whole life being the smartest guy in the room, and you’re the first thing he can’t solve with a formula."
Rhys placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently.
"I don’t want to be a problem to be solved," I muttered.
"Then stop being one," Rhys said, his voice hardening with that captain’s authority. "If you want him to see you as more than a reality he has to ’deal with,’ then stop acting like a reality he has to manage," he told me. "Show him you like him in your own way."
"Like you did with Kayden?"
"We are not talking about Kayden and me. This is about you and Leo," Rhys said, tapping me on the back before heading toward the door. "If we are done here, I better get back to the race. Who knows what that doc is telling him, or maybe he is changing his mind."
I chuckled and walked toward the entrance. When I reached him, I wrapped my hand around his neck. "Leo might be annoying, but there is no way he would ever do something like that," I assured him.
Rhys said nothing, and we both headed out. As we approached the heavy doors of the suite, the sound of Kayden’s voice made us both stop in our tracks, and we leaned in closer, listening to their conversation.
"Leo, be honest with me," Kayden was saying. "Do you actually like Miller? Or are you just keeping him around for medical research? You know, like the doctor and patient relationship. Because I know what I heard that night about him kissing you."
There was a long pause.
I held my breath, my heart hammering against my ribs, waiting patiently for his answer.
"I find his company... neurologically stimulating," Leo’s voice drifted out, but it lacked the usual sharp, annoying edge.
It was softer.
"Leo," Kayden groaned. "Human words. Please."
I heard a small, genuine chuckle come from Leo. It sounded so rare it felt like finding a diamond in the dirt.
"Yes, Kayden. I like him. Quite a lot, actually," Leo admitted. "But do not tell Rhys. He lacks the emotional maturity to handle the disruption of the team’s internal social structure and could tell Miller. It is a secret, so let it be between us."
Rhys and I exchanged a look in the hallway. Rhys’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, and he smirked at me.
I rubbed my hands together, feeling the tension drain out of my body, replaced by a warmth that had nothing to do with the humid iron city air.
"Well, well," Rhys whispered, nudging my shoulder. "The spreadsheet has a bug."
I couldn’t help it. I smiled. A real, stupid, wide-eyed smile that probably made me look exactly like the "peasant" Leo once accused me of being.
"Shut up," I said jokingly.
We walked back into the suite, and the atmosphere was even more electric than before.
Kayden was on his feet, cheering as Nico Park made a move for the lead. And there was Leo, still sitting in his charcoal suit, still staring at the screen with that unreadable look.
As I sat back down, Leo didn’t look at me, but his hand shifted on the armrest, moving an inch closer to mine.
"The pit window is opening," Leo muttered, his voice as flat as ever. "If you had stayed in the restroom for another ninety seconds, you would have missed the most crucial tactical shift of the afternoon."
"Yeah, yeah," I grunted, leaning back and forcing myself to look at the screen. I didn’t pull my hand away. "Go Team Filler."
Leo’s jaw tightened. "Viller, Miller. It’s Viller," he groaned as he faced me.
I shrugged in response, though inside I was bubbling with happiness, knowing that Leo, the pragmatic doctor, actually liked me.
I looked at him, and he frowned. "Why the hell are you staring at me like that?"
"I..." I scratched the back of my head, thinking of what to say, but my words failed me, and Leo shifted his focus from me back to the screen as Nico and Alaric went head to head.
I stared at the screen, having no idea what was happening, but I continued watching anyway.
"So, who is winning?"
"The Red Bull," Kayden responded. "Nico is winning this again." He clapped and jumped to his feet.
I heard Leo groan as he stood up, pacing around in front of the screen. Then he let out another groan and rolled his eyes at whatever was happening, even though I had no idea what it meant.
I just stared, hoping that Viller would win so he wouldn’t turn into the dark, moody doctor.