CHAPTER THIRTY

"Well, I guess now we know who the leak is," Dom said with a sigh two days later.

He took a seat in Kate's office, staring at her across the desk.

She nodded thoughtfully. "The fact that the JockGossip article came out before Birdie learned the news about your health at the baby shower does seem to rule her out as being the leak. Which focuses our attention on Mitchell."

"That's something. So what now?"

She cleared her throat, reaching for her water bottle. "Well, I don't have a concrete plan yet. I'm meeting with several people in HR and the team's legal department to discuss our options. Knowing he's the likely culprit doesn't prove it. While he can't be fired at will, we may have some legal basis if we can prove he's been leaking private information. We need that proof though."

Dom nodded. "What can I do?"

Kate gave him a look. "Focus on your surgery and recovery so you can get back as soon as possible. This is my job to worry about. I understand you're frustrated because you've been a target of theirs lately but—"

"It's not that," Dom admitted. "I just hate sitting here idly while someone does shit like this to the organization. To my team ."

"So do I!" Kate said. "But I am doing what I can to deal with it. I understand that you want this over with. I think we all do! But now that we have narrowed down the suspect list, there's no real reason to rush on this. I can control the narrative during the post-season and then we can focus on it after when we all have more time and brain space to handle it."

"True. I hate it, but you make a good point."

"Yes, well, you'd think by now, you'd know I'm always right," she said drily.

"And yet, we never learn, do we?" He grinned.

"Never!" She shot him a grin. "Seriously though, leave the sleuthing to me. Focus on your recovery and find something else to do to keep yourself occupied while you're on LTIR."

"Okay, okay," Dom agreed.

"I still don't know what class to take." Dom sighed later that evening.

Shea raised an eyebrow. He'd propped himself against the arm of the sectional and, to his surprise, Dom had settled between Shea's thighs with his back pressed to Shea's chest and stomach.

The hockey game played quietly in the background, the sound of pucks and sticks and the goal horn a soothing white noise for both of them.

Shea had been reading a medical journal article titled Endovascular Treatment of a Superior Gluteal Artery Aneurysm on his tablet while Dom poked around the university's online course offerings on his laptop.

Dom had done all of the registration and all he had to do was submit his course choice. Which seemed to be the sticking point.

"So, pick something at random," Shea suggested. "You can certainly afford to take a few extra classes until you know what you're actually interested in."

He'd have killed for Dom's budget when he was working multiple jobs to pay for his undergrad. He was tempted to remind Dom exactly what he'd done to pay for grad school but he held his tongue, not wanting Dom to worry that he resented it or regretted the decision.

"The money's not the issue. I just don't want to fail at this."

"You're not gonna fail," Shea assured him, running his fingers gently through Dom's mix of waves and little curls. They'd gotten all of the knots from River out and it was silky-soft against his fingertips. "And if you get stuck, I can help you or there are online advisors who can."

"I just want to get this right ."

"Oh my God." Shea laughed. "You're making this into a huge deal. It's a class! It won't make or break the rest of your life."

Dom grumbled. "I know but …"

"Give me that." Shea reached out, plucking the laptop from where it rested on Dom's thigh and skimming through the options. "If you can't pick, I'll pick for you."

Dom let out a sputtering noise. "Don't you dare—"

"Too late!" Shea hit Submit . "You're signed up for Art History 101."

"Art history!" Dom protested, craning his neck to look at Shea. "What the fuck do I know about art?"

"Less than you will in a few weeks, I'll bet!" Shea said cheerfully. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

"Fun my ass," Dom grumbled.

"Your ass is fun," Shea agreed and Dom let out another sputtering noise that made him laugh. "C'mon, stop taking everything so seriously."

"It's what I do," Dom pointed out, finally grabbing his laptop back and setting it on the coffee table.

"Well, time to try something new then," Shea said. "And how about this? If you get an A in the class, we'll go to the Louvre this off-season."

Dom froze. "Really?"

"Sure. You can afford that too," Shea teased.

Dom laughed, shifting so Shea could see his face. "I can. And I'd be happy to take you to Paris. You mean it though? You'd want to travel with me?"

He looked excited about it and Shea smiled, a little surprised by his reaction. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Dom shrugged. "I thought about asking you before. God, I came this close to inviting you to come with me to when I went to the Bahamas for bye week this season."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I wasn't sure if you'd say yes or if you could take the time off with your other clients—"

They both froze.

It was a little weird now that Dom knew that Shea hadn't had any other clients then. Hadn't had any for a long time.

"You could have," Dom said slowly. "But would you have?"

Shea hesitated. "I don't know. I would have been tempted."

"But you'll come if I plan something for this summer?" Dom pressed.

Shea licked his lips. "Yes. I'll have to request time off at the clinic but I'd love to go. I'll pay for our tickets to the Louvre if you get an A in your art history class."

Dom chuckled and leaned in to kiss him. "Yeah, okay. It's a deal."

Later that night, Dom sprawled on the bed, waiting for Shea to join him.

He was busy setting out their clothes for the next day, a habit that Dom was both amused and touched by.

Although it wasn't something he expected Shea to do, three people in the press box had complimented him on the suit, shirt, and tie combo he'd worn last night to the game, so Dom certainly wasn't going to argue if Shea enjoyed it.

Besides, it made him feel like Shea was with him even when they weren't together.

Since Dom had surgery tomorrow, he assumed Shea was picking out something a lot more casual than that. Guess he'd find out when he got up at the crack of dawn.

Dom picked up his phone, catching up on a few messages he'd missed. Which reminded him …

"Hey, did you join the group chat?" he called out to Shea. "Matty was bugging me about it yesterday."

Shea popped his head out of the closet. "The Out in the NHL one? Yeah. Why? Do you mind?"

"God no. Maybe he'll leave me alone about it finally."

Shea grinned. "Yeah, I think I'm in there in your proxy. Technically I don't actually qualify."

"No, it's perfect. You'll enjoy it and I won't have to deal with it."

Shea threw something in his direction and Dom batted it back. It turned out to be balled up socks, which skidded across the bedroom floor before landing by Shea's feet.

"Good reflexes," Shea said, bending to pick them up.

"Well I'd fucking hope so," Dom said with a laugh. "I'm old and apparently my ass is in need of repair, but my eyes and hands still work."

"Your ass isn't in need of repair," Shea called out as he disappeared into the closet, then returned without the socks.

"Well, what is it?"

"Your gluteal artery."

"Yeah. The artery in my ass."

Shea snorted and stretched out beside him. "Hey, just be glad they can go in through your groin." He grabbed Dom's inner thigh.

Dom huffed. "I'll be honest, I'm not wild about the thought of surgeons with knives that close to my dick and balls but I suppose I don't have any choice, do I?"

"Nope." Shea shot him a wolfish grin. "And you'll have a hot live-in PT."

Dom grinned. "Lucky me."

He reached out and pulled Shea in for a kiss. When he drew back, he kept Shea close and looked him in the eye. "Seriously though, thanks for taking the day off to drive me to the hospital."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks for making me your emergency contact."

Dom's phone vibrated and Shea let out a choking noise before he pulled it out from under him. "Well, that was a thrill."

Dom smirked. "You're welcome. It's probably just one of the guys wishing me good luck tomorrow. Let me check it and then I'll really show you a thrill. Gotta get it in while we can, right?"

Their sex life was going to be on LTIR for a while too.

"Don't have to ask me twice." Shea shucked off his sweats.

As Dom brought up the incoming text, his mind was more on getting his hands on Shea's naked body than anything else. He stared at the message blankly for a few moments before the words sunk in.

Son, I know you may not look at this but I saw that you came out recently. I wasn't sure if you'd want to hear from me since you were so angry the last time we saw each other. But we should talk. There are some things you need to hear. Especially now. -Your Dad

"Hey, you okay?" Shea asked quietly.

"Uhh." Dom cleared his throat, blinking. "No. I … my dad texted me. We haven't spoken in twenty years and he just fucking texted me out of the blue."

Shea sat up. "Shit. What did he say?"

"I don't … fuck, I don't know," Dom said numbly. "What does that mean ?" He thrust his phone at Shea who took it with a frown.

"I don't know." Shea winced. "Actually, I, uh, that's not entirely true. I might have some idea."

"Yeah?" Dom frowned, confused.

Shea grimaced. "That night you, uh, mixed up your meds. You started talking about your family. About—about seeing your dad fuck another man. That was the last time you saw him, right?"

Dom felt a jolt go through him, like someone had suddenly thrown open a door to a room that he'd forgotten existed.

Not that he'd forgotten what he'd seen or that it was the last time he'd spoken to his father. But he rarely thought of it. And he'd had no idea he'd told Shea about it.

He'd never told anyone about it. Not even Christian.

The only person he'd ever told was his mother. And look where that had gotten him.

"Shit," he whispered.

Shea looked agonized. "I wanted to tell you I knew about it but I—you were already going through so much and you didn't remember anything from that night and I—I chickened out."

"Hey, no," Dom said, reaching out to settle a hand on Shea's waist. "It's okay. I know why you didn't push it."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I'm an emotionally repressed oyster, right?"

"Maybe," Shea said with sigh, shifting closer and wrapping his arm around Dom, his head on his shoulder. "But maybe I kinda like that about you. Not that you're closed off, but that not everyone gets to see the precious thing inside."

He settled a hand over Dom's heart.

Dom turned his head and kissed Shea's forehead, too overcome to manage words. God, what the hell had he done in his life to deserve someone like Shea?

Finally, when the tightness in his throat eased, Dom whispered, "So what do I do? Should I answer him?"

"I think," Shea said slowly, "that only you know that answer. When my parents and I were estranged, I hated it, but I also think there are reasons why cutting someone off and keeping them out of your life makes sense."

"Like Charlie," Dom said. He'd told Shea about Charlie's history after the baby shower.

Shea nodded. "Yeah, exactly. Like Charlie. But your dad—he fucked up. Maybe he's a jerk. I don't know. I don't know what your relationship with him was like before that. I don't know what he's like. I don't know if this cheating thing was a one-time thing or a habit. But I think that not having those answers will probably nag at you. It would me, anyway."

"Before, I might have ignored it and shoved it away and refused to look at it."

Shea smoothed a hand over his chest. "I know."

"And it's tempting to do."

"I bet."

Dom drummed his fingers on his up drawn knee. "But now I'm not sure I can."

Besides, Ronnie would kill him if he did that. He was convinced Dom's closed-off nature was impacting his play. And, well, he might have a point.

"Okay."

"I don't know what to say to my father though," Dom admitted. "How to reply to this text."

"Yeah? Would you like some help?"

Dom nodded.

Shea typed and deleted and typed and deleted before he passed the phone back to Dom. "What about that?"

Dom read it. I'm willing to hear you out. Tell me what you have in mind. Did you want to talk on the phone or meet?

"Yeah, that's good," he said thoughtfully.

"Hey, don't sound so surprised." Shea nudged him in the ribs.

"I'm not," Dom said. "I know how brilliant you are."

"Well, I'm with you, aren't I?" Shea said teasingly.

Dom smiled.

For a fake relationship, it was feeling less and less like one by the day. And whatever the fuck happened with his dad, he knew Shea was in his corner.

He wouldn't have to face this alone.