Miller

Everything sucks.

Getting into a relationship was something I never thought I would experience until Leo. I had expected it would be great—easy, lovely—but it isn’t all rosy.

Something crazy was going on with both of us. I had seen it. I had wanted to address it, but Leo acted like everything was fine.

And when he raised his voice at me and walked off, I knew right there that we were heading down the doom path.

"What is going on?" Rhys threw at me the instant Kayden rushed off after Leo.

I groaned and rubbed my forehead as a headache started to bloom behind my eyes. I didn’t know what to tell him because I wasn’t the one with the problem. It was Leo.

"I need alcohol," I said instead.

Rhys shot me a disapproving look. "Alcohol in the afternoon? Are you crazy?"

I looked at him with a straight face and nodded. "I truly need a drink. So it’s either you show me where your alcohol collection is, or I’m..." I scratched the back of my head, trying to come up with a threat, but nothing came.

Rhys rolled his eyes, muttered something under his breath, and walked deeper into the house. I trailed behind him.

We ended up at the big kitchen island. The marble countertop was cool under my forearms as I leaned on it. Rhys went straight to the built-in wine fridge along the wall—floor-to-ceiling glass, softly lit, stocked like he was ready for a team party or a bad breakup.

He didn’t even hesitate. He pulled out a bottle, checked the label for half a second, and nodded to himself. 2015 Napa Cabernet. Solid choice.

"Should do the trick," he said, grabbing the corkscrew from the drawer. The cork came out with a clean pop. He poured two generous glasses, the dark red wine swirling rich and heavy.

He slid one across the island to me. "Here. Don’t chug it like a rookie—at least pretend you have taste."

I took the glass, inhaling the deep notes of cherry and oak before taking a long sip. It went down smooth, warming my chest instantly. Exactly what I needed.

For a moment the kitchen was quiet, just the low hum of the fridge and the faint clink of the bottle as Rhys set it down. He leaned on the opposite side of the island, eyeing me.

"Alright. Talk. What the hell happened with Leo?"

I stared into my glass. "I don’t know. I..." I paused and took another long sip. The wine burned nicely on the way down. "I honestly don’t know."

Rhys watched me for a second, then shook his head. "It seems like both of you are having issues. The way you two are communicating—or not communicating—it sounds like a crazy dispute is going on. Look, I’m not usually the guy who gets in the middle of couple fights, but you’re both my friends. You and Leo helped me and Kayden get to where we are today. So if you need a hand, just say it. What’s happening?"

I inhaled deeply, then finally lifted my head to meet his eyes. "I truly don’t know what’s happening. But whenever I try to show some alpha dominance, take charge like I’m supposed to, his reactions don’t turn out well. He just gets angry. Every damn time."

Rhys’s brow furrowed. "Does this have to do with the fact that he’s an enigma?"

I nodded.

After seeing how Leo had started acting, I’d done a deep research dive on enigmas and their habits. Everything lined up exactly with how he was treating me—the mood swings, the walls going up, the way he pulled back whenever I tried to lead.

"It was never like this before," I continued, voice low. "When we weren’t official yet, when it was just teasing and jokes... when I was still chasing him around like an idiot. We were better then. Actually good. But suddenly it flipped, and now he won’t tell me shit."

I set the glass down and placed both hands flat on the cool marble island, staring at the veins in the stone. "I’ve tried starting conversations about it. At least if something’s wrong, he should let me know. He shouldn’t keep it from me. But now we feel like strangers, and I hate it. I don’t want him to be unhappy. If it’s because of me..." My voice cracked, but I forced the rest out. "I just want him to say it. I... I love him so much."

The words hung in the quiet kitchen.

I swallowed hard, eyes burning, and took another drink so I wouldn’t have to look at Rhys right away.

Rhys took a sip from his own glass, then set it down and leaned across the island. He placed a steady hand over mine, his grip firm like we were on the ice and he was about to tell me to keep my head up after a bad shift. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"I know you’re hurting," he said quietly. "And I know something deeper is going on. From what little I’ve learned about enigmas... they love exercising dominance. A lot of people think it makes them violent, but Leo isn’t like that. Talk to him. And my advice? Don’t throw your own dominance in his face. That might be part of why he’s reacting this way."

I nodded slowly, the wine already loosening the knot in my chest. "Yeah... that must be why. I can’t help it when my dominant side kicks in, but for him... I can suppress it. I will suppress it."

"Exactly." Rhys gave my hand a light squeeze before pulling back. "For your relationship to work, you two have to learn how to communicate. That’s the first key to a healthy one."

I lifted my head and gave him a long, knowing look. This was not the Rhys I used to know. He’d changed—not for the worse, but for the better.

Who the hell would’ve thought he’d be dropping advice like this?

"You’re glowing, man," I pointed out with a small smirk.

Rhys rubbed a hand over his face, but he couldn’t hide the grin spreading across it. "Is it that obvious?"

"I’m happy for you," I told him sincerely. "I hope the thing with Leo and his uncle works out too. We’ve got to come back stronger to the ice. The team needs us to be focused."

"I hope so too," Rhys replied. He reached for the bottle and poured us another round.

We clink our glasses together, the sound sharp in the quiet kitchen, and drink.

"So..." I started after draining half my glass, the warmth spreading through me. "Tell me. How do I win Leo back? I need the secret manual if you’ve got one."

Rhys chuckled, moved around the island, and wrapped a heavy arm around my shoulders. "Well, my dear friend, you’re here in Osea, so forget the manual. I’m going to give you lessons on how to be the best boyfriend."

I laughed and slung my own arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a half-hug. "Whatever lessons you’ve got, I’m ready for them. As long as they help me fix things with Leo."