Page 38 of Ethan

Charlie sighed, and suddenly he sounded older—so much older—than his twenty-two years. “I know.”

It sucked, realizing that he’d been harassing Charlie when Charlie had the weight of a franchise on his shoulders. Shared with Max, but it was still undeniably heavy.

“You okay?”

Charlie sighed again. “Just the grind of the season and knowing we—” He broke off.

He didn’t need to finish the sentence for Ethan to know what he’d been about to say.Knowing we aren’t going to make it. Not good enough. Not this year.

“Yeah,” Ethan agreed.

“Just sucks,” Charlie muttered.

Ethan never interfered with whatever his brother had going on with his captain, but he’d already decided that he’d be texting Max after he got off the phone. Telling him to check in on Charlie.

Though knowing Max, he probably knew how Charlie was dealing—or not dealing—better than anyone else.

“Yeah, it sure does,” Ethan said softly. “If you need something, call me, okay? Or if you don’t wanna talk to me, talk to Avery.”

Charlie didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I do. And I talk to you.”

But Ethan didn’t really think he did, at least tohim. Maybe to Avery.

Maybe Charlie thought he had to be the in-control, got-his-shit-together big brother for Ethan. Maybe only with Avery could he confess all the crap theyallthought about, late at night.

But that was the thing, theyallworried about that shit. Not just Charlie, but Ethan and Avery and Hank and Max, and probably every single guy who played.

“Well, talk to us more,” Ethan insisted.

“Eth . . .”

“I mean it,” Ethan said stubbornly.

“Fine, I’ll talk to you.”

“And if you won’t talk to me or Avery, talk to Max.”

“I do talk to Max.”

“NowthatI believe,” Ethan muttered under his breath.

Charlie actually laughed at that. A short bark of laughter. And Ethan had to take that as a win.

“Go to class,” Charlie said, but at least he sounded a little lighter than he had before. “I’ll see if I can drop in a good word with Inverness.”

Ethan didn’t think he would, but the fact that he still said it, that meant the world.

“Thanks. And be nice to Hank.”

“As nice asyouare tohim?” Charlie asked archly.

“Charlie!” Ethan spluttered, suddenly terrified of what Charliemightdo, the next time he saw Hank.

“Nah, it’s good, I’ll be chill, I promise.”

“Okay, good,” Ethan said, trying to breathe a sigh of relief. But it was hard, because he knew Charlie was so rarely chill aboutanything.

He did give Hank a heads-up that his brother knew about their friendship, with a short text after he’d hung up with Charlie. And healsotexted Max.check in on charlie, he seems pretty down today.