"Get ahead of it. Press conference this afternoon, before photos drop." He laughed, but there was nothing in it. "Chase is talking to team about resigning. Conflict of interest, they call it. As if anyone cared before."
"That's bullshit." My voice came out too loud, too thin.
"Ja, is bullshit." His voice cracked, just for a second. "Wanted you to hear from me. Before it is everywhere."
"Yeah. Okay." I couldn't think of anything else to say.
"And Red." His voice dropped. "Be careful. Vultures will look for stories like this. Anyone connected to me, anyone who might be—"
He didn't finish, but he didn't have to.
"I'll be careful."
"Good. Press conference is at two. I send you link."
Ro hung up. Joel was standing in the doorway. He'd heard enough.
"Ro got photographed," I said. The words sounded distant, like someone else was saying them. "With Chase. Someone's running the photos tonight."
He crossed the room and sat beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched.
"Chase is resigning. From the team."
"Because he's dating a player."
"Because someone decided it was worth money." My hands were shaking. I couldn't make them stop. "He didn't get to choose, Joel. He didn't get to decide when, or how, or who he told. Someone just took it from him."
Joel didn't say anything. He just pulled me against him, his hand on the back of my neck, holding me there until my breathing slowed.
"The press conference is at two," I said finally. "I want to watch it."
"Okay." His thumb traced a line along my spine. "Then we watch it."
Ro sat behind a table with the Aces logo on the backdrop, wearing a suit that didn't quite fit right across his shoulders. He looked smaller than I'd ever seen him, which was absurd. Ro was six foot seven. But sitting there alone under those lights, he looked like he was trying to disappear.
Chase wasn't there. Of course he wasn't.
Joel's hand found mine. I let him hold it.
Ro read from a piece of paper, his accent thicker than usual. He talked about privacy. About the photos being taken without his knowledge or consent. About how he had hoped to share this part of his life on his own terms, but that choice had been taken from him.
"I am gay," he said, and the room full of reporters stayed silent. "I am in relationship with someone I care about very much. I hope this does not change how people see me as player, as teammate. But if it does, that is something I cannot control."
When someone asked if hockey was ready for an openly gay player, Ro was quiet for a moment.
"I do not know," he said finally. "Guess we find out."
The press conference ended. I turned off the TV.
"He did good," Joel said quietly.
"Yeah."
"This is what happens." I couldn't keep my voice steady. "This is what happens when people find out. Chase loses his job. Ro loses his sponsors. And everyone acts like it's just business, like it's not—"
Joel pulled me against him again, his arms tight around me, his chin on top of my head.
The knock came around five.