Chapter 115: No more Hiding
Kayden
"Alright, where the hell are you taking me?" I demanded as the car came to a stop.
I tried to look around to see if I could catch a glimpse of where we were, but Rhys had immediately appeared at my side, opening the door.
"Patient as ever, I see," he teased, reaching in to offer me his hand.
"You can’t blame me, Rhys, I have no idea where you have brought me to," I told him as I took his hand and stepped out, my boots hitting the paved edge of the docks.
The smell of salt and expensive wax hit me instantly. He had brought me to the sea. We were parked in a private lot right at the water’s edge, separated from the actual pier by only a small decorative gate.
"The sea, huh?" I asked, trying to get answers on where exactly we were, but Rhys didn’t respond to my question; instead, he pointed at my eyes.
"Turn around," Rhys commanded. Before I could protest, he stepped behind me and brought his large, warm hands up to cover my eyes.
I let out a groan but didn’t push him away. "If this is another Ferris wheel, then I am..."
"Patience, darling," Rhys muttered as he began to guide me forward. "There is a reason why it’s a surprise and besides, I am sure you’ll love this," he told me, and I noticed the confidence in his tone as if he had prepared something greater than the amusement park.
"Alright, if you say so," I replied and said nothing after.
Without seeing anything, I decided to focus on the rhythmic thud-thud of our feet moving from the pavement onto the heavy wooden planks of the pier. The wood groaned slightly under our weight, and I could feel the gentle sway of the water beneath us.
I wanted to ask if he was going to show me the sea, but I didn’t. I wanted to be surprised.
When Rhys finally stopped, I heaved a deep sigh, my heart starting to race fast and hard in my chest as I was anxiously waiting to see what he had prepared for us.
"Ready?" he whispered against my ear.
"You have no idea how much I want to see what you have prepared," I responded.
Rhys chuckled and slowly pulled his hands away from my face. "Voila," he said.
I blinked, my vision coming into focus as I stared at the sea, halfway expecting to be disappointed. But instead, Rhys pointed toward a massive white and silver yacht.
"A boat?" I breathed, my mouth hanging open as I looked at the huge size of the thing. It looked more like a floating five-star hotel than a boat. "We are riding on this?"
Rhys nodded, a look of pure satisfaction on his face as he took my hand and led me toward the vessel.
The transition from the solid wooden pier to the yacht was seamless.
A thick, sturdy gangplank—essentially a bridge with polished silver railings—connected the dock to the deck of the ship. Rhys led me onto it, holding my hands up the ramp and towards the yacht.
As soon as we stepped onto the teak-wood deck, we were greeted by three people standing in a neat line. The man in the center wore a crisp white uniform.
"Welcome aboard, Mr. Calder, Mr. Vale," the man said with a respectful nod. "I am Captain Andrew. My crew and I will be looking after you this evening."
Two other attendants, dressed in sleek black vests, stood ready with silver trays. One offered us chilled flutes of sparkling cider while the other took our coats.
It was the kind of service that made me feel like royalty, or at least a pampered athlete. I didn’t remember the last time I had gone on a short trip like this. I had spent all my years trying to be a top hockey player and didn’t even have the time for a short trip, but I had experienced so much in a day all thanks to Rhys.
"Thank you, Captain Andrew," Rhys said, and then he pulled me toward the edge of the boat where a glass and steel railing looked out over the water.
"Let’s watch the sunset for a moment. I heard it’s always beautiful when the boat is moving, and Iron City has the most beautiful sunset. There is no better place than to watch it." He positioned himself behind me and wrapped his hands firmly around my waist.
"Rhys..." I murmured, looking back to see if any of the attendants or the captain were still around us, but they had already moved to give us privacy. "You are displaying affection here and you..."
Rhys chuckled against my ear, his deep voice vibrating against the shell of my ear. "They work for me and already signed an NDA, so anything that happens here stays here," he assured me and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "You don’t have to worry about anything else."
"Right," I responded and placed my hands on the railings as the engines hummed to life. It was so loud that I could feel the powerful vibration in the soles of my boots.
The crew returned and untied the heavy ropes from the dock, and slowly the gap between the pier and us began to grow.
"Cool!" I shouted as the wind brushed past my face, and the boat started to move faster.
I leaned over the edge, watching the white foam spray up from the sides, and laughed. "It’s so beautiful."
Overcome by the sudden rush of freedom, I spread my arms wide against the wind and screamed excitedly into the open air. I reached into my pocket, pulling out my phone to capture the horizon as the sun bled into the sea.
Rhys also pulled out his own phone, snapping pictures of the scenery—and a few of me when I wasn’t looking, but I caught him thanks to the shutter sounds.
"I’m posting this," I said, tapping away at my screen to share the stunning view.
"I am too," Rhys said, his thumb hovering over the upload button.
I looked at him, surprised. "Wait, won’t people start rumors? We’re on a private yacht at sunset, Rhys, and they’ll find out it’s the same spot."
Rhys stepped closer, his expression shifting from playful to something much more grounded and certain. "I acted like a coward at the aquarium, Kayden. I was too worried about the noise we would get after revealing our relationship to the public. But I want to take the next step in our relationship. I’m going to post, and everyone can go with whatever narrative they want. I don’t care anymore, and besides, our fans started the ship thing already, so a win-win, I guess."
I was too stunned to speak and just stared at him.
He reached for my hand, laying it flat against the railing and covering it with his own. He took a picture of our interlaced fingers—the contrast of our skin against the silver rail with the golden sun sinking in the background. And I knew he was making a statement at that moment.
After a few pictures, we turned back to the horizon, watching the last sliver of the sun disappear, and just then, the soft, soulful notes of "Better" by Khalid began to drift through the deck’s speakers, the melody perfectly matching the rhythm of the waves.
"Thank you for bringing me here, Rhys," I muttered as I leaned back against his chest.
Rhys said nothing and just kissed the side of my lips as we watched the sky turn dark.