Chapter 116: I love you, Kayden
Kayden
The inside of the yacht was even more ridiculous than the deck. It wasn’t just a boat; it was a floating palace of polished marble, heated floors, and plush cream-colored furniture that probably cost more than my first car.
Rhys had directed me to a master suite that looked like it belonged in a royal palace after watching the sunset together, telling me to take a warm bath and change into the clothes the attendants had prepared while he "checked on dinner."
Dinner? Who would have thought that we were having our first romantic dinner together?
"Amazing," I muttered as I stared at myself in the mirror, then suddenly my phone started ringing. I had wanted to ignore it, but when I looked at it, I saw Leo’s name flashing on the screen.
"Leo," I muttered as I picked up the video call. I had barely hit accept before his voice boomed through the phone speakers.
"Where the hell have you been!" Leo shouted into the phone, his voice barely audible over the thumping bass of the party in the background. "I thought you disappeared from Iron City; I texted you but got no reply, and all my calls went to voicemail, then suddenly I saw you and Rhys’s post, and you are on a freaking yacht!"
I let out a startled laugh, moving the phone to show him the interior of the cabin. "I’m on a date, Leo. Calm down."
"Calm down? Kayden, the internet is literally blowing over!" He held up another phone to the camera, showing a blurred screen of Twitter notifications and hockey blogs. "Everyone is losing their minds. One minute you guys are ’teammates,’ and the next, you’re posting interlaced fingers on a silver railing at sunset? The fans are calling it the ’Valder reveal’ as if they have been waiting for it, but I am shocked to see that you are together and you didn’t tell me when I gave you the ideas, you betrayed me!"
I laughed out loud at Leo’s accusations. "I didn’t do any of this; it was all Rhys’s plan." I panned the camera around the room, showing him the polished mahogany walls, the king-sized bed with silk sheets, and the private balcony doors. "This was all set up by Rhys. We are boyfriends now, Leo!" I shouted excitedly and fell back onto the bed, the silk sheets cool against my skin.
Leo screamed through the phone. "What?! Wow, amazing! So that stoic-looking Captain can actually ask you out? Wow, what a statement. I am happy for you that you found love." He paused, his expression shifting into that familiar judging look as he lowered his voice. "But Kayden... does he love you too?"
I went quiet for a second, biting my lip as I thought about everything that had happened today. "That’s what I’m still figuring out," I admitted, staring up at the elegant ceiling of the cabin. "But a man who would do all of this... he has to care and love me enough to do it, right?"
"Yes," Leo said, his voice unusually soft for a moment before he shook it off. "I suppose he would. So, are you guys coming to the team’s party? Everyone is wondering—"
Suddenly, a muffled but very clear shout erupted from Leo’s side of the line. It was Miller’s voice, sounding loud and breathless. "Leo, why did you suddenly leave? I am not done kissing you!"
My eyes widened, and I sat up straight on the bed staring at the screen, but it had already gone dark. "What the hell was that? What the hell is happening over there?"
Leo’s face appeared on the screen again and he just waved his hands dismissively. "You didn’t hear anything," he said quickly, his eyes darting to the side as if he were trying to block something—or someone—out of the frame.
"Anyway, I need to go back to the party. You should prepare for the F1 game happening on Friday. Don’t be late."
"Leo, wait, was that Miller—?"
But he hung up before I could ask any more questions, leaving me staring at a blank screen.
I couldn’t believe what I had heard. Miller and Leo were a thing?
With how they bantered now and then, I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, but hearing Miller shout like that was definitely not on my bingo card for the night.
I chuckled to myself and went back to the mirror, adjusting my outfit. Rhys had picked out something truly classy yet elegant for me—a tailored, charcoal-grey silk shirt that hugged my frame perfectly, tucked into slim-fit black trousers that made me look taller than I actually was.
I left the top two buttons undone, feeling the cool air from the vents against my skin. I looked like I belonged on this yacht and I couldn’t help but smile as I brushed a strand of hair from my forehead.
Just as I was checking my outfit one last time, there was a soft knock on the door. An attendant informed me that it was time for dinner.
"Right. I’m coming right out," I responded and walked out of the room, following the attendant.
I was led through the mahogany corridors and up a winding staircase to the upper deck of the yacht.
The dinner was already set. The table was draped in white linen and lit by a dozen flickering candles that danced in the breeze. Crystal glasses and silver cutlery sparkled under the moonlight, and the scent of fresh orchids filled the air.
But Rhys wasn’t there.
I stood there for a second, confused, my eyes roaming around searching for him until a sudden, thunderous boom echoed across the water. I gasped as a brilliant explosion of gold and crimson light shattered the darkness.
"Fireworks," I muttered as I looked up.
They bloomed across the sky in giant, shimmering flowers, reflecting off the dark surface of the sea.
Before I could even process the beauty of it, I felt Rhys’s strong arms slide around my waist from behind. He pulled me back against his chest, his chin resting on my shoulder as the sky turned purple and green.
"Do you love it?" he whispered, his voice thick with an emotion I had never heard from him before.
Before I could even find my voice to reply, he tightened his grip, turning me around in his arms so I was forced to look into those intense blue eyes.
"I’ve spent my whole life being the Captain, Kayden," he began, his voice low and steady despite the fireworks crashing above us.
"I’ve been the one who has to have all the answers, the one who stays stoic, the one who never lets anyone in. I thought that was enough. My family made me believe that I wasn’t, but then you showed up, and you challenged me, and you laughed at me, and you made me realize how empty everything else was." He paused for a moment, his hand caressing my cheek.
"I’ve never done this for anyone. I’ve never rented a park, or bought out a dock, or even wanted to hold someone’s hand in public. I’ve never said these words to anyone in my entire life because I was too afraid of what they would mean."
He took a deep breath, his hands cupping my face as the sky erupted in a final, blinding white light. "But I’m not afraid anymore. I love you, Kayden. I love you more than the game, more than the title, more than I ever thought I was capable of loving someone."
"Rhys... I..." I tried to speak, but he shut me up with a kiss.