Chapter 135: Questions and Answers
Rhys
The flight lasted for five hours and the moment the plane landed and the private terminal hissed open, the reporters rushed towards us.
Flashbulbs strobed against us and a dozen microphones were shoved towards us. We competed for space in the narrow corridor created by the security team.
"Rhys Calder! Kayden Vale!" A woman from The Sports Insider shouted, her voice cutting through the din.
"Congratulations on winning the conference semifinal against the Southern Stallions," she began, and I knew what followed after. "The images surfacing from Iron City this weekend aren’t just teammates hanging out. You and Kayden Vale posted matching photos on a private yacht and again you were at Nico Park’s exclusive masquerade in matching high-fashion themes. Is this a coordinated branding move, or are we witnessing the first high-profile relationship in the league’s history?"
I didn’t stop walking, my jaw set as I looked straight while replying to her. "We’ve had a long season and the team was granted a few days off for recovery, so we had a moment on the boat as captain and teammates. Nico Park is a friend and he extended hospitality to all of us. There were four of us there which includes Miller and our medical therapist Leo Ackerman, though the cameras seem to conveniently crop them out. Any themes you saw were for the night. We were there to celebrate a win, not to make a declaration of anything other than our commitment to the sport."
"But Kayden!" a man with a jagged scar across his eyebrow yelled, shoving a recording device toward Kayden’s face. "You’ve gone from a rookie to the Captain’s shadow in a few months. Some are saying you are using the Calder name to secure your spot on the roster for next season. How do you respond to the allegations that your chemistry with Rhys is a calculated play to keep you from being traded back to a team like the Westbridge Falcons?"
Kayden flinched, and I noticed how pale his face had gone under the lights. I tried to speak in his defense, but he beat me to it. "I’m here because I put in the work on the ice. My social life doesn’t change my save percentage. Calder has been a mentor to me, just like he is to every other player on this team," he sighed before he continued.
"If the media wants to spin a friendship into a scandal because it sells papers, that’s on them. I’m focused on the conference finals, not on rumors."
I had thought that would do it, but then another reporter yelled out my name. "Rhys, one more!" Another reporter pressed, nearly tripping over a security cone. "Your grandfather, Rami Calder, has built this team on a reputation of traditional excellence. These headlines are anything but traditional. Has he seen the pictures? What was his reaction to seeing you and a teammate in such intimate settings?"
I clenched my fists at the question, but instead of lashing out, I kept my poker face locked.
"My grandfather cares about one thing and that is winning," I answered, and faced the camera this time because I knew the video would be aired and my grandfather would see it. "Whatever I choose to do in my private moments shouldn’t concern my grandfather at all."
The reporter wasn’t done; he rushed to Kayden’s side, thrusting a heavy boom mic towards him. "Hey rookie!" the guy yelled. "Are you riding the captain’s coat tails or his—"
His words were cut short as the heavy plastic end of the mic swung too wide and caught him right across the cheekbone.
The thud was loud and sickening.
Kayden stumbled, his hand flying to his face, his obsidian eyes watering instantly from the shock. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to lunge forward, to put my body between Kayden and that vulture of a reporter. I wanted to tear his camera apart, but I couldn’t move.
My hand actually twitched, reaching for him, then I remembered that defending him now would prove them right.
I forced my feet to stay planted. I looked at Kayden and for a split second, our eyes locked. He looked hurt, not just from the blow, but because I was standing three feet away doing nothing. My heart felt like it was being shredded in a slow-motion car crash.
"Get it together!" I yelled at the man and then turned towards the Coach. "We will not be answering any questions. The interviews are over!"
Coach Reddick nodded, agreeing. "Interviews are done! Back off!" he yelled, signaling the bodyguards to push the reporters off. They created a wall around us until we had space to run to the team bus.
Everyone rushed in and once the doors hissed shut, there was silence. No one spoke and just sat down in random seats. I tried all I could to avoid Kayden; I tried to find a seat far away but the bus was already packed with gear and staff. I ended up sliding into the row right next to him.
Kayden was leaning against the window, using a damp cloth to wipe a smear of blood and grime from his cheek. His hand was shaking and I wanted to grab the cloth and check the bruise; instead, I sat stiffly staring ahead even though my insides were screaming for me to take action.
And I did.
Under the cover of our shared seat, where the high backs of the chairs blocked the view of everyone, I reached down.
I found Kayden’s hand and gripped it hard. I didn’t say a word but I held on like he was my only lifeline in a storm. Kayden shifted in his seat and I felt him squeeze back, his fingers digging into my palm.
To distract myself from not hugging him, I pulled out my phone, the screen blindingly bright. Notifications were piled up like a mountain of bad news but one stood out immediately.
Father: Call me as soon as you land.
Directly under it was a text from my grandfather.
Grandfather: Visited Kayden’s father today and almost told him about his son. I am still serious about this, Rhys. Don’t test me.
I heaved a deep, shaky sigh and closed my eyes, leaning my back against the headrest while still holding Kayden’s hand.
"Listen up!" Coach Reddick stood up at the front of the bus, swaying as the driver pulled away from the hangar. "Now that we are back, we start practices early tomorrow morning. We’ve got the conference finals ahead and according to the news... we are facing the Westbridge Falcons!"
The moment the name left Coach’s mouth, I felt Kayden shift violently beside me. His hand went cold in mine and I knew why he had reacted that way. The Falcons. They were his old team.
"I heard that they just beat the Viper Elite," Luca called out from a few rows back.
Coach Reddick nodded. "That’s why we need to take the conference finale seriously, because if a powerful team like the Viper Elite can lose against the Westbridge Falcons, then it means we are down for a long game," he said and then stretched forth his hand towards Kayden. "Lucky for us, we have an ex-teammate of Westbridge."