Chapter 147: Missing
Rhys
"He didn’t leave with his phone, Leo. What the hell am I supposed to do? It’s been twelve hours and I have no idea where he could be." I groaned, the sound coming out raw and desperate as I paced the length of the floor in front of Leo’s desk.
Kayden had been gone since that night and had never returned. He didn’t call; he didn’t come back home.
He just vanished, hiding in God knows where, leaving nothing but a deafening silence behind him and I was on the verge of going insane because I had no idea where he could be.
"Calm down, Rhys. We are going to find him," Leo assured me, but his voice lacked the frantic edge that was currently shredding my nerves.
I had already begun the plan to bring him back to the team. I had contacted the investigator Coach recommended, and the man had started working on the case immediately.
I had made a point to ignore the toxic sludge of hate comments flooding social media. I had even refused to pick up my grandfather’s calls or return his texts because I didn’t care about his agendas.
All I wanted was for Kayden to return. I just wanted to see him, to feel him, and to know for a certainty that he was fine.
"But..." I started again, checking my phone for the tenth time in a minute. I was looking for anything—a text from an unknown number, a ping from the investigator—but I got nothing.
"Has he ever done something like this?"
Leo gave me a look that was as sharp as a scalpel. Unlike me, he looked totally unfazed by Kayden’s disappearance, maintaining a detachment that made me wonder if he knew exactly where Kayden was and was simply choosing to keep me in the dark.
The only thing he seemed genuinely concerned about was the origin of that video.
"Leo," I growled, marching toward him and grabbing the collar of his coat. "If you know where he is hiding, I need you to tell me. Now. I can’t focus on practice, and we have games coming up in a day. I—"
Leo let out a short, annoyed groan, reached up, and yanked my hands off his coat with surprising force. He straightened his collar with deliberate, slow movements before standing up to face me.
"Rhys, stop. High-functioning hysterics won’t bring him back any faster," Leo said, his voice dropping into that flat tone he used when he was done with someone’s nonsense.
"We have to keep this between us, or you’ll alert the board. Stop being paranoid. The probability that Kayden has come to physical harm is low. He is simply offshore, emotionally speaking."
I rolled my eyes in annoyance and threw my hands up. "Is there something you are not telling me? Something I am supposed to know that you are hiding?"
"There are many things that I am hiding from you and would never tell you, regardless of how much pressure you apply, but this is not one of them," he said, clearing his throat. "I have no idea where he is, but I am reasonably certain he is fine."
"He has no phone, Leo! Nothing with him. How the hell can you be certain about his welfare?"
Leo slammed his hand on the table, the sharp crack of palm against wood finally breaking his composure. "Because he is Kayden, and surviving is what he does best!" he yelled, then immediately lowered his voice back to a cold, steady level. "Kayden is fine. What we should focus on right now is the ’why’ and the ’who.’ Why was the video released now? Who benefits? We should be clearing his reputation. I am confident that if we provide a logical solution to the problem, he will emerge from his hiding spot on his own."
I gave Leo a questioning look, still suspicious that he was holding back, but I didn’t persist. Finding the perpetrators who released the footage was the only logical priority.
"The investigator already has a lead, but it’s not clear yet. I need to know if Kayden ever told you anything about the Westbridge Falcons. Did you two ever discuss them?"
Leo shook his head.
"What do you mean he didn’t tell you? Aren’t you two supposed to be best friends? You’re supposed to know everything."
Leo scoffed, and before I could react, he lunged forward, grabbing me by the collar of my jersey and shoving me hard against the wall.
I didn’t know where he got the strength—he was significantly smaller than I was—but the impact of my back against the wall was enough to make the room shake for a second.
"Listen to me," Leo hissed, his eyes cold. "Just because Kayden and I are like brothers doesn’t mean he catalogs every trauma for my benefit. Especially not when it involves bullying. Men like Kayden don’t offer up their shame as dinner conversation."
"What are you saying?"
"It means that Kayden hides his pain from me more often than not because he knows I would worry. He never told me the specifics of what happened while he was there, but one night, months ago, he showed up at my house covered in bruises and crying. Even when he was barely conscious and refusing to speak, there was one name he whispered over and over."
"Whose name?" I demanded.
"I didn’t catch the surname at the time, but the first name is vivid. Julius."
"Julius?" I asked, and he nodded.
I shut my eyes for a moment, clenching my fists so tight I felt the sting of my nails against my palms.
The name Julius resounded over and over in my head until the memory clicked. Julius Gerald. The son of the coach and the CEO of the Westbridge Falcons.
I knew the name because we’d had a brief encounter once—he’d introduced himself with that smug, entitled air, but I hadn’t bothered to respond.
"You know who Julius is?"
I nodded slowly. "He is Westbridge Center."
Leo finally let go of my collar. "What is the move, Rhys?"
"We wait for the investigator to finalize the data. And in the meantime, I’m going to whoop that boy’s ass on the ice."
"No," Leo countered immediately. "You cannot cause a scene on the ice. Gratuitous violence only confirms the ’bully’ narrative they’ve attached to the team. That puts Kayden at further risk, and you know it."
I chuckled, a dark, humorless sound, but said nothing to him.
I pulled out my phone and texted the investigator: I need good news in two days. Please.
Then I turned back to Leo. "Find out where kayden is for me. And when you do, tell him that I..." I paused, the weight of the secret pressing against my chest.
"There is no reason to maintain the pretense in front of me," Leo said flatly.
I froze. "What do you mean, Leo?"
"I heard both of you. In the locker room. Discussing how to ’pretend’ to be distant in front of the others. Your acting skills are subpar, for the record."
"You were spying on us?"
Leo shrugged, his expression returning to its usual pragmatic mask. "I prefer the term ’environmental monitoring.’ It was for your own protection."
I groaned and turned toward the door. "Expected. After all, you are Leo. Anyways," I continued, smacking my lips together as I reached for the handle. "If Kayden contacts you, tell him I missed him. And tell him I will do everything in my power to clear his name."
I opened the door and walked out of Leo’s office, the cold determination in my chest finally beginning to outweigh the fear.
No matter what it takes, I will clear Kayden’s name.