Chapter 149: I met her
Kayden
Rhoda rose from the bed, pulled me up, and hugged me warmly. I raised my hands and wrapped them tightly around her.
I had missed hugging her; ever since I started playing professional hockey, we barely met and mostly just video-called each other.
The only times we truly saw each other were when she occasionally came to watch my games back when I was with the Westbridge Falcons.
Hugging her again gave me a sense of warmth, making me realize just how much I had missed her presence.
I burst into more tears, clinging to her. "Do you think he hates me now?" I repeated, the question muffled against her shoulder.
Rhoda ran a hand through my hair and shook her head. She pulled away just enough to look me in the eye and gently wiped the tears from my face.
"Stop crying, son," she said softly. She took my hand and pulled me toward the open balcony of the room.
We both stood against the railings, her hand still firmly in mine. The cool evening breeze blew my hair back, and I felt shivers run down my spine—not from the wind, but from the weight of what Rhoda was about to say. I was desperate for her take on Rhys.
"So, your boyfriend’s name is Rhys? The Rhys Calder of the Northern Avalanche?" she asked.
My eyes widened at the mention of his full name. "You know his name? Did Leo tell you something?"
"Come on, Kayden. I know everything about the hockey world. I used to watch all your games until Gabriella and I moved back to Seoul. I know him, and besides, I see the videos that pop up on my feed. You two are all over TikTok and Instagram every game, so it’s hard not to notice," Rhoda said, winking at me.
I wished at that moment that the ground would open up and swallow me whole.
Rhoda was a chronically online woman, and I often saw her liking my pictures, so I knew she was telling the truth.
"Leo and I haven’t spoken in days. That sneaky son of mine... he doesn’t tell me anything."
I sighed, staring out at the sunset. "What do you think? Do you... do you think he’s done with me?"
Rhoda shook her head and placed a steady hand on my shoulder. "Listen to me, Kay. I haven’t met the Calder boy in person, but I don’t think he hates you. Besides, have you seen the way he looks at you?" she asked, chuckling.
"How does he look at me?" I demanded.
My curiosity got the better of me as I moved closer to her.
Rhoda smiled and turned back toward the sunset. "He looks at you as if you are his entire world. Those blue eyes of his light up every single time you’re near him. I know what I see is just silly fangirl edits on TikTok, but I know a man in love when I see one, and that boy loves you more than you can imagine. I don’t believe for a second that he hates you, Kayden."
"But..." I stuttered. "I ran away from him. I was so scared he’d look at me with disgust and—"
"You panicked, son. I totally understand, and your feelings were valid. I am sure Rhys understands that too, so you don’t have to keep blaming yourself for running."
I sniffled hard and wiped my face. My fingers lingered on a stray tear, and I swiped it away with a shaky breath. "I know he’ll be worried sick right now, and Game Two is tomorrow. Do you think I should call him?"
"Son, whatever you decide is totally up to you. Do what you know is best for your own heart. If you decide to call Rhys, that’s your choice, and if you don’t, I will always be right here for you," she assured me.
Just then, Starlight walked toward us. "Cute kitten," she murmured, crouching down to pick her up. "I never took you for a cat person."
My face turned a deep shade of red when I remembered exactly how Starlight had come into the picture. "She belongs to Rhys and me."
Rhoda chuckled and nudged me on the shoulder. "Oh, so she is your fur-baby?" she asked, raising her brows teasingly. "I was surprised when you asked us to pick her up from the vet. I never knew she was actually my grand-baby."
I managed a small chuckle at her joke, and she pointed toward me excitedly.
"I am glad that made you laugh! Right, Starlight? Your daddy has been sad, and now we’ve made him happy," Rhoda cooed, kissing the kitten’s head.
Starlight purred in response. "Good girl."
I stared at her and smiled, then turned back to face the sky. There was something else I hadn’t told her—something I had even hidden from Leo. I inhaled deeply, clenching my fists tightly before finally speaking up. "I met Linda."
Rhoda stopped stroking the cat and snapped her head up to face me. "You met who? Who is that?"
"My birth mother," I responded, the words tasting like venom in my mouth.
"What!" Rhoda shouted, scaring Starlight, who jumped from her arms to the ground. "You met that evil woman?"
I nodded silently.
"Tell me you yelled at her? Please tell me you confronted her for everything?"
I clenched my fists even tighter. "No, I didn’t."
Rhoda grabbed my shoulders and turned me around so I was facing her directly. "What the hell, Kayden!" she yelled, then heaved a deep, frustrated sigh. "Why, son? Why didn’t you confront her?"
"Because she doesn’t even remember me," I responded, lowering my head. "I stood right in front of her, and she just stared at me like I was a total stranger."
Rhoda threw her hands up angrily. "I need to meet that woman. Is she here in Oak City? Do I need to find her?"
I nodded, cutting her off politely. "She is here in Oak City, but the craziest thing about everything..." I raised my head slowly, looking her in the eye. "She is Rhys’s stepmother, and she already has a son she dotes on."
"What?" Rhoda shouted, but the word didn’t come from her alone. There was a second voice in the room.
Both of us spun around to see Leo standing at the entrance with Gabriella behind him. "He called me, and I had no choice but to tell him Kayden was here, baby," she muttered apologetically to Rhoda.
"You met your mother, and you didn’t tell me!" Leo shouted.