Chapter 33: The Cold Meeting
Rhys
I yawned, stretched my hands, and looked at the back of the door for the team meeting for a second before pushing it open. My head was pounding hard, like a hammer was hitting it, because I had a lot to drink last night.
The meeting room was dim when I entered, and the only light came from the flickering projector screen replaying the wreckage of our Game 2 loss in silence. The hum of the fan was the only sound in the room until the door clicked shut behind me, and everyone turned to look at me.
"Nice of you to join us, Calder," Coach Reddick’s voice sounded from the front. He didn’t look up from his clipboard, but the irritation in his tone was sharp enough to cut through my lingering bourbon haze. "Care to tell the class why the captain is the last one through the door for a tactical brief?"
I didn’t answer immediately; instead, my gaze swept around the room, skimming past Theo and Jaxson, who were whispering in the second row with other teammates, and Luca, who was watching the screen with a focused scowl. My heart started pounding as I searched around for him until my eyes landed on the far corner.
Kayden was hunched over in his chair, his hood pulled low and staring at the floor. I stared at him, waiting for him to look up, turn, and give me the smile I find annoying—but he didn’t turn. He didn’t even flinch at the sound of my voice. He just sat there like a statue made of ice, and the silence made my chest ache more than my head.
"Calder!" Coach Reddick shouted my name, and I blinked, looking away from Kayden and back to him.
"I was at the bar," I said, my voice sounding flat and raspy in the small room. "I had a few drinks last night. I lost track of the time."
𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
A few collective intakes of breath hissed through the room, and I saw Miller shifting in his seat next to an empty chair, his green eyes narrowing as he shot me a warning look. For a captain to admit to drinking during a playoff series, especially after a loss, was practically heresy.
"You had a drink?" Coach Reddick let out a groan of pure frustration and rubbed his temples. "For Christ’s sake, Rhys. Just sit down. We are halfway through the power-play breakdown, and I don’t have the patience to restart for a hangover."
"Yes, Coach," I responded, lowering my head as I moved through the rows. I sat down next to Miller, but my focus remained fixed on the corner where Kayden was seated. He still hadn’t moved, and for a second, I wondered if he was breathing.
"Look at his hands," Miller whispered under his breath, leaning in just enough so only I could hear.
I followed his line of sight until I saw Kayden’s hands resting on his knees, loosely curled. There was white tape across his knuckles that wasn’t there last night. He had hit something, and I knew with a sickening certainty that he had done it because of what I had said to him. I truly hated myself for saying those words to him.
"Listen up, everyone!" Coach Reddick shouted as he stood at the front, his shadow stretching across the grainy footage of the game. "Look," he started, his voice dropping from his usual harsh tone to something calmer. "Anyone can make a mistake. It’s our first time losing in this run, but it’s not over. We have the talent, and we are known always to win, but we just lost the thread—and it’s fine, because we can still win."
"We lost the thread because the newbie was playing distracted," Luca Rossi cut in. "It happened because Vale didn’t speak up about his stomach bug. If he had been honest, we could have adjusted instead of becoming a laughingstock to a team we’ve been beating for years!" He turned around to face Kayden. "But what do I expect from someone who wants the spotlight on himself alone!"
That sounded mean. It made me realize that it was exactly how I had sounded toward Kayden last night. Hearing it come from another person hit me hard in the guts, and I couldn’t bear it, so I opened my mouth to speak, to defend Kayden—but he beat me to it.
"I am sorry," Kayden said, but his voice didn’t sound like an apology. He looked at Luca and scoffed. "I didn’t do any of that for attention. It happened suddenly, Rossi. People get sick, and you have no right to judge them just because you don’t like them!"
Luca rolled his eyes and shifted in his chair. "Then why didn’t you tell anyone? Why did you..."
"That’s why I said it happened suddenly," Kayden cut him off before he could finish. "I know you don’t like me," he continued, looking around, and for a brief second, his eyes landed on me. "Most of you don’t. But I will never do anything that will jeopardize the team. I am sorry about the loss, but I didn’t know my stomach was going to act up. I am better now, and I will prove it on the ice."
The room went dead silent for a few seconds, but none of that concerned me. It was what he had said that hit me hard—how he had looked at me, thinking I hated him because of those words I said to him last night. I felt the heat rise in my neck, my hands curling into fists, knowing how badly I had messed up.
"Alright, that’s enough," Coach Reddick said and clapped his hands. "There was a mistake, and since it is admitted, we let it go and fight for the next game. Also, next time, if someone is sick, I don’t care if it’s a stomach ache or a broken toe, you inform your managers or me. We don’t play guessing games on the ice."
He leaned against the table, sighing as he looked at our weary faces. "The management isn’t too happy about the loss, and I trust that we can change that. Right?"
"Right, Coach," we all said in unison.
"Good," Coach Reddick straightened up and looked toward me. "What you did on ice was because you cared, but... next time, let me handle it. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Coach," I responded immediately, my eyes still on Kayden. And then he turned, looking at me.
My heart pounded so hard against my ribs as we both exchanged looks. I held my breath, expecting him to say something or show that he wanted to have a conversation with me, but he didn’t. Instead, his obsidian eyes held nothing but coldness. After a lingering stare, he looked away, turning his back on me as if the connection between us had never existed.
Coach Reddick ran us through our positions, gave another brief discussion on how to improve our defense, and then ended the meeting. "Meeting is over," he announced. "Let’s hit the ice for practice."
Everyone stood up, walking out of the room. As soon as I saw Kayden heading out, I rushed after him and was about to call his name, but Miller stopped me.
"I told you to leave him be until the game is over."
"But... I truly want to apologize. We are both defensemen; wouldn’t it be awkward if we don’t at least share a conversation?"
Miller shook his head. "We are just practicing today, and since both of you are still cooling off, let him have a moment to himself. Before the game starts tomorrow, talk to him. Not now."
I let out a deep sigh as I watched Kayden walk out of the room into the hallways, and not once did he turn back to face me.