Chapter 37: Please, Kayden
Rhys
I shouldn’t have gone to the club. It was a bad idea because it was way worse than what I had seen on the ice. Not even the bass music playing with physical force, vibrating against my ribs and through the floorboards of the VIP lounge, could change my mood.
I sat alone in the shadows of the corner of the booth. My posture was stiff and my eyes were narrowed. Around me, the rest of the Avalanche were living it up. Theo and Jaxson were halfway through a bottle of expensive vodka and even Luca was dancing, shouting over the music—but I wasn’t celebrating. Instead, I was staring.
My gaze was locked on the center of the crowded floor, tracking two figures through the strobe lights and the haze of the club.
Kayden was dancing with Leo. It was the kind of dancing I had only ever seen with couples. His head was tilted, his arms wrapped around Leo’s waist as he laughed at what the other man was saying.
Every time their bodies brushed, every time Leo leaned in to whisper something against Kayden’s ear, I felt a fresh surge of adrenaline hit my system like a lightning strike.
I hated this so much that I wished I could let out my frustration by screaming. The crystal tumbler in my hand was shaking as I tightened my grip; I squeezed so hard the glass began to creak under the pressure.
"Ugh!" I let out a frustrated groan.
"You are going to break that, Cap," Miller muttered, appearing out of the dark and sliding into the seat opposite me with a drink in his hand. He followed my gaze to the dance floor and chuckled. "You look like you are about to jump the railing and tackle the doc. Take a breath before you pop a blood vessel."
"He’s too close, Miller," I groaned. I didn’t look at him because I couldn’t take my eyes off the way Leo’s thumb hooked into the belt loop of Kayden’s jeans. "Look at them! Why the hell is he touching him like that? He’s a physician, not his personal bodyguard."
"Maybe it’s a physical," Miller quipped, taking a slow sip of his drink and leaning back. "You know, he could be checking his heart rate? Making sure his hips still work? Because from where I am sitting, it looks like they are about to be joined at the hip."
I turned my head slowly, glaring at Miller. "That’s not funny."
"It’s a little bit funny," Miller countered, completely unfazed by my glare. "You are here sitting, brooding like a gargoyle, while Kayden is out there having the time of his life with a guy who actually knows how to make him laugh. What’s the matter, Rhys? Are you afraid the Beta has better moves than you?"
I let out a groan and ran a hand through my hair. "Those words I said to him really made me feel like a jerk and I... I am not sure what I am supposed to do," I paused to catch my breath. "He wouldn’t talk to me. I have tried everything," I continued, letting out another frustrated groan.
"I know those words I said were bad, but I don’t want him to see me as a jerk and I..." I paused again, looking back at the dance floor, watching Leo tuck a strand of hair behind Kayden’s ear. "Do you think they are old lovers? Look at him, Miller. He enjoys his company more than mine."
I watched as Leo leaned in closer, their foreheads almost touching as they shared a private joke. The sight was a physical ache, and I could feel every throb of it in my chest.
Miller stayed silent for a moment, his gaze shifting from the dance floor back to me. "Rhys," he said, his voice dropping the playful tone. "Do you like him? And I’m not talking about a ’fuck him’ kind of thing. Do you like Kayden?"
"No," I snapped immediately. That was a lie and Miller knew it, but what was I supposed to say? That I cared enough to want him to talk to me, to make him see me for who I truly was off-ice? "I... I am just concerned and..."
Before I could finish my practiced excuse, Miller reached out and placed a hand around the back of my neck, gripping me firmly to keep me from looking away. "Don’t lie now," he muttered, his eyes boring into mine. "You care about him. Because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be sitting here like this, ready to murder a Beta with a cocktail glass. Just say it, Rhys. Liking other people isn’t going to destroy you."
I stared at him, heaving a deep sigh, and finally, I nodded. "Fine. I like him," I admitted. "I want to make things right. Kayden saw a jerk that night. I want him to see another side of me—not the man from that night. I just want a chance to fix it."
Miller chuckled and let go of my neck. "Then take him somewhere you can actually be alone. Somewhere calm where you can talk. Don’t think about sex," he warned. "Just talk and apologize. And maybe you can take him out for dinner once we kick the Wolves out?"
I let out a dry, bitter laugh. The ideas were great, but seeing how he was with Leo, it looked impossible. "Look at them," I gestured towards the dance floor. "That doctor isn’t going to get away for a second. He’s stuck to him like glue."
Miller followed my gaze, but instead of agreeing, a slow, mischievous grin spread across his face. He finished his drink in one go.
"Leave the doc to me," Miller said, standing up and smoothing out his shirt.
I blinked, confused. "What?"
𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
"I’ve been eyeing him since he walked into the locker room anyway," Miller said with a wink, looking toward Leo with a predatory glint in his eyes. "I’ll distract the ’physician.’ You just make sure that when I pull him away, you’re ready to move in. Don’t waste the opening, Rhys."
I watched in stunned silence as Miller started walking toward the dance floor. I stayed in the booth, my heart hammering against my ribs as I watched him weave through the sweaty bodies.
When he finally reached them, he leaned close to say something to Leo first, but then he shifted, leaning over to whisper something directly into Kayden’s ear.
I couldn’t hear the words over the thumping bass, but I saw the shift in Kayden’s expression. He went still, his eyes widened, and then he immediately looked toward the club entrance. Without a word to Leo, Kayden turned and started walking towards the doors.
Miller stood there for a second, casting a sharp wink in my direction.
I nodded back silently and stood up, walking out of the booth and following after Kayden. I kept my distance so Leo wouldn’t spot or notice me.
As soon as I got out, I inhaled the cold air and looked around for Kayden. He was standing a few feet away, looking around the sidewalk as if searching for someone. I decided to make my presence known.
"Kayden," I called, my voice sounding lower than I intended in the quiet of the alley.
He stiffened, his shoulders hunching before he even turned around. When he finally looked at me, the joy I had seen on the dance floor was gone, replaced by a deep, defensive frown.
"You," he spat angrily, the words dripping with disappointment. He didn’t wait for me to speak and started to walk back into the club, but I rushed after him and grabbed his hand.
"Kayden, wait!"
His hand was warm—too warm—and I could feel his pulse racing underneath his skin. He struggled against me, but I didn’t let go.
"Rhys," he said through gritted teeth. "I don’t have time for your nonsense. There is a place I should be and I am not in the mood for your Captain speeches."
"No," my voice came out as a plea. I stepped closer to him, closing the distance between us, and then I whispered. "Please, Kayden. I just want to talk to you."
Kayden stopped struggling, but he didn’t look at me. He just stared at where my hand gripped his. "Talk? You want to remind me how weak I am again? You want to tell me that I am a liability? About how I don’t belong in your line because we lost one game?"
"About how much of a jerk I was," I countered. "I said those crazy words to you out of desperation and I regret them. Please, let me make it up to you," I told him. Without waiting for his response, I pulled him toward the street.
"And where the hell are you taking me?" he demanded.
"A place I call my solace each time I come here for games."