Chapter 44: Hangovers, Hairballs, and Hostility
Rhys
I yawned and stretched my hands as I watched Coach Reddick stare at Starlight for the umpteenth time in Kayden’s hand.
"You’ve got a cat?" he stared in awe and waved at her.
Kayden exchanged looks with me before nodding in response. "We rescued the poor little baby last night and now we are bringing her back."
Coach Reddick gently patted Starlight on the head and she mewed in return, then he faced me. "How are you going to take care of a cat? I know you live together, but be reminded that the game is still ongoing and..."
"We will hire a Cat sitter, Coach. That’s not a problem."
"Alright," he agreed. "You both are in luck, no one has a fur allergy."
"Of course," I smiled and then heard loud groans sounding from the front of the hotel.
Jaxon was the first to step out rubbing his forehead while Theo followed with a towel wrapped around his head.
More of our teammates walked out groaning, their eyes swollen and red, and I knew it was from the hangover last night. They all looked as if they had been deprived of sleep for years.
This would have been my fate if I had not left with Kayden. Hangovers were the worst thing to ever happen.
"Look at you all staggering like headless chickens! Be reminded Game 4 is tomorrow, and unless you want us to lose in our city then that hangover better be gone in a few hours!" Coach Reddick shouted as they walked past us into the team’s bus.
"Yes, Coach," some of them shouted.
"Oh, cute cat!" Theo exclaimed and patted Starlight on the head as he walked past us.
"Hey," Jaxon groaned and ran a hand through his hair as he entered the bus.
I rolled my eyes at them and then looked back at the front of the hotel. Miller and the doctor were not out yet.
I had fallen asleep immediately after we returned from the pier with Starlight and only woke up because we had to return to our city.
As much as I wanted to fuck Kayden last night, I couldn’t have him because I was exhausted from the game.
"Where is the doctor?" I asked, and before anyone could reply to me, two figures appeared from the entrance of the hotel.
One was Miller and he didn’t look good. He looked like he’d been run over and then dragged for a mile. There was a thick white plaster slapped across his brow.
"Miller?" I breathed as he neared us.
"You look a mess, what the hell happened to your head?" I demanded and then looked behind him to see Leo, his blonde hair shining brightly in the sun.
My first thoughts were filled with suspicion, wondering exactly what kind of hell he had put Miller through for him to come out looking like that.
"Are you alright, son?" Coach Reddick questioned and didn’t wait for a response as he continued. "This is why I am always against you drinking after games. Look at your head. Can you even play tomorrow like this?"
Miller let out a groan and sighed heavily. "Easy there, Coach, don’t yell so loud because my brain is currently trying to exit through my ears and yes I can play."
"I am serious," Coach Reddick snapped. "Look at that damn cut, Miller, and..."
I politely cut the coach off as I moved closer to Miller. I leaned in closer to him and whispered. "Why do you have your head split open? I only asked that you distract the doc! Did you get into a fight?"
"Technically," Miller muttered, a delirious chuckle vibrating in his chest, "the distraction was a massive success. The Doc was very... focused on my physical integrity once the floor hit me." He laughed.
The moment the words left his mouth, my gaze snapped over his shoulder to find Leo smoothly joining the circle.
"Hello, Doctor," Coach Reddick greeted Leo, who greeted him back, then his eyes met mine and he sneered at me.
I didn’t know what pushed me to move closer to him. Maybe it was the way he had sneered at me or because he had hurt Miller, but in the blink of an eye, I was in front of him.
"You," I hissed, my voice dropping to a dangerous register that showed I wasn’t playing with him. "What did you do to him?"
Leo didn’t blink as he faced me. He just stood there, his arms wrapped around his chest giving me a questioning look. He adjusted his glasses and then looked at Miller.
"Mr. Reid should be grateful he still has a head to complain about, Captain," Leo responded, his voice cold. "If he insists on consuming alcohol with the reckless behavior of a terminal patient, he shouldn’t be surprised when his motor coordination fails him," he paused, adjusting his glasses again.
"A standard vasovagal syncope, followed by blunt force trauma against a mahogany countertop. It was messy."
I gave him a questioning look, having no idea what he was saying, but Miller stepped forward and explained. "What the doc means is I hit my head last night and blacked out."
Coach Reddick groaned and rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Is he fit to fly, Dr. Leo?"
Leo nodded in response. "He is stabilized since I spent the whole night patching him up, though his cognitive functions were never particularly impressive to begin with."
Miller snorted.
Leo and I both turned towards him, glaring at him.
"Just continue," Miller muttered, pretending to wince in pain.
I looked away from him and took another step closer to Leo until there was no space between us. I didn’t believe what he had just said; they sounded like lies. That was not Miller’s first time drinking, and he never ended up hurt unless Leo had hurt him.
"Don’t play your medical word games with me or anyone else, Doc. I asked Miller to watch you, and he ends up with a hole in his head? You did this."
Leo smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Oh, really? You think that I did that to him?"
"I mean, he was with you all night and..."
"That’s not what—" Miller tried to explain, but I cut him off.
"Not now, Miller. I need to find out what happened to you last night and..."
Leo scoffed and, before I could speak, he pointed towards me. "And what about you? Let’s be honest, you sent a lamb to distract a wolf just so you could steal a few moments of Kayden’s time last night. You used your friend’s loyalty for your own pathetic benefits and this..." he gestured vaguely at Miller’s brow. "Is a physical receipt for your selfishness."
He craned his small neck towards me and whispered. "I need you to stay away from Kayden and I am not asking," he pointed his finger directly at my chest. "Stop infecting him with your chaos! I need you to stay far away before you ruin his Life!"
I turned towards Kayden, who was listening to the exchange between us, and couldn’t help but wonder if he had told him everything that had happened between us.
Was that why Leo was like this towards me?
I clenched my fists tightly as I looked down on Leo’s small figure. "And what is it to you? Who are you to tell me what to do?"
Leo smirked at me and before he could say anything, Kayden appeared immediately, handing Starlight over to Miller.
"Please," he muttered, placing his hands flat on my chest and pushing me back an inch. "Please, both of you stop. We are in public and the press could be watching, for God’s sake."
Coach Reddick, who stood behind us unaware of what was happening, looked between us, completely out of his depth. "What the hell is going on here? Is there a problem with you all?"
Leo stepped forward, looking at the coach then back at me, and he smiled. "No problem, Coach," he said smoothly, his voice regaining its professional tone. "I was just giving someone a lashing he’s long overdue for."
"What the hell..." I moved closer to him but Kayden stepped in front of me.
"Rhys," he muttered.
I let out a frustrated groan and watched as Leo entered the bus. "That stupid doc," I muttered angrily under my breath.
"That’s enough, please," Kayden begged. "Let’s just go."
I said nothing and cast Miller one last look as I turned towards the bus.
The ride to the airport was filled with so many questions on my mind, and even though Kayden was seated beside me trying to engage in a conversation with me, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Leo was to him and why he had cornered me like that.
Were they ex-lovers?
Just the thought of that was enough to build a heat of jealousy inside of me.