Chapter 76: A perfect lie
Rhys
I cleared my throat as I stepped up to the microphones with Kayden, and the room fell silent.
I felt Kayden trembling slightly against my side, but he kept his head up and smiled, just like I’d asked him to.
"We’ll take a few questions," I began.
Immediately, a dozen hands shot up. I pointed to a reporter in the front row from a major sports network.
"Rhys Calder!" the man shouted over the lingering clicks of cameras. "The images leaked this morning show you in a very compromising position with an unidentified individual. Fans are speculating that this person is an omega, according to reports from the party. Can you confirm your relationship with them, and how does this affect your partnership with Kayden Vale?"
I felt Kayden stiffen under my hand. I squeezed his side gently, and he relaxed, or at least, he stopped shaking.
"The individual in those photos is a close family friend," I responded, reciting exactly what Elton had written on the paper.
"They were going through a personal medical emergency, and as a friend, and as a human being, I acted to get them to safety. It wasn’t a scandal. It was a crisis I couldn’t ignore. As for my partnership with Kayden..." I turned slightly, looking down at him with a gaze I forced to soften. "Nothing has changed. We are as united as we’ve ever been. Right, Kayden?"
I waited, my heart pounding hard against my chest, wondering what his response would be after the way I’d treated him.
Kayden stepped closer to the mic, his voice small but clear. "Rhys is a person of integrity. He did what anyone would do by not ignoring someone in need. Our focus remains on the season and the team and..."
Another reporter jumped in before he could finish. "Kayden! There are rumors that the ’Perfect Duo’ branding is a cover-up for internal friction. Some sources say the chemistry is forced. Is it true that this ’family friend’ incident has caused a rift between you two? Someone said they saw you in a heated conversation weeks ago."
The question was a heat-seeking missile. I could feel sweat collecting at the back of my neck.
Why the hell were they making things up? Or were we really that transparent?
I heaved a deep sigh, clenched my free hand, and then spoke.
"Friction?" I let out a dry, practiced chuckle.
I pulled Kayden even tighter against me, my thumb tracing a small arc over the fabric of his blazer. "We’re professional athletes in a high-pressure season. We have our moments, sure, but a rift? Look at us. We know each other better than anyone. I mean, I even stopped for him on the ice. What else would it be?"
"Then explain the omega rumors!" a woman from a tabloid yelled from the back. "You only said they were a family friend. Where are they? What condition do they have?"
"I think I’ve already addressed the friend’s medical situation," I responded immediately, knowing they were baiting me. "I’m not going to discuss a private citizen’s medical needs to satisfy a gossip column. We’re here to talk about the Avalanche and our commitment to the fans."
"One last question!" another reporter shouted. "If you’re so united, why the sudden press conference? Why not a simple statement?"
I looked directly into the lens of the main camera, knowing Thomas Brown was watching. "Because our fans deserve to see the truth. We aren’t just a duo on a poster. We’re a team. And we aren’t going anywhere."
I stepped back, about to turn away, when a voice stopped me.
"Rhys Calder, wait!"
A young reporter stepped forward, her voice cutting through the noise. "A video was just uploaded to a local forum ten minutes ago. It’s a man claiming to be the omega you saved last night."
My heart stopped.
I stared at her, then at the screen, trying to understand what the hell was happening. Kayden was the one I had saved last night so who the hell was coming up with these lies?
"Here," she said, raising her tablet.
On the screen, a video was already racking up millions of views. A man sat in a plush, dimly lit room. He looked soft, his eyes wide and shimmering with a practiced vulnerability. But when I looked closer, my eyes widened in shock.
"My name is Elian," the man said. "I’m the one in the video. I wanted to clear the air because the rumors are hurting someone I care about deeply. Rhys Calder didn’t do anything wrong. He’s been a close friend since we were children. He’s like a brother to me."
I clenched my fists, grinding my teeth as I watched him describe how I had rescued him during his so-called heat and taken him straight home.
"That was a kind act by Rhys Calder, and he deserves to be praised for it," Elian added. "Thank you for helping me out that night."
The video ended.
"Is this true, Rhys Calder?" the younger reporter asked.
I didn’t respond at first. My knuckles were white. That lying bitch, I almost whispered. But I swallowed it down and forced a smile. "Yes. It is."
Fuck you, Elian, I thought.
This was probably planned by my grandfather, another attempt to force Elian back into my life through the media.
A voice followed immediately. "Question for you, Kayden. Are you aware of this?"
I felt Kayden’s body shake against mine. I tightened my arm around him, pulling him flush against my side, holding him upright through sheer physical pressure.
"Yes," he answered. His voice sounded distant, like it was coming from a mile away. "I was aware."
"And that’s it," I said, leaning toward the microphone one last time. "We are the perfect duo on the ice, and I believe that’s all. Please look forward to our game this weekend and the launch of the brands featuring us once the season is over."
I turned us both away from the stage, dragging Kayden with me. Behind us, the reporters surged forward, shouting, but security closed in, blocking them off.
The second we cleared the staging area and reached the concrete hallway of the service tunnels, completely alone and out of sight, I let go of Kayden.
"Fuck!" I roared.
I turned toward the wall and swung my fist. The shock vibrated through my arm, but I didn’t stop.
I punched the wall again and again, every blow fueled by the image of Elian’s smug face and the suffocating memory of my family’s control.
How dare they try to own me through the media?
"Fuck this!" I yelled, ignoring the crack in my knuckles and the blood trailing down my arm.
"Rhys, stop!" Kayden said beside me, but I didn’t listen. "Rhys!"
He stepped in front of me, grabbed my hand, and shoved me back toward the opposite wall. "What the hell is wrong with you? Your knuckles are bleeding. Why are you hurting yourself?"
I gasped for air, pulling my hand back to look at it. My knuckles were split open. The pain was grounding. It was the only thing that felt real after the lies we’d just told on that stage.
I turned slowly, my eyes burning as I looked at Kayden. He stood a few feet away, staring at me, confusion and something like hurt written across his face.
"Are you happy now?" I asked, my voice raw. "Isn’t this what you and everyone else wanted? For me to be miserable and—"
"Shut up!" Kayden yelled, cutting me off. He grabbed my uninjured hand and yanked me away.
"Where the hell are we going?" I demanded.
"To fix your hand," he snapped, dragging me forward, "and your mouth."