Kayden

Rhys groaned, running a hand through his still-damp hair. The fight drained out of his shoulders a little, but the displeasure stayed in his eyes. "Alright... fine. I get it. But I still don’t like it. We don’t even know this guy, Kayden. With the finals, the media, and everything else going on... but whatever you say, I’m fine with it. As long as you know what you are doing, I’m good."

I smiled softly, relieved that he was listening. "I know. Thank you for hearing me out."

"Sure," he murmured. Then, as if he had just remembered, his eyes widened and he pointed at me. "So what about your outing with Linda? How did it turn out?"

I let go of his hands and let out a breath, as if something heavy had been lifted off my chest. "Meeting her made me realize that I never needed that woman. She just wasn’t someone who deserves me. I’m over that Chapter—it’s closed."

Rhys gave me a questioning look, as if he wanted more details, but when I stayed silent, he simply smiled. "Well, I’m glad you realized that."

I nodded, then tilted my head with a playful glint, hoping to lighten the mood. "What can I use to bribe you into being okay with this? Name it. Something sweet, maybe?"

Rhys tried to hold onto his frown, but the corner of his mouth twitched. A second later, he burst into quiet laughter, shaking his head. "You’re impossible. Fine, alright. I’ll behave... for now. But if anything feels off, we’re revisiting this."

"Deal," I said, grinning back at him.

He let out a long sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I’m exhausted anyway. Those media rounds took everything out of me. I need to sleep. The cat sitter is bringing Starlight here tonight since she’s traveling this week. Maybe Soren could help babysit her?"

"Go rest," I told him gently, giving him a light push toward the bedroom door. "I’ll handle things out here. What exactly did they have you doing all day?"

Rhys waved a hand tiredly. "It’s all over the internet by now. I might have mentioned a bit of our relationship... nothing too deep, but you know how these things spread." He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the side of my face. "Goodnight, at least for now. Don’t stay up too late."

"I won’t," I promised, watching as he headed down the hall toward our room. The moment his door clicked shut, curiosity got the better of me. I needed to see what he had said.

I pulled out my phone and opened the browser, typing our names together.

Sure enough, we were trending again—#RhysAndKayden and #AvalancheRomance sitting near the top of the sports feeds.

One headline caught my eye: "Rhys Calder Opens Up About His Relationship with Teammate Kayden Vale During Media Tour."

I clicked on a short clip from the interview. Rhys looked handsome but visibly tired under the bright lights, a microphone in hand as a reporter asked about balancing personal life with the upcoming finals.

Rhys smiled that charming, slightly guarded smile of his. "Kayden’s become... everything I didn’t know I needed. We started as teammates, but it grew into something real. He challenges me on the ice and off it. Having someone who truly sees you, who stands beside you through the chaos—it makes all the pressure worth it. I’m grateful every day."

It felt surreal hearing him say that about me. Even though we had planned to keep the relationship secret just a few weeks ago, we were out now, and I knew everyone must be confused as hell. One moment we had denied everything, and the next, Rhys was announcing it to the world.

I scrolled down to the comments. Most were positive.

"They’re so cute together 😭"

"Power couple energy! Northern Avalanche winning on and off the ice."

"Rhys looks so soft talking about him—protect them at all costs."

"I knew the Valder thing would turn out to be real."

There were a few negative ones, questioning the lies we had told and how we had been fooling the public.

"So they lied for what?"

"I hope they lose the cup. How can they even focus when they’re dating?"

"Liars! Fuck them."

I stopped myself from reading any more of the negative comments and focused on the positive ones instead. I couldn’t help smiling at the words. The support felt good, even if it still made my stomach flutter with nerves. Not everything online was kind, but tonight, the positivity outweighed the negativity.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket and walked back to the living room.

Soren was still sitting on the couch, staring at nothing in particular.

"Hey," I said softly, keeping my voice gentle. "What do you want? Something to eat? Drink? I can order whatever you need."

Soren shook his head slowly. "I only want to rest. I’m fine, really." He looked up at me with those tired eyes. "Can I use your phone? I need to text my manager and let them know I’m taking a short break, like we agreed."

I nodded without hesitation and handed him my phone. "Of course. Take your time. The guest room is down the hall on the left if you want it. Or you can stay here on the couch—whatever feels comfortable."

He took the phone with a quiet "thank you" and started typing.

I watched him for a moment, that familiar worry settling in my chest again. He seemed calmer now, but I knew how quickly those thoughts could creep back when the quiet hit.

"In case you need anyone to talk to, I’m here. And besides... are you a cat person?"

Soren lifted his head from the phone and nodded. "You have a cat?"

"A kitten. Our cat sitter is bringing her—"

The doorbell rang right on cue.

"That should be it," I said softly. "Get ready to meet Starlight."