Kayden
The bright studio lights made the room feel hotter than it should have been. Even though my makeup was already set, I could feel a thin layer of sweat gathering at the back of my neck.
"Calm down, Kay. Calm down." I clenched my fists tightly and closed my eyes, trying so hard to calm my nerves.
When I opened them, Rhys was staring at me with a judging expression, but he said nothing until we reached the door to the interview room.
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The production assistant guided us to the table—a long glass surface that gleamed beneath the overhead lights.
Two brand officials, one from Voltrex Sports and the other from Aurum Hydrate, were already seated. When they saw us, they smiled.
The interviewer, a tall woman with a confident smile, gestured for us to take a seat.
I lowered myself into the chair, and Rhys sat beside me. The moment his leg brushed mine under the table, something sharp shot up my spine. My face went red immediately, but I kept my expression calm, clenching my fists out of sight.
"So, why the two of them?" the interviewer began. "Why choose them as the faces of these international brands?"
The representative from Voltrex answered first. "Our company is affiliated with Aurum Hydrate, and the reason we chose them together is that they have everything our brand stands for. Most importantly, they have that rivalry chemistry. The kind of on-ice chemistry you can't manufacture."
I almost gasped out loud as I felt Rhys's leg brush mine again. It was probably accidental, but he did not pull away. Neither did I.
"What do you think, Mr. Calder?" the interviewer turned to him. "Do you feel the same? This rivalry chemistry—do you feel it with Mr. Vale?"
Rhys inhaled slightly and turned to look at me briefly.
I shifted in my seat as he assessed me.
"Kayden is talented," he said, his voice low and controlled. "Ever since he joined the team, he has been trying his best. He's good for a rookie." He took his eyes off me and looked back at the interviewer, but the back of his hand brushed mine on the table. The touch was light but purposeful, and the warmth from him spread through my palm like a slow burn.
"And you, Kayden?" the interviewer turned toward me. "What do you think about Rhys?"
"I… I believe he is a great Captain," I forced out the words, even though they were true. "Now I know why he was called the Ice Prince." I looked at him and, surprisingly, his eyes widened at the nickname. His fans had called him that when he was a rookie, but it stopped when he became Captain. I still remember it as clear as day.
"I am just glad that I got to work beside him," I added. That wasn't a lie. "He is a great mentor, and I hope we become perfect partners."
"Perfect partners, huh?" the interviewer chuckled. "That was the caption of your Instagram post. The fans are going crazy about it."
I scratched the back of my head, looking away from Rhys. I hadn't told him I was going to post that selfie immediately.
Finally, it was time to sign the documents. As we moved to sign, our fingers brushed again, and heat pooled in my stomach.
With shaking fingers, I picked up the pen. It was at this moment that Rhys decided to move closer to me. "Are you good?" he murmured, having that same look of concern as in the makeup room.
I was not fine. He was too close—precisely what I didn't need. I wanted to tell him that his closeness was affecting me, but instead, I just nodded, pretending to be okay.
Soon, the signing was done. While rounding up, the interviewer asked one more question I never expected. "So, Rhys, the fans are asking why you haven't followed Kayden back? Is there a reason?"
Rhys's jaw tightened. He didn't say anything, but he pulled out his phone. In front of everyone, he searched for my profile and pressed the "Follow" button. He held the screen up for them to see. The staff in the room reacted instantly with excitement.
"Perfect partners," Rhys muttered.
After the final signatures were done, we headed out of the building. Immediately, the air exploded with screams. High-pitched, frantic squeals bounced off the glass walls. Cameras flashed insanely at us from every direction.
"Rhys! Kayden! Look here!"
"They look so good together!"
I tried to keep my face neutral, but inside, I felt a warmth I couldn't hide. I raised my hand in a small wave.
Rhys just stood there stiffly beside me, his jaw locked. He looked like he didn't want to be there.
Suddenly, the crowd pushed forward, and our arms brushed for the umpteenth time that day. That tiny contact nearly made me lose all the air in my lungs, but Rhys didn't look affected.
Finally, the security helped us safely into the car. As soon as the door shut, I let out a groan and dropped my head back against the seat. I pulled out my phone. I was the number one trending topic worldwide on X. Number two was Rhys. Number three was our ship name: "Calder."
I checked my Instagram. My followers had jumped to over a million.
"Wow!" I whispered. "I gained… oh my God." I gasped, looking at the selfie. It had millions of likes in just two hours. "I hit my first million likes! Rhys, look! Even the comments—" I leaned toward him to show him the screen. I was just happy to share the moment with him.
But before the phone even came close, Rhys's hand shot out. He slapped my phone away like he was swatting something offensive out of the air.
"Stop," he snapped. "For goodness' sake, stop acting like we are friends, Vale!"
My fingers tingled as I picked my phone up from the floor. "I was just trying to show you the pictures I took and…"
Rhys didn't apologize. He just turned his head toward the window. "I don't care how many likes you have, Kayden. Just focus on hockey—especially when you are around me."
I held the phone tighter and lowered my gaze in embarrassment. I turned to my side of the window as the car began to move.
This was a mistake. Rhys was never going to be who I expected him to be.