15– Kayden

Today was day three. That meant I had exactly twenty-seven more days to win Gabrielle’s heart.

If I was keeping score, the metrics were a total disaster. So far, two out of the three planned methods to break down her walls had completely fallen through.

Way One: Memorize her hyper-specific coffee order. That went perfectly.

Way Two: Cook her an elegant celebratory dinner after the game. That was an epic, smoky fail, even if our midnight escape to the Boston night market turned into the best night of my life.

Way Three: Plan a quiet, romantic candlelit dinner at the estate. Another massive fail, mostly because she didn't show up and I spent the night hyperventilating on the floor.

Which had led me to inventing a completely new strategy on the spur of the moment.

Way Four: A private, deeply relaxing spa date in a luxury hotel suite.

It was safe to say that this one was going well. In fact, it had gone so well that Gabrielle had fallen asleep halfway through her full-body massage. 

The therapist had slipped out over two hours ago, and Gabrielle hadn't stirred once since.

I sat in an armchair beside the bed, just watching her breathe.

It was a rare, beautiful sight. 

In the six months I had known her, this was the first time I had ever seen her so vulnerable and unguarded.

She was breathtaking in her sleep. The afternoon light filtered through the curtains, catching the delicate curve of her jaw and the way her dark lashes shadowed her cheeks. 

I felt a sudden surge of pride in myself for having the foresight to request a standard premium mattress for the suite instead of those stiff massage tables with the face cradles. 

I wanted her to be comfortable. 

I wanted her to feel safe.

Slowly, her breathing shifted. Her fingers twitched against the white sheets, and a soft groan escaped her throat as she began to stir. 

Her eyelids fluttered, blinking heavily against the soft light as she tried to orient herself.

“Hey,” I murmured softly, leaning forward and flashing her a warm, reassuring smile.

“Hey…” she breathed, her voice thick and gravelly with sleep. 

She pulled a long, deep breath into her lungs, stretching her arms above her head before letting out a loud yawn.

It was quite possibly the cutest thing I had ever seen. My heart swelled so much against my ribs I thought it might actually burst inside my chest.

“It seems like you needed the rest,” I told her gently as she slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, leaning her back against the headboard.

“I really did,” she admitted, running a hand through her messy waves. She looked around the room, a wave of self-consciousness crossing her features. “I’m sorry... I didn't mean to crash out on your date.”

“No, it’s fine,” I shrugged, letting my eyes linger on her face. “Honestly, I enjoyed just watching you sleep anyway.”

Gabrielle paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as her guard snapped back into place. “You and your way of speaking, Kayden.”

“What? You don’t like it?”

“It’s not about whether I like it or not,” she said, her voice flattening into that cool, detached tone that always kept me at a distance. “It’s just inappropriate for the kind of relationship we have. We're under a contract, remember?”

The familiar ache returned to my chest, and my heart fell. 

Listen to understand, Alvarez. Don't just react. 

I forced myself to nod, keeping my voice steady. “Okay. I understand. Would you like to eat something now?”

“I’m really not that—”

“It’s spicy chicken noodle soup,” I blurted out, cutting off her rejection before she could finish the sentence.

Gabrielle froze, her brows instantly knitting together as a flicker of surprise danced in her eyes.

I offered her a small, slightly nervous smile. “Your eyes were a bit reddened and swollen when you walked into the house this morning. I figured... well, I figured maybe you had a little too much alcohol last night to deal with whatever happened.”

She stared at me, her gaze suddenly intense. “You figured all of that out just because my eyes were a bit red?”

“Wait…” I rubbed the back of my neck, worried I had overstepped. “Am I right?”

Gabrielle didn’t answer immediately. But slowly, a soft smile touched her lips. “Fine then. I’ll eat the soup. I desperately need something to wake my brain up.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I practically sprinted over to the suite's house phone and dialed the kitchen, instructing the staff to bring up the cart. I had placed the order over an hour ago, demanding they keep it heated until I gave the word to bring it to my suite.

Moments later, the suite’s ring camera buzzed. I opened the door for room service, watching as the server set up the steaming bowl of soup, a basket of freshly baked bread, two fruit bowls, and a bowl of green salad on the dining table before leaving.

“You’re just going to have a salad?” Gabrielle asked, walking over to the table, her eyes scanning the spread.

“And a fruit bowl,” I replied, stepping behind her chair and pulling it out for her. “I have a game coming up in a few days, so I need to keep my caloric intake as controlled as possible.”

She stared at me over her shoulder as I pulled out the chair beside her and settled down into it. “I did notice that you eat very little generally,” she observed. “Especially for someone with your muscle mass.”

I shrugged, picking up my fork. “I don’t exactly have the best relationship with food. Never really have.”

Gabrielle stopped, her spoon hovering over her soup. Her eyes widened. “Do you have an eating disorder, Kayden?”

“No!” I shot back, a defensive laugh escaping my throat.

“Are you sure? Because if you’re not sure, we need to schedule an appointment with a doctor and—”

“We don’t need to schedule anything, Gabrielle. I’m completely fine,” I assured her, my voice dropping into a softer register. “Nothing is wrong with me. I promise.”

“Okay,” she murmured, but she kept watching me with a lingering, deeply concerned look that made my skin tingle.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I teased, trying to break the heavy tension. “Didn’t I stuff my face with a mountain of street food with you the other night?”

The second the words left my mouth, the light vanished from her eyes.

“Perhaps you were only trying to impress me?” Gabrielle asked, her voice dropping into a whisper. She set her spoon down, staring at her bowl. “Isn’t that exactly what your trainer said? That you only do things to impress me at the expense of your career?”

The reminder made my blood instantly boil. I dropped my fork against the plate with a sharp clatter, looking into her eyes.

“I’m sorry about what happened with the trainer, Gabrielle,” I said, my voice dead serious. “I promise you, it will never happen again.”

She let out a soft, humorless scoff, looking away. “You can’t possibly be so sure about that, Kayden.”

“I am sure,” I countered, reaching across the small space between our chairs to capture her gaze, forcing her to look at the certainty in my eyes. “Because I fired her.”

Gabrielle’s body went rigid. Her jaw dropped slightly as she stared at me in disbelief. “You... you did what?”

“I fired her,” I repeated. “I refuse to have anyone in my life who thinks they have the right to disrespect my girlfriend.”