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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Ambrose

As soon as Reggie and I push through the doors of Surf’s Up, the familiar scent of sizzling fries and malty draft beer hits me, a sensory reminder of countless nights spent here.

The place is buzzing, a tapestry of animated chatter and bursts of laughter mixing with the upbeat tunes pulsing from hidden speakers.

Neon signs flicker sporadically, casting colorful reflections on the polished wood of the bar, while each step on the floor makes a quiet, sticky sound that speaks of many nights well-loved by its regulars.

I let my eyes roam over the crowd, half-expecting to spot a few teammates unwinding after practice, beer in hand.

Instead, my gaze lands on Kenzie, perched on a bar stool. Her dark eyes are alive with laughter, her lips curved in a smile as she chats with Jinx.

An unexpected tightness seizes my chest at the sight of her, she looks stunning. Perhaps a touch pale, but radiant in the ambient glow, her long, dark hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall.

Her voice, a soft melody, reaches me just above the bar's din, as Jinx grins widely and nudges her arm with playful affection.

That's when I catch it.

"Want a drink?" Jinx asks, swirling the cocktail in her hand, the ice clinking against the glass.

Kenzie shakes her head, her smile turning a bit shy. "I can’t," she says, hesitating for a heartbeat before letting out a nervous laugh. "Because I’m pregnant."

Time seems to freeze.

My breath stumbles, catching in my throat. The vibrant noise of the bar dims, replaced by a high-pitched ringing that fills my ears. Next to me, Reggie stands as if turned to stone.

It's as though the very balance of the universe has shifted, the floor beneath us tilting dangerously. Kenzie's revelation reverberates in my mind, a shocking echo that lands like an unforeseen blow.

Jinx’s eyes widen, frozen like a deer caught in headlights, but Reggie and I are even more taken aback.

Instinctively, we move closer.

Reggie strides forward, his heavy boots thudding against the worn, creaky wooden floors with urgency. I barely notice the mumbled complaint from the guy I accidentally bump into.

My attention is laser-focused on Kenzie, whose expression shifts rapidly from amusement to sheer panic the instant she catches sight of us standing behind her.

Her fingers grip the edge of the bar as if anchoring herself to reality. "H-how much did you hear?" she asks, her voice barely more than a strained whisper, each word trembling with unease.

"All of it." The words scrape out of my throat, sounding foreign and rough, leaving my mouth dry and my stomach twisted into a tight knot of confusion and dread I can’t quite unravel.

Reggie remains silent beside me, his gaze fixed on her. His green eyes are darkened by a mix of hurt and shock that seems to weigh heavily on the moment.

Kenzie swallows hard, her face growing paler under the harsh, flickering neon glow of the beer signs, as if the light itself is draining the color from her cheeks. Her eyes dart between us, searching desperately for an escape route that isn’t there.

Jinx, perceptive as ever, immediately senses the tension crackling in the air. She stands up from her barstool, smoothing her dress as if brushing off invisible specks of lint.

"I think I’m gonna go talk to Bruno," she announces with forced nonchalance, clearly intent on giving us the space we need.

She gently pats Kenzie's shoulder before slipping into the crowd, leaving a void where she stood.

Now, it’s just the three of us, and the silence is oppressive, filled with the weight of all the things left unsaid.

Kenzie nervously rubs her arms, as if trying to physically ward off the suffocating atmosphere, her eyes never meeting ours for too long. The usual clamor of the bar fades into an indistinct background hum, replaced by the relentless pounding of my heart.

I clench my teeth and force the words out, “Were you ever going to tell us?” The question feels rough and unpolished in my throat, loaded with resentment.

Kenzie swallows hard, her lips pressing into a thin line as she responds in a trembling murmur, “We need to talk outside.” Without pausing for a reply, she pushes past us and heads straight for the parking lot.

We exchange quick, uncertain glances before following her into the cool night. As soon as the heavy bar door swings shut behind us, the raucous noise dims to a low murmur, a distant hum of passing cars, and the subdued bass from inside echoing in the background.

Under the stark glow of streetlights, Kenzie wraps her arms tightly around herself. Her breath puffs out in visible, jittering clouds in the cold air.

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” she finally confesses, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. “And I was scared.”

Reggie’s face crumples, and with a thick Scottish accent, he blurts, “Scared of what? Of us? That we wouldn’t want the baby?” His words crackle with raw disbelief and pain.

Kenzie doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, she bites her lower lip, the silence between us swelling with more meaning than words could ever capture. Reggie steps back, his eyes glistening under the harsh glow of streetlights.

“Are ye saying ye don’t even know if you’re keeping it?” he rasps, his voice hoarse, as if the very idea is too heavy to bear.

Kenzie’s gaze falls to the ground, her hands tightly gripping the fabric of her coat until her knuckles blanch. In that long, heavy moment, she says nothing, leaving the air thick with everything that remains unsaid.

Something inside me snaps like a brittle twig underfoot. "We need to tell Braden," I say, my voice harder and sharper than I intend, each word laced with the frustration and betrayal coiling in my gut like a snake.

Kenzie winces, her shoulders hunching slightly as she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I already did," she admits, her voice barely above a whisper.

The rage that follows is instantaneous, a wildfire spreading through my chest. "Wait, you told Braden over a week ago?" I demand, my voice cutting through the air like a knife, and I see Kenzie physically flinch at its intensity.

"So, Braden knew, and now Jinx knows, and Ally knew?" My hands clench into fists, knuckles white and trembling at my sides. "When were you planning on telling us?"

Reggie lets out a harsh, exasperated breath, running a hand through his unruly red hair, his freckled face flushed with emotion. "So, we were supposed to just, what? Figure it out ourselves?" he asks, his voice tight and strained, his Scottish brogue even thicker than usual, each word carrying the weight of his disbelief.

Kenzie’s eyes shimmer with unshed tears, and she shakes her head, her voice cracking under the pressure. "I was scared, okay? I don’t know what to do! My family is going to disown me over this, and I didn’t know if you guys even would want the baby and…” She chokes on her words, wrapping her arms tightly around herself like she’s trying to keep from falling apart.

Something inside me softens, the tension in my body loosening ever so slightly. Despite my anger, despite my frustration, the sheer terror in her eyes is unmistakable. She’s not just hiding things, she’s drowning in them.

I exhale slowly, forcing myself to calm down, to think clearly. "Kenzie…we need to figure this out. Together."

Her lower lip trembles, and for the first time, I see guilt flicker across her face, replacing the fear that has been so prominent.

I step forward cautiously, my hand reaching out to brush against hers, lingering there, waiting for her to take it.

She hesitates, her breath catching in her throat.

And then, slowly, she does.

The parking lot stretches out in an eerie silence, only occasionally disrupted by the muffled sound of tires rolling over asphalt in the distance. The cold air wraps around me like an unwelcome embrace, its icy fingers pinching at my exposed skin.

Yet, the chill in the air pales in comparison to the frigid tension hanging between us.

Kenzie stands before us, her lip trembling slightly as if caught in the tremors of an earthquake. Her dark eyes flicker back and forth between Reggie and me, searching desperately for words that seem to elude her.

"I-I didn’t mean to…" she begins, her voice faltering, but the words are too late. Disappointment carves its path deep into my chest, leaving a sharp, aching void.

"But you did," I retort, my voice dropping to a low, frustrated growl. "Kenzie, this wasn’t just a small thing you hid. You jeopardized the team, our friendship, and everything," I gesture at the space that binds us, my heart clenching tight. "Everything we've built."

Her face crumples like paper under pressure, and her hands ball into tight fists at her sides, reflecting her inner turmoil. "I didn’t mean to," she repeats, her voice cracking like shattered glass.

Reggie steps forward, his jaw set like stone, his Scottish accent thick with raw emotion. "D’ye not get it? It’s no’ just about the baby, Kenz. It’s about trust." His hands move expressively, slicing through the air as if trying to grasp the gravity of the situation. "Why couldn’t you trust us?"

Tears spill over Kenzie’s cheeks, glistening under the harsh glow of the streetlights, which seem to highlight her vulnerability, making her appear as fragile as porcelain on the verge of breaking.

I need to understand. I need answers.

"Kenzie," I say, my tone softening, almost pleading. "Why?"

She draws in a shaky breath, her lips parting as if to speak, but the words refuse to come. Instead, she shakes her head, turns abruptly, and hurries to her car, her footsteps echoing like a heartbeat in the stillness.

The door slams shut with a jarring finality, making me flinch. Before I can call out, the engine roars to life, drowning out any chance for reconciliation.

And then, she’s gone, swallowed by the night.

I stand there for a moment, my breath visible in the chilly night air, staring at the spot where her taillights vanished into the darkness, leaving only the murmur of her engine behind.

The cold air feels denser now, pressing down on me, on all of us, like a suffocating blanket. Reggie, beside me, lets out a string of curses, pacing like a caged animal, his hands gripping his hair in frustration.

"Fuck. This is a mess," he mutters, his voice tinged with desperation.

I remain silent, eyes fixed on the cracked pavement beneath my feet, as my mind races through a chaotic jumble of thoughts and what-ifs.

The sudden creak of the bar door interrupts my turmoil, and both Reggie and I glance up to see Jinx and Bruno stepping outside.

The neon glow of the bar's signage casts their elongated shadows on the sidewalk, making them appear like giants in the dim light.

Jinx crosses her arms, her expression one of curiosity mixed with a hint of irritation, tilting her head slightly. "So, are you two going to tell me what the hell that was all about?" Her voice cuts through the night air, demanding answers.

Reggie and I exchange a quick, knowing glance. We both understand that Jinx isn’t easily fooled, she's likely figured out most of the situation already.

"It’s complicated," I mutter, the words tasting bitter as they leave my mouth.

Jinx raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by my vague response. "Complicated? That girl just ran out of here like she was about to fall apart, and you two look like someone just told you Santa Claus isn’t real." Her tone is sharp, probing.

Before either of us can muster a response, Bruno, our Slovak goalie, who rarely speaks, breaks the silence. "Kenzie is special," he says, his voice gravelly and low yet carrying a weight of certainty.

He stands firm, like an immovable object, just like he does in front of the net. He looks as if he is daring us to challenge his words. "If you three can’t figure out how to make it work with her, you’re just stupid fuckers."

Reggie and I just stand there, dumbfounded, as Bruno gently tugs Jinx's hand and they disappear back inside the bar, leaving us with our thoughts. I let out a slow, frustrated breath, the tension in my chest refusing to ease.

And for the first time tonight, I start to wonder if he’s right, if we really are as foolish as he suggests.