Ch.2

NOVA

I'm so engrossed in staring at my phone and biting my fingernails nervously that I don't notice when Enzo's eyes land on me.

“Nova?” He asks.

I nearly throw my phone across the staircase. My head slowly snaps up. He's staring directly at me from the living room, his dark brows pulled together sharply.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Triple Shit.

Noah twists around on the couch. "Jesus, you scared me."

Think. Act normal. Act normal. I force my face into confusion, lifting the water bottle awkwardly. “I forgot this.”

Enzo’s eyes narrow slightly. He's not buying any of this. Not at all.

“You’ve been lurking there this whole time?” Noah asks.

I shrug, trying for casual. “You two sounded intense. I didn’t wanna interrupt your bromance moment.”

Noah rolls his eyes instantly. “You’re so weird.”

I let out a small laugh. Please believe me. Please. Enzo still hasn’t looked away from me. His jaw is tight now. “You good?” he finally asks slowly.

And maybe it’s guilt. Maybe panic. But suddenly I can’t breathe properly under his stare. “Yeah,” I answer too quickly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

His gaze lingers another second too long before he finally leans back against the couch again.

“Paranoid,” Noah mutters toward him.

“Can you blame me?” Enzo shoots back quietly.

I grip the water bottle tighter. “Anyway, I’m going upstairs before you both start crying over each other again.”

“Good,” Noah says. “And stop eavesdropping.”

“I literally wasn’t.”

“Mhm.”

I force another fake smile before turning around. Then I practically speed-walk upstairs. The second my bedroom door closes behind me, I lock it and rest my back against it. My chest rises and falls rapidly.

Oh my God.

Oh my God.

For a second, I just stand there frozen. Then I replay the last ten seconds. Enzo’s voice fills my room. A shiver crawls down my arms as I listen to everything.

This isn’t some stupid cheating rumor or locker room fight. Like I said, this is massive. The kind of story that spreads beyond Ridgeview. The kind people screenshot and repost. The kind that destroys reputations overnight.

The worst part of it is that, it's true.

I drop onto my bed hard, staring at the audio file. Then immediately grab my phone again and call the only person I trust with this kind of thing.

Ava answers on the second ring.

“Well, damn,” she says. “Usually you text before trauma-dumping.”

“You are not going to believe what I just heard.”

“Ooo,” she says instantly. “That tone means gossip.”

“This is not gossip.” I tell her. If I'm going to tell her this, then I have to trust her to take it seriously.

“That somehow makes it hotter. Continue.”

I sit up quickly, lowering my voice even though my door is locked. “Okay, so you can't talk to anyone about this. Anyone at all."

"I promise, Nova. Just spill."

"I came downstairs and Noah and Enzo were talking...”

“Enzo, Enzo?”

What the hell does she even mean? “You know the Enzo.” I say.

“Your brother's best friend?”

“Yes, Ava.”

“So? What's new? They always talk.”

I groan. “Can you focus?”

“Never.”

I ignore her. “Anyway, I accidentally overheard them talking about some girl being pregnant.”

"What?”

“And Enzo’s apparently the father.”

Ava shrieks so loudly I yank the phone away from my ear.

“No freaking way.”

“Yes freaking way.”

“Oh my God.”

“I know.”

I get up and start pacing my room. “And it gets worse,” I whisper. “He told Noah he wanted her to get an abortion because he can’t let the baby ruin his career.”

“Nova…”

“I recorded it.”

“You what?”

“I didn’t mean to at first,” I rush out. “I just... my phone was already in my hand and... and Ava, this could literally destroy him.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

I run a hand through my hair frantically.

“You know what this means, right?”

“That Enzo Moretti is officially trash?”

“Ava!”

“What? He told a pregnant girl to get rid of the baby!”

“We don’t know the whole situation.”

“You’re defending him already?”

“I’m not defending him,” I argue instantly.

Except maybe I am a little. And I hate that. Because no matter how awful this sounds… part of me still sees the boy downstairs laughing in our living room five minutes ago.

“Nova,” Ava says carefully now, “what are you gonna do with the recording?”

I stop pacing. I can already see it. All of the headlines, the many clicks... the attention... all of it. This story would finally put me ahead of Mia Thompson for good.

“You’re not seriously thinking about posting that tonight, are you?” Ava asks.

I don't know. To be honest, part of me already has the article halfway written in my head.

Ridgeview Captain Involved in Pregnancy Scandal. No. That's too tabloid-ish. Wolves Captain Facing Serious Allegations...

“Nope,” Ava says suddenly.

I blink. “What?”

“I can literally hear you brainstorming headlines through the phone.”

“I’m not...”

“You are definitely."

I flop backward onto my bed dramatically, pressing my free hand over my face.

“This is huge, Ava.”

“I know it’s huge.”

“No, you don’t understand.” Words spill out faster now. “Mia’s been destroying me all semester. If she gets another exclusive before me, Mr. Lawson’s seriously gonna reconsider my position next year.”

“And you think exposing your brother’s best friend is the answer?”

I stare at the ceiling silently. The thing is… I don’t know. That’s the problem. Because journalism is journalism, right? Stories are stories. If this was literally anyone else on the hockey team, I wouldn’t even hesitate.

But it’s Enzo.

“You heard what he said,” I mumble finally. “That girl’s pregnant and he’s talking about her like she’s some inconvenience.”

Ava sighs softly. “Yeah. That part sucks.”

“Sucks?” I sit up again. “Ava, it’s horrible.”

“It is horrible,” she agrees quickly. “But you still don’t know the full story.”

“I just…” I rub my forehead tiredly. “I don’t know what to do.”

For the first time since the call started, Ava’s voice softens completely. “Then don’t decide tonight.”

I go quiet.

“Nova, you’re emotional right now. You’re stressed about Mia, stressed about school, and you literally overheard life-ruining information like ten minutes ago.”

I swallow hard.

“So sleep on it,” she continues. “Seriously. Put your phone down. Breathe. And decide tomorrow when your brain isn’t in full chaos mode.”

That actually sounds smart. Which means I probably need to listen. “I hate when you act mature,” I grumble.

“I know. It’s my best quality.”

A tiny laugh slips out of me before I can stop it. “Promise me you won’t post anything tonight,” Ava says.

I hesitate.

“Nova.”

“I’m thinking.”

“That’s not a promise.”

“Fine,” I mutter eventually. “I won’t post tonight.”