Keegan stared back into those hazel eyes, his heart hammering violently against his ribs—so fast and heavy he couldn’t tell if the air in his lungs was running out or if he was genuinely starting to drown.
The rest of the world faded into a silent blue blur.
As Ashton leaned in closer, Keegan’s mind raced.
This is it.
The hidden longing, the years of burying every unspoken feeling—it was all finally happening.
Feeling the water sway between them, Keegan started to lean in, his eyelids fluttering shut as he waited for the touch of Ashton’s lips against his own.
He waited.
One beat.
Two beats.
No soft touch came.
Instead, Keegan felt a pair of fingers rake through his soaked hair, giving his wet locks a rough, playful ruffle that sent a burst of bubbles floating around his face.
Keegan’s eyes snapped open.
Ashton was grinning broadly beneath the water, his cheeks puffed out as he held his breath, eyes crinkling with pure, unfiltered mischief.
He gave Keegan’s shoulder a quick, energetic pat before pointing two fingers straight up toward the sunlit surface—signaling a race to the top.
It was just a game.
A sudden, sharp hollow carved through Keegan’s chest, but before the sting could sink in, Ashton kicked off against the water, shooting upward toward the light.Keegan swallowed down the ache, kicked his legs, and broke through the surface a second later with a loud gasp, shaking the water from his eyes.
“HA!
Beat you!” Ashton shouted, breaking out into a triumphant laugh as he slicked his wet hair back from his forehead.
“You’re getting slow, Blue-line!
I thought you were supposed to be the taller one!”
Keegan let out a breathless, forced laugh, treading water as he wiped the pool water from his face, masking the quiet heartbreak behind his usual easy grin.
“You literally landed on top of me, Ash.
You had a five-foot head start.”
“Excuses, excuses!” Ashton teased, splashing a handful of water directly at Keegan’s face.
Just then, the sound of laughter echoed from the splash pad behind them.
Chloe was already stepping out of her raft near the shallow exit, drying off with a towel as she looked over at them with an amused shake of her head.
“What took you two so long down there?” Chloe called out, walking over to the edge of the deep pool and extending a hand to Ashton.
“I thought you guys got stuck in the tunnel!” Ashton swam over to the edge, grabbing her hand and pulling himself out of the pool in one smooth, athletic motion.
Water cascaded down his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around Chloe’s waist, pulling her into a wet hug despite her playful squeals.
“You’re unbelievable,” Keegan chuckled softly, wringing out the hem of his shorts as he stepped onto the concrete deck, the sun warming his skin while a quiet, familiar chill lingered inside.
Chloe giggled, pressing a light towel against Ashton’s face to dry him off.
“Well, since you survived your little underwater battle, are you guys ready for the arcades?
Marcus and Reid texted—they said they’re setting high scores on the racing simulators and waiting for us.”
“Lead the way, babe,” Ashton smiled, slinging an arm over Chloe’s shoulder before turning back to catch Keegan’s eye with a bright, open grin.
“Come on, Keegs!
Time to show Marcus how a real athlete drives!”
Keegan offered a nod, falling into step right behind them as they headed toward the main park boulevard.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
The transition from the blazing outdoor heat to the heavily air-conditioned Mega-Arcade was instant.
The massive indoor space was a sensory overload of flashing lights, synthetic sound effects, and bustling crowds.
Winding, cloud-like white neon lights glowed brightly against the exposed industrial ceiling, reflecting off the smooth blue and orange flooring—looking exactly like the park’s promotional photo, that they had seen just outside of Everything Kingdom.
Rows of glowing Super Air Hockey tables, shooting games, and colorful arcade cabinets stretched out in every direction.
Chloe had one arm wrapped securely around Ashton’s arm, her eyes scanning the lively room until her face lit up.
She pointed a manicured finger across a row of glowing pinball machines.
“Baby, look!” Chloe squeaked excitedly.
“They’ve already made it to the other games!” Across the room, Marcus and Reid were seated on a pair of high arcade stools near the racing simulators, sipping from giant soda cups.
Reid spotted them first, waving his arm over his head.
“Heyyy!
Over here!” Reid called out over the electronic din.
Ashton chuckled, leading Chloe and Keegan over to where the two players were lounging.
“What’s wrong, boys?” Ashton teased, leaning against the side of a racing cabinet.
“Already tired of playing?”
Marcus let out a loud, irritated groan, shooting a dark glare at his teammate.
“No, this asshole kept on cheating!
He kept ramming my car off the digital track!”
Reid just burst out laughing, nearly spilling his drink.
“It’s called defense, man!
Chloe giggled, stepping back from Ashton and pointing toward the brightly lit food court section of the building.
“Baby, I saw an ice cream stand over there.
Should I bring us some?
Plus, I need to make a quick call.” Ashton reached into his pocket, offering her a warm smile.
“Want some cash?”
“No,” Chloe smiled, stepping up on her tiptoes to press a sweet kiss to his lips.
“I have my card.
Be right back!” With a small wave to the rest of the guys, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Reid set his soda down on the counter and hopped off his stool, pointing toward a massive, illuminated stage a few feet away.
“We were just about to start playing that game anyway.”
They all looked to where he was pointing.
It was a massive Dance Dance Revolution machine, complete with four duty metal dance pads, blasting a high-BPM track while the screen flashed brightly in sync with the beat.
Ashton’s eyes lit up with instant competitive fire.
He turned back to the guys with a wicked smirk.
“Okay, two against two.
Me and Keegs against you…
and the guy calling you a cheat.”
Marcus cracked his knuckles, a confident grin spreading across his face.
“Oh, you are so on, Montgomery.” Keegan couldn’t help but laugh, the familiar thrill of competition easily washing away the lingering, complicated tension from the pool.
He stepped up beside Ashton, holding up his hand.
Ashton slapped his palm in a loud, echoing high-five, their fingers sliding down to catch each other’s grip in the practiced, seamless handshake they had used before every game since high school.
The four of them stepped up onto the metal stage, the neon lights from the screen washing over their faces as they took their positions on the dance pads.
Ashton glanced sideways at Keegan, his hazel eyes bright and completely focused.
“Okay, Keegs.
You know we can never lose, so let’s show these losers what we’re made of.” Keegan beamed, the ache in his chest entirely replaced by the electric energy of his best friend standing right beside him.
He bumped his shoulder against Ashton’s and gave him one last fist bump.
“We ain’t losing,” Keegan laughed, his feet already bouncing on the arrows.
“Set it to hard mode.”