Page 52 of Now That We Don't Talk

“I figured,” he says. “It was the first thing that came to my mind.”

I’m quiet for a few seconds before I decide to rip off the Band-Aid and get some answers.

“Why did you want to hang out tonight? A few hours ago you were with Claire.”

He nods. “I was. We had a meal, great conversation, and then it was over.”

“And you decided to call me…”

“I did,” he hesitates. “The truth is after I saw you at Casa, I couldn’t stop thinking about when we might see each otheragain. And I know that probably makes me sound as bad as you think I am.”

I scratch my forehead. “Honestly, I’m confused.”

He sighs. “That makes two of us—I’ve been thinking about you a lot since I’ve been back. Probably more than I want to admit…”

A feeling of relief comes over me. At least I haven’t been imagining the energy between us. Hearing him say this doesn’t mean I’m ready to let my guard down. Ultimately, I’m not interested in being a summer fling for Mac Evans.

“Please say something,” he begs.

I let out puff of air. “I’m trying to figure out what to say. I guess I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the fact you’re in my house eating ice cream.”

He grins. “Exciting, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure it would be for some people,” I say. “You are sort of famous.”

He shrugs. “To some people. Speaking of which, I think you should watch a hockey game. You can’t make an educated decision about something until you experience it.”

I groan. I really don’t like sports, but he’s right.

“Okay, I’ll watch one game,” I agree.

“Awesome. It’s the off season, but we can rewatch a game from last season. It’s not the same as being there in person, but this will have to do fornow.”

He reaches for the remote and scrolls until he finds YouTube.

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” I say, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

He gives me a smug smile. “I will, thanks.”

I give him an eye roll. “Okay, so which team are we watching? Cash mentioned the Glacier something are the best team. He and his brother are huge fans.”

Yes. I’m trying to push his buttons by mentioning a different team. It’s what we do best.

“I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that,” he replies as he continues to scroll.

“Well, if I’m going to watch hockey, I’ll need to find the right team to cheer for. And I need to see their uniforms first to make sure I like the colors.”

Mac purses his lips but doesn’t say anything for a few seconds.

“Here we go,” he says. “Now we’re rooting for the Tennessee Wolves. They are the team in the blue and silver.”

I make a face. “Blue and silver? I don’t know.”

He turns to me. “What? You can’t choose a team based on their colors.”

“Why not? Last I checked I’m old enough to make my own decisions.” I pause. “I wonder what colors the Glacier team wears.”

Of course I can’t remember the correct name for the Glaciers. I just know they are Cash’s favorite team.

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