Page 68 of Now That We Don't Talk

Ah. I knew it. Katie has officially entered fix-it mode.

“Yes,” I agree.

She still hasn’t said much about Mac and me, though. Maybe she’s still processing. Or maybe she’s waiting for me to say something more.

I take a deep breath. “Katie…what do you really think?”

She exhales. “I think…I just want you to be happy.”

Tears well up in my eyes, and I blink quickly, willing them away. “I really appreciate you saying that.”

“That being said,” she continues, pausing just long enough to make my stomach clench, “I do have some concerns.”

She’s not the only one.

“I get it,” I say, exhaling slowly. “And I know that’s why Kyle reacted the way he did. He basically accused Mac of having ulterior motives.”

Katie sighs, crossing her arms. “Kyle considers you his sister,” she reminds me gently. “I’m sure his first instinct was to protect you. But…he might’ve been a bit harsh.”

I nod, feeling the heaviness of it all settle over me again. “Yeah. And Mac didn’t take it well. He called me after their blow-up—he wanted to know if I felt the same way as Kyle.”

“And what did you say?”

I chew my bottom lip. “I told him the truth. That I had the same questions at first, but now I believe him.”

“Okay.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “But I won’t lie, Katie. This whole thing is…complicated.”

“I understand. And for the record, I don’t believe Mac is trying to play any games either.”

Relief flickers through me, but before I can say anything,she adds, “That being said, I’m still planning on having a long talk with him.”

A smile pulls at the corner of my lips. Of course she is. I would expect nothing less from Katie.

“I figured.”

She lets out a deep sigh. “Okay, the first thing I need to do is talk to Kyle. Once I do that, we’ll get everyone together and figure this out. This needs to be resolved before our birthday party.”

“Absolutely.”

“I’ll probably talk to Addi too. Between the two of us, we should be able to straighten things out.”

“That’s a good idea,” I say. “Thanks, Katie. This means so much…”

“It’ll be okay, Vivi. We’ve got this,” she assures me. “I do have one more question, though…what was it like kissing your archnemesis?”

I laugh, feeling like a weight has been lifted off me. I’m so grateful that no matter how crazy things get, my best friend is always on my side. “Better than I ever could’ve imagined,” I admit. “Mac isn’t just good at hockey.”

“Whoa. I never thought you’d say something like that,” she exclaims. “This is a weird conversation.”

“So weird.”

She snorts. “Alright, I’m calling my brother. I’ll keep you posted.”

As I end the call, a slow smile spreads across my face. I should’ve known I could count on Katie to be real with me—honest about her concerns but supportive. That’s just who she is. And knowing she has my back makes this whole situation feel a little less overwhelming.

There’s still a lot to think about. And as much as I want to let myself fall completely into whatever this thing withMac is, I can’t. I’ve spent too long keeping my guard up to let it down so easily. I don’t know how this will change everything—or if it will change everything. But for now, all I can do is take it moment by moment.

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