Page 72 of Now That We Don't Talk

Vivian lets out an exaggerated sigh and rolls her eyes. “Ohh, lucky me.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Ha, you say that now but wait until you’re in the front row at one of my games—” I stop when I realize what I just said.

Her expression wavers between surprise and uncertainty.

“That is, if you and Katie decide to take a road trip,” I add quickly.

The energy in the room subtly shifts. Maybe this is too much, too soon. Just weeks ago, we could barely stand being in the same space. I don’t want to push something that needs time to grow naturally.

“And hopefully Kyle will make it to a game,” I say, steering the conversation in a different

direction.

“He will.” She nods knowingly. “You guys will be best pals again soon enough.”

I wrap my arms around her. “When you say it, I believe it.”

“Good. That means you finally realize I’m always right,” she teases, placing her hand on my

cheek.

I snort, bringing her hand to my lips and pressing a kiss to it. “We’ll see about that.”

She slides her arms around my neck, and I take it as an invitation—one I’ve been waiting for since she arrived hours ago. I told her I had a lot of time to make up for, and I intend to take every chance I get to hold this woman in my arms.

“I’ve been waiting for this call,” I answer, bracing myself for what’s about to go down.

“Oh, I bet you have,” Katie snaps. “We have a lot to talk about, so you better start explaining.” Her voice is sharp—classic Katie when she feels strongly about something.

Katie is one of the sweetest, most unwavering people I’ve ever known. The sister I never had—and, honestly sometimes never wanted. She’s the type to go to battle for the people she loves without hesitation. But when she’s fired up about something, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

I sigh and lean against the counter, gripping the phone a little tighter. “I tried to talk to Kyle, and he wasn’t having it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she interrupts. “I don’t want to talk about Kyle right now. I want to talk about Vivi.”

There it is. I had a feeling this was coming.

I take a breath, already preparing to explain. This isn’tgoing to be a casual chat. Katie means business, and there’s no avoiding it.

“Okay.”

“Mac, I’m begging you—please, just take a step back and think about this before it goes any further,” she begs. “Vivian is incredible. She’s one of a kind, and she deserves nothing less than the absolute best. I went out of my way to introduce her to the perfect man for her. And now it’s completely ruined because you decided to swoop in with your swoony hockey charm. Somehow you managed to take her from despising you to…whatever this is now.”

She barely pauses to take a breath, her words coming out in a rush, and I don’t interrupt. I let her get everything off her chest. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m not backing down—not about Vivian.

“Well?” she asks pointedly. “Say something.”

I exhale slowly, choosing my words carefully. “I was giving you time to finish.”

“I’m finished—for now.”

“Alright,” I say cautiously. “I agree with everything you’ve said. And the last thing I want is to do anything that might hurt Vivian.”

“You can’t guarantee that,” she reminds me, her tone soft but firm. “And let’s be honest—you’re not here to stay. Your life is in Tennessee. And if the last few years are an indicator—you don’t come home often.”

Her words hit hard, reminding me of my regret. The truth has a way of cutting deep, but she’s right.

“I know,” I admit, my voice low.

---