Page 75 of Now That We Don't Talk

“I just know how you are,” she continues. “You alwaysthink things through before making decisions. Hopefully this isn’t an exception.”

Everything she’s saying makes sense, but for once I’m not going to overanalyze the situation.

“Anyway,” I say, steering the conversation in a different direction, “I’ll talk to Mac and get back to you about getting together.”

Jaclyn hesitates. “That’s fine. Just let me know.”

As I end the call, I feel a bit deflated even though I don’t usually expect much from these conversations. I love my sister, but we aren’t close, so letting her doubts creep into my mind isn’t happening.

My phone buzzes, and Mac’s name flashes across the screen. My stomach flips—just like it always does when he calls. I wonder how long it will take before this stops surprising me.

“Hello,” I answer, putting my ear bud in.

“Hey.” His voice is smooth. “How was your day?”

“Busy,” I say, shifting on the couch. “Nonstop, actually. How about yours?”

He exhales. “Good. I got some work done.”

I raise an eyebrow, even though he can’t see me. “Really? You mean you didn’t just lounge around watching soap operas all day?”

He chuckles. “Nope. But I used to watchThe Bold and the Beautifulwith my grandma.”

I giggle, resting my head against the back of the couch. “Of course you did. Hasn’t everyone? My granny’s favorite wasGeneral Hospital.”

“Classic,” he says. I love these little moments, sharingtiny pieces of our pasts. It makes it feel like our distance grows smaller.

“Anyway,” he continues, “I had a Zoom meeting with my agent and some endorsement reps earlier. Then I had a call with my financial advisor.”

I hesitate for half a second. “How did those go?” Hearing this is just another reminder of the world he will inevitably be returning too. Hockey is his career, and the Tennessee Wolves are his second family. I understand this completely.

"Great," he says, his voice confident. "Naturally there's a long list of companies dying to work with me. They’re practically breaking down my door.”

I scoff, rolling my eyes even though he can’t see me. "Sure they are."

"When are you finally going to accept the fact that I’m kind of a big deal?" he asks.

I laugh, shaking my head. "Whatever you say."

"I'm kidding," he adds, a smirk evident in his tone. "Mostly."

He grows silent for a few seconds. "And speaking of calls, I talked to Katie today."

This gets my attention. I straighten up, gripping the phone a little tighter. "Ah. How did that go? Did she go easy on you?"

He lets out a snort. "For the most part. She’s going to talk to Kyle, so that’s good. I told her I don’t want to miss celebrating their birthdays. At least she didn’t officially uninvite me, so I guess that’s a win."

I smirk, knowing full well Katie would never go that far. "Yeah, not a chance. She wouldn’t do that to you."

"No, I guess not," he murmurs. It could be my imagination, but there’s something off in his tone.

"So…your conversation went alright otherwise?" I prompt, waiting for him to fill in the blanks.

There’s a pause, just long enough to make my stomach twist.

"Yeah…other than a few warnings I was expecting."

Warnings? My frown deepens. He’s holding something back, and my gut is telling me it’s important. But I also know Mac. If he wanted to tell me, he would. I’m not going to push him.

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