Chapter Fourteen
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MAC
I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much. My everyday life isn’t dull, but last night was better than all the hype that comes with my career. My spontaneous text to Vivian resulted in an almost perfect evening. I took a chance and I’m so glad I did. From the moment we bumped into Vivian and Katie at Casa del Sol Cantina, I was already thinking of excuses to see her again. I had a good time with Claire. She’s outgoing, flirty, and very pretty, but the spark is missing. Maybe it would be different if my mind wasn’t so focused on Vivian. Life experience has taught me that anything is possible, but my interest in her has me completely baffled.
I didn’t give Vivian a chance to say no when I asked to come over. I was grasping at straws when I offered to bring ice cream. And after last night I ten out of ten recommend watching hockey and eating ice cream with a beautiful woman. I only wish I’d kissed her. I’d contemplated it but didn’t want to push my luck.
A knock on the door interrupts my memory.
“Come in,” I call .
“Good morning,” Mom sings. She holds up a bag and a cup of coffee. “Your father and I brought you some bagels.”
There are definite perks to staying with my parents for the summer.
“You’re the best.”
“How are you this morning?” she asks, giving me a curious look. It takes me a whole second to know she’s fishing for information.
“Fine. How are you?”
She leans her head to the side. “Can I be a nosy, meddling mother for a minute?”
“Can I stop you?” I ask.
“What do you think?”
I sit down at the table and reach into the bag of bagels. “What do you want to know?”
She claps her hands together and sits down with me. “Laura told me that you went out with one of Addi’s friends.”
Of course she did. Some things never change.
“Yes. We went to dinner last night with Kyle and Addi.”
“And?”
“And…it was fun.”
Her face falls. “You’re not interested in her.”
My mother has always had the ability to sense how I’m feeling. Do all mothers have a natural ability to know the truth? It might be a superpower bestowed on women after they have children.
“Claire is cool.” I pause. “But I don’t think I’m interested in that way. The chemistry just isn’t there between us…”
Maybe because my mind is focused elsewhere?
She pats my shoulder. “It’s okay. You’ll know when the time is right. It’s rare for it to happen like it did for Kyle. That was awfully fast. ”
My thoughts wander back to last night with Vivian. I come very close to telling my mother about it, but I should talk to Vivian first. Nothing happened, but we’re still walking the line between enemies and friends.
“I know.” I pause. “I’m happy to be home. It’s been nice.”
She places her hands on the sides of my face. “We love having you back too.”
I thank her for the bagels, and she leaves me alone with my thoughts—a scary place to be.
How’s the studying? You ready for your hockey quiz?
It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since I saw Vivian, and I’m already texting her. I’m committed to putting in the work to build this friendship. I haven’t told anyone about our spur of the moment evening yet. I’m not even sure why. It won’t be long before Kyle starts asking questions about Claire at the request of his new fiancée. My phone buzzes, and I smile when I read Vivian’s reply.
Nope. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to it.
It’s strange how much I like getting snarky messages from her. I quickly respond.
What are you waiting for? Nothing could be more important than learning about my sport.
She replies almost immediately.
Hmm…I can give you a list of things that are more important.
Before I have a chance to respond to Vivian my phone buzzes with a text from Addi.
Putting finishing touches on the party invitation. How does this look?
It doesn’t take a genius to know that she doesn’t need my opinion about party invites. This message will open a conversation about Claire. I need to talk to Kyle before I say anything to Addi. I plan to mention it when I meet him for our next racquetball game.
I click on Vivian’s message.
We should discuss this list of yours over dinner. What do you think?
My phone grows quiet for what feels like several minutes until she finally replies.
Okay.
I let out a sigh of relief. She’s making me work for this, and I kind of like it.
Kyle sits down on the bench and takes a long swig of his water.
“What’s going on with you?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
He gives me a curious look. “You’re smiling, a lot.”
“So what? I’ve been told I have a great smile,” I tell him.
“Oh please.”
I sigh. “Fine. There is something I want to talk to you about.”
“Should I be worried? Do I need to call a lawyer?”
I snort. “Not this time…”
“What is it?”
“I have a date tonight,” I say.
He looks surprised. “Really? Addi didn’t mention?—”
“It’s not with Claire.”
He nods knowingly. “Ah. I knew it—I could tell you weren’t into her the other night at dinner. It was obvious your mind was on other things.”
“Sorry. I hope Addi won’t be upset. ”
“She’ll be fine,” he assures me. “So, tell me who the lucky woman is.”
Here goes nothing. Why am I suddenly so nervous to say this out loud?
“Well, it’s…Vivian.”
Kyle stares at me like I’ve suddenly grown three heads.
“Vivian—as in Vivian Lewis. Katie’s best friend who can’t stand you?”
Which is changing.
“Yes, that Vivian.”
He looks completely dumbfounded. “What are you doing, man? This is reckless, even for you.”
Whoa. I wasn’t ready for this reaction. “Reckless? What does that mean?”
“Mac. This is Vivian—not some random fangirl you met on the road.”
Ouch. What’s he trying to say?
“I know?—"
“Then why are you playing games?” he interrupts.
I frown. “Are you serious? I’m actually offended you’d say that to me.”
"Sorry, but it’s a fair question. You’ve never shown any interest in Vivian, and now, suddenly you’re taking her to dinner like she’s some kind of challenge to conquer.”
I’m at a loss for words. I always believed I could count on Kyle, but I guess things really have changed. “Wow. Is that really what you think of me?”
He lets out a frustrated sigh. “No, of course not. But you can understand why I’m asking. A few days ago you two couldn’t have a conversation without glaring at each other.”
I tighten my jaw as I try to hold back from unloading on my best friend.
“Look, I don’t owe you an explanation, but here’s the truth. Vivian and I have been talking per your request. We hung out a few nights ago, and I like her—a lot.”
Kyle remains quiet, his expression unreadable. The silence stretches, which is unusual for us.
I take a slow breath, trying to stay calm. “You know, I didn’t question you when you got engaged after only six months,” I remind him, the tone in my voice controlled. “And believe me, I have questions. I could’ve said plenty, filled your head with doubts, made you second-guess everything. But I kept my mouth shut. I gave you my full support, because that’s what friends do.” I pause, letting my words sink in. “I expected the same from you.”
He remains quiet which hopefully means he’s pondering what I’m saying.
The weight of disappointment settles in my chest. I don’t know what I expected—maybe surprise, but certainly not this cold silence that says more than words ever could. My stomach twists, and I realize if I don’t leave now, I’ll say something I can’t take back.
I practically leap to my feet. “Forget it. Thanks, man.”
Without another word, I turn and walk away, my pulse pounding. It’s the same rush of frustration I feel on the ice after a bogus call by the refs.
By the time I reach my car, I’m furious. I grip the steering wheel tightly as I pull out of the parking lot. I knew Kyle would be surprised, but the things he said cut deep. And I wasn’t prepared.
After all this time, I thought he’d have my back.
I know I haven’t always been the best at showing up or being as present as I should have. But I never expected him to accuse me of treating Vivian like some kind of conquest.
As I hit a red light, I exhale sharply and grab my phone. My fingers skim through my contacts until they land on Vivian’s name.
I hesitate for only a second before pressing the call button.
“Hey.”
“Is everything okay? It’s early.”
“Sorry, I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No, I’m already on my way to the office.”
I hesitate for half a second then blurt it out.“I need to ask you something.”
There’s a pause before she responds, her voice full of uncertainty. “Alright.”
I grip the steering wheel a little tighter as I ask my question.
“Do you believe I have an ulterior motive for asking you out?”
“What?”
Before she can say anything else, I unload everything—my entire conversation with Kyle, every word, every accusation. I don’t hold back. I want her to hear the truth straight from me, to understand that my intentions are real and honest. I need to make sure she has no doubts of her own.
When she finally speaks, her voice is quiet but steady. “Honestly? I wondered at first. Just because of…” She hesitates, like she’s carefully choosing her words. “Anyway, I don’t think that anymore.”
Relief washes over me, but it doesn’t erase the doubt lingering in the back of my mind. As much as I hate to admit it, Kyle isn’t completely off base. He’s wrong, but I get why he’s concerned.
Still, I’m not letting it ruin this.
“Do you still want to have dinner with me tonight?” I ask, holding my breath .
“Sure.”
A slow smile tugs at my lips. “Good. I’ll pick you up at six.”
After I end the call, my mind replays everything that’s happened since returning home, turning over every conversation, every decision. None of this was part of my plan. I didn’t come back here looking for complications—I came to reset, to slow down, to figure out what I really want at this point in my life. And yet, here I am, tangled in something I never saw coming.
I suppose I could have ignored what I was feeling, brushed it off as nothing. But the thought of doing that makes me sick.
The truth is my track record isn’t great. I’ve walked away from relationships for stupid reasons, turning little things into bigger issues. I’ve always been quick to cut ties the moment things get too complicated. But this is different. Vivian is different. And before I let this go any further, I need to be sure of what I’m feeling.
She’s not just some casual fling. She’s part of the Thomason family, just like me. If I mess this up or hurt Vivian in any way—it’ll change everything. It could drive a wedge between me and the people who matter most to me. I refuse to let that happen.
I came back for the offseason to reevaluate my life, to take a breath and figure things out. But now, everything has taken a completely unexpected turn. The one thing I can’t afford to do right now is make a mistake.
I’m not the best at asking for help, but I need it. One of the great things about being part of a team is that we rely on each other when things get tough. We work together to solve issues and challenges we face. So asking my teammates for an assist is what I need right now.