Chapter Eighteen
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
MAC
I ’m in awe of how well this evening has gone. From the moment Vivian walked through the door, something just clicked into place. She fits in so well with my family, as if she’s been here hundreds of times.
Watching her joke with my mom, swap stories with my dad, and playfully team up with them against me makes me want her around all the time. Vivian has an amazing ability to read me and call me out without hesitation. And, of course, my parents are more than happy to join forces with her.
Admittedly I don’t mind at all. Maybe it’s because deep down, I like seeing her this way—comfortable, confident, and fully immersed in my life.
Whatever it is, I can’t shake the feeling that I want more of this.
After dinner, I lead Vivian up the stairs to my apartment above the garage. The space isn’t huge, but it has everything I need. I open the door and step aside, letting her take it all in .
“This is very nice,” she says, her eyes sweeping over the space.
“Yeah, it works for me. I get to be close to my parents but still be on my own, if you know what I mean.
She lets out a soft laugh as she walks further inside. “I totally understand.”
I watch as she takes a seat on the couch, curling her legs underneath her. “I’m guessing this is a little smaller than your place in Tennessee?”
I chuckle and sit down beside her. “It’s definitely smaller than my condo.”
She smirks. “I had a feeling.”
I lean back, resting my arm along the back of the couch. “My condo is nicer, but it’s not as homey. It has a different feeling, if that makes sense.”
She nods, her expression softening. “That makes a lot of sense.”
For a moment we sit in an easy silence.
“I had a really good time tonight,” she says finally, turning toward me. “Your parents are great.”
A smile pulls at my lips. “Yeah, they’re the best. I had a good chat with them earlier today, and they gave me a lot of clarity about…stuff.”
She raises her eyebrows. “Stuff?”
I clear my throat. “Yeah.”
Something about this moment feels different—like a shift, a step toward something more.
"I'm really happy you're here," I say, softly.
Her cheeks turn a shade of pink, and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks. It’s still a bit surreal that we’re here together."
"If only I could go back in time," I murmur, shaking my head. "There’s so much I would do differently. So many things I wish I could fix." My gaze locks onto hers.
“We all have regrets,” she assures me.
Hearing her say this so casually sends a wave of relief through me. It’s like a knot in my chest has finally started to unravel. I don’t know what’s next, but I do know one thing—I don’t want this feeling to fade. Now that Vivian is here—I can't imagine going back to a life without her. And realizing that I could’ve missed out on this makes me want to kick myself.
I take a slow breath, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. “So, does this mean you’d be interested in going out with me again?”
She tilts her head slightly, and she gives a thoughtful look. “I think that could be arranged.”
A slow grin spreads across my face. “And just think, you get to brag to everyone you know that you’re dating one of the Tennessee Wolves,” I add, my voice dripping with arrogance.
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 differen t
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’t going 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.
I regret not coming home more frequently—to visit my parents and spend time with my friends. I’ve been so caught up in chasing my own ambitions that I neglected the people who truly matter. And that’s one of the reasons I’m here. I knew I needed to step back from the chaos and take some time to figure out what I truly want. Watching Kyle and my teammates settle down one by one is a constant reminder that something is missing in my life.
I exhale before continuing. “I thought this off-season would be about slowing down, about having no commitments or complications. But then I ran into Vivian at the store, and in that moment…everything shifted. I regret not seeing how incredible she is before now and all the time I wasted being oblivious.”
And there it is—the truth.
“Does that mean you regret what you said about her at my parents’ Christmas party?” Katie interjects.
Wait—what?
I blink, trying to figure out what she’s talking about. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”
“Vivian heard you. The conversation you had with Jack and Tim. You went on and on about how you knew she was interested in you and always had a thing for you, but she always pretended otherwise.”
My stomach tightens. Honestly, that night is a blur. I had a few drinks, but it’s no excuse.
“I don’t remember saying that” I admit. “But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
“Vivian wouldn’t make something up that didn’t happen,” she says simply. “And let’s be honest, you’ve never dated girls like Vivian. Girls who don’t follow you around, begging to wear your jersey.”
Ouch. She’s not pulling any punches.
I exhale slowly. The regrets just keep piling on. I wish I could rewind time and undo the damage.
“So she heard it. ”
“Yes,” Katie confirms. “I wanted to confront you that night, but she asked me not to.”
I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face. “Thanks for telling me. I hate that I said those things. I wish I could take them back, but all I can do now is move forward and try to be better.”
“That’s great, but what happens when you leave?” she asks quietly.
The question hits me hard. I wish I had an answer. I wish I knew what the future looked like, what it meant for me and Vivian. Or if there is a chance for us.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly, my voice trailing off. The uncertainty has been looming, but right now, all I want is to soak up every moment with Vivian and not think about what’s to come.
“It needs to be addressed,” she reminds me. “Before you let this go any further.”
“You’re right.”
“In the meantime, you and Kyle need to talk and clear the air,” Katie says.
I let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m trying. He hasn’t returned my messages.”
“I’ll talk to him,” she tells me.
Oh good. I was hoping she’d say that. “I’d really appreciate it. I want to be at the birthday party and be part of his wedding. Everything feels weird if we aren’t speaking.”
It’s unsettling how much this whole situation is affecting me. Even when Kyle and I went months without seeing each other, there was always this unspoken expectation that we could count on each other if we needed something.
“Okay,” Katie says, sounding satisfied. “Just promise me you’ll really give some thought to everything I said.”
“I will,” I assure her. “Thanks, Katie. ”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be in touch.”
As soon as we hang up, I rub a hand over my face, exhaling heavily. That conversation gave me a lot to process. Knowing Vivian heard me talking about her makes me cringe. I wish I could remember every detail of what I said to my friends that night. It’s another mistake I can’t take back, another thing I’d do over if I had the chance.