Page 118 of The Replay

The front pocket on his hoodie is bulky with his gifts, to free his hands to use his crutches.

"Are you going to pretend to not know?" She turns to me. "Is that how you two are playing this?"

"Are you allowed to ask?" I venture. "What are the lines here? Professionally speaking. You know I would do anything for one of my favorite sisters."

Cora rolls her eyes. "What an old trick, Mariana. If you're going to try for flattery, you know you should praise my style."

"Hey. Listen." Dom interrupts, hobbles closer to my desk, and empties his pockets. "I brought Mariana some water, a granola bar, and an apple. As a friendly gesture. She was nice to check on me at the hospital, and I saw that apple and I know she forgets to eat sometimes. Just returning a favor. I'm going back to my side of the building—"

"No, no." Cora gets up to close the door. "Stay. You don't fool me, and maybe it's a good idea to have this conversation now."

He glances at me, but eventually sits in the armchair next to Cora's.

She joins him across my desk. "I was just asking Mariana about your… situation. Whatever it is."

"And I was asking you whether you should even ask," I insist. "Considering you're the GM."

She sighs and takes a moment to think it through.

"It's fine. I'm here as your sister." She gazes at Dom. "And your contract is safe. I'm not looking at any changes to the starting roster for the time being. There's nothing for me to be biased about. Except in terms of having a bond with Mariana that means if you two mess this up at the relationship level, I'm immediately siding with her."

"Gee, thanks, Cora." Dom purses his lips with some humor to it. "Because Mariana never makes mistakes."

She gives him a haughty gesture. "If she makes them, I'll tell her what I think in private and you'll never know unless she tells you."

He smirks. They didn't get to spend much time together while he and I were together in college. Even so, every time they met, they bantered. They were always good at keeping it friendly in their own way. Regardless of what the rest of my family did or said.

"Don't worry, either of you." I pull my lips to the side. "What good is anxiety for, if not to prevent mistakes?"

"Thinking you can prevent mistakes is why you have anxiety, hermanita." She gives me a playful look. "When you see your new therapist, tell them I said that. I would love to get some points from any therapist, even one I don't know."

Dom chuckles. I roll my eyes. I've never been safe from her sass— not that I've wanted to be.

She makes a dismissive gesture with her hand. "I will not get you two in trouble with HR or the family, and I don't want to get in trouble either. I'm trying to help."

"She heard rumors about us," I tell Dom.

He raises an eyebrow. "What did you hear?"

"Work-wise, I heard Mariana showed up at the hospital, and different people here at the Thunderdome have seen you two spending more time together. The medical team mentioned something about your shoulders, Dom? But since you're known to date a lot, they haven't yet made the connection. They haven'tjumped to the conclusion that Mariana is your current… how should I say this…"

Dom doesn't fall for her trap. "It really could be someone else, Cora."

"Sure, sure," my sister says. "Except there's also the stuff I saw online putting you two together at the club, and at the game the other day, and Mariana suddenly can't make it on time to our breakfast together every Monday? I think something Dom-shaped is going on."

I lift a shoulder and reach for the water bottle Dom brought for me. "I could just be good friends with everyone. Including Dom."

Cora gives me a look with such an incredulous attitude, I scrunch up my face.

"Come on, Mariana," Dom says. "Cora won't tell anyone if we ask her not to. Right?"

I sigh. "That's basically confirming everything for her, Dom. Did you forget what the goal is here?"

"She already knows," he insists.

"Don't offend me, Mariana." Cora gives me a cheeky shake of her head. "You know I'm on your side. No need to insult my intelligence."

Embarrassment pricks my chest. Yeah, of course Cora is on my side. I'm just too much of a nervous nelly at times.