Page 44 of The Replay

I nod. "You'll have to see her at the Partners' Party and the gala anyway. Maybe other hockey games. Or Selena might have them tour the arena when they come to a game and have them meet you all. My dad could be tagging along. It's going to be unavoidable! Better to set the foundations today for how things will be, when we have to interact so often. When we'll be constantly surrounded by people who are tracking our every move."

"That sounds exhausting."

"But it's going to happen." I keep working on my phone, figuring out the unblocking function. "I thought we agreed. We don't want people thinking we're getting back together, right? You're angry at me and don't want to deal with your friends' assumptions. I want to prove to my parents that I'm not the naive girl they thought I was, and I am in fact capable of amazing things. We can fix this."

He takes a deep breath. "Mari, we won't get to right our wrongs."

I stare at my phone screen. His name shows unblocked now. No new messages appear, with everything he sent post-call lost to the ether. All I can see is the last text he sent me, right at the time my flight was about to depart for London.

Dom: I will miss you forever. Maybe I'll get to tell you if our paths cross again one day.

Fuck. My throat tightens. Tears build behind my eyes, but I blink them away.

I put my phone in my pocket. "That's not what I'm going for here. Just… let's find a way to be at peace around each other. That way we can move on and pursue our goals. Now that my parents are hovering and might end up being besties with the owner, I need to impress everyone even more. It's about our careers, Dom."

"Cleary." The word is monotone again, but his eyes study me closely.

"Now, if you want to take the opportunity to prove to my parents you're living and thriving, hey, right behind you."

"I want your parents to see me not caring about them. But, Mariana— do you realize this is all for you? So you can deal with your parents? This isn't about what I can get out of it at all."

It gets a little harder to breathe. I gaze down at the tile beneath my feet, gulping through my embarrassment.

"You're right," I admit. "This is about trying to cope with my parents the only way I know how. It's a lot to ask of you."

"They look down on me."

"I promise they don't. They always said you were a nice guy, just…"

Remember this isn't what you want, they used to tell me.You said you wanted the charity, so go for it, Mariana.

His nostrils flare. "I don't need you to say it, thanks."

I never heard them say anything mean about Dom. But he believes they didn't like him for me, and to this day I fear it proves his point.

"I'm sorry." I gaze at him from under the ridge of my brows. "I know they're not easy to have around. They're critical and opinionated. And they influenced what happened between us. I know it affected you a lot. I hate that you ever felt judged, too."

"I don't want them to affect me anymore," he says. "Watching a hockey game with my friends could be a fun night. And maybe it's petty, but I want them to see I'm successful and got everything I wanted, even if it's not as much as they would ask of you or your siblings."

"Does that mean…"

He smirks. "I'll go to your brothers’ game."

I let out a sigh of relief.

"This time only." His voice comes out firmer now. "I make no promises for any other events. And I reserve the right to remain angry."

"Absolutely. Thank you. And if you need to get something off your chest, text me. I may not respond, but I'll read."

"Same goes."

I look at him with suspicion.

"What?" he chuckles. "I'm willing to try your way, this time."

We don't do more than nod an agreement, before he leads me out of the pool area. He walks past me as we approach the locker room. I get to look at his back properly, and I find the design I zoomed on in the video I recorded during thephotoshoot. Among newer ones, there it is— the tattoo of carnations on his back. He got it when I told them I loved the flower's resilience, its simplicity, and how common it was… as well as its meaning of fascination, love, and devotion.

He still has it.