Page 39 of All In: The Price We Pay

“I’m ordering some food. What do you guys want?” Carly grabs her phone.

“From that Mexican delivery place two blocks down?” I ask.

She nods.

We place our order and fall silent again. I’m grateful for that. What am I supposed to say? That I’m nostalgic for the old days? That I apparently haven’t moved on from Evan nearly as much as I’ve always thought I had over the past few years?

“The social media manager for the New York Monarchs confirmed to me in this very moment that she’ll be posting something positive about Valentina’s visit to the game.” Carly does a little dance in her chair.

“The people you know,” Ricky mutters.

“And I’m going to use this to our advantage. With today’s game, we’re theoretically almost done with the first part of our assignment. How should I incorporate this into the report, Parker? Her attendance at today’s game was neither initiated nor organized by us.”

I take a deep breath. “Derek will surely have something to say about this. But go ahead and include it. We can emphasize that we’ll continue with videos, posts, and statements as planned. Even if more has already been set in motion than originally intended. And it’s true, after all. Those two did it all on their own. They probably won’t need us much longer.”

It was the same with Evan. He never needed me. Because—hockey.

“Anyway. The next step for now will be to re-enable comments. Things have calmed down on all the relevant platforms.” Carly remains engrossed in her phone.

“Sounds good.” Even though I told her she’s in charge, I still keep an eye on the accounts and platforms. Just to be on the safe side. “Has anything come of the Joaquin situation yet?” I ask her.

Carly nods. “Not yet, not definitively. It’s not really our business, but I’ll be notified as soon as a valid agreement is reached and the money is paid. After that we’ll be closely monitoring to make sure everyone sticks to the non-disclosure agreement. According to Derek, the lawyers are on the verge of a breakthrough. There’s a sum on the table that Joaquin will accept, and Evan apparently has no problem paying.”

“Everything’s going according to plan,” I summarize.

“Yep. So far, so good,” she confirms.

Our food arrives, and Ricky picks it up from the elevator.

As the final minutes of the game tick away, we enjoy our dinner.

“He’s not a bad guy,” Carly says finally.

“Who?” I lift my gaze from my taco.

“Evan. Somehow I was expecting someone else. He doesn’t match the typical people Derek represents.”

I nod. “Evan’s dad and Derek were apparently friends. They used to play together, but neither of them made it big. Evan’s dad became a coach at our college, and Derek—well, we all know Derek.”

They’re both listening to me intently.

“Wow. Evan had a good head start,” Ricky interjects.

“And a lot of pressure, too,” I add.

Carly and Ricky nod.

“I can imagine,” Carly murmurs. “It’s hard to live up to everyone’s expectations.”

Sighing, I put my taco back on the paper. “Yeah. But he’s accomplished a lot and stayed true to himself, more or less.” And my accusations were unfair. He’s made such progress concerning his personal life over the past eight years. Without me. Good. Sometimes those kinds of personal things take longer. The fact that his sister knows about him and that he now has her to talk to freely and openly is exactly what I’ve always wanted for him. Everything is as it should be. He’s doing all this for himself and not for some love story that’s doomed to fail no matter what.

No reason to be bitter.

He’s going his own way.

The commentators’ voices are getting more excited, and we all turn to the projection. “What the hell? Sinclair lifts the puck, flips it past Masterson, like a waiter on his way to a table with food on a tray, and is already behind him. What’s going on with this guy? He’s now setting up his own passes, feeding it to Miller, who . . . No. How does he even manage to feint a shot on goal at that speed, pass it back to Sinclair, and . . . Goal. Sinclair slides the puck past the goalie’s open right side.”

We jump up and scream, laugh, and cheer.