Page 40 of Shiver

Sunday, July 26, 2026

“Seriously, thank you so much for watching her tonight. I know it’s a big ask.” Mateo puts his palm up to stop me mid-sentence.

“Dude, it isn’t a big ask at all. You’ve watched Mya for me countless times. It’s my turn I repay the favor. Besides, it’s just for a few hours, and Mya’s excited to get to hang out with Gia,” he tells me, his broad smile calming some of the anxiety I have about leaving her with someone who isn’t family.

Though honestly, Mateo kind ofismy family. Just like all the guys on the team are, but he and I played together before we were on the Scarlets, so we’re closer than I am with the other guys.

“I’m happy to watch Mya anytime; you know that.” I smile down at the little girl latched onto her dad’s calf. Her wide brown eyes shine up at me as I muss her hair.

“Can I hold the baby now?” she asks me.

I chuckle as her dad explains to her, “Not yet, Mya. I don’t want you to accidentally drop her, okay? You can hold her on the couch, yeah?”

“Okay,” she says shyly as her eyes cast downward.

“Ve y siéntate, mi niña.1 I’ll bring Gia over in a minute.” She nods her head rapidly and runs inside, catapulting herself onto the couch in the far corner of the room.

I shake my head, a smile turning the corners of my lips. “Good luck, man.” I laugh.

“Nah, I don’t need luck.” He winks at me, extending his arms for me to place Gia gently in them. I kiss the top of her head before transferring her over to his waiting arms.

“Thanks again. Just call if you need me.”

“Will do,” he tells me, shooing me away as he heads back inside.

By the time I’m buckled into my seat, he’s already sent me three pictures and a message saying, “Proof of life.”

I shoot him a quick reply and head over to the dance studio.

1. Spanish: "Go and sit down, baby girl."

Chapter thirty-six

Samara

Ipull up to the dance studio at the far end of a small strip mall. It’s got a vinyl art print on the front windows of a man and woman wearing red Latin dance attire.

As I take a deep breath to calm my nerves, it dawns on me that I’ve never been in a wedding party that required anything like this, especially not months in advance. I wonder if they’re making the wedding party perform some cringy, choreographed dance together. In which case, I may be finding a way out of this entire arrangement because that sounds like my personal version of hell.

I like these people, but I don’t know them all that well, so it’s not like I’d consider any of them my friends yet. And as much as I’d love to make some, and frankly, I’m generally too stubborn to admit defeat, especially over something as trivial as a dare, I draw the line at this type of stuff.

I head inside anyway, sending up a silent prayer that this isn’t as bad as I’m afraid it’ll be.

Once inside, I see the entirety of the De Laurentiis family chatting among themselves. Kat sees me first, her face lighting up at my entrance. “Samara! You made it,” she says as she jogs over to me, wrapping me up in a hug.

“Sorry.” She laughs. “I’ve become a lot more of a hugger since dating Ale,” she says with a smile, looking over her shoulder to meet her fiancé’s googly eyes.I want someone to look at me like that, and I won’t settle for less.

“It’s alright,” I assure her. “I do have a question though.”

“Of course, anything,” she tells me in earnest, her brows drawn together.

“Is this some sort of choreographed dance rehearsal for the wedding?”

Her eyes grow wide before she keels over in laughter, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “Oh my gosh, no, definitely not,” she squeaks out and continues laughing, a snort slipping free. “We’re taking these lessons because everyone in the room can ballroom dance, but I have two left feet.”

My racing pulse settles, and I feel so much better already. Kat’s brother chuckles. “Choreographed? We aren’t ready for that,” he says, shaking his head. “We’re just trying to get her through the first dance withoutliterallyfalling on her face or tripping everyone on the dance floor when it opens up later in the night.”

“Let’s not forget the secondhand embarrassment it would cause me,” Aiyana says from beside Kas, her arms snaking around his trim waist.

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