Page 46 of Shiver

I can’t be sure what possessed me to offer to go on a family vacation with her besides the fact that this strong woman just looked beaten to hell, and it crushed a piece of me.

I have no idea how we’re going to make it through four days of being in each other’s vicinity without her trying to kill me, but I’ll have fun doing it and I’m determined to make it as enjoyable for the both of us as possible. I can’t take the offer back now, and truthfully,I don’t think I want to.

Chapter forty-two

Samara

Friday, August 14, 2026

Unfortunately for me, Luca’s entire family is nothing but a bunch of troublemakers.

As much as I’ve been enjoying girls’ nights, book club, and even Sunday dance lessons, I can’t help but think they’re trying to meddle in something that will literallyneverhappen.

He’s arrogant and laughs at his own jokes, and he’s too damnprettyfor his own good.Or my good, for that matter.Men like that aren’t at all who I’d typically envision myself with, but when Aiyana invited me to the guys’ offseason charity hockey game, I found myself sayingyes.

Though that has nothing to do with Luca.

I wanted some friends in town, and now that I have them, I think having a beer or two at a hockey game could be fun.

Which is why I’m standing outside of this rowdy-ass hockey rink, waiting for everyone to arrive.

I see them heading toward me from the far end of the parking lot. They’re hard to miss with how large the group is, and Rose’s pink hair acts as a traffic cone under the streetlights.

“Samara!” Gloria shouts, waving as she wheels over to me.

I bend down to give her a kiss on either cheek as I’ve become accustomed to when greeting this whole family.

“I’ve got a gift for you.” She beams up at me, but there’s a glint in her eye that has the bile in my stomach churning immediately.

I groan quietly as she pulls out a black gift bag from where it rests on the handle behind her, extending it out for me to take. I arch a brow at her, still not trusting her intentions.

As I pull the black and red tissue paper out of the bag, taking out the folded jersey and letting it fall in front of me, I realizewhymy gut said she was up to no good. The back of the jersey reads “De Laurentiis” with a massive “69” beneath it.

As to why Luca chose that childish number, I can only imagine, but his mom is about to be the death of me.

“Gloria, I appreciate the gift, but youdoknow Luca and I aren’tactuallydating, right?”

She laughs. “Of course I know that.” She rolls her eyes at me as ifI’mthe one being ridiculous. “I was front and center listening to that whole conversation, butyouare the one who lied to your mother, soI’mjust trying to make it believable.” She smiles up at me. “C-Y-A, babycakes,” she tells me.Cover your ass.A phrase I know all too well.

I roll my eyes at her, clearly not about to winthiscase, so I concede, slipping the oversized jersey over my red long-sleeved top.

We head inside, following behind Gloria, and Kat gives me a reassuring smile. The rest of the women, however, do not. They’re all trying not to laugh, their cheeks filled with air, making them look like a bunch of squirrels with nuts packed in their mouths.

Aiyana is the first to school her expression, and she swings her arm over my shoulder playfully. It’s a gesture I’m definitely not used to. “Gloria is kind of a wild card, but I promise, she’s got your best interest at heart, and if you ever feel like she’s genuinely overstepping, just tell her, okay? None of us want you to feel bullied,” she assures me, and some of the stress melts from my tense shoulders.

We take our seats close to the ice after getting concessions, and I take a giant gulp of my beer and let the cool liquid ease some of my earlier anxiety.

Kat lifts her beer to mine, clanking it together when all the women say, “Cheers!”

“Kat, are you drinking a beer?” Arielle asks, leaning over my seat as she squints at the bottle in Kat’s hand.

She snickers, passing it to her to read. “It’s non-alcoholic.” Her cheeks flush a rosy color, and she says, “Ale spoke with concessions and asked them to start stocking non-alcoholic versions for those like myself who prefer not to drink but enjoy the experience.”

My heart squeezes tightly in my chest.

“That’s so sweet,” I say, practically swooning. I’m basically in love with every relationship these women have. It’s ridiculous.

Over the next hour, I watch as Luca dances around the net, not letting any pucks past him. When he stops a puck, he makes a big show of it, blowing kisses, taking a bow, and at one point, he’s literallyhumpingthe ice.

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