Stevie
Skyler and Estellaboth ran toward me when I stepped out the back of the truck. Duke held the door opened for me, and I jumped out running toward them. We all hugged and spun around in a circle while saying how much we missed each other.
Kora had invited Skyler to brunch and since Estella was out of school today, she brought her along. I was so excited to see my cousin that I forgot to show her my ring and tell her everything.
“Wait, look… he proposed to me.”
Skyler smiled. “I know, he told me.”
I gasped. “No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Stevie, I am not about to do this with you.” She laughed, as she took in the ring. “Whew, this ring has to be at least a million or more… I see why he got you in that damn tank and with Duke.”
We walked into Kora’s building, and they granted us access up to her floor. “He asked me in front of the Mona Lisa…shut the whole museum down for the day.”
Estella was pulling on her bag, so she quickly grabbed her tablet so she could get on the elevator and keep quiet. “The whole museum? You’ve always wanted to go there, too… did you get your selfie with Mona?”
“Girl, no… I said fuck Mona when I saw him on his knee.”
“His knee?” Skyler nearly screamed in the elevator.
Everybody knew that Maverick was a germaphobe, so seeing him down on one knee in a public place was more romantic than the actual engagement.
I looked around the elevator like it was more than just us three in it. “He took it, Skyler.”
She gasped. “I knew you were walking a little different, glowing a bit more… how was it?”
I couldn’t stop blushing as I told her how everything went and she squeezed my hand, excited for me. We made our way down the hall to the only unit with double doors.
“Why am I nervous to have lunch with her?” Skyler whispered the closer we got to the door.
Estella was behind us, too into her tablet to care where or who we were having lunch with. “Kora is really cool. So down to earth… it’s Zoya that scares me.”
“Zoy is cool. You just have to get to know her more.”
“She hates her brother.”
Skyler made a nervous face. “Really?”
“The dinner I hosted didn’t go too well, and neither of them have reached out to the other. Landon has reached out to his brother, but Maverick is stubborn.”
Every time Landon tried to reach out, Maverick ignored him. It wasn’t like he could just show up because he made sure that security wasn’t letting him in. He was angry, hurt, and pissed all wrapped into one. For years he carried the brunt of doing what he did to his brother’s best friend, so Landon didn’t have to carry it.
To know the things he had done for his siblings and never asked for a thank you. He allowed them to resent him and make him out to be the bad guy when all he was doing was protecting them. It made me sad, and I wanted to hug him right now.
I pressed the button, and we waited until we heard the locks, and one of the doors swung open. Kora stood there with her curly hair pulled into a tight bun, high-waisted, floral wide-leg pants, heels, and a cropped shirt.
“Hey, I was wondering when you guys would get here. I’m Kora, Menace’s sister, and yes, I am normal… most of the time,” she laughed as she hugged Skyler. “Who is this beauty here?” she kneeled down until she was face to face with Estella.
“Stellie,” Estella replied, and she pinched her cheeks too smitten with her.