Page 14 of Terms + Conditions
“Look, I just thought you’d want to know.”
“Oh, that wasveryconsiderate of you, Josh. Thanks a ton.”
“Don’t shoot the messenger, okay?” My hands raise. “Just because you’ve been freezing out your boyfriend—”
“I have not!”
“Might want to tell him that. Seems to me his resolve is dwindling with all the girlsthrowingthemselves at him up north.” Way to go, Josh. You were supposed to keep this subtle. You were just supposed to warn her, not tell her everything. “Look, I just wanted you to know. Figured you might want to beat him to it.”
I turn on my heel and head back the way we came, but I don’t expect her to follow me.
Elizabeth grabs hold of my sleeve, turning me back to face her. “Why doyoucare if William is going to break up with me, huh? It’s none of your business. Just because there’s a piece of paper saying I’m going to eventually be your wife doesn’t make my life any of your business.” She shoves that red nail into my chest again. “Do us both a favor and—”
I clasp my hand around her fingers and we step back simultaneously until her back hits the blue-and-white striped wall. “Let’s get one thing straight. The day we signed that paper, anything to do with you and your lifedidbecome my business. You may not like it—hell, I may not like it—but we’re stuck together for the foreseeable future.”
I watch her throat swell as she swallows whatever she was going to say moments ago. Her eyes drop down between us where our hands are trapped between our bodies, with no space to breathe between us. When her eyes return to mine, they’redarker than they were seconds ago, and I don’t hide the fact that my gaze flickers between her eyes and her lips.
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
Don’t, Josh. Don’t do it. This is not how you want to start this. She’s still with William and she doesn’t even want you. You’re not the one she wants. It’s just the heat of the moment.
End the conversation right now.
Her voice is barely above a whisper. “Josh—”
“Do us both a favor and don’t make this any harder than it has to be.” Taking a step back, I drop her hand and my body instantly lacks the warmth of hers.
Her pupils are blown wide, the realization of what just happened crosses her face, and I turn on my heel to get the hell out of dodge. “You’re such an asshole!”
“Whatever helps you sleep better at night, Sugar.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
THEN
December 2015
“HAVE YOU SEEN ELIZABETH?” Nina asks, appearing from behind me. Why is she asking me? Shouldn’t she know where Elizabeth is?
“Not for a while.” I shake my head and answer without looking away from the dance floor. Guests float across the waxed and polished wooden floors to the tune of a Christmas song from the piano in the corner. There’s an oversized tree next to the piano fit with oversized ornaments and ribbons. There’s a stage in the middle of the room along the back wall where they will present the girls shortly and crown the next Miss Winchester. I motion toward the dance floor. “Shouldn’t you be out there with Lee?”
“I have better things to do,” Nina says with a tight smile.
Why she stays with that guy, I’ll never know. Lee Madigan is the son of another prominent family in town and a grade-A asshole. Nina could do so much better, but for some reason, she stays with him. It’s not like she needs his money, and he treats her more like a toy than a girlfriend. Maybe there’s something I’m missing. Don’t know what it could be, but maybe.
“What’s up, Nin?” Finn asks.
Nina seems to debate whether or not to say something. She looks around the room once more before turning back to us. “She and Will have kind of been at odds lately. I think her decision to go ahead and go to SCAD isn’t helping. I have a sneaky suspicion things might blow up sooner than later.”
Nina’s eyes bore into mine, and it feels like sheknows. Like she knows everything about the deal we made. Except she can’t possibly know the truth. We aren’t supposed to tell anyone. But this is Nina, and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that Nina Villa always finds the truth.
“Any luck?” Lee suddenly appears at her side. Where did he come from? I don’t remember seeing him before.
“So, you haven’t seen her?” Nina ignores him, asking us again.
“Nope.” Finn pops his lips to emphasize the word. “Sorry.”
