Page 22 of Terms + Conditions
Come to think of it, Nick has been awfully quiet this whole time. Does he know something?
Nick swirls his beer around the bottle and chews on the inside of his cheek. I can tell he isn’t sure telling us this is the right choice. Whatever he knows, I get the feeling his wife won’t be very happy if he decides to tell us. Thinking about it a second longer, he decides to do it anyway. “Ryan is a fucking douche. Nina hates him.”
“Funny, she seemed friendly enough with him,” I say, earning a confused glance from the others.
“What do you mean?”
Nina didn’t tell him about my trip down south? That’s surprising. I would have figured Nick would be her first call as soon as I left.
“When I went down to Charleston…Jupiter Beach…Wait, Nina didn’t tell you any of this?”
The confusion on his face confirms she did not tell him.
A humorless chuckle escapes me. “I went to Elizabeth’s house. I was going to…Well, I’m not sure what I was going to do, but I just knew I had to see her. When I got there, Nin answered the door, and then this guy showed up.”
“You met him?” Alex practically jumps out of his seat.
“Remind me why we don’t call Jerry Springer?” Finn asks.
I think he’s joking, but I also think he’s partially serious. Truthfully, we could probably get some good ratings with all the shit that goes down around here.
“Nina kept the interaction brief and ensured no one could ask too many questions, but she seemed happy to see Elizabeth moving on.”
“Nick,” Nina interrupts the conversation and all heads turn toward her. Her gaze is narrowed like she knows what we’ve been talking about. And she probably does. Who knows how long she’s been standing there? “Your dad is leaving. Pat and Jenny, too.”
“Right.” Nick sighs, rubbing his palms on his thighs before he stretches into a stand. “Probably best to call it a night, anyway.”
We walk back into the house, where Ophelia sleeps soundly on her father’s shoulder as he follows Eileen out of the house, careful not to wake her up. Michaela is telling Mom and Dad bye, since she and Finn are staying here until Sunday, along with Elizabeth. I offered them a room at my house, but Michaela preferred Nina’s guest bed. And I can’t lie, they are pretty nice.
Mom pulls me into a tight hug, tighter than the one I reciprocate. Sometimes, I barely recognize the woman in front of me and I’ve started to wonder if the woman I grew up with ever existed. She blended into the world of the Winchester elite without pause, while Dad still struggled sometimes. He was a simple man and didn’t require the glitz and glamor this world had to offer, but I know he wouldn’t trade it either. He loved his family, loved the life he’d been blessed with since Elizabeth and I were thrown together. But not Mom, she relished in her new status and all that came with it.
Dad only offers me a handshake. He and I haven’t talked much since the news broke about the separation. I don’t know if he knows—about the arrangement—but from the little interaction we’ve had since May, I think it’s safe to say he knows something. I haven’t brought it up because if he doesn’t know, I’m not sure I want to have that discussion. I’ve already disappointed one parent, I’m not sure I can handle disappointing him, too. Mom wasn’t thrilled about the separation, but she said she wasn’t all that surprised, either. Iwas out of my league with Elizabeth and I was lucky she’d stuck around as long as she had, even with the agreement in place.
Uncle Jim grips my shoulder and squeezes, and it’s a little comforting before he and Tessa follow my parents outside. Like Dad, I’m not sure if he knows the truth, and I haven’t asked. If they don’t ever know thewholestory, I just might be okay with that. Nick and Alex join them to say their final goodbyes, leaving me and Nina for one of the awkward goodbyes that we’ve become accustomed to.
“Thanks for dinner, Nin.” She doesn’t respond, only offers a small smile, and I pull her into a hug. “I know this isn’t easy for you, and I’m sorry, but I just want you to know that I love you.”
She tightens her embrace a little before taking a step back. “We’ll get through it.”
Her words are so simple, but they mean a lot, and for the first time, I feel like maybe we will. Dinner was okay tonight; nothing eventful happened, and Elizabeth and I kept our distance for the most part. If things stayed this way, maybe we could do this after all. It will take some time for the awkward tension to subside, especially when she brings Ryan, but we can do it…I think.
Nina squeezes my arm one last time before heading back toward her bedroom to check on Elena.
“You off tomorrow?” Michaela asks, coming out of the guest room at the top of the stairs.
“Depends.”
“Lunch?”
“Only if you’re paying.” I smirk, earning an eye roll from my sister.
“Fine.” She nods and pulls me into a hug before sauntering off to the kitchen. From the sounds of it, she’s pouring herself another glass of wine.
Elizabeth is the only one that remains. Before I can say anything, she glances around the fireplace toward the kitchen.Satisfied that Michaela and Nina are preoccupied, she grips my hand and pulls me down the hallway off the foyer. “We need to talk.”
Talk?
“Sunday, meet me at Millers All Day.”
