Page 5 of Terms + Conditions
“Elizabeth, I’m sorry. I don’t—We can’t avoid each other like this. We’re going to see each other, and I don’t want it to be weird.”
Her stare narrows. “A little late for that.”
“It doesn’t have to be. I know we couldn’t make things work,” I say, taking a small step toward her. I don’t miss the slight twitch in her face. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t try and be friends again. For our family.”
Her scoff is like a shot to the heart. “You still don’t get it, do you?” Elizabeth shakes her head in disbelief, continuing, “Josh, we can’t be friends…”
“Liz—“
“This was always the plan. Now, time’s up, which means we don’t have to pretend anymore. Make sure you tell Juliet I said hi.”
Juliet? She can’t be serious.
Elizabeth tries to push down the hallway, but I grip her hand, not letting her slip past. Warmth spreads down my fingers and through my veins at the touch, and when her eyes shoot to where our hands meet, I know she feels it too. Gently, I grip her chin and force her eyes up to meet mine. “I’m not seeing Juliet.”
“Shocking. You were quick to run to her when that letter showed up.”
“Elizabeth, she never showed.”
“And if she had?”
My words falter. Whatifshe had? I don’t know. There was nothing in the letter she sent indicating what it was she wanted. She just said she wanted to talk. Fifteen years was a long time to send a letter out of the blue. I still don’t know how she got my address, but regardless, there was something in me screaming to fly out to Wichita and find out what was so damn important. But then she never showed.
“I don’t—I don’t know!”
“Exactly. Goodbye, Josh.”
“This isn’t all my fault,” I say, gripping her arm. “You didn’t want this, Liz. You wanted out as soon as possible. You ended things well before that letter ever showed up. Don’t act like you’re innocent in all of this.”
Elizabeth stares down the hall, avoiding any chance of eye contact.
“I loved you.”
Her brown eyes blaze with fury when they finally meet mine. “You don’t even know what that means.”
“You left me, Elizabeth! You made the choice. You filed the papers. You—”
“We were never meant to stay together, Josh!”
“Then why do you act like I’m such an asshole?” It comes out louder than I meant it to, but this woman knows exactly what buttons to push to drive me up a damn wall. “What am I missing?”
A single scoff is her only response.
“For the love of God, tell me!”
“It wouldn’t change anything.”
Her gasp lingers between us when I push her up against the wall. My hands on her hips hold her in place, her jacket raises, and my thumb grazes a strip of bare skin on her side. Her skin is soft and velvety under my touch. Our faces are less than an inch apart. Her breath comes out in small gasps across my face, and the faintest smell of red wine still lingers.
The hum of anticipation of what could happen next buzzes between us. My lips barely brush against hers, but a crash from downstairs sends us jumping to opposite sides of the hallway.
Elizabeth lets out the last breath she has been holding, and I can see her building the walls back up piece by piece. She straightens her jacket and turns to leave. Before she walks out the door, she looks over her shoulder.
“Do you know what I realized, Josh?” A sad smile tugs on her red-stained lips. “We were just biding our time, filling the void. But we don’t have to do that anymore. We don’t have to keep pretending. If we happen to be at the same place, I will be cordial to you, but make no mistake…We are not friends. We will never be friends.”
CHAPTER THREE
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