Page 55 of Terms + Conditions
Glancing at my watch, I realize we’ve been gone longer than I thought. The others have probably already had lunch at this rate. I nod, but neither of us makes the first move. I don’t want to go back, not yet. I want to keep going. To find out the real reason she changed her mind about the future of our relationship, to find out what she thinks I already know…but I can already see some of her walls being rebuilt before my eyes. Fuck, I’d do anything to stop that from happening. To get a little more time as Josh and Elizabeth, not JoshandElizabeth, before this weekend comes to an end.
“C’mon, Sugar,” I say and I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close again. I kiss her temple before beginning our walk back. If this weekend is truly our last hoorah, I’m going to make the most of the time left and enjoy these final moments while I can.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
THEN
September 2019
“WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH them?” Elijah asks, motioning to the front window of Savoy, the bar Elizabeth demanded we come to before everyone heads to bed. Tomorrow is the big day. I think she’s trying to put it off for as long as she can. The sooner we go to bed, the sooner tomorrow comes, and the sooner we solidify this thing more than we already have. Through the front of the bar, I can see what Elijah is talking about: Nick and Nina. They look more comfortable in each other’s presence than during the earlier rehearsal. There is zero space between them, their hands intertwined standing on the other side of the street.
“It’s…complicated.”
“Obviously.” Elijah laughs. “He’s been watching her like a damn hawk, but she says nothing is going on. If that’s nothing, I must have been doing it wrong with some of my exes.”
I chuckle and roll my eyes.
“Are you talking about Nick and Nina?” Selena asks, stepping into the conversation. “Please tell me they’re gonna fuck this weekend. I mean, I would—”
“Sel, enough,” I cut her off.
“I’m just saying! Everyone can see it.”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice the tension between them when they were walking down the aisle earlier,” Elijah adds. He means earlier when Elizabeth had forced them to walk down the aisle together because Lola hadn’t arrived yet, and Nick needed “practice” so he could show Lola what to do tomorrow. Her true intentions were obvious, and if they weren’t, they became obvious when Nina grumbled something in Italian to go along with the tight smile on her face.
Nick and Nina approach the bar, and he brings the back of her hand to his lips, drawing her even closer. She says something when they stop a few feet from the door, the tension so thick between them, you could cut it with a knife. I wish they could just figure their shit out, but I’m not one to get involved in other people’s business. Especially not when it concerns Brina Villa. You couldn’t pay me enough money to get on her bad side and Nick did it for free. Besides, I have my own shit to figure out.
“I invited her to join us at Monroe’s for Christmas,” Elijah says. “Said she should bring Nick with her.”
“Dean’s place?” I ask.
He nods. “More the merrier. You know Dean’s mom loves having everyone there.”
“Can I come?” Selena asks, batting her long eyelashes at Elijah.
A wide grin spreads across his lips, giving her a once-over. I could see the mental drool forming in the corner of his mouth at the sight of the burgundy dress against her warm, cinnamon skin. “Especially you.”
I roll my eyes and notice Nina swimming through the crowd without Nick. Elizabeth greets her with a glass of champagne when she emerges in our little corner. Something happened, I can see it in Nina’s expression as she talks to Elizabeth before they both turn to look at Nick. He paces the front of the bar, his hand tugging at the end of his hair, talking to someone on thephone. Whoever it is has changed his demeanor, and I have one guess as to who it could be…
Nick stares inside the bar—stares straight at Nina, finds her in the crowd with ease—and sighs. A silent agreement with the person on the other end of the line. A moment later, he shoves the phone into his back pocket and takes a deep breath, entering the bar. I notice Nina starts to make her way to him.
Shit, that’s a bad idea.
I can’t let her get to him. She’s going to confront him. Demand to know what’s going on. She’s not stupid. She knows something is wrong. Knows there is a reason for the way he left things in Haven. The way he flipped like a switch so suddenly after he called me two months ago to tell me about Brina and Lee sleeping together. Do you know how hard it’s been to keep my mouth shut when I’ve seen Brina recently? I still can’t believe Nick just left Haven in the middle of the night, coming home and convincing Uncle Jim to fly to Boston on a whim. I understand that Nina may want answers, and she deserves them, but this isn’t the time or place to confront it.
“Everything okay?” I ask, reaching Nick before she can.
“Fine.”
“That was convincing.” I chuckle. “Was that who I think it was?”
“Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting any ideas while I’m here.”
“Dude, just tell Nina. She can take care of it.”
Nick sighs and stares past me. There’s a longing in his eyes, but as long as he refuses to come clean about Brina and Lee, it will always be there. I guess it’s not as simple as it seems. I know he wants to tell Nina….He wants to be honest, but what about his brother? What about his dad and the garage? Brina has made it very clear she will do everything to ruin their reputation and get Alex kicked out of college, blacklisting him from any otherschool. And Nina, all it would take is a few well-placed “clients” to tarnish her reputation. I have no doubt Brina would do every bit of it to keep her secret.
“I can’t, Josh. You know I can’t. I’ve already caused enough issues between her and her family. You said she’s barely speaking to Ric, why would I want to risk making things worse?”
