Page 86 of Terms + Conditions
“Well, you’re dressed, that’s a good sign,” I say when my sister opens the door of her condo.
I knocked a few minutes before two o’clock—when I was supposed to be here to talk about what in the hell was going on—and I could tell it pissed her off. Honestly, I expected her not to show at all after what happened this morning. I figured she would hide out at Finn’s and ignore me, but since she’s here I guess that’s a positive, right? She can’t be that mad at me about it.
“Oh, don't give me that look, Michaela. I'm not the one in the wrong here.” I know Elizabeth said to try to be understanding, but that look my sister is giving me right now is making it very hard to do that.
“I forgot who I was talking to: Saint Josh."
I roll my eyes. I cannot stand when she calls me that. That’s just as bad, if not worse than when Elizabeth’s friends call us Mr. and Mrs. Perfect. “Don't be so dramatic, MJ.”
"You're the one who threw punches this morning!”
“I’m not going to apologize! I came to see if mybestfriendwanted to grab breakfast before I met you, and what did I find? You. Mysister,half-naked, answering the damn door of his apartment. Don’t you think you should have asked me if it was okay to fuck my best friend first?”
“I’m an adult, Josh. I don’t need your permission to sleep with someone, and that includes your best friend.”
She thinks she’s an adult? I scoff. She has no fucking idea what being an adult looks like.
"How long has this been going on?" I ask.
"That's none of your business.”
"Not my business?” I scoff. “You don't think I have a right to know when you're fucking around on your husband with one of my friends?"
"Okay, first of all, I'm not fucking around on anyone.” Michaela shakes her head in disbelief, but I think it’s a reasonable question to ask. Last I knew, she was happily married to David Reid. No one has told me any different. “And second, it’s not your business. We weren't ready to tell you because of shit like this! Because of how you reacted this morning."
"How could you do this to David? And with him!"
Don’t get me wrong, Finn is my best friend, but I know what he’s like. I grew up with the guy; he isn’t exactly a knight in shining armor.
"You're not listening to a damn word I say! David and I arenottogether. We haven't been together for months now.”
My brow furrows together as her words sink in. They’re not…together? Meeting her gaze from across the living room, her shoulders rise and fall with a heavy sigh.
"David asked me for a divorce in Italy."
"Italy—that was practically five months ago, Michaela!"
"I'm aware of when it was, Josh." She rolls her eyes and wraps her cardigan tighter around her. Her arms crossed tightly as she chews on her bottom lip, suddenly finding her socked feet very interesting.
"Why didn’t you tell me?” I wish she had come to me about this, I could’ve helped her deal with that asshole so she wasn’t alone. I don’t understand why she would confide in Finn instead of me. I know that I’ve been a little out of touch with things recently, but if my sister needed something…I would’ve been there for her.
"I don't know." Michaela shrugs, and I can see the tears building behind her eyes. One breaks the surface, falling down her cheek, but she wipes it away with the end of her sleeve. "I guess a part of me thought I could fix it…Because if I could fix it, I wouldn't have to tell anyone. It would be like it never happened, but..."
“Sleeping with Finn wasn’t going to fix anything.”
The opposite, actually.
“Finn was an accident,” she whispers and falls onto the couch with her head in her hands. "I never meant for it to happen. God, Josh. It wasn't supposed to happen, but working with him…I got to know him, I-I saw this different person, and I—”
“Do not say you’re falling in love with him.”
I don’t think I can handle another revelation today.
Michaela swallows the words she is about to utter, and when she meets my stare, I can see the chipping of the wall she’s been hiding behind for months. Hell, maybe longer.
She’s hurt by what happened this morning, but so am I. And it’s going to take time before we can get back to ourselves again. I need time to process, time to get used to the idea of them being together…The thought of my friend and my little sisterbeing together brings up thoughts I never want to have. I mean, this is someone who I used to trade sex stories with. How am I supposed to look at him the same? But then I think about what Elizabeth said before she hung up the phone. I need to be more understanding, toward both my sister and Finn, but especially my sister. If anyone can semi-understand what she’s been going through…it’s me.
"No,” she laughs softly.
