Page 89 of Terms + Conditions
“Last week.”
“Well, you got my vote,” Nick said before they both turned to me.
If you had told me last year that my best friend and sister would be getting engaged, I would have called you a liar. But now, I can’t imagine them with anyone else, even if it’s still a little weird to see them that way. “You’ve always been like my brother, why not make it official?”
Now on Christmas morning, Finn catches Nick and me staring before he grins. “It says it’s from the Davis boys.”
Michaela’s gaze snaps from Finn to me, to Nick, to Dad, and back to Finn. He continues undoing the bow wrapped intricately around the box. From the way my sister bounces with anticipation, he’s moving too slowly, she wants to know what’s in the boxright now.
“Actually,” Finn stops and hands the box to my sister. “You open it.”
“But it says it’s for you.”
“Something tells me it’s more for you than me.”
Michaela narrows her gaze, slowly taking the box from his hands and untying the bow the rest of the way. Undoing the striped paper, she finds it’s just a plain box. “What is this?”
Finn rolls his eyes and motions for her toopenthe box. Elizabeth squeezes my thigh as the rest of us watch in anticipation. She curls her bottom lip inward, biting down as she waits for Michaela to stop toying around and open the damn box. I press a kiss to her temple and watch as Michaela finally reveals the gift: a black velvet box. The waterworks start before she even opens the damn thing.
Ever so slowly, Finn drops from his spot on the couch onto one knee in front of her. “Michaela, I—”
“Yes!” She interrupts him, kissing him.
“You didn’t even let him ask!” Mom shouts from behind her camera, which she had pulled out moments before.
“I don’t care. Yes. That’s my answer. Always yes.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
NOW
A FEW HOURS LATER, a knock at the front door echoes down the hallway into the foyer, halting my conversation with Nick, Alex, and Lara, his new girlfriend (sorry, just hisfriendwho’s a girl). We exchange glances, unsure who that could be because anyone who was invited is already here. Another knock sounds as Finn appears from the kitchen to answer it.
“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Sheffield,” I hear a gruff voice say. As Nick and I inch down the hall, I see Scott, head of building security, over Finn’s shoulder. “We have a small problem.”
“Is it Greta down the hall again?” Michaela asks from behind me and joins Finn at the door.
“Her name is Gladys.” Finn sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. This war my sister has going on with the neighbor is getting out of hand. Michaela swears up and down that the feud isn’t her fault, that Gladys is just a crotchety old woman with a vendetta against her for some unknown reason. I’m not sure I believe that, but Finn doesn’t seem to know the real reason, either.
“No.” Scott chuckles. “It’s not Mrs. Perry.”
“What’s going on, Scott?” Finn asks, trying to move the conversation along.
“There’s a girl here asking for Mr. Davis.” Scott beckons someone forward from down the hall. There’s a slight delay before another security guard escorts a young girl down the hall. “Do any of you recognize her?”
Upon first glance, I swear I’ve met her before, but that’s impossible. She can’t be more than fourteen or fifteen years old. Her brown eyes meet mine, and there’s a tug of familiarity between us. Do we know each other? I don’t think so, but she looks so familiar.
“Is everything okay?” Nina suddenly appears.
“Everything’s fine, Dee,” Nick says, trying to usher her back to the living room.
“Why do you look so concerned, Scott?” She blatantly ignores her husband, stepping closer to the door.
“Not concerned, ma’am. Just curious if anyone knows this young lady.”
“What’s going on?” I hear Kai ask when he and Eileen join us. Looks like we’re moving the party to the foyer. Moments later, Ophelia runs down the hallway, chased by Elizabeth, and the little girl runs straight into the legs of her father.
Elizabeth looks around, noticing the obvious tension in the room. Her eyes roam over each of us before landing on the girl standing in the doorway. Security still holds back the young brunette, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. “Everything okay?” she asks me in a hushed tone, but I shrug. Right now, I know about as much as she does.
