Page 91 of Terms + Conditions
The timing adds up perfectly. I don’t need to see the paper in Nina’s hands, I know what it is. It’s a birth certificate.
A fucking birth certificate with my name on it.
“That mean something?” Kai asks me.
I nod. “I met Juliet on spring break in Daytona almost sixteen years ago. We uh—we spent the week together, and you can guess what happened.”
“Dammit, Josh,” Finn mumbles. I glare at him. He’s one to talk. He had his own fling that week.
“Why now?” Kai steps away from the wall. “Why are you showing up now? And where is your mother, shouldn’t she be with you?”
Brie shrugs. “I just found out. She’s never told me much. I didn’t know you were some old, rich guy.”
“Far from.” I chuckle.
“We’ll need to do a paternity test,” Nina says to no one in particular, continuing to stare at the birth certificate. Her eyes linger on the envelope for a moment before she looks up at me. Do I even want to know what that is? “Your name on a piece of paper doesn’t mean anything.”
“But the timing—”
“Still isn’t solid evidence. She could’ve been with more than you that week.”
While that’s a fair statement, considering the circumstances, I know it isn’t true, but I don’t want to cause a fight in front of everyone—especially Brie—so I nod in understanding.
Elizabeth’s stoic features chip away at the filling in the pit in my stomach that had been closed just over a week ago. She’s trying to digest what’s going on, what this means for us…She rips her gaze away from the carpet to look at Nina, a silent exchange passing between them.
I hate when they do that because it usually means I’m not going to like what comes next.
Nina sighs and tears away from her sister. “We’ll get it figured out, but for now, we have a holiday to finish celebrating.”
“I’m sure you’re hungry too, huh?” Eileen asks Brie, and the teenager offers a small smile. “C’mon, let’s get you something to eat. I think there’s a few of the mini tree pizzas left.”
“Mini tree pizzas?” Brie questions, following Eileen toward the door.
“Joshua Davis,” Nina hisses when the office door closes behind them. “Che cazzo sta succedendo?”I don’t know what that means, but I can take one guess, and it’s not good.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nina look this pissed. Her green eyes burn with such intensity, but the control she has over her emotions right now is incredible. She’s ready to strangle me after everything that has already happened and now this…her patience is running ice thin. Nick touches her hand trying to calm her, but she pulls it from his grasp. Shit.
“I have no idea. I don’t—”
“Well, you better get one.” Her words drip with venom. “Fast.”
Brie looks around the guest room in amazement, letting her duffel bag fall from her shoulder onto the green velvet ottoman at the foot of the bed. Michaela told me to put her in the guest room at the end of the hall, next to Mom and Dad. The room wasn’t exactly ready for a guest, but we weren’t expecting anyone else. There were a few boxes in the corner that Michaela still needed to go through from the move, and the dresser was covered in random shit: a few books, some design samples, and random knickknacks. Brie’s right hand fingers the cream duvet,and she chews on the thumbnail of her left. Her head moves in sync with her eyes taking in every inch of the space—the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the city below us, the fireplace behind a plate of glass, the California King that takes up most of the back wall, the ensuite bathroom, and the walk-in closet. Finally, she looks at me. “I feel like I’m going to break something if I breathe the wrong way. It’s so…perfect.”
“Don’t say that too loud. Michaela hates the fact someone is going to be in here, and it hasn’t been prepped.” I chuckle.
Eileen had introduced Brie to the rest of the family and when I finally came downstairs to rejoin them, Mom had already pulled Brie into her clutches. She led her around the kitchen filling her plate with a little bit of everything leftover from Christmas dinner. No one said anything, not even Michaela—I had a sneaky suspicion Finn warned her against it—and tiptoeing around the subject made it all the more awkward. Honestly, I kind of wish they had just come out and said whatever was on their mind, like ripping off a band-aid. It might sting a little at first, but at least you get it over with.
“Make yourself comfortable, Brie,” I say, watching her continue to take in her new surroundings like she had been all evening. She had the same look of wonder and awe that I’d seen cross my family’s face multiple times since we’d joined the Villa clan.
“But not too comfortable.”
I pull my lips between my teeth, shoving my hands into my pockets as I rock back on my heels. What am I supposed to say? I don’t even know how long this is going to last. I need to get in touch with Juliet and figure out what all of this means. Am I supposed to start taking Brie on weekends? Are we going to be splitting custody? Or does she still want sole custody? Will I have to pay child support?
“It’s okay. I get it,” Brie sighs. “Some random girl crashes your family Christmas and—”
“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea of me, Brie, but you have to understand this is weird for me. I had no idea your mother got pregnant. I haven’t spoken to her in years. Had I known—”
“What, you would’ve done the noble thing and taken responsibility? Maybe even married her to uphold her reputation? This isn’t the old days; you don’t have to do that shit anymore.”
