Page 23 of Deal with Mr. Cruel

“I know, but I think you should be on your own. Spread your wings, as they say. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”

“So, you want me to move out?” he asked, putting his fork down and eyeing her.

“Not necessarily. I want us both to move out.”

“But this is Mom and Dad’s house…”

“Don’t you think it’s time we move on? They’d want us to. You know that.”

Nico nodded solemnly. “I still hear them sometimes, you know. Their laughter through the walls. There are so many memories here.”

Mae felt her eyes tearing up. She and Nico didn’t talk much about their parents. It was too sad a topic. “I hear them, too.”

Nico took a deep breath. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Mae nodded. “I’m sure. That is, if you’re okay with it.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right, anyway. It’s time to move on. It will be nice not having a babysitter anymore,” he said with a wink.

They finished their dinner while talking about their parents and their favorite moments growing up. It was almost like they were saying their goodbyes right then. Once the dishes were washed and dried, Mae gave her brother a hug. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“No, thankyou,sis.” Nico gave her a squeeze. “For everything.” As he pulled away, she saw him wipe away a tear from his eye. “I better move out soon. You’re turning me into a sap.”

She laughed. “Do you have any idea where you want to live?”

“Yeah, a few players are looking for roommates. Could be fun.”

She nodded and headed out of the kitchen and upstairs to her bedroom.

“I’ll call the realtor tomorrow,” she said, calling down the stairs.

The conversation with Nico had gone better than she expected. The realtor was eager to put the house on the market right away, since it was in a popular suburb near the city. Now, she had just signed an agreement to marry Jonas. She had already asked Braydon earlier that day for an unheard-of number of days off so she could pack up the house. After a moment of panic, he granted her the time off and thankfully, didn’t ask too many questions. She just said that she was moving out of her childhood home. She didn’t dare mention anything about Jonas yet. Nico didn’t know either. She wasn’t the best at keeping secrets, so she thought it better to say as little as possible to the people who knew her best.

No one could ever know that their marriage was a fake. She wouldn’t be able to live it down. Instead, she would carry on like it was real and then get a fake divorce in a few years. Who knew? Maybe she and Jonas would look back and laugh about this whole thing. One thing she knew for sure was that she had to keep her emotions in check. She refused to let old feelings for Jonas resurface, no matter how close they got.

In the following days, Mae boxed up everything in her house. Nico helped where he could between practice and games. He kept telling her she should hire movers to help, but she wanted to do this on her own. It was a big deal, saying goodbye to this house. She’d only call movers when the truck needed to be loaded up.

“Are you sure you don’t want any of this furniture?” asked Nico, as he was carrying an armchair downstairs.

“No. The place I’m moving into is actually furnished,” she said, which wasn’t a total lie.

“You still haven’t told me where you’re moving.”

“It’s a condo in the city. I’ll have you come over once I’m all settled.” Still, not a total lie, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty for telling half-truths. She continued packing up the essentials that she would need for Jonas’s. Okay, maybe she was packing a little more thanessentials,just to mess with him.

When she had the movers carry her boxes into his condo, she watched from the doorway as his eyes widened. She could tell he was internally freaking out, which made her smile. She took a step inside and her breath caught as she glanced around the condo. It was beautiful. He had moved in a year ago, and this was her first time seeing it. It was on the top floor with floor-to-ceiling windows and an almost 360-degree view of the city down below.

“What do you think?” asked Jonas, stepping over the moving boxes toward her. He was wearing grey sweats and a white tee. She stared a beat too long. How could he lookthatgood in sweats?

“It’s nice,” she said, pulling herself together. She didn’t want him to see that she was impressed with his condo or him.

He nodded. “Would you like me to show you to your room?”

“It’s not yours, is it?”

“No. Don’t worry, Mae.”

He motioned down a hallway. “This way.”

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