Page 154 of No Headlines Please

Delaney

So far, the flight had been smooth and easy. But my stomach was still tied up in knots.

Tessa was engaged.

And I'd had no idea.

This wasn't even the strangest thing. As far as I could tell, my parents had no idea either. Thanks to the internet, I already knew plenty about Ryder Vaughn. And let's just say he was exactly the kind of guy that Mom would just love to post all over social media, especially if he was dating her favorite daughter.

And forget dating. An official engagement would be social media gold, complete with endless photos and running commentary.

But Mom hadn't posted anything about him at all – which could only mean one thing. She didn't know.

In other weird developments, she'd been posting a lot less about Tessa and more about silk scarves.

Apparently, she'd bought a bunch of them while in Paris.

With my money.

I still hadn't confronted her, because what was the point? I knew exactly how it would go. She'd call it a loan. I'd call it theft. She'd argue the account was still in her name. I'd argue that it couldn't be a loan if it was never repaid.

And on and on.

After a whole lot of sniping, it would end like it always did – with neither of us talking and Dad trying to make peace. By skipping the argument altogether, I arrived at the same ending without dragging Dad through the middle.

Then again, it's not like he and I were talking these days either.

As my thoughts churned, I glanced out the window and spotted the Mackinac Bridge far in the distance. My stomach gave another lurch as the jet engines changed pitch, like the plane was slowing for its descent.

I gripped the arms of my seat just a little tighter. Was I really doing this?

Before leaving, I'd asked Maddox to keep my arrival a secret, suggesting that he tell them only that he was bringing a guest. I didn't want us to be that rude – showing up as a pair when only one was expected.

But the fact it was me? I'd asked him to keep that part under wraps. Selfish or not, I wanted to see Tessa's genuine reaction – not something planned or rehearsed.

If she didn't want me there, I needed to know, if only to avoid making a fool of myself.

In the seat next to me, Maddox asked, "You okay?"

I swallowed. "Yeah, totally."

He studied me with concern. "Are you sure? You don't look it."

I let out a nervous laugh. "Gee, thanks."

"Hey, not everyone likes flying."

Normally, I wasn't a huge fan of flying. But flying like this? Yeah, it was totally different.

I didn't even know what kind of jet this was, but I'd never sat on leather quite so soft. And the rest of the interior was just as impressive. Between the polished wood, brushed metal, and whisper-quiet cabin, it felt more like an executive lounge.

There were ten seats total – enough for the two of us plus eight others. I'd actually counted, all while trying not to look like an imposter.

I was pretty sure I didn't belong here.

And yet, during most of the flight, I'd been surprisingly at ease while Maddox and I talked about nothing in particular – just movies, Chicago, and whatever happened to cross our minds, like all of this was perfectly normal.

We did not talk about Sloane, not by name, anyway.