Serenity (Inevitable #5)(107)
"I don't know, baby," he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'd have to talk to my lawyer about it. But is that what you really want? You've never once given me the impression that you want to live with me."
Hayley shrugged. "I don't really want to move to San Francisco, no. I mean, I like my school and all my friends and this house and all my things. But dealing with Mom on my own has been so hard. Couldn't you come back, just for a little while? I mean, I know you and Mom aren't getting back together, but couldn't you stay here for a few weeks? At least until we figure all this stuff with the baby out."
Matthew was visibly taken aback at this request. "Honey, I really don't think that would help this situation. Your mother and I are as good as divorced, you know, and I'm not sure how my living here is going to help anything."
"It would help me!" insisted Hayley. "Especially now when I'm so upset and trying to figure everything out. Please, Daddy?"
He hesitated. "Hayley, you've only got a few more weeks left of school before summer starts. As soon as you're through you can come and stay with me while we sort all of this out. And I guarantee your mother won't stop you."
Hayley sniffled loudly. "But I can't leave Casey here alone with her. She's so mean at times, I wouldn't feel right sticking him with her."
Matthew shrugged. "He can come, too."
"No." She shook her head. "Did you forget he's signed up for summer baseball league? He has practice or a game almost every day of the week."
"Shit, I did forget." He heaved a sigh of frustration. "Yeah, that won't work. And I understand your concern about leaving him here with your mom. You're a good sister to worry about Casey that way, honey. Look, I'll - I'll give it some thought, okay? Maybe I could stay for a few weeks until we figure out what we're going to do. But don't start thinking this means your mother and I are getting back together. If I agree to stay, it's strictly temporary, okay?"
"Okay," agreed Hayley happily, giving her father an enthusiastic hug. "Thank you, Daddy, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me, how happy you've just made me."
The kiss she pressed to his cheek made Matthew feel warm all over, and he hugged her back comfortingly.
"Do you think you could stay tonight?" begged Hayley. "You can use Casey's room. Or one of the guest rooms, of course. It would make me feel so much better. Please? That way we could talk about all of this some more, start figuring out what options we have."
"Tonight?" asked Matthew in disbelief. He'd been hoping to get back to San Francisco in time to spend the night with Sasha.
"Could you? Please?" asked Hayley in a woeful little voice. Tears began to track down her flushed cheeks, and her chin wobbled as she visibly struggled not to weep.
He sighed for probably the fortieth time that night, fully aware that his daughter was manipulating him. But given the trauma that she'd endured, the terrible secret that she'd been keeping to herself for weeks, and the burden that was weighing heavily on her mind, he reluctantly agreed.
"Just let me go out to my car," he told her. "I always keep an overnight bag in the trunk for emergencies. But," he warned her, "this is just for tonight, okay? No guarantees about anything beyond this. I told you I would think about it and I will, but I've got a lot to consider before I make any decision."
"Okay. Thank you, Daddy. This means so much to me. You're the best dad in the whole world, you know?" Hayley asked as she gave him a ferocious hug.
But whatever warm feelings his daughter's gratitude had stirred up weren't nearly enough to ward off the much stronger concerns that overwhelmed him as he headed out to his car – in particular how in the hell he was going to break all of this to Sasha without breaking her heart in the process.
"I take it all back, Hayley. That was an Oscar worthy performance you just gave. Natalie Portman couldn't have done a better job."
Hayley gave her mother a pointed look. "Dad's going to be back in a few minutes, Mom. You might want to hold off on the gloating for now."
Lindsey grinned, looking like a cat who'd just swallowed a canary. "Oh, but he fell for it all hook, line, and sinker! Just like Nikki predicted he would. I really owe her big time, you know, for dreaming all of this up. She's even more devious and conniving than I am, and that's saying a lot."
"Whatever," replied Hayley, already tired of the charade she'd been coerced into acting out. "And Dad hasn't said for sure that he's going to move back in. Even if he does, he made it pretty clear that he had zero intention of getting back together with you. So I wouldn't be celebrating just yet."