Serenity (Inevitable #5)(130)

Hayley snorted. "Jesus, Mom. I'm not sure which of you is more twisted - you or Nikki. What soap opera did she watch to hatch this ridiculous idea anyway? Or did she steal the idea from some sappy romance book?"

"Does it really matter?" snapped Lindsey. "The important thing here is to keep your focus for just a few more weeks. I realize your father is getting more and more suspicious, so you really need to lay it on thick, Hayley. The next time he asks you questions about the baby, for God's sake show a little more enthusiasm, will you? We're so close, don't blow it now!"

Hayley changed the subject then, asking Lindsey her opinion about a pair of shoes she wanted to buy, and Casey used the opportunity to very quietly tiptoe back inside the house. He knew instinctively that it was very, very important not to let on that he'd just overheard this extremely enlightening conversation, or that he had the slightest suspicion that Hayley had been faking this pregnancy thing from the very start. Or that their mother had apparently been the brains behind the whole charade.

As he made his way stealthily to his room, Casey realized that the revelation that Hayley had made the whole thing up wasn't all that shocking to him. Not that he'd really given it a lot of thought up until now, but it had seemed a bit odd to him that his pregnant sister looked skinnier than ever. And that she seemed totally unconcerned with the fact that she had gotten herself knocked up. And try as he might, Casey had never been able to envision his spoiled, selfish, airhead of a sister ever lifting a finger to take care of a demanding baby. He just wished he hadn't been so preoccupied with school and baseball and computer camp these past few months; otherwise, he would have likely been highly suspicious of the situation and maybe mentioned his concerns to his father.

'Shoot. I've got to tell Dad,' he thought to himself suddenly. 'And as soon as possible. Man, is he going to be pissed off when he learns the truth. Especially since he had to break up with Sasha because of stupid Hayley and her phony pregnancy.'

It certainly wasn't the sort of bad news that one wanted to break to someone via a text or email, and maybe not even a phone call. Plus, Casey couldn't take the risk that his mother or sister would overhear him. He feared that if they found out he was on to them they would spin another, even more fantastic story, and completely deny anything Casey might tell Matthew. No, he would have to find a way to get his father alone and tell him everything he'd just overheard.

Matthew was flying home from his business trip in Dallas later today, but Casey couldn't recall what time he was due in. He closed the bedroom door for privacy as he placed a quick call to his father's PA.

"Hey, Elena. How's it going?" he greeted.

Elena, who could frequently be grumpy with other people, was always nice to Casey. "I've had worse days," she replied matter-of-factly. "But this is a nice surprise to hear from you. Keeping busy over the summer?"

"Yup. Baseball league and computer camp. Hey, can you tell me what time my dad's due in today? And is he on the company plane?"



       
         
       
        

"Sure." Elena sounded a little wary, given that Casey rarely called her directly, but she was able to give him the information he wanted without a fuss.

"Thanks, Elena. I, uh, just needed his help with some computer stuff tonight. You know, for that camp I mentioned."

"Well, since his flight gets in around four this afternoon, I'd say he should have plenty of time to give you a hand. Nice to talk to you, Casey. And don't be a stranger, hmm? I haven't seen you or your sister in almost two years. Have your father bring you to see me sometime."

Casey readily agreed, anxious to get off the phone and start figuring out the next steps in his plan. He had almost two hours to get to the airport terminal where the private plane his father was traveling on would be landing, which should be plenty of time. The tricky part of this plan was going to be sneaking out of the house without his mother or sister noticing he'd returned from baseball practice so early.

But he received the break he needed a few minutes later, when his mother sent him a quick text, informing him that she and Hayley were going out to a late lunch and then shopping, and that Maribel would pick him up from practice. Casey breathed a sigh of relief, then watched discreetly from his bedroom window until he saw his mother's Aston Martin pull out of the driveway, his sister ensconced in the passenger seat. He waited a full fifteen minutes after they left before putting the next part of his plan into motion.