“What does that have to do with anything?” I ask him impatiently.
“It’s not for me to tell you man, but there's some things you need to know before you leave,” he says, crossing his arms.
“What things?” I ask and he just looks down dumbly at the floor.
“Oh, so you can bring it up but not say anything?!”
“I didn’t bring it up. You brought it up!”
“Okay, whatever it is just say it,” I urge him.
“I can’t!” he says throwing up his hands.
“You know what’s worse than knowing there’s a monster under your bed?”
“Knowing there’s one under your bed but not knowing what it looks like,” I laugh angrily.
“It doesn’t involve me. I told her to tell you, she needs time.”
“Who? Lauren?”
“No, Lisa,” he says. I remember her calling me and Lauren mentioning it but so much has happened it’s slipped my mind.
“What would something with Lisa have to do with me?” I say, feeling my anger cool some. There isn’t really anything Lisa can tell me that will knock my world off its axis. Now I’m more worried about her than anything. I grab my cellphone and dial her number.
“She hasn’t been answering, she left town…”
“Hello,” Lisa says.
“Hey?” I ask, and see Aidan’s stunned expression.
“Uhm. Is it something you need?” she asks sheepishly and I look at my phone in disbelief.
“What do you mean is it something I need?” I laugh.
“It’s just been a really, I have a lot going on Chris” she stutters and I glance at Aidan whose gaze won’t leave his feet.
“Look, I’m going to Chicago with Lauren and Aidan thinks there's something important you have to tell me and I don’t want anything hanging over my head before I leave. My mom wants to have dinner tonight but since our record with those haven’t been great I'd rather not,” I chuckle. There’s a long pause.
“When are you leaving?” she asks quietly.
“Why does it matter? Are you home?” I ask, feeling my annoyance grow.
“Yeah, but I have…” she stutters.
“Cool, I’ll see you in about an hour,” I say before hanging up the phone.
“Are you coming with me?” I ask him and he only nods.
“You know what, you’re being really weird, maybe you should stay here,” I laugh, leaving him in my bedroom. I head down stairs and my dad is at the end of them.
“Can I talk to you?” he asks and I let out a sigh.
“Did you think about what I said this morning?”
“I did,” he says quietly.
“I want to speak with both you and Lauren.”
chapter 14
Lauren
He’s coming with me.
Chris and I are going back to Chicago. This time there isn’t a question of his motive. He’s told me that he loves me, that he wants to be with me and raise Caylen together. I should be ecstatic, everything is coming together—but on what type of foundation? Secrets and lies? This doesn’t feel right. I can’t shake Dexter Crestfield's smarmy smile from my thoughts. I keep trying to get Lisa's looming secret out of my mind. Helen’s instructions, which I basically threw out the window, are making me rethink everything. I keep thinking that going back to Chicago may not be the right move, but whenever I think about Chris’ dad I can’t imagine us staying here another day.
If we left we could avoid the entire Lisa ordeal until…I don’t know, until…If things somehow become perfect then she ruins it with whatever she has to tell Chris. It’s selfish and stupid but I really just wish she wouldn’t. If it’s not life and death and it will hurt him, I wish she’d just keep it to herself, but then again, whatever it is Aidan thinks it could be the cause of Chris creating Cal. What could be so big that it has to do with Lisa, but if she tells him, could that be the key to them integrating? I have to know that Chris is committed to that before doing a re-run of what I did last night with him.
“Hey,” I turn and see him standing there a nervous smile on his face and it instantly makes me feel better.
“How is the packing going?” I ask, letting out a pent up breath.
“It was good until Aidan interrupted me,” he sighs.
“Aidan’s here?”
“He just left,” he says, rubbing the back of his head.
“Did he want anything in particular?”
“Other than to irritate me,” he chuckles and I smile relieved. Aidan didn’t budge on telling me anything about what Lisa told him, but he’s a very straight forward guy and doesn’t seem like the type who’d be able to keep a secret in plain sight.