“Oh my gosh!” I snatch the phone from her. “Vultures! They must have followed him up the elevator!”
“Sweetie—”
“It’s not fair. Isn’t anything private anymore?”
She shakes her head, her gaze falling. “This is why I don’t want you in that world.”
I huff, fighting back tears. “Isaiah and Lucas are fighting, constantly, and they shoved me into the middle of it. I love Lucas, but I’m afraid that he’s only making moves on me to spite—”
“What did you say?” A wide smile spreads across her face.
“What?”
“You love him?”
Leaning back against the wall, I wrap my arms around myself, carefully considering her question. Lucas is wonderful, and he’s always been respectful, albeit distant at the beginning. But the way he kissed me and how he held me made me feel so safe. I smile. “I do, but…”
Mom grasps my elbows. “Take your time. No one’s rushing you. He ached along with you when he came here. I saw it all over him. He struggled to see you hurting so much. I’m surprised he didn’t hunt down Tom and strangle him. Don’t be afraid. Let go of what Tom did to you. A real man would never look at another woman when he’s truly in love. And the way Lucas looks at you…” She flicks through her phone and pulls up an image of Lucas and me smiling as we look into each other’s eyes. “You have him.”
My heart flutters. The way Lucas looked at me in that picture, his smile—that can’t be faked. “Mom?”
“Yes?”
“When I see him, I’m going to tell him I love him.”
She claps her hands. “Perfect! I’m going to get my grandbabies yet!”
“Mom!” I laugh.
***
Emily prepared a wholesome meal of salad and grilled chicken with some kind of spicy seasoning. I want a steak. But I eat it respectfully.
“How was your day?” she asks as she sits beside me.
“Mom took me out.” I don’t dare mention all the calories worth of chocolate we consumed.
She smiles. “Your mom seems lovely. You’re very lucky.”
“I think so.” I stuff lettuce into my mouth.
“What did you talk about?”
I shrug, chewing quickly so I can answer. “This and that. We talked about how she’s afraid for me being in the spotlight, then about Lucas and Tom.”
“Did that help?”
I nod. “Yeah. I think so. Mom pointed out all the weird and irritating things Tom always did, and it made me feel better. She also helped me realize I’m in love with Lucas.”
Emily stops, her fork dropping from her hand. “She did?”
I smile at her shock. “Yes. Surprise.”
A slight smile curls the corner of her lips. “But I thought you were trying to avoid him until he sorts out his family problems.”
“Well, yes…” I push the food around my plate. “He still needs to do that, but Isaiah is stubborn, and I’m not going to lose my chance because of him. I used to be afraid of taking risks, but lately, I feel like I’ve taken a million. I feel like my life is better for them, you know? I may have lost Tom and pushed back my graduation significantly, but I’ve gained so much more. Lucas is part of that. If losing Tom means I can be with someone I love more and respect on a higher level, then I’m glad he cheated. Well, at least, I’m glad he gave me an escape. The cheating part still hurts.”
She grasps my hand. “Well done, Hailey. You’re a fast learner.”
Pride swells inside me. “Really?”
“Oh yes. I’m very impressed and proud of you. I think you’re ready to face the world again.”
I feel like a giddy schoolgirl. “There’s just one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Help me figure out how to tell Lucas?”
She grins. “Done.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Emily flies back to L.A. with me. I need to be back a few days before the finale to practice with the other contestants. When we arrive, Jeff meets us and takes us back to their house.
The boys make us lunch, and we sit outside to eat. The whole time the boys chat nonstop about school, asking me questions and goofing off.
After we’ve stuffed ourselves, Jeff says, “So, Hailey, Emily says you’re doing better.”
I grin. “Much better. I’ve sorted things out with my mom, so I’m ready to move on with my life.”
“That’s good to hear.” He glances at Emily, and she nods. “Would it be safe to tell you what I’ve been dealing with, with the Murphys?”
Hesitating, I let out a long breath. What if he tells me Lucas really was just playing around to mess with Isaiah? But then again, maybe it would be better to know before I make a fool of myself by telling him I love him. “Sure.”
Jeff grins, cracking his knuckles. “Their issue isn’t you. After days of battling it out and a colossal headache for me, it all boiled down to the death of their father.”
How cliché. “Okay.”
“It turns out, Isaiah blames Lucas for his death. Clarissa slotted Lucas into the father role, which makes Isaiah furious because he blames Lucas. The three younger kids also place Lucas on a fatherly pedestal, and they’re all angry about Isaiah sleeping with Lucas’s ex-girlfriend. None of them have completely accepted their father’s death, thus making Lucas fill his role, thus the overprotective and somewhat aggressive way they stand by him. Since he’s fallen for you, they all want you to be with him and have turned on Isaiah because he also has feelings for you, and they don’t want a repeat of the last girl because you…” He pauses, pointing at me with a smile. “You, they love. All of them. They consider you to be part of the family, and you make them happier than they’ve been in years. They don’t want to lose you because they don’t want to deal with another loss in their hearts.”
I sit back, unable to form any words. “So…” After all that, only one thought crosses my mind. “Lucas’s feelings for me are real?”
Jeff smiles gently. “Very real. He’s head over heels crazy about you.”
Grinning, I look to Emily who has a wide smile from ear to ear.
“I guess things really are looking up for you,” she says.
“Hey!” Collin suddenly says. “Hailey will be here for a few days, right? She should stay with us.”
“Yeah!” The younger two leap up, crowding me.
“No, I couldn’t.” I raise my hands.
“You could use the pool house,” Emily says, motioning toward it. “That way you could have some privacy, and I can make sure you’re doing all the things we talked about.”
“I’m supposed to keep doing those?” I ask.
“Yes. Life coach. Life.”
I want to see Lucas again and tell him everything. I want to tell Clarissa we will be best friends no matter what, and to tell Isaiah that I’m sorry.
“If you’re thinking about the Murphys,” Jeff says, apparently able to read my mind now, “you won’t be allowed to see them until after the show. They’ve been put under a tight watch, along with Jessica.”
I frown. “Jessica?”
His face darkens. “Yes. I’m not too pleased.”
I shudder. She’s younger than me! I can’t believe someone could be that desperate to win. Not that I dislike Jessica. In fact, I feel bad for her, especially now. She’s obviously smitten with Isaiah, and the times she’d been unkind to me had to do with him. To her, I’m the villain ruining everything, and soon, when I help Jeff expose Steven’s philandering ways, I’ll be the devil to her.
“So, will you stay with us?” Collin asks, snapping me back to the present.
I look at Jeff. “Would that be weird?”
He shakes his head. “The pool house is independent of the main house. You wouldn’t have to interact with us unless you want to.”
“She’ll want to,” Vinnie says with a grin.
“My mom lived in a pool house for a while,” I say, glancing out the window to the small stru
cture. “When she was pregnant with me, and for my first two years. If she can do it, what’s a few days?”
Looking back at Jeff and Emily, I catch them exchanging quick glances. What was that? Concern? “If you don’t want me to stay, I’m happy to go to the hotel again.”
“No,” Emily says quickly, smiling. “We’d love for you to stay.”
***
The next two days I spend in rehearsals. I hadn’t realized how many friends I had in the top ten, Vanessa included, until the rehearsals for our group performance. Without the Murphys to fall back on, I branch out with my friendships, realizing how incredible my fellow contestants all are.
In the evening, I ride home with Jeff and we sing our song together, refining our harmonies and perfecting the parts. We sound great together, to my surprise. I’ve never felt so happy.
I lie in bed in the pool house, trying to drift to sleep, when my phone lights up the room. I sit up and see Clarissa calling. I snatch up the phone. “Clarissa?”
“Hailey!” Her bright voice lifts my spirits. “I’ve been dying to call you. I miss you so much. I’m so sorry for us acting all crazy and scaring you away.”
“You didn’t scare me away,” I respond with a smile.
“I know. You needed space. My brothers…never mind my brothers. I hope you’re okay. Are we okay?”
“Yes, Clarissa. We’re still friends.”
“Good.” She lets out a long sigh. “Lucas is making me do a duet with him for the final.”
I chuckle. “I know.”
She groans. “He told you, huh? I’m freaking out.”
“Why? You’re really good.”
“Not at solos. Everyone will be staring at me, and if I mess up, I won’t have anyone to cover it.”
I shake my head as I drape my arm over my face. “Clarissa, you’re great and really cute, so just have some confidence.”
“I wish I was more like you. You’re so brave, soloing.”
Me? Brave? “It just takes practice. I know you can do it if you believe in yourself.”
“I do believe in fairies!” she chants.
“You’re hilarious.” I roll my eyes at the Peter Pan reference.
She giggles. “I really have missed you. Make sure we can chat after the show, or maybe you could stay with us again? I’m sure Mom and Lydia won’t mind you in with us.”
“I’d like that.” I smile, thinking of how close I’d be to Lucas, but knowing that if all of Jeff’s plans pan out, there’s no way I’d be able to go to the hotel.
“Where are you staying, anyway?” she asks. “I’ve watched out for you here, but I haven’t seen you.”
“No, I’m somewhere else.”
“Where?”
Should I tell her I’m staying in Jeff’s pool house? Is that too weird? I decide against it. “Just laying low in a Best Western. The media will never look for me here.”
“Huh. Makes sense.” She lets out a long sigh. “How are you doing, anyway? Are you over Tom? I heard you signed with an agent.”
I grin, and eagerly talk for the next half hour about everything that I’ve discovered…except falling in love with her brother.
***
We’ve finished rehearsals for the last time. The show is tonight, and I’m terrified. Jeff looks me in the eyes for a moment as the others head out and I nod. Dawdling to pack my things, I soon end up alone with him.
“Any questions?” he asks, casually looking over the sheet music.
“Are you terrified?” I whisper.
He looks up at me. “Yes, but I know it needs to be done. You shouldn’t worry. I said I’d protect you, and I will.”
Grunting, I lean against the table beside him. “I’m still terrified. For being just the girl next door, I’ve brought a lot of scandal to this season.”
He clasps my chin between his thumb and finger, turning me to look up at him. “You’re more than just the girl next door. You’re remarkable. I couldn’t be prouder.”
I grin, having never wanted to please someone as much as him. Jeffrey Halloway is proud of me!
“Hailey?”
I glance toward the door, and a middle-aged man and woman step in. They dress classy—him in a suit, her in a knee-length A-line skirt and blouse with pearls—but I’ve never seen them before, so I don’t know how they know me.
“Your grandparents.” Jeff clears his throat. “Excuse me. I have last-minute preparations I must see to.”
My grandparents? I swing around as they approach.
“Hello, Hailey,” the brown-haired woman says gently with a smile. “I doubt you remember me.” She offers me her hand. “I’m your Grandma Becker.”
Mom said they wanted to see me, but I hadn’t expected it to be like this. I thought, by what she said, she meant after the show, once I’d gone home. My palms sweat, forcing me to dry them on my jeans before I grasp her hand. “Hello.”
Tears well in her eyes. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman.”
I pull away, uneasiness settling in at the sight of her tears. I don’t know these people, but I should know them. They know me; they remember me as a baby. Why is this uncomfortable?
The blonde man, his hair now splattered with gray, offers me his hand, but he remains calm, even if his hand does tremble slightly. “I’m your Grandpa Becker.”
I take his hand and he holds it firmly. He has a strong handshake, a warm hand, but surprisingly soft skin. Apparently, he’s not a hard labor man. From what Mom told me, he worked in a corporate office, and along with the old family money, labor was never a concern for him. I meet his gaze and he smiles. “We’d like to take you to dinner if it doesn’t interfere with all this?”
“It—it should be fine.” I try to smile, despite how intimidating they are. “I have an hour before I’m supposed to be at the auditorium.”
“We better get going.” He offers me his arm, which is clad in a white business shirt.
Looking up from his arm to his gray-streaked hair, I examine his face. Mom. Those eyes. I reach out and grab his arm, trusting those eyes completely.
My newfound grandparents take me to a fancy Italian restaurant with dim lighting and a cozy fireplace. I let them order first, checking for price limits and their level of class. I order seafood ravioli, careful to avoid anything creamy. Then, they introduce themselves properly.
“My name is Patrick Becker,” my grandfather says. “I’m not really sure what you would prefer to call me. I think as an adult and having not known you as a child, it would be fine if you skipped Grandpa.”
“Patrick,” I say softly, the name feeling odd on my lips. But Grandpa does feel stranger.
“And I’m Felicity,” my grandmother says, resting her hand over my wrist.
“Felicity.”
They both smile, exchanging looks.
“We weren’t sure how you’d react to us,” Felicity says. “We have no idea what Iris has said about us.”
“Nothing really,” I answer.
Felicity draws a sharp breath and glances away. Crap, that hurt her. “I mean…” I have no idea how to recover from that. “Nothing bad.”
“It’s okay,” Patrick says. “We parted on less than amicable terms. We shouldn’t expect her to have said much about us.”
“What happened?” I glance between them.
“We wanted your father to take responsibility for you,” Patrick says, touching my arm. “And if he didn’t, we wanted to adopt you so Iris could go to college and live her life.”
“But Mom wanted to keep me, so she ran away,” I respond.
Felicity’s eyes fill with tears. “We loved both of you. We didn’t want it to turn out the way it did.”
My gaze darts between them. “Did you look for us?”
Patrick’s grip tightens around my arm. “Every day. Your mother is good at hiding. She always made sure she was paid by her employers in cash, she didn’t get her driver’s license until she remarried, and the few times we did
find her, she made it perfectly clear we weren’t welcome in her life.”
“But when we found out you knew about your father, we had to see you.” Felicity runs her thumb over my knuckles.
Tilting my head, I meet her gaze. “Why does my father’s death change things?”
They both lean back, staring at me.
That’s disconcerting. Like I said the wrong thing. “What?”
“Hailey.” Patrick pats my hand. “You should talk to your mother about that. We thought she’d told you since you came on this show.”
“Was he a celebrity somehow?” Did he end up playing pro football? “Is that why Mom’s freaking out about me getting an agent?”
“You have an agent?” Felicity beams. “That’s wonderful!”
“Thank you.” My heart lifts with her excitement. “He’s negotiating a recording deal as we speak. We have to wait until my contract with the show expires, but it’ll be on its way soon.”
“How exciting.” The way her face lights up reminds me of Mom when I make her proud. “Tell us about how it happened.”
I tell them all about the show from the very beginning. They listen intently, soaking up every word I say. When my time to be back for the finale draws near, my grandparents look obviously disappointed.
“Will you come visit us?” Felicity asks, pulling out a pen and notepad.
“I don’t think I could afford a flight to Pittsburgh,” I say.
“Don’t worry about that.” She hands me an address and phone number. “When you’re ready, we will take care of it.”
“I couldn’t—”
“Please, Hailey.” Patrick squeezes my hand. “We’d love to spend time with you and to introduce you to your uncles and cousins.”
My heart jolts. “I…I have cousins?”
“Yes.” He smiles. “Iris has two older brothers. The older one, Zane, has children just a little younger than you.”
“Wow.” I stare down at my half-eaten food. I never knew my mother had siblings. She must have run scared, which makes me wonder what frightened her so much. This couple seems like loving parents. Maybe they aren’t showing me the whole picture, just one side of the story. I love my mom; I know her better than anyone. I can’t believe she’d run off without a reason.
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