The girl giggled, “Angie.”

“Right, right, Angie here went to school with us.” Cooper smiled at her and then glanced towards the store just as Jaylinn — who looked pissed, Chloe, Jackson, and Hailey walked out toward the hallway we’d entered.

I noticed some movement over Cooper’s shoulder and moved over slightly so I could see what was going on. Jason stood, and the girl he’d been talking to, took a step back revealing the side of her face. Fucking Brittany! You’ve got to be f**king kidding me. What the hell’s she doing with that ass**le? I lifted my chin in Jason’s direction but Cooper was gone, replaced by Hailey. I stood there with a bunch of girls I didn’t know and a livid Hailey, she’d caught my nod though.

Hailey put the pieces together, turned her head and gawked at me, “What the hell?” The girls started backing away, and soon Hailey and I were standing face to face with Brittany and Jason.

This was like a horror movie, you knew something was about to jump out and scare the shit out of you, but you’re unprepared for it anyway.

Hailey didn’t say a word when Brittany noticed us standing right in front of them; she just took a step forward and punched Brittany straight in the face. I was in shock but proud at the same time, because that’s exactly what I wanted to do to her.

“You crazy bitch! Why’d you punch my daughter?” Jason roared.

It felt like someone had punched me in the face. Did he just call her his daughter? All the air was sucked out of me. This couldn’t be f**king true, this nightmare that my sister is living just kept getting worse. I’d been praying that what my dad had told me wasn’t true, but Jason had just confirmed it.

Brittany stood; hand cupped over her nose and mouth, blood dripping down her chin and through her fingers. She didn’t say a word; she just looked in Jason’s direction and then took off running the opposite way from where we’d come in, with Jason close on her heels.

“Mase, we have to tell Kenz. I can’t keep this shit a secret anymore; she needs to know all of it.” She shook her right hand, the one she’d punched Brittany with. “I know you guys want to protect her from all this crazy stuff but you can’t, she has to know.”

I looked around, for the first time noticing a crowd that had gathered around us, watching the scene that had just unfolded. I grabbed Hailey by the elbow and guided her back toward the car. We saw Jackson coming toward us down the hallway.

“I pulled the car around; I’m going to get Hunter and Kenz.” He said as he ran past us.

Right before I opened the doors I stopped Hailey, lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “Just give me a little more time. I think she needs to know too, but Hunter needs to know about Brittany first.” I kissed her hard, knowing this was probably the last time for a while. She’s been pissed at me since she’d found out that my dad was an FBI agent and we’d never told MacKenzie. Then she’d been even more pissed off and distant when she’d overheard a conversation with my dad about Hunter having a sister he’d never known about.

This situation was just getting more and more out of control, but it wasn’t my place to say anything to MacKenzie, it was Hunter’s. I made a promise to myself that I’d talk to Hunter alone and tell him about Brittany, but first I needed to talk to my dad. It was time for MacKenzie to find out that he was FBI. That blow alone was going to tear her apart, and I’m not sure she’d be able to handle the situation with Hunter, let alone Brittany. Why couldn’t things be easy, like they used to be when we were kids?

While it bothered the shit out of me to keep a secret from MacKenzie, I understood why my dad had done it. We believed she was strong enough to handle it, but he wanted MacKenzie to grow up in a safe world; a world where fairy tales really do come true. What a f**king joke that was. This world can be f**king cruel at times. My relationship with Hailey, or lack thereof lately, was a f**king disaster. Drama that had nothing to do with Hailey was affecting us. There were times I just wanted to pack up all my shit and hit the road, just the two of us, and not stop until we were across the country. I knew I could easily do that with my baseball career but I knew Hailey would hate it. Was that being selfish? Yeah it was.

Once all this shit blows over and we survive it, I’m making her mine. I’m not letting her push me away again. She gets under my skin like no one else could, and loved me with everything she has. Every day with her is like a rollercoaster and I never want to get off.

19

CC and I drove to her mom’s with Mason and Hailey while Jaylinn, Cooper, Chloe and Jackson took Mason’s car. When we arrived, I got CC in the house and Mason asked to talk to me outside. We got about halfway down the driveway when Andrew, Jackson and Cooper came out the front door. Cooper had his glove, Jackson had two gloves and a ball and Andrew had another two gloves.

“Baseball, boys.” Andrew announced when they caught up with us.

Mason spoke up when we were out of the house, “I think we need to tell Kenz. After that shit at the mall today,” he shook his head, “she needs to know.”

“Agreed.” Jackson said.

“Yeah it’s about time. Jaylinn’s freaked out about running into her dad like that.” Cooper chimed in. I noticed that she was hanging onto Cooper, always by his side.

“Hang on a second. What happened at the mall?” Andrew asked.

“Jason showed up. Yeah, that was a close call today. I don’t know if Jason knows about my relationship with CC, but if he’s living here or whatever now, I have to tell her. I don’t want her to find out from anyone but me.”

Mason and his dad shared a look, “Hunter there’s something else you need to know, son.” Andrew didn’t speak for a long moment, “Your father has another daughter.”

I had to process that, my dickbag of a dad had fathered another child but couldn’t be a father to the two he already had? Damn, that poor girl has to be messed up. While I’m glad that Mom got Jaylinn and me out of the situation we were in, a part of me always wished I’d had a father in my life. What normal boy growing up doesn’t want his dad to play catch in the backyard or watch football together on Sundays? I’d never gotten those things, and it f**king stings to know that he’d had a daughter in his life.

Before I could say anything Andrew continued, “He’s moved into the area, about forty minutes from here.” We all stopped walking, “And so has his daughter.” He’s living here? Out of all the places in the world why would he pick New Jersey?