Faking it.

CHAPTER 23

"Hailey! I haven't seen you in way too long." Milli's mother, Sophia, greets me when I enter the kitchen. I hug her and smile. "It's only been a month, Sophia." "One month too long."

I look over her shoulders and see she's making tacos for dinner. My favourite.

Okay that's not true. I literally love everything she cooks.

When I let go and try to get some of her special and completely secret sauce she puts in them, she slaps my hand away.

"Patience child." She scolds me and I give her my best puppy eyes. "But I haven't eaten you great food for a month now." Sophia doesn't budge and I sigh. "Haven't I mentioned that I love you? And that I'll love you even more if you give me just a spoon of the sauce? Pleaseeeee." She turns away from me to cut the vegetables and I grunt, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room, where Milli and her seven-year-old sister, Emily, are watching Tangled.

"Hi Em." I say as I plop down on the couch.

"Auntie Hay." Emily runs toward me and engulfs me in a hug.

I chuckle. "Even though you call me auntie- which makes me seem old- and Hay- which I definitely am not- I still love the nickname, Em."

She smiles climbs on my lap, snuggling her head into my neck. I lightly comb her hair with my fingers as we watch the movie together.

Soon her breathing evens out and I know that she is fast asleep, but don't make a move to wake her up and tuck her into her bed. It's comforting to have her here with me.

I hear a snap and look to Milli who has my phone in her hand. I raise my eyebrows at her and she scoots over to me. "I just needed to. Look at how cute you two look." She shows me the picture and I understand her. We do look cute.

I take my phone from her and go to upload it on Instagram with the caption "My sleepy angel."

Shutting my phone off, I turn back to the TV. Not long after, Milli's head is resting on my shoulder and mine on top of hers. The three of us sleeping soundly.

"Do I know you?" I ask.

I'm in our living room. Mom and Dad are sitting at the dinning table. Mom is giving me a sorry look while Dad is just glaring at the plate of food in the middle of the table.

In front of me is a man. He had a heavy British accent when he greeted me. For some reason he seems familiar, but I can't seem to remember where I've met or seen him before.

"You don't know me, but I know you. Well I know that what your mother has told me about you."

"I'm confused. Mom who is this man?"

Nothing makes sense. Why would Mom tell this man something about me? Why would he want to know in the first place?

"Hailey. I'm so sorry I kept this from you for so long, but I didn't want you to think of your family any different. I didn't want you to feel left out or for this family to break apart. I'm sorry." She's crying. Why the hell is she crying?

"What are you talking about Mom? What haven't you told me?" I ask.

"You see, Hailey, I am-." The man answers instead of mom. What is he? I can't hear him. I can't hear anything anymore, not even myself. But I'm opening and closing my mouth as I answer the man. He winces and I guess I either swore or insulted him.

I have a weird feeling in my stomach and look around. Has this house always been so small?

There's a conversation going on between mom and the man, it looks pretty heated and dad is still just angrily sitting there. I tell the man something and he sighs. He pulls something out of his pocket and hands it to me.