He watches me, his dark eyes never leaving me as I walk back and forth, back and forth. “It’s more than that and you know it.”
I come to a stop, glaring at him. “I didn’t tell Lauri about us. I rarely talk to Lauri.” Realization dawns, slowly but surely, and I touch my mouth with trembling fingers, my brain going into overdrive. “Oh no.”
“Oh no what?”
My gaze meets his once more. “I’ve told Palmer. Palmer knows pretty much everything about us.”
“You’ve told your sister about us?”
“Of course I have! We’re close. We share everything.” I glance around the room, my vision hazy. “What if she’s told Lauri everything?”
“Why would she?”
“They’re close, I think. Lauri sucks up to her. She always wants Palmer on her good side.” I start pacing once more. “Should I call my sister?”
“Yeah. Do it. I want to figure this out. Helena is telling me if I don’t show up for Thanksgiving and talk to my dad about her potentially taking over the business someday, she’s going to tell him that I’m sharing business secrets with you and helping your dad steal deals from mine.”
“That doesn’t even make sense,” Hayden says, shaking her head. “You don’t even talk to your dad that much. What business secrets do you know to sabotage him?”
“That’s what I was thinking.” He scowls. “She’s fucking with me. I shouldn’t let her threats scare me because they’re pretty weak.”
“They totally are.” I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Palmer. She answers quickly. “Where are you?” I ask her.
“In my room.”
“Anyone else in there with you?”
“No, I’m watching Euphoria for the twentieth time,” she says, sounding irritated. “What’s up?”
“Is Lauri asking you questions about me?”
“No, we don’t really talk about you,” she says. “Why?”
“She knows stuff about me and Tony. And she’s telling Helena, Tony’s stepmom,” I explain. “Be honest with me, Palmer. Has she ever asked you about my relationship with Tony, or have you told her anything?”
“No, I swear, Hay. I haven’t said anything. You told me you wanted to keep it quiet, and I have. I definitely didn’t tell Daddy,” she says.
“Thank God,” I say dryly. “Okay, keep it that way. I’ve gotta go.”
“Bye.”
“I heard what she said,” Tony says when I end the call. “And I’m thinking Lauri has some sort of spyware on your sister’s phone.”
My mouth drops open. “Why would she do that?”
“Uh, to spy on you?” He cracks a smile, and seeing it fills me with relief. I don’t want him thinking I have anything to do with this. Because I don’t. “Or she might even have spyware on your phone.
On everyone’s phone, for all we know.” He’s scrolling on his phone, looking up spyware. “It’s pretty easy. You can monitor someone’s phone remotely, and they’d never know.”
“But why? I don’t get it. What can she gain from this?”
“Anything? Everything. She might monitor your dad’s phone too, and know all of his secrets,” Tony points out.
My father cheated on my mother. I wouldn’t put it past him that he’d cheat on Lauri, and I’m pretty sure she’s sneaking around with someone else behind his back. Even though my father is her ticket to the good life. Without him, she has nothing. If I was afraid of losing it all, maybe I’d do the same thing.
“Should I talk to Lauri?” I ask. “Confront her about it? She’d deny it.”
“Of course she would.”