Chapter Seven
“What do you mean you won’t give me the code?”
Ridley bit her lip and hoped no one downstairs could hear her. Not that they needed any more evidence of the crazy town her life had become.
“Exactly what I said. I am not giving you the code,” Raina pronounced. “I am so sorry about what happened to David. I didn’t like the idea of him poking around in our past, but I wouldn’t have wished him dead, especially not in a fiery car crash. But if the police think it wasn’t an accident, then that means he was mixed up with some pretty shady people. And if they’re looking for you, the first place they’ll look is my house.”
“I told you, I never told David about you.”
“I know, but if he had any investigative skills at all, he would have figured out that you were a twin. It wouldn’t have taken much for him to figure out who I am. And if he figured it out, then someone else could have, too.”
She paused and took a breath. “Plus, if the FBI really does think you’re involved in David’s accident, you need to stay hidden. They can’t arrest you if they can’t find you. At least at Jackson’s house, I know you’re safe.”
Ridley mentally counted backward from ten. “Raina. I cannot just stay at some guy’s house who I don’t even know. What am I supposed to tell Jackson?”
“All I want you to do is stay safe until I can get home. Don’t worry about Jackson. He owes me a favor. I’ll talk to him.”
“No! You can’t do that!” Ridley bit her lip.
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Okay, what is going on here?” Raina asked. “Why wouldn’t I talk to Jackson?”
Ridley groaned and flopped down on the bed. She wasn’t sure what kind of outcome she’d been envisioning, but she’d never expected for Raina to want to call Jackson and explain everything. Now she had to come clean and, considering how many times she’d chastised her sister for lying, Raina was never going to let her hear the end of it.
“Because he thinks you’re here. When he saw me outside, he thought it was you. And I didn’t tell him otherwise.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! You’re pretending to be me?”
Ridley gritted her teeth at the howls of laughter coming through the phone. “This isn’t funny, Ray. I didn’t know what else to do! I needed a place to stay and I figured I could get in contact with you and get the money to get out of here without anyone ever being the wiser.”
“I know, I know. Miss Honesty telling a lie. It’s probably killing you having to pretend to be me.”
“I hate lying to him,” Ridley whispered. All she could think of was Jackson’s face when he’d held her last night. So open. So trusting.
“You really like him, don’t you?” Raina asked. For once, she didn’t sound like she was poking fun.
Ridley stood, her mind made up. “That’s it. I’m telling him the truth. He deserves that much. Hopefully he won’t throw me out.”
“No, don’t do that! I know you feel bad, but as soon as you tell him, he’s part of this. He’s harboring a criminal. Is that what you want?”
“That’s not fair, Raina. Of course I don’t want that. I never wanted any of this.”
“I know you hate keeping secrets but he won’t be able to resist looking you up and asking questions. We can’t afford that right now. I’m sure the police have no proof against you, but I’d still rather no one knows where you are. The shoot is wrapping up in less than a week. Once I’m home, we can figure out a long-term plan. You’re going to stay with me, right?”
Ridley shrugged, then remembered that her sister couldn’t see her. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. But I’ll probably stay for a while. Until I figure out what to do, anyway.”
“Are you okay, Ridley? Really? He’s being nice to you, isn’t he? I’ll kick his ass if he hasn’t been.”
“Raina! Of course he’s been nice. He even stayed up to watch a movie with me so I wouldn’t be alone. He’s been great. I just feel bad that I’m taking up all his time. He probably has a girlfriend he’s neglecting because he feels obligated to stay here with me.”
“I don’t think he has a girlfriend. Or at least I’ve never seen any evidence of one. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen his ex-wife either.” She was quiet for a moment. “So, you guys stayed up late last night? Just watching a movie?”
“Yeah, it was some comedy with Will Ferrell. He fell asleep toward the end of the movie. I think he’s been pretty stressed out lately, too.”
“Uh huh. It sounds like you two got pretty close last night.”
Ridley would have crossed her arms if she wasn’t holding the phone. “Don’t start, Raina. Nothing happened. It was just two friends watching a movie.”
“Friends, huh? Friends with benefits?”
“I’m hanging up now,” Ridley warned.
“Oh, calm down. I’m just kidding. Not that it would hurt you any to seduce a handsome, successful man. You could do worse, you know?”
“I’m not here to steal his virtue,” Ridley said. “I’m just trying to stay out of the way until you get back.”
“Okay but I still think a little romance would do you good. Jackson is exactly the kind of guy I want for you. A real man, not like the guys you’ve been with who only want to use you.”
“Hey, if we’re going to start debating judgment skills, then I am not the one with the worst track record,” Ridley argued.
“Let’s see, there was the guy who just wanted you to cook for him. Was that John? Yeah, it was John. There was the guy who wanted you to write his term papers for him. I don’t even remember his name. Then there was Nate, the surfer dude who was high all the time.”
“Yeah, well who hasn’t picked losers when they were in college? You dated that guy who liked women’s underwear, remember?”
“Oh yeah, that was a shining moment, but my current boyfriend owns half the commercial real estate on the East Coast, so at least I’ve improved. I just want the same for you.”
“I know you do. But Jackson and I are just friends. Especially since he thinks I’m you.”
“Well, that should make it easier to seduce him, not harder.”