A Family Affair (Hunter Street)

Chapter Twelve -- A Lie Revealed

THE MISSION WAS simple: go to the police station and tell Daniel about how guilty she felt for tricking him for one of the first clues they managed to find. It had been weighing on her heart ever since she told the girls about stealing the clue from him. So why did Sophie keep circling the building? Every single time she got close to the front doors, she would just continue walking down the sidewalk and circle around behind the building. She had been going in circles for what felt like forever.

She was afraid of what he was going to say to her. She was terrified that he was going to be disappointed and upset. If he was, then she ruined one of the best things in her life. How could she face him when the guilt was almost eating her away? Anika told her yesterday that it was better to talk to Daniel and tell him about it than let it go and keeping it a secret. Sophie knew that was what she should do, but she didn't know if she had the strength to enter through the front doors of the police station at all.

"Sophie? What are you doing out here?"

Sophie glanced up and saw Simone staring at her with a frown on her face. "Oh, I just came to see Daniel," Sophie said, flashing her a smile. She gestured to the box of donuts in her hands. "I haven't seen him in a bit, so I wanted to come say hi. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it is," Simone said, nodding. "The last time I saw him was at his desk."

"Okay, thanks."

Simone waited and watched Sophie until she was forced to go inside the police station. Apparently, she did have enough strength to walk through the front doors, especially with Simone's watchful eyes on her back the whole time. It didn't take her long to get to Daniel's desk because she knew the way already. She just wished she had more time to think about what she needed to say to him.

"Daniel, I have to tell you something," Sophie said with a sigh. She dropped the box of donuts that she picked up on the way to the police station onto Daniel's desk. He frowned up at her as she sunk into the chair across from him, her heart heavy. "I haven't exactly been truthful with you recently."

Daniel rolled his chair over so that he was next to her, a worried look on his face. He placed a gentle hand on her arm, and that nearly drove her over the edge. Tears sprung up in her eyes at the thought of what she was going to say to him next. She desperately didn't want to tell him the truth, that she played him just to get one of the first clues from him. What type of person did that? What type of person would do that to the sweetest boy in the entire world?

"Sophie, what's wrong?"

She sighed and wouldn't meet his eyes as she whispered, "You know the night that I cooked dinner for you?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I only did all that just to get the clue out of you. I played you and stole the clue just because I wanted the girls to win the competition." Sophie couldn't meet his eyes now that those words were out in the open. She didn't want to see the disappointment in them. Worse, she didn't want to see the anger and hatred in them. "I'm so sorry, Daniel. I've felt guilty ever since I did it, and it doesn't help that Tess and Evie hate me now for that and for keeping it a secret that you and I are dating."

What surprised her most was that Daniel was laughing. She frowned at him as he continued laughing and laughing about her apology. Was it not good enough? She really wasn't the best at apologies because she never really had to do it since she didn't have any friends before this. That was one of the first things her and Max bonded over, actually, but she hadn't gotten much better at it like he had.

This time, a tear actually slipped down her cheek. He was obviously so mad at her that he couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic she was for doing something so terrible. Of course, she should have known not to trust these people. They were the ones who forced her to betray her father, the only person she truly had ever known. Now, he was in jail for kidnapping Erik and Kate and everything else he had ever done, and she was all alone. But that wasn't the truth, was it? Or did she have it all wrong?