Falling into Place - Forbidden Heart Series

6| Lie to one, Lie to all

"For the love of God, answer the damn phone!"

I reluctantly pulled my phone out of my pocket and grimaces at the caller-ID. "It's just work, Dani. It can wait til we get back."

Even though Danielle was in the shower in our hotel room, I knew she had her do-what-I-say-or-you'll-be-in-the-doghouse expression on her face. And by doghouse, that meant that I would be bunking with Jackson while she spent the rest of the night girl talking with Harper about me.

"It's been going off all day."

I leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom. She wasn't wrong. My phone had been going off all day. We started the morning with our normal routine of the five of us meeting for breakfast. Then we did some sightseeing and more selfie-taking before eventually coming back here to pack for our train ride to Barcelona tomorrow.

"How did you even know it was ringing?" I asked. "I put it on silent."

When I heard the pop and smelled that familiar strawberry scent, I knew she opened the shampoo bottle. 

"I can sense how stressed out you are. It's rolling off of you in waves."

"Be that as it may. . . I'm not answering it."

"Answer that phone and deal with it, Ryan Hale, or there will be a new definition of 'being in the dog house'."

Damn. I knew it.

I stared at the light blue shower curtain. I didn't want to answer the phone. Answering the phone was the last ting I wanted to do right now. I couldn't lie and say I did, either. She would know. Somehow. . . she would know.

And I thought Lanie was the physic of the group.

Lying wasn't the answer anyway. I didn't want to lie to her. If I learned anything from my sham of an engagement to Harper, it was that lying wasn't the answer. Harper warned me again today that I needed to tell Danielle the truth about the situation with my parents. It pissed me off at first. I didn't like that she was pushing me and meddling in my personal business with my wife.

But another part of me remembered that my wife was one of her best friends. They were closer than sisters -- and if you lied to one, you lied to all.

"Fine," I said tightly. "I'll be on the terrace."

I pushed off the doorframe and started towards the open double doors before calling over my shoulder, "Be careful getting out of the shower, please."

"Yes, boss." she responded mockingly.

  Once I was out of Danielle-hearing-range, I hit the accept button.

"What." I said curly into the receiver.

"That's not how you're supposed to talk to your father, Ryan."

Okay, maybe I kinda bent the truth a little when I told her it was work that had been blowing my phone up all day. Technically, it was work since I worked for my father. So I was good. . . right?

"What is it, Dad? I'm still on vacation."

There was a brief silence on the other line.

"In Paris?"

I sighed heavily. "How did you find out?"

"The itinerary you left behind was on your kitchen counter."

"What!" I barked before I grimaced. I glanced behind me to make sure Danielle was still in the shower. "How many times have I told you to please stay out of my personal life? How did you even get in my place?"