ILLUSIONS II

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Kimberly: I didn’t want to get your hopes up. I didn’t want to tell you and then it turns out to be one stupid big prank. I wasn’t sure until today. I had to be sure.
Jayden: no, you didn’t have to be sure. Did you tell Dad?
Kimberly: tell him what?
Jayden: that is wife is alive and she is somewhere in the states. What else?
Kimberly: we are not doing that! We are not telling him that his wife that he mourned for so long is alive and she faked her own death! How the hell am I supposed to tell him that? Do you know the type of damage that would do to him?
Jayden: would you rather let him find out on his own?
Kimberly: maybe!
Barry: can the both of you just stop it? I may not agree with Kim on any other thing but she is right. We shouldn’t tell your dad yet. We don’t know why she is alive, why she would even fake her own death. We have no answers and we have too many questions. There is no possible way to break a news like that.

Jayden was about to object to Barry’s statement when his phone rang. It was his dad. He picked it up and put it on speaker.

Jayden: hey dad, what is going on?
Dad: Jay, how are you doing?
Jayden: I am fine, just in a little argument with the rest of your kids. What is going on? Is something wrong?
Dad: not really. Has Kim been busy?
Jayden: what type of busy?
Dad: I don’t know, anything out of the ordinary?
Jayden: just school and cheerleading. So far, that is all that has been occupying her time.
Dad: are you sure?
Jayden: dad, I live with this girl. She has my attention, the only time we don’t see is when I have to spend some days at college. Every other day, I see her, I pick her up from school when I can. Trust me, dad.

Jayden said, lying to his dad.

Dad: huh, well, that is fine. I would be flying back in by Tuesday and would be staying for the rest of the week. I would need to be back in the office by Monday so I would have to leave on Sunday.
Jayden: wow, does Kim know that you would be coming home? Why are you even coming home?
Dad: I haven’t told her yet and I am coming home just to spend some time with my kids. Do I need a reason to come back to the house?
Jayden: no, it is just really sudden. Either ways, I would tell her and Barry that you would be back by Tuesday. I have to go dad, I would call you before I go to bed.
Dad: alright, take care of yourself. My love and regards to everybody else.

Jayden ended the call and turned to look at the both of them.

Barry: he is coming home all of a sudden? Did you tell him anything? Why was he asking about Kim? Why is he so invested in what she has been doing?
Kimberly: because he knows that she is alive. He knows what I have been up to.
Jayden: and what exactly have you been up to? Is there something that I need to know that I don’t know?
Kimberly: no, nothing at all. If he knows so fast then, him and mom are probably still in contact and she told him? We were played. He has been playing us for years!
Jayden: we don’t know that!
Kimberly: then tell me what it is, tell me what we know!

She looked at her brother as anger burned in her eyes. Her phone beeped and she looked at it. It was Shawna, she texted back.

Shawna: I called my dad because I wanted to make sure that you were not in any trouble. He said the organization would love to have you but I don’t think you should take the offer. You are just nineteen. Kim, your life would be over if you do this.

Kimberly was going to respond when her phone rang. She looked at it, it was an unknown ID

Kimberly: I have to take this

She said, walking away to her room, where she could be alone. She didn’t know who it was but she wasn’t risking it in front of her family.

Jacob: Hi, Kimberly. My name is Jacob. I didn’t know that you were still interested in being a member of the organization.
Kimberly: let us just say that need arose and it is a price that I am willing to pay.
Jacob: I would pick you up by eight in front of your house so that you can come in for a briefing. Is that fine with you?
Kimberly: no, actually, I think it would be best for you to pick me up at the entrance of the estate. That way I can keep this as far away from my family as possible.
Jacob: they don’t know that you are doing this?
Kimberly: no, they don’t and I would like to keep it that way. Besides, it is me you want, not them and the less they know, the safer they are.
Jacob: thinking like an agent already, I like it. You are a natural and the company would be so glad to have you.
Kimberly: I would see you by eight.

She ended the call and decided to save the number. She rubbed her temples, there was no going back now. She tossed her phone into her back pocket and headed back to the living room. She looked at her brother.

Jayden: I know that look. What did you do?
Kimberly: nothing, I just had to pick a call. There was absolutely no big deal about it. Either ways, we wait for dad to come back and I wouldn’t be in for dinner. I want to take Scott for a cut.