NORA

"Come on, let me see it!" Tyler's fingers attack my sides, tickling furiously.

"No!" I cry through laughing fits. "It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises," he grumbles, stopping the attack.

"You're going to like this one," I smile confidently as I catch my breath. I can't wait for Tyler to see me in my prom dress. It's drop-dead gorgeous and really flatters my frame, not to speak my skin tone, even if I say so myself.

"At least tell me what color it is," he pleads, rolling to his side on my bed and leaning on his elbow.

I hesitate.

"I can't match my tie to your dress if I don't know what color to get," he reminds me slyly.

"Don't worry," I smirk. "I'll get you your tie."

He grumbles something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like "stubborn" and "pig-headed."

I grin as I lean over him, my fingers trailing along his bare arm. His eyes flicker down to my lips and I can see the hunger in them. Distraction succeeded. I lean down to press my lips on his and he immediately responds. My lips part and he deepens the kiss, his hand going to the back of my neck to pull me tighter against him.

His free hand travels down my back to my ass and I press against him, feeling his hard erection against my belly.

My phone blasting "I'll be there for you" by the Rembrandts makes me jolt in surprise.

"Is that the "Friends" theme song?" Tyler questions, a smile stretching across his lips.

"Yes," I move to get off him but his arms tighten around me.

"Where are you going?" he smirks, his mouth pressing kisses down my jaw.

I close my eyes, lost in his touch. The ringing stops only to start immediately again. I frown.

"I have to get that," I regretfully move out of his hold and this time he lets me.

Something in my expression must have alarmed him as he looks at me worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," I reach my phone just as it stops ringing again. "It's Mads. She the only one with that ring tone," I tell him. "She's supposed to be at some fancy dinner party with the one-not-to-be-mentioned and his family and some business partners, I think. I don't know why she would be calling me," I frown at the phone and am just about to call her back when her name flashes on the screen for the third time.

I immediately press answer and put the phone to my ear. "Mads?"

"Nora?" her voice sounds small and tight.

"What's wrong? Are you crying?" I exchange a glance with Tyler. What did the sperm donor do this time?

"Can you come get me?" she avoids the question and I hear her sniffle.

"Yeah, of course. Where are you?"

She gives me the address of our father's house and I tell her to sit tight. I grab my keys and put on sneakers on my way downstairs, my heart racing in fear of what might have upset her at a dinner party. Our father can be a nasty piece of work but he's always treated Mads like an angel and I have trouble picturing him making a scene in front of other people.

"I'm coming, too" Tyler follows me out the door and to my car.

I nod stiffly and start the engine, my fingers tightening around the wheel.

The drive over to the house feels like an eternity, worry gnawing at my stomach the whole way there. The house is actually a massive modern mansion with a driveway that circles a fountain. I I would've expected nothing less from the man.

I stop the car right in front of the massive double doors, ignoring the valet and stuffing the keys into the pocket of my sweatpants.

A man in a suit stands in front of the doors, and he takes in my casual appearance with a suspicious look. When I run up the stairs with Tyler right behind me, he puts up a hand to stop us.

"Invitation only," he says gruffly, his eyes raking me from my messy hair to my gray sweats and sneakers, then doing the same to Tyler. He clearly knows there's no way we're here for the party.

"Sorry, forgot mine at home," I force a smile. "But I really need to get inside."

"There's a dress code," he raises his brows at our appearance.

"Yeah, whatever. Look, I'm the daughter of your boss," I hate acknowledging the family connection, but I have a feeling it's my only way in.

The man narrows his eyes skeptically. "His daughters are already inside."

"Yeah, well, not all of them," I quip. "My name is Nora Sanders. Sanders as in Greg Sanders." I really need to change my last name.

"I haven't heard of a third daughter." He sounds suspicious. Seriously? Why the heck would I want to crash some dull dinner party? Doesn't seem like much fun.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure that's what he's told everyone," I roll my eyes impatiently. "But I'm real. Kind of the black sheep, if you will. I have my driver's license to prove it," I point my thumb over my shoulder to the car.

He raises a brow expectantly and I groan. I run back to the car to fetch my ID and show it to him.

He blinks twice in surprise and then nods. "Fine, you're who you say you are. But you're not getting in in those clothes."

"Look, buddy," I narrow my eyes at him, starting to get really annoyed. "I really just need to get inside and get my sister. I have no interest in joining the stupid dinner. No one will even see me."

He doesn't move.

"Oh shit!" Tyler suddenly exclaims. I turn around to look at him slap his hand over his mouth and his face take on a sick pallor. Damn, he's a good actor.

"He's going to be sick!" I frantically wave my hands at him in fake concern. "He might have eaten some bad food," I try to arrange my face into an apologetic expression.

"I don't—" the man starts to say just as Tyler bends over the waist and starts dry heaving.  The man turns to him, clearly debating what to do. I take my change and slip by the open door inside.

I step into a huge foyer and look around. Loud noises are coming from one of the entrances at the far end, making me think that's where the dining room is. But where is my sister? I dig out my phone and call her.

"I'm here," I say the moment she picks up. "Where are you?"

"First door on the right," comes her response and I head to that door. I yank it open to find a fancy powder room. Well, but of course.

Mads is sitting huddled in a sofa near the mirrors, her face streaked with tears. I rush to her side and put my arm around her. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Mads shakes her head, trying to reign in the tears.

I stroke her hair soothingly. "What did he do?" I can't keep the anger from my voice and my sister looks up at me.

She bites back a sob. "He just..."

I wait patiently as she gathers herself.

"You were right about him." She sounds so sad and disappointed that my heart clenches.

I close my eyes in resignation. "I didn't want to be." I really wanted him to come through for her.

"I know," she smiles faintly at me. "I know you hoped he'd be good to me. And I thought he was."

"What did he do tonight?" I ask again. And why has she been in here for an hour crying and nobody has come looking for her?

"He's a liar," she wipes at the tears falling down her cheeks. "All these weeks, after he came back, he's been acting like he wants me back in his life again."

"What do you mean acting?" I honestly thought he wanted to include her in his new family.

She sniffs and takes a deep breath before continuing. "Today's the first time I've met his wife and step-daughter. Other times it's just been the two of us, catching up, you know."

I nod and she continues. "He seemed so happy to introduce me to them, and everyone else, too. Apparently he's been talking about me a lot. But..."

"But what?"

"But he's been lying to them," her face twists in anger. "Heather, his wife, said something to me about how happy she is that I've kept in touch with dad, even though you haven't," she looks at me apologetically. "He's made it sound as if it's you who wanted nothing to do with him after our parents' divorce. That you cut him out of your life and not the other way around."

I grit my teeth. Of course he did. "That can't be why you're so upset."

"It's not," she admits. "She also mentioned how glad she was to finally meet me after these years of dad coming here to see me alone. Said she was happy they finally live close enough that dad and I can spend more time together and also for me to get to be a part of their family."

"What?" I let out an outrageous cry.

"Yeah," she hiccups. "He's been lying about coming to see me and spending time with me several times a year. But he never has. A few months ago was the first time I've seen him in four years."

"So, he's been lying to his wife," I say slowly as understanding sets in. A tiger never changes it's stripes. He used to lie to mom and us all the time, going away on "business trips" when in truth he was cheating on her for years. Seems like he's doing it all over again with Heather.

"Yeah. I didn't know what to say, I didn't want to cause a scene, you know," her lip trembles. "So, I just nodded and smiled and went along with it. But then when I had a change to pull dad aside, I asked him about it and he tried to wave it off. So, I got suspicious. I couldn't let it go and he got angry. Really angry."

I narrow my eyes, checking her for bruises. "He didn't hit you, did he?"

"No!" Mads looks shocked. "He'd never." 

Well, he would, but... "So, what did he do?"

She cringes. "He pulled me to another room so the guests wouldn't hear. And then he told me to keep my mouth shut."

Why doesn't that surprise me. "He didn't ask you to lie to Heather for him, did he?"

She nods, looking absolutely devastated. "He told me... he said if I want to keep things like they are, I will play along."

"To keep things like they are, meaning the newly forged relationship with you and dad?"

She nods and fresh tears spill from her eyes. "He said that if I tell her, he will make sure I regret it. And that it would just cause unnecessary hurt and Heather would be devastated, and it just might break up their marriage. And that it would be my fault for tearing their family apart."

That bastard. Trying to make Mads feel bad for not going on with his lies.

"And when I asked him what is it that he's been doing when he's supposedly been spending time with me, he got even angrier and basically yelled at me that it's none of my business and I'd do well to remember that. And..." she hiccups again. "And if I tell anybody the truth, he'll make sure I regret it. And then he just put up a fake smile and went back to the guests acting like nothing was wrong."

I'm bristling with anger. I've known for years that dad's a sick son of a bitch but this... this tops everything he's done. Bringing Mads into his lies and trying to make her cover for him... That's just unforgivable.

"What am I going to do?" she cries.

"Nothing," I pull her closer. "I'm going to take care of it."

She sniffles against my shoulder and looks up at me through her tears. "What are going to do?"

I clench my jaw. "What I have to." He's going to pay for this. He doesn't get to walk away from this without consequences.

Her arms tighten around me and I just hold her for a long moment as she cries herself empty.

A knock at the door makes me look up. "Who is it?"

"Tyler," comes the response. Oh thank god.

"Come in," I tell him as Mads lifts up her face and wipes away her tears.

Tyler opens the door and peeks in. "Hey, found you." His eyes go to Mads and pinch in worry. "Are you guys okay?"

"We will be," I smile at him. "Mads?"

"Yeah?" her mascara has gotten all smudged around her puffy red eyes, making it clear as day that she's been crying.

"Will you be okay with Tyler for a moment?"

Tyler looks at me questioningly but I just shake my head at him.

"Where are you going?" my sister looks at me worriedly.

"I just need to take care of something real quick," I say vaguely.

"Um, yeah," she looks shyly up at Tyler, who's looking at her kindly. "I'll be okay."

"Good," I get up and stop in front of Tyler. "Keep an eye on her for me, will you?"

"Of course," he nods. "Don't do anything stupid."

I flash him a grin. "Do I ever?"