The Sinclair Brothers ✔️

(56) The More Lies, The More Lies

Due to the late hour, Theo decided to spend the night in Matt's room. Makennah was reluctantly reminded that she was sharing a room with Gran and therefore couldn't make a ruckus or settle down once she got home. The basement couch sounded less and less comfortable by the minute.

Theo and Makennah engaged in small talk on the way home but Matt avoided conversation like the plague. His knuckles turned white from fiercely gripping the steering wheel. His stone cold features warded off any questions.

Makennah felt bad for him but silently rejoiced at the success of their mission. The boys initially questioned her tactic and considered the smoke bombs unnecessary. She claimed it was better than breaking and entering entirely and catching them in his bedroom doing the dirty. First of all, Matt definitely didn't want to see that. Certainly neither did she. Second, they could plausibly deny that anything happened as long as they didn't actually see them enter the home.

Most of all, it was just kind of fun. Good clean fun that resulted in the achievement of their goal.

It was a good night.

It felt good to lay to rest the Cassandra ordeal. The weight on her shoulders lifted from carrying around the stress of her cheating and the knowledge of her affair.

Her good mood was destroyed as soon as they all stepped in the house.

For the first time in forever, Will waited up for them. He sat on the couch with his iPad, reading a book. When he looked up, he glared at them through his glasses. Without saying a word, he returned to his book.

Makennah glanced at Matt, silently asking for help.

"Where have you been?" Will inquired, sipping from his tea cup as he continued to read uninterrupted.

Matt covered for them. "Movies."

"Dressed in all black? That a new fashion trend?" Will asked.

Makennah turned to Matt, expecting him to come up with something.

Will continued. "You smell like smoke."

"I had a bonfire at my place before we decided to go to the movies since it was pretty cold out," Theo lied, driving them deeper into the no-go zone.

Mentally, she smacked him on the arm for that stupid answer and for lying to Will who almost always caught every single lie. He was a lawyer after all.

"Really? A bonfire and movies? What an exciting night." Will's voice held no intonation or inflection. "What movie did you see?"

The more they lied, the more they lied. Each lie led to another lie and another lie especially because Will was suddenly very curious about their evening.

So Makennah did what she knew she had to do.

"I know about the papers," she blurted out. "The legal guardianship papers."

Theo sucked in a deep breath. Matt looked at her like what the heck are you doing? And Will snapped his head up, focusing all of his attention on Makennah. Tossing the iPad aside, Will stood to his feet and rounded the couch.

"What? How?" He barked.

Sighing heavily, she looked Will in the eyes. "Someone left them on the kitchen counter. I saw them the other night."

"Matt, did you tell her?!" Will yelled at his son.

"What?! No, Dad, I swear!!" Matt promised, holding up his hands in surrender.

"He didn't tell me!" Makennah stuck up for him.

Will pointed two fingers at the boys and snapped his wrist towards the stairs. "Leave us," he commanded in a deep tone.