Plans

That next morning, Phoebe woke up in her bedroom at Redstone Manor, her head ringing as the effects of the **** from last night caught up to her. Sitting up in bed, she noticed her phone was buzzing as she received a phone call from her mother, Naomi which she promptly ignored as she gracefully stumbled out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen where Lexi was nursing a coffee.

"If you ever let me do tequila shots again," Phoebe muttered as she sat down next to Lexi. "I’m stealing your entire wardrobe."

"Like you wouldn't steal it anyway." Lexi snorted as she poured Phoebe some coffee. "So. You and Caleb seemed to get on pretty well last night."

"Excuse me?" Phoebe said, almost **** on her coffee.

"Oh please. You were practically climbing him in that office." Lexi said with a smirk.

"First of all, I was istering first aid, you heathen," Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Second, even if I was climbing him, which I wasn’t, he’s Tommy’s best friend. That’s practically cousin-adjacent. Off-limits."

"Oh please, I bet you've probably crossed so many lines back in London." Lexi shook her head.

"London rules don’t apply here," Phoebe mumbled. "Besides, Caleb’s got that whole dangerous bad boy thing going on and you know I can't resist that."

"Oh my god, you’re crushing on him." Lexi grinned. "Wait till I tell Tommy…"

"You tell Tommy and I swear I’ll tell Aunt Elsa about that time you…" Phoebe quickly responded.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Lexi sternly replied as her grin vanished.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Phoebe muttered. "Okay, fine. Maybe Caleb’s... interesting. But it’s not like it matters," Phoebe paused. "After last night, Aunt Elsa probably had him blacklisted from the entire grounds. What was even with that last?"

"Honestly? No clue. Mom’s never reacted like that before. She adores Caleb. Seen him grow up since he was a baby," Lexi revealed. "But the way she stormed in like she caught you two mid-makeout? That wasn’t just teenagers being reckless kind of anger."

"Mid-makeout ses… Lexi, I was dabbing his split lip with antiseptic," Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and the way he was looking at you? Pure medical concern, I'm sure." Lexi smirked. "Face it, cuz. You're both hooked and you can thank me later."

"Thank you?" Phoebe said, confused.

"Because I'm your favourite cousin," Lexi said. "I got a beach day planned, Tommy's in and he said he'd bring Isabel and Caleb so I may have just snagged you a second date."

"There wasn't even a first date." Phoebe sighed.

"Semantics." Lexi called out as she got up to leave the room. "The point is, Caleb’s gonna be there. And you can wear that red bikini you borrowed from my closet last time. He's going to love it."

Meanwhile Adrianna walked down the stairs, slightly hoping the events from yesterday and Elsa's revelation was a bad dream, only to spot Elsa standing at the bottom holding a cup of coffee which she handed to the other redhead.

"Morning," Elsa said as Adrianna took the coffee from her. "You still mad at me?"

"I can't believe you never told me," Adrianna hissed. "Or Peter. That man's walking around with a whole ass kid he's never known about…"

"Keep it down, the girls are still here," Elsa whispered in a harsh tone. "And do you think I wanted to keep this a secret? From you? From Peter? Demi made me promise…"

"And you just kept it?" Adrianna interrupted. "For eighteen years?"

"You think this was easy for me? Watching Caleb grow up, seeing Peter's face in his every damn expression?" Elsa itted. "Every time Demi brought him over for playdates with Lexi, I had to sit there smiling while my brother's son called another man Dad."

"Wait, does Patrick know that Caleb isn't his?" Adrianna paused, looking over at Elsa and mentioning Patrick Halstead, Demi’s husband.

"Patrick's not stupid. Demi never confessed to me if she thinks he suspects but if he does..." Elsa exhaled. "I don't think he cares, Adrianna. He's raised Caleb as his own since he was a baby."

"So what now?" Adrianna asked. "Do we tell Peter? Or… god forbid… Phoebe and Caleb?"

"None of them can know. Demi doesn't want anyone to know and we're going to keep it that way." Elsa responded.

"Elsa, this isn't some minor secret. This is a fucking time bomb." Adrianna reminded Elsa. "Phoebe and Caleb were flirting. What if…"

"They won’t," Elsa said sharply. "Because we’re going to make sure they don’t. No one has to know, AC. We just... steer them apart. Gently. They're both like their father in that regard. They'll lose interest and move onto the next person they meet,"

"So, your plan is to do better than you did last night?" Adrianna scoffed. "Because slamming doors and barking orders isn't exactly subtle."

"Fine. Then you come up with a better plan, AC. Because right now, all I see is…" Elsa stopped talking as her phone began ringing and she picked it up out of her purse and saw the Caller ID. "Ryan? It's about time. Where the hell have you…?"

"I know. I know, Elsa. But listen…" Ryan replied as Elsa switched to speakerphone. "I can’t talk right now. Can you meet me at the Mirage in an hour?"

"Sure," Elsa said as Adrianna nodded in agreement. “AC and I will be there.”