Later that evening, Emma had just crashed into her bed. Mads was still in class and Emma enjoyed the little bit of alone time she had. She had closed her eyes when her phone rang, "Ugh, if this is Sutton I don't wanna talk about this anymore." But the name on the screen only made her smile, "Oh my gosh! Long time no talk!"

"I know, I've been missing you lately." Ethan's husky yet slightly sexy voice said over the receiver.

Emma's heart fluttered, "I miss you too. I'll be home in a week though."

Ethan smiled, "Oh good. I have a surprise for you."

Emma rolled over on her side, "Ooh? A surprise huh? Can I have a hint?"

"Negative. You can wait until you come home."

"Well my flight lands at 4:15 Friday afternoon. Will you come pick me up?"

"You don't want your sister to meet you?" Ethan asked.

"No, I wanna see my baby." She said she couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips, "Hey guess what?"

"hmm?"

"I found Thayer." There was silence on the other end of the phone, "Ethan?"

"Oh. You did?" His voice sounded flat.

"Yeah. Well kinda. I have his number."

"Does Sutton know?" He asked, running a hand through his thick black hair.

"Yeah. She called me this afternoon, I had to tell her."

"How'd she take it?"

Emma groaned, "Not well."

"I bet, what happened?" Ethan asked and when Emma finished telling him the story there was silence again, "Ethan?"

"You know he's not coming back right?"

"I know. But is it bad that a part of me wishes he would?" She asked honestly.

"No, you're a dreamer, Emma and I know you want this to end in a fairytale, But I just don't foresee that happening." Ethan said, "Just try not to make a bigger mess than this already is."

"I'm trying, really." Emma felt tears well up in her eyes.

Ethan could hear the impending tears in the shakiness of her voice, "Babe," he said softly, "Don't cry." His voice trying to soothe her, if he was there, she'd have her head on his shoulder, his arm around her, running his fingers through her brown hair.

Emma sniffled, "I'm trying not to. This is bad isn't it?"

Ethan breathed heavily, suddenly she was missing him even more. She wished he was sitting next to her, "Just don't call him anymore. Ok?"

Emma felt a single tear slip down her cheek and she wiped it away, " I miss you." she said softly.

"I know. I miss you too. We'll be together soon. Until then kill em on your exams. I love you, Emma."

She breathed heavily, "I love you too, Ethan."

"I goat go. Dan needs me to help him work on the jeep, but I will see you soon, ok?"

Emma nodded even though he couldn't see her, "Ok. I love you."

"I love you too." Those were his last words to her before the click. She stared blankly at end call screen, wishing that call never had to end. She wiped her phone on the sleeve of her T-shirt and rolled over, closing her eyes and allowing herself to fall asleep.

Thayer had been laying in bed wide awake for the past two hours, it seemed like every time he closed his eyes he saw images of Sutton. Holding the baby making dinner. Pushing her in the stroller in the brisk winter evenings. Playing on the living room floor. He tried to picture himself beside her but no matter how hard he tried it wasn't possible. He rolled over in the dark, letting his arm fall over Olivia's limp body. She pushed into his embrace and Thayer rubbed her bare arm. He remembered back to the Frat party he'd gone to with Olivia. The girls he'd seen there had asked him about his past, where he came from and who he was. Even though, he knew they wanted sex, he pretended to play into their interest. When one of the girls grabbed his phone and started taking selfies she accidentally landed on a photo of a young girl. Her brown hair cascading down her back. She was short against Thayer's tall stature. her loose fitted floral romper complimented her tan skin and her makeup was immaculate, "Who is that?" She asked pushing the phone in Thayer's face.

When he saw the photo he grabbed the phone, "Nobody." he said quickly.

The girls giggled to each other, "If it was nobody then why did you grab the phone so quickly?"

"She's nobody anymore." He confessed.

"Anymore. But she was somebody at one point?" The girl asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"She's my ex-girlfriend, Sutton from back in Phoenix." He said.

The girls looked at each other, "She's pretty."

"Really pretty." The other agreed.

Thayer looked at the photo. Sutton's beaming smile, her arm wrapped around his side. She was beautiful. But he just clicked the phone off, "Yeah well it's over. I'm with someone else now." He confirmed panning the room for Olivia.

The girls looked at each other, "You have a girlfriend?"

Thayer looked at the two girls who were clearly eager to do more than just talk about Sutton, "Yes, now if you'll excuse me I need to find her."

Thayer sighed, he rolled over in the dark again and grabbed his phone. He pressed the voicemail button again, "Hi Thayer. It's me. Emma." the voice said. But all he really heard was, "Call Sutton." Echoing in his head. He wavered, pulling up the dial screen on his iPhone, "What are you doing?" Olivia's voice broke the silence.

"Oh nothing." He lied.

"You were listening to that voicemail again." She sat up.

"Olivia, no. you don't understand. It's just…" His voice trailed off, he knew he needed to come clean to his girlfriend, but he was terrified of how she'd respond. He was a father.

"What Thayer? Are you over this Sutton girl?"

He looked at her, "Yes." lie. It wasn't that he wasn't over her, he wasn't over his daughter. Maybe it was paternal instincts, "It's just that…"

Olivia sighed, "What? It's just what?"

"Nothing!" He snapped.

"Fine!" She huffed. She flopped back onto her side and pulled the cover to her chin.

"Liv, wait." But she was silent.

The next morning when he woke he was alone, "Olivia?" He called through the small apartment. He reached for his phone thinking b=maybe she'd left him a note but instead a picture message from Emma, when he opened it, his heart skipped a beat.

A/N: Sorry for all the dialogue this chapter. I felt it was necessary more than action this time. Also, I hope you're enjoying the swift updates. I'm trying to get this story at the very least at a place where I won't leave you guys on a cliffie before Tuesday. Since the last Lying Game is released on Tuesday, I will probably be holed up for a day or two consuming myself in the final chapters of the book. Is anyone else going to read the book? Are you excited? Let me know!