Read Online In Too Deep by Jennifer Banash - Free Book Online Page A

begin to verbalize her question.
    “I can’t tell them—not yet anyway. The reason I’m telling you is because I haven’t known you forever. You know?” Casey nodded, though she still wasn’t sure exactly what Sophie meant. Sophie raised her arms over her head, pulling her streaky, honey blond hair back in a messy bun and securing it with a tortoise-shell clip plucked from the violet carpet, which stood out in sharp contrast to the lavender walls of Sophie’s bedroom. Maybe , Casey thought , I don’t know anything about fashion—or interior design—but it kind of looks like Barney threw up in here . . .
    “So . . .” Casey said, leaning forward. “What’s going on?”
    Sophie took a deep breath, picking up a manila folder at the foot of the bed and opening it across her lap, her hands placed strategically over the contents. “A few weeks ago my parents told me that I’m adopted,” Sophie said quietly, her voice emotionless, her gaze level and direct.
    “Oh my God,” Casey murmured. “Are you okay? I mean, what did they say ?”
    Sophie looked away, blinking rapidly. “Oh, some bullshit—apparently they were having problems getting pregnant after my idiot brother was born, so they adopted me as some sort of deranged consolation prize for not going through a round of IVF.” Sophie took a deep breath and let it out slowly, still looking away.
    “Wow. Umm. Wow .” Casey felt like she’d suddenly become a drooling idiot—in the blink of an eye, her whole vocabulary reduced to a rapid succession of one-syllable words. The problem was that she just didn’t know what to say. What was the correct response to something this personal and deep? “I’m sorry” didn’t exactly sound right, and “bummer” definitely wasn’t going to cut it.
    “And that’s not all,” Sophie continued, moving her hands away from the open manila folder and placing it in Casey’s lap. “Look,” Sophie said, pointing at the photograph pinned to the top of the thick sheaf of legal documents. “That’s her . My mom.”
    Casey stared down in disbelief at the face in the photograph, goosebumps popping up on her arms. “Melissa Von Norton’s your mom ?” Casey looked up at Sophie, her mouth falling open. “I saw Playback in the theater five times last year!”
    “Me too,” Sophie said, staring down at the photograph, seemingly lost in thought, her fingers tracing the planes of her mother’s face. “I can’t believe I never noticed the resemblance—though I guess you never really go around looking for your own face in anyone else’s.” Sophie leaned back against the immense pile of pillows that were mounded up at the head of her bed. “My mom knows her—if you can believe that—they were in the same acting class together when my bio mom was just starting out. They were friends—a long time ago.”
    “Are you serious ?” Casey asked, unable to keep the amazement from her voice. Casey looked into Sophie’s eyes, noticing immediately that they were the exact same shape and color as her biological mother’s—and that Sophie also looked dangerously close to crying. “Sophie, that’s just crazy ,” Casey said softly, mostly because she just didn’t know what else to say. Casey sat there for a moment in the silence that had fallen over the room, winding a curl around her index finger, and wondering how it would feel to wake up one day and find out that your whole life had been a lie. Casey stared at Sophie, who was busily picking loose threads from her comforter, her face set in rapt concentration. She must be so lonely right now , Casey thought, reaching out to touch Sophie on the shoulder. Sophie jumped like she’d been burned by Casey’s touch, and gave Casey a weak smile. “So,” Casey said, removing her hand, trying to bring the conversation back someplace vaguely practical. “What are you going to do ?”
    “What do you mean?” Sophie took the folder back and closed it, tossing it to the