Someone Else’s Life(61)

“Yes.” Serena nodded vigorously, as if happy that Annie got it. “I had to be sure, one hundred percent sure, before I could do anything about what I suspected. I studied you all, this perfect family that was supposed to be mine. I admit”—here she gave Annie an embarrassed smile—“I became obsessed. I couldn’t stop watching you. I came to know you so well, your routines and the ways you reacted to things, that I felt like I knew you. Like you were a friend.”

“That’s why you knew so much about us.” Annie shook her head, unable to believe that they’d never had any idea this woman had been watching them so closely. Yes, she’d felt eyes looking at her and gotten uneasy a few times, but it never went beyond that. They had been so careless.

“I lost my job again.” Serena glanced at Annie and then looked away. “But this time, I couldn’t blame my bosses. I spent so much time watching you that I didn’t have time for a paltry thing like work. And when I was fired, I decided I didn’t need to work anymore. My father had left me well enough off that, if I was careful, I probably wouldn’t need to work again. Besides, this was more important. This was my entire life.”

“Did you ever stop to think that this wasn’t right?” Annie kept her voice level, even though she wanted to yell and scream.

“Maybe.” Serena shrugged. “Sometimes, a little voice would say, You can’t do this. Spying on someone isn’t right. But I pushed that aside because I had to find my son. It’s what any good mother would do.”

“This goes so far beyond being a good mother.” Why was she trying to reason with a woman who obviously didn’t have any reason?

Serena continued talking, as if she hadn’t heard her. “And at night, when I’d think to myself, You’re obsessed with them. Your doctors wouldn’t like it if they knew, I just told my mind to shut up. The doctors don’t know everything. If I told them what I suspected, they’d definitely lock me up. And I was fine now. I wasn’t depressed anymore. I had a reason for living! And the fact that I’m aware it’s bad to be watching you tells me right there that I don’t need to be locked up. I’m not a stalker. I’m just watching a life that should have been mine. And looking after my son from afar.”

“He’s not your son.” Annie had had enough. “Finn came out of my body. I was there. Brody was there. Finn was there. You weren’t.”

“I was—that’s what I’m trying to tell you.” Serena knotted her fingers together.

Annie snorted. “I think I would have remembered if you’d been at the birth of my son. You’re delusional. You do need help.”

“I know it sounds crazy. I thought I was crazy when I first realized it. But it’s true. Finn is my son and—”

Annie cut her off. “No. Stop right there. This has gone on long enough. I heard you out, just like you wanted me to. I thought we were going to be friends. Then you tell me we stole your house from you, and that you’ve been stalking us for years and you don’t see anything wrong with it. Now you’re claiming my son is yours.” She stood, towering over Serena. “Do you not hear how off you sound?”

Annie’s phone rang, and she reached down to pick it up from the coffee table. It was Brody. As she picked up the call, she saw that she’d missed numerous texts from him and Sam.

“Annie, what’s going on over there? I’m still stuck in traffic.” The reception was better than before. “The news said there’s flooding along the Wailua River. A lot of debris got caught at the Wailua Bridge, creating a dam. Has the flooding gotten worse at the house?”

“Hold on, let me see.” Annie glanced over at Serena as she walked to the window, Marley trailing after her. She pushed the curtain aside and looked out. The canal was overflowing, already covering the three steps that led up to their backyard, and coming up over the lawn. “The water has come up over the steps from the canal.” She tried to keep her voice steady. As Sam had said, the main house and Ohana were built up high, not on ground level, and the backyard sloped down into the canal. It would take a lot of water for them to be flooded out.

“How high?” Brody spoke loudly to be heard over the noise of the storm on his end.

“It’s just over the back steps.”

“Do you feel safe? What about Serena? Did you ask her to leave?”

“I tried. But she’s still here. Did you call the police?” Annie looked at Serena again, whose eyes had widened at the word “police.”

Static fuzz came from the phone, and Annie looked at it. “Hello? Brody?”

And then nothing. They’d been disconnected. It was just as well. She didn’t know what to tell Brody about Serena. He was going to flip when he found out that she thought their son was hers.

She turned to address Serena. “I need you to leave. I’ve listened to you, and I’ve given you the benefit of the doubt. And I’m done.”

“Annie . . .” Serena pleaded.

Annie pointed to the front door. “Leave. Now. And if you don’t, the police will be here any minute. I don’t care how bad the storm is.”

“Please, no. I’ll drown if I go out in that.” Serena stood and faced Annie. “You have to listen to me. I know I went about this all wrong. I wanted to find the right way to tell you, but . . .” Her face dropped in defeat. “I always fuck everything up. But I have proof.”