Classified ☑

[ chapter 21 ]

I'd been drifting in and out of sleep while on the train. My phone had been on a nonstop buzz fest. Thomas had been trying to contact me since he woke up this morning. The alarm system let him know what time I had snuck out. I'd also made sure to turn off my GPS tracking so they couldn't try and find me.

He'd called me, left voicemails, texted me, even emailed me, all begging me to come back home. I didn't respond to any of them. I couldn't, otherwise I'd give into the temptation to go back home. If I did that, I'd be putting Joseph's and Thomas' lives at risk and I wouldn't do that.

Until now I thought I really knew and understood what it meant to be alone. After my dad died I was distraught and kept to myself, but I alway had Thomas hovering in the background, always checking on me to make sure I was alright. Then Joseph came into my life, being the big brother I never knew I needed. Come to find out he really was my big brother all along.

Even Cole, Shelly, and Mark meant something to me. They chose to be friends with me even after discovering the baggage I carried around. Thomas must've told them I had left because even the three of them had been calling and texting, asking where I was.

I clicked on the text thread with Joseph's name. His texts were the closest I had come to responding to. He texted me saying he loved me and no matter what, I'd always be his baby sister. Then a couple hours later, he'd sent me a text with three simple words.

Call the number.

I knew exactly what Joseph meant. He'd basically told me the exact same thing the other day when we were at the gym.

I opened the photos on my phone and clicked on the picture with the washer's instructions, the paper I had found inside the washer with Joseph and Cole.

My dad's familiar handwriting stared back at me. The numbers danced in front of my face, almost like they were taunting me. All I had to do was put ten simple numbers into the phone. Answers possibly waited on the other side so before I could think about it any longer, I dialed the number.

It rang several times, the on and off hum filling the other end of the line. Right before I think it's about to go to voicemail, a voice answered.

"Hello?" a woman asked, a slight accent there.

"Hi." My voice cracked. "I was told to call this number?"

There person on the other end of the line was silent for several heartbeats. "Nina?"

My breath hitched in my throat. "Who's this?"

"I'm your grandmother."

*****

I adjusted the backpack strap on my shoulder, looking for someone who looked remotely familiar. From what my grandmother had told me, she was my mom's mom. She'd been in contact with Joseph all his life, but that was all the information she was willing to give me over the phone.

The biggest questions I had for her were where was my mom and why had my dad never told me about her, but she'd hung up before I could get them out.

The train sounded, pulling me out of my thoughts as it let people know it was the last call to get on if they needed to.

A long huff escaped my lips as I blew out, uncertain of my surroundings. The train station was crowded for an early afternoon and it stressed me out. Normally I didn't stress out about things like this, but my anxiety seemed to be on a roller coaster that only went up and up.

I had no idea what I was doing with my life. I'd come to meet with my grandmother, which I was excited to meet her but at the same time I knew I was running from my problems. I was being a coward.

Someone bumped into my shoulder, snapping me out of my pity party. They mumbled an apology and kept walking without turning to look back at me. I reached for my phone in my pocket and frowned, following the person in the hoodie as they made their way through the sea of people.

"Hey!" I called out to them. They stopped walking, freezing in their tracks. "I won't cause a scene if you give me my phone back."

They turned around to look at me, a sly smile painting their lips. The guy didn't look much older than me, but he wasn't smarter that was for sure. "What?" he asked, taking the bait.

I took a couple of steps closer to him and reached my hand out, palm up. "Give me my phone."

He narrowed his eyes at me, like he wasn't sure if I was telling the truth or not. "What makes you think I have it?" He looked like he was about to start laughing. He underestimated me.

"I'm going to ask you once more, give me my phone." I wasn't in the mood to deal with people like him today, or ever really.

He laughed, looking around as he shook his head. "Or what?"

I grabbed his wrist and twisted it while kicking the back of his knee. He buckled to the ground in one swift movement.

"Ow, ow," he whimpered. He tried to retract his hand but I applied more pressure to get the message across. "Okay! It's in my back pocket," he seethed.

I smiled at him in fake gratitude. "See, that's all it took." After retrieving my phone, I let him go and walked away.

A minute passed before I felt his presence behind me. He tried to drape an arm around my shoulders but I ducked out of it. I twisted his arm toward his back and pushed him to the ground again. People around us gasped and a small crowd started to form in the public train station.

"Watch who you try to pickpocket next time." I gave him one more shove before standing up, ignoring the glances from the people around us.

"With moves like that, I'd know you're my granddaughter anywhere." The voice belonged to the person who answered the phone a couple of hours ago.

I spun around and faced a lady with dark hair like mine, except hers had some gray in the roots. She didn't look familiar besides the few facial traits we shared. I wondered if my mother looked like her. She smiled, sporting straight teeth as the skin underneath her eyes crinkled. "Nina."

I stood there like an idiot, not able to move. Her gaze softened like she understood what I was trying to process. In the span of less than twenty four hours I'd learned I had two other living family members. It was a lot to take in when I tried to think about everything.

Why my dad kept that a secret was a mystery to me, but I needed to know and I'm pretty sure she held the answers. As time went on, it seemed my dad lived in a whole different life that I had no recollection of.

She walked up to me slowly, like I was a puppy who would take off any minute. Gradually, she lifted her hand to my face, tapping my nose gently. "You look so much like your father."

A frown etched its way on to my face at the mention of my dad.

Her face softened. "It's all going to be okay," she spoke, her voice holding a promise I wanted to latch onto. It was soothing yet so strong.

I closed the distance between us and threw my arms around her. Tears started to roll down my cheeks before I even knew what was happening. She ran a hand through my hair, murmuring to me that everything would work out as she rocked us back and forth.

"Let's go home." She grabbed my hand and led the way out of the train station.

The sun beamed down on us and for the first time in a long time everything seemed like it would be okay.

A/N: Short chapter I know...but lots of questions will be answered in the next chapter. Stay tuned and please vote. :)