A Missing Key 218 Missed Calls One Family Secret novel Chapter 18

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Second semester of freshman year, my advisor brought me onto a small regional geological survey project.

We headed deep into the backcountry-way out there.

Conditions were rough. We crashed at locals’ houses, cell service was spotty as hell.

I was completely absorbed. Loved every second of it.

One evening, I’d just hiked back down from a ridge when my phone finally caught a weak signal and started buzzing like crazy.

Mom.

I walked over to where the bars were slightly better and picked up.

“Hey.”

“Nina! Oh thank god. I’ve been trying to reach you for days!” Her voice had this edge of panic she was trying to hide. “I was getting really worried.”

“I’m out in the field. Service is bad out here.”

My voice flat. Matter-of-fact.

“Oh… right. The field. That must be exhausting.” She paused, like she was choosing her words carefully. “Are you… are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Umm, your father and I-” She stopped herself. Started over. “Actually, I’m calling because… Claire’s getting engaged.”

Claire’s getting engaged.

Same as last time. To Andrew Williams-some guy from another wealthy family.

He always came off as this polished gentleman type, but really he was just calculating and status-obsessed.

“Cool. Congrats.”

“The engagement party’s on the eighteenth. Next month.” Mom’s voice lifted slightly, hopeful. “Do you think you could make it

back?”

The eighteenth.

Right in the middle of our field season. Absolutely no way I could bail.

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A Missing Key, 218 Missed Calls, One Family Secret

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Chapter 8

Even if I could, I wouldn’t.

They don’t need me there anyway.

“I’m on a project. Can’t leave.”

Silence stretched out on the other end. For a second I thought the call had dropped.

“…Okay.”

Her voice went small. Disappointed. She wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. “Well… stay safe out there.”

I hung up and looked out at the mountain range stretching into the distance, glowing gold in the sunset.

Felt nothing but calm.

Over the next few weeks, through Mom’s scattered phone calls and Claire’s Instagram feed, I pieced together how over-the-top

it was.

Perfect match. Power couple. Everyone who mattered was there.

That’s their world. That’s how it’s supposed to look.

None of it had anything to do with me.

The irony wasn’t lost on me.

“I’m swamped right now. Don’t think I can get away.”

“Miss Nina…” Mark’s voice dropped lower. “He asked about you. When he woke up from surgery. That’s… not nothing.”

He asked about me.

Wow. Groundbreaking.

All those years I orbited around him, desperate for his attention-he never once thought to check in.

Mark sighed. “Miss Nina, I get it. I know things have been… complicated. But he’s your dad. And he’s getting older. This health scare shook him up. He won’t say it out loud, but I think he wants both his daughters around right now.”

Both his daughters.

I almost laughed.

He’s had Claire by his side this whole time. Why does he suddenly need me?

“I’ll think about it,” I said, noncommittal.

Hung up before he could push further.

I stared at my laptop screen-train tickets to my foster parents’ hometown still pulled up in the browser.

My chest felt tight. Annoyed. Conflicted.

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