08 | I Missed You

I almost choke on my saliva. I swear he just said eleven siblings. He did not just say eleven siblings. No, that would be ridiculous, he would have told me before, he would have mention them, surely. I look behind me at the others, they all stare back calmly. I look at Damion, his mouth turned up in a smirk. Oh no, no, no, no.

"You're kidding, right?"

His smirk widens to an almost full blown grin.

"Nope"

I groan and sink down in my seat, crossing my arms over my stomach.

"And you couldn't have told me this earlier?"

The others in the back are snickering. I breath in and out, counting to ten, trying to get my anger under control. I turn back to Damion, my expression neutral.

"Why? Why am I staying with your family then?"

He shrugs his shoulders, deliberately not looking at me. I narrow my eyes at his knowing silence. He knows something, something that I need to know.

"Damion, tell me"

He has the audacity to shrug his shoulders again then smirk, SMIRK, at me. I roll my eyes before I reach over and grip his shoulder, deliberately pressing my index finger into a pressure point. The other had gone silent behind us. Damion sucks in a breath before glancing at me before looking at the road.

"God women, have you never heard the saying to not hurt the driver. I am after all driving this machine that you are currently sitting in"

I keep my hand where it is a moment loner before pulling it away. I cross my arms again while continuing to glare at him.

"Tell me why I am staying with your family"

When he doesn't answer immediately I punch his shoulder. It is hard enough that the car swerves. Tayor and Chris scream in the backseat while Lexie, Muscle 1 and Muscle 2 pull out their guns, pointing the business end at my head.

"Holy hell! How hard can you punch?"

I roll my eyes, he was being such a baby.

"That wasn't even my best punch. No tell me before you feel the real deal."

His eyes widen and he tries to shuffle slightly away from me. I laugh quietly, trying to ignore the guns pointing my way.

"It was Michael"

My eyes narrow and I gesture for him to go on. He gulps before continuing.

"He said something about you needing to be apart of a family because you never had the chance. He said he wanted to right some wrongs. I have no idea what he meant by that..."

"I do. Pull over, pull over right now."

Damion pull the car over while I pull out my phone. I quickly dial the number I want while I jump out of the SUV, even though it was still moving. Barely even breaking my stride I walk further away from the road and over to a fence bordering the road. I lean against it while my call connects. As soon as I hear it connect I stand up straight.

"Hello?"

"Hi Uncle"

"Sam?"

"Yeah, it's me"

"Hey, what's up Sammy?"

"Can you give me Michael's number?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure"

"Samantha?

"Please, I'm positive"

I hear a sigh on the other end of the line along with paper shuffling. I pace up and down along the fence line, my hand reach up to scrape my hair out of my face. I knew I should have tied it up this morning.

"Sam, you still there?"

"Hmm? What? Oh, yeah, I'm here"

"Alright, I'm texting you the number to his office."

I sigh to myself, running my free hand over my face in annoyance.

"Yeah sure, thanks Uncle."

"Anything for you Sammy"

"Cute, well I gotta go, so..."

"Yeah, sure, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay, yeah, talk later"

"See ya Sam"

"Yeah, see ya"

I hang up then scroll through my apps until I find my messages. I open up my uncle's message and memorise the number he sent me. I then go back and dial the number. Once again I wait for the call to connect. When it does his secretary answers.

"Hello, the Director of the Junior Division's secretary speaking."

"Um hi, I need to speak with the director."

"Have you made an appointment?"

"Yeah, no, I just needed to talk to him over the phone."

"I'm sorry but the director doesn't take direct calls from civilians, but I can give him a message for you."

"Okay sure, tell him it's Sam, and it's about the Alpha Team."

"Alright, well Sam, I will notify him that you called."

"Thanks, I think."

"No problem, goodbye now"

The secretary hangs up before I can even answer. In a fit of anger I throw the phone out into the field behind the fence before slumping against it.

...

After a while I hear footsteps come up behind me so I turn around, only to come face to face with Damion, a worried look in his eyes.

"Hey"

"Hey"

We both look away at the same time. I walk over to the fence and take a seat on it, my feet dangling. Damion follows suit, sitting only inches away from me.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine"

I can feel him staring at me so I keep my head down and study the dirt below my feet intensely.

"I don't believe that."

I whip my head to look at him, the only problem is I'm looking up towards the sun, I can only see his silhouette and not his expression.

"Yeah, well believe it because it's the truth."

He chuckles, his body shaking slightly. I stare, still trying to see his expression.

"I won't, I refuse to believe that you are fine"

My jaw drops as my eyes widen, the audacity of this boy, it astounds me.

"Fine, suit yourself."

I hop off the fence and start to walk away. It is at that second however that a phone starts ringing. My head whips towards the field where I threw the phone before, Damion's doing the same. I take off running back towards the fence. I expertly jump it without breaking my stride and streak through the long grass. I use my hearing to try to find the phone. Within seconds I pinpoint the location and scoop it up. I press answer without even looking at who called me.

"Hello"

I sound breathless to my own ears and I hope the person on the other side of the phone can't tell.

"Hello, Samantha?"

"Yes, yes, I'm Samantha"

"Oh, well, hello Samantha"

For a second we are both silent until I find the courage to speak.

"Michael?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, it's Michael."

"Oh god"

Tears make their way down my face, no matter how hard I try to hold them in. I sink to my knees in the grass.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

We both speak at the same time. we end up just laughing it off.

"Gosh, Sam, you go first."

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry Michael, I should have answered your calls years ago."

A sob racks my throat.

"Hey, don't cry, Sam don't cry."

"I missed you so much big bro"

"I missed you too little sis."

"I know we technically talked this morning, but I am really sorry for ignoring you for eleven years."

"It's not your fault Sam, and this morning does not count okay, and I am truly sorry for not trusting you."

"It's okay Michael"

"No it's not Sam, I'm your brother, I should trust you first above anything else. My work means nothing compared to you, and Damion certainly doesn't matter more than you."

I laugh, a grin stretching across my face.

"I'm going to tell him you said that."

"I really wish I could be there to see that."

I laugh again.

"It's nice to hear you laugh Sam."

"Yeah, it's been a while since I laughed this much."

"We have to meet up Sam, we can't ignore each other anymore."

"Okay."

"How about next week, I'll pick you up after school on Friday."

I groan out loud and he chuckles.

"It'll be fun Sam, it's only school."

"I know but I've never been to a high school before."

"Then you've been deprived. Think yourself lucky you get to have this opportunity."

"Sure, because it is totally an opportunity."

I roll my eyes and he laughs again.

"Okay Sam, I need to go, I get to have a meeting with Uncle, the only downside to the job."

I laugh out loud again. I look up at the sky as I lay back in the grass.

"Okay, you have fun then."

"Alright, I love you Samantha, remember that."

"I love you to, Mikey."

"Goodbye Sam"

"Bye."

We hang up at the same time. I stay lying down in the grass as I watch the clouds move across the sky. After a minute I hop up and walk back to the car, jumping the fence quickly. As soon as I slide in the car I buckle up my seat belt and look behind me. I look at the confused faces of the people behind me and laugh. I snort because I laugh so hard.

"Did you just snort?"

I whip my head and poke my tongue out at Damion.

"Just drive Damion, just drive."

With that he puts his foot on the accelerator and we are off, back on the highway, driving towards the airport.