Chapter 15

Nia

I slam the door to my apartment shut, still in a state of confusion spiked with irritation. Talk about a sudden blow off. My exasperation momentarily eases as I run toward my phone that's screaming from the direction of my bedroom. I reach the hollering device just as the flickering light dies. My lips disappear behind a flat line as I check the display.

25 missed calls.

I've been away for less than an hour...

The whirlwind of thoughts led by "what in the hell was I just subjected to " vanishes as I scroll through the missed calls list. All from one, single number-my mom. A stab of pain slashes through me with the thought of calling home. I sprawl on the bed, sigh in surrender, and dial the number that I've avoided thus far.

When she picks up the phone at the other side of the globe, my mother sounds uncontrollably emotional. My heart instinctively lodges in my throat. Futilely, I try to thread a question through her frenetic blabber.