Page 56 of Sinful Skulls
Brody squeezes my leg. “My phone was the same. Take another breath. It means we’re both loved, and that’s a good thing,” he reminds me.
Most of the missed calls and messages are from my parents. Some of them are from extended family, and there’s even a few from the couple I was supposed to meet in Reno. There’s only one from Paris. It’s from my roommate. She was letting me know I left a few things behind in my rush. She said she’d mail them to me if I want to send her my address.
I rest my head against the seat. If I had an address, I’d send it to her.
“Is it bad?” he asks.
“Yes and no.” I chuckle sadly.
“Why don’t you Facetime them, so they can see that you’re okay? I’m right here with you. It will be fine.”
He’s right. I’ve tortured them long enough, and I don’t have any messages from Henry, so he’s probably moved on. A shiver courses through my veins at the thought of him. I’ve managed to block what happened to me in Paris out of my mind. I don’t like thinking about it.
“You have so much to deal with already. Are you sure you’re okay being on the call with me? I can wait until we get to your house.”
The look he gives me tells me he’s had enough of my stalling.
“Fine.”
I call my dad, because my mom will be an emotional mess. He answers on the very first ring. His face makes me instantly tear up.
“Daisy. Oh my god. It’s Daisy,” he yells over his shoulder.
My mother rushes to his side. “Daisy. Thank God you’re okay.” She begins to cry.
“Where are you?” he asks.
I glance at Brody, and he gives me an encouraging nod. “I’m … I’m with a friend. I’m sorry I worried you guys, but I’m okay.”
My dad hugs my mom close. “We’re sorry we didn’t tell you that you were adopted.”
“How did you know I found out?”Oh my god, Henry called them!
“The couple you contacted reached out to us when you weren’t at the hotel you planned to meet at. They were worried about you,” he tells me
I’m so confused. “But how did they find you? I didn’t tell them my last name or anything.”
“He is a private investigator.”
Oh.
“Daisy, your biological mother asked us not to tell you. I’m not blaming her, but I want you to understand that she had her reasons. When you were little, we kept in contact with her parents for a short time. We called them when you went missing, thinking maybe you’d found them or her. They told us they hadn’t heard from you, and they didn’t know where to find your birth mother. We’ve been worried sick.”
Again, I glance at Brody. He pulls off the side of the road.
When I don’t say anything, my dad continues rambling.
“Daisy, how did you find out you were adopted? This was all so sudden. We called the school in Paris, and they said you left without telling them.”
Brody rubs my arm, letting me know he’s right here by my side.
“The dean told me I didn’t get a scholarship to attend there. He said my biological father had paid for everything. They werebrothers. He said my father wanted to meet me, but he passed away before it happened.”
Again, my parents exchange worried glances.
“I was hurt and confused.” I pause to take a deep breath. “I booked the first flight back to the States, and I began to search for my biological mother. I figured she was the only one who could give me the answers I was looking for. I couldn’t sleep, and to be honest, I almost lost my mind. I called my friend Brody, and he’s been helping me.”
“Daisy, we’re so so sorry you found out that way.”
