AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I put the book aside. “You do?”
He holds up his phone. “I thought you might like to speak to your younger sisters.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” He sits next to me on the bed. “They’re just finishing dinner.”
“What do I tell them? They’re going to want to know where I’m at.”
“You can tell them the truth, Ari. That you’re safe and so are they. That they don’t have to worry about your father marrying them off. That they can see you in seven more months.” He smiles. “I’m sure they’ll want to wish you a happy birthday.”
I wipe at my eyes. “You remembered?”
He doesn’t answer and pushes a button, dialing the call on speaker phone. The phone rings several times before someone answers.
“Hello? Ari, is that you?”
“Arista,” I sob. “Oh, my god, it’s so good to hear your voice.
“Ari!” Arista cries back. “I’ve missed you. Please tell me you’re safe.”
“I am. I swear. Are you?”
“We are. Ayla and Andrina are here with me. Hold on, let me put you on the speaker.”
There’s a rustling and then Ayla says, “Ari? Can you hear us?”
“Ayla, my sweet girl. I miss you.”
Andrina says, “That’s rude!”
I laugh, wiping the tears streaming down my face. “I miss you, too, Andrina. How are you all? Tell me everything.”
Ayla answers, “England is so lovely, Ari. Thank you so much for arranging this.”
England? I didn’t know where they were…
Arista agrees. “I love the school. There are people here from all over the world, and a lot of them are from Families, so we have a lot to talk about. And we’re so close to the sea that we get to go to the beach for day trips.”
“What about you, Andrina? How are you liking it?”
Someone whispers on the other end, and Andrina sighs.
“I like it, Ari.”
“Is something wrong?”
I meet Kieran’s gaze in worry.
“No, nothing’s wrong. It’s the opposite, but I don’t know how you’re going to react.”
“Drina, you can tell me anything. You know that.”
“I… I have a girlfriend. Her name is Amy, which Ayla and Arista think is hilarious.” She snorts. “I mean, of course, her name would start with an A.”
Arista says, “Amy is super nice, Ari. You’d love her.”
I’ve always wondered if my youngest sister liked girls. Knowing that she has finally found the freedom and safety to be her true self makes me so happy and lets me know that I made the right choice in coming to Kieran for help. I reach over, grabbing his hand. He squeezes it back, as if he knows what I’m feeling.
