Always, Darling

Chapter 17

~ Ｎ Ａ Ｄ Ｉ Ａ ~

I had been in Miami for almost three weeks, meaning that school would be starting on Monday. Today was Friday, and there was a huge party tonight. Simon had told me that one of the rich kids at school hosted a huge back-to-school party at his parents' beach house, and the entire school showed up every year.

Simon, Imani, and Parth had spent the past few days trying to convince me to join them, but it seemed overwhelming. There would be more than a hundred kids in that house, and if American TV shows and movies were at all accurate, it would be a crazy night. I had only been in the U.S. for three weeks, definitely not long enough to feel comfortable in that kind of atmosphere. I was already apprehensive of school, much less a loud and wild party.

Luckily, I had Teddy on my side who was very supportive of a night with just us. He had been busy the past few days between work and trying to track down Maria Cadet, but it was as if she didn't exist. Teddy and Wyatt had found pictures from five years ago but nothing after then. Once Liberty Treatment Center closed down, Maria Cadet dropped off the face of the earth.

Tonight, he was calling it quits with the search, letting the PI take over. It was also his first night when he wasn't on call in two weeks, and he wanted to spend it with me. Teddy still had some work that he needed to finish up before leaving the hospital, but he promised to be back before my brother and cousins left for the party.

It was late afternoon, a few hours before the party, and Parth and Imani had just arrived and were hanging out with Simon and me in the living room. As they conversed amongst themselves though, I stayed quiet, the only thought on my mind being finding Maria Cadet and eventually Mama.

It was the first time they had been here since my adoption, and it was already so clear that they felt more at home in their uncle's home than I did in my adoptive father's home. I only prayed one day that I would have that same comfort here.

"I'm bored," Imani groaned, glaring at the two boys who were staring intently at their phones. She grabbed one of the throw pillows and chucked it at her brother who didn't even flinch, simply placing the pillow back on the couch without looking up from his phone. Imani hardened her glare at Parth as she said, "What the fuck is on your phone that is so important?"

Parth rolled his eyes, dropping his phone to his lap. "You happy now?"

"Almost," she muttered. She then turned to Simon who immediately dropped his phone upon feeling Imani's threatening look. A victorious grin pulled on Imani's lips.

Mission successful.

Imani stood to her feet, dragging me with her. She picked up the suitcase that was by her feet and said, "Come on. I need help figuring out what to wear for the party. Let's go to your room, Nadia."

She started walking to Simon's room that was on the other side of the living room but stopped when I grabbed her wrist. "My room is the other way," I said. "Next to Teddy's."

Imani furrowed her brows. "But this used to be the spare room. You moved into Simon's room?"

"My old room, Imani," Simon interrupted.

I turned to my older brother who sighed, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought you would be more comfortable having the room next to Dad rather than being on the other side of the house."

My heart warmed at hearing that, but another part of me felt like I had intruded even more by kicking Simon out of his room. Simon must have noticed from my expression because he quickly said, "Nadia, don't worry about it. I would do anything to make you more comfortable. And anyways, it's been kind of nice getting some space away from Dad even if it's only a few hundred feet."