Morozov

Chapter 60

I froze, unable to pick it up. Why did she call me all of a sudden when she was missing for days?

Ace pressed the green button on my screen before the voicemail had the chance to pick it up. He put the call on speaker but there was silence on the other line.

"Niveen?"

I watched as the count of the time got higher by the second and was just partly relieved when she answered.

"Mal? I need your help" she said in a shaky voice causing the concern in me to grow. I exchanged looks with Ace every once in a while only to see that he was equally confused.

"Where are you? We're picking you up."

"I'll send you my location. Please don't tell mom or dad about this" she begged and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. What happened to her?

As Ace and I were pulling up at the hiking parking lot she was already waiting for us. The desperation on her face was more than noticeable.

She opened the back door and got in behind Ace so I turned around to face her as he drove off.

"Niveen what on Earth happened?" I asked concerned as I eyed her fragile figure. Her under eyes were dark while her skin was pale and specks of dirt were visible at some spots. Her winter jacket was closed and her jeans was just as muddy as her shoes were.

"Let's get her home and then you can talk" Ace suggested but Niveen's gaze snapped to him in response, her eyes wide open with fear.

"Not home please. Can you take me with you?" she asked shyly as she looked at me scared and I couldn't shake off this uncomfortable feeling forming in the pit of my stomach.

At home I let her take a shower and gave her some fresh clothing from me. Ace prepared a hot water bottle for her and there she sat, on our couch, huddled up in a blanket and shaking.

"So what is it?" I asked but she glanced at Ace shyly, remaining silent. "Can you excuse us for a second?" I asked and Ace nodded in response before he planted a kiss on my head and then left.

I looked after him and when he was gone I turned my gaze back to my little sister in front of me.

"I have a problem. Like a big problem. I'm screwed" she said with a stern look as she leaned closer.

"Well, I'm convinced you are. Where have you been? And where's Vera? Was she with you the whole time? Is she okay?" I couldn't help but ask. Vera might have been one of my biggest enemies but after all she was a 16 year old girl that went missing, just like my sister. And the fact that Niveen arrived without Vera made me worry.

"Vera is fine" she shoved it off like it was nothing. "But why do you seem so traumatized then?" I asked even more confused.

"I fled from her. She didn't want me to leave but I had to talk to you. Mal I'm-" she cut herself off, her voice was about to break and I could see tears pooling her eyes.

"You're what? Niveen please talk to me" I begged desperate to know what was wrong with her.

"I'm pregnant."

Her words came out as a whisper. Her chin started trembling as well as her whole body and then the tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes.

My heart sunk to my chest at this piece of information. The one question vanished from my mind, replaced by another 20 in the course of a second.

"Who?" I whispered with a shocked expression before a cry chimed from her, filling up the quiet room and thickening the air.

I dropped my shoulders as the inner corners of my eyebrows raised in pity. A desperate sigh escaped my mouth before I wrapped my arms around the fragile girl in front of me and stroked her back soothingly.