UN-RELATED (UN-RELATED SERIES) by Kimberly Schwartzmiller Read Free Book Online

Kellan left and I forced myself to stay dry-eyed as he hugged me goodbye and boarded his plane. I refused to leave until I could no longer see the plane but then I could no longer contain my tears. I sobbed all the way home, in the back of the Benson’s car. Brianna’s parents were very kind, and they both tried to console me, but it was no use. I was a basket case. I was still sobbing as I stepped out of their fancy car, but I refused to let them come inside, worried that Nancy or Joe might make an appearance and make things worse.
    “Please don’t tell him I was such a baby!” I pleaded with Brianna’s mother next to the car.
    “You’re not being a baby. He’s important to you. He loves you very much. I know you’re going to miss him. He’s going to miss you, too. But, they’ll be back to visit in a few months. You have our number, right?” Mrs. Benson asked.
    “Y…yes,” I stammered.
    “Okay. You call if you need anything, okay?”
    I nodded and walked into the house, ran down the hall and threw myself onto my bed. I stayed there for three days. 
     
    Nancy and Joe never once checked on me and they not only refused to say goodbye to Kellan, they simply acted like he never existed. I hated them for that. For years they played him up as my ‘big brother,’ and now, they wouldn’t even acknowledge his existence.
    It had been four days, and I still hadn’t heard from Kellan. He promised to call me the first night, but he didn’t. And, after three more nights, I was beginning to worry that something was wrong or that he’d forgotten about me. I couldn’t call him because he didn’t have a home phone yet and he hadn’t started school, so I couldn’t call him there. I was worried.
    I paced my room, day in and day out, waiting for his call and finally I couldn’t stand it anymore and I started to go to Brianna’s house to see if they had heard from them. I only made it halfway, because suddenly their big black car pulled up next to me and Mrs. Benson rolled down the window, waving me over.
    “You’re just the young lady I wanted to see. Kellan’s very worried about you. Why won’t you answer the phone?”
    “He hasn’t called. I was just coming over to your house to see if you’ve heard from him.”
    “Honey, he’s called non-stop. It just keeps ringing.”
    “I don’t understand. The phone’s working, I’ve answered it every time it rang, thinking it would be him, but it’s always someone asking for a Trevor something or other.”
    “Well, he asked us to give this to you,” she said, handing me a cell phone.
    “I can’t take that,” I said, not wanting to accept a gift from them, even if it meant I could talk to Kellan.
    “It’s not from us honey, it’s from Kellan. He paid for it…he got it for you. He thinks your foster parents changed their telephone number,” she said sadly.
    I sighed, it all made sense then. “Oh, thank you,” I said, graciously accepting the phone.
    “We programmed his number, Brianna’s cell phone number and our numbers into the phone, so you can always get a hold of one of us…just in case,” she smiled.
    “Thank you.”
    I turned back and started to walk back to the house and Mrs. Benson said, “Would you like a ride?”
    “No, thank you. I think I’ll walk.”
    “Okay. Give him a call…just press number one and send…”
    “Thanks…again.”
     
    “Abby! Oh, thank God! Are you okay?” Kellan asked, frantic.
    “I’m okay. I guess they changed the phone number…and forgot to tell me.”
    “Yeah, well, don’t let them find your cell phone, okay?”
    “I won’t,” I promised.
    We talked for a while. It was so good to hear his voice, but it made me miss him even more. “Do you like it there?”
    “Yeah, it’s great. We’re um, we’re getting things together. The house is great and it’s right around the corner from school. How are you doing? Have you made any friends?”
    “Yeah, a bunch. They voted me prom queen,” I