I'm Already Gone

Chapter Three: An Accepted Proposal

-3-

"You're crazy."

"I know it seems that way, Cara, but I think I should take this chance."

I was talking to Cara in my bedroom as I was stuffing my large suitcase with my clothes from my dresser drawers. Cara was standing in the middle of the room, watching me pack with wide eyes.

"You really are going to go live with him?"

Yup, it's true. After mulling it over about seventy billion times in my head for the past week, I finally decided to take a chance and try living with Niko and his family. I knew I might never get another opprotunity to get to know my father like this one, and even though I still hated his guts, I had to admit that he was at least trying to be in my life now.

"Yes," I answered, finally finishing packing all of my clothes. I slid my suitcase under the bed and sat on it, looking at Cara with sad eyes. "You know I'll miss being here, Cara, but we can still see each other. He said they don't live far from here."

"Good," Cara said, coming over to sit beside me on the bed. She glanced down at her folded hands in her lap and sighed. "I'll still miss you, though."

"I'll miss you too." I said truthfully, feeling my eyes getting a bit misty as I hugged Cara. She truly felt like the sister I never had.

After we broke our hug, Cara smiled sadly and patted my shoulder. "You've got to call him and let him know," she said as she stood up to go to her room. "I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks, Cara." I said, smiling at her as she exited my room. I grabbed my cell phone and found the slip of paper that Niko wrote his number on. Feeling nervous, I hesitantly dialed his number.

"Hello?" Niko's voice answered. I could hear whoops and hollers in the background, as well as a soccer ball being kicked around. I smirked before responding.

"Hi Niko, it's Lana." I said nervously. 

"Lana!" Niko exclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised that I had called him. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," I said sharply, realizing then that my tone might sound a bit too harsh. "I just wanted to ask about what you offered last week."

"The offer still stands," Niko said, and he held the phone away for a second to shout something at someone in the background before speaking again. "Sorry about that. Have you come to a decision?"

"Yes," I said, and I sighed heavily before resuming. "I'd like to accept your offer."

"Really?!" Niko cried, and I chuckled at how surprised and happy he sounded. "Well, that's great, then! I'm in Zagreb training with the team right now, but I should be back in about three days, on Sunday. Do you want me to come get you then?"

"That's fine," I said plainly. "What time?"

"My plane lands at 5:30 in the evening, so I should be able to come by at 6:30, if that's okay." he said, and I heard him hold the phone away again to blow a whistle and shout to what I assumed were the Croatian players.

"That's fine," I repeated, feeling anxious and wanting to just hang up already. "I'll see you then."

"I will call you when I am close by. Oh, right! I'm going to need your mother's number," he said, and I sighed, knowing how much Mom was going to freak out over this. "Can you give it to me?"

"Sure," I said, waiting until he found himself a pen and paper. "It's (917)612-0047."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to contact her shortly." Niko said, and I quickly knew I had to say something.