𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 [𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙞 𝙖𝙪]

28

nina woke up blankly the next morning. after she came to terms that what had happened in the previous day was real, and not some nightmare she couldn't wake up from, she mindlessly stared at the ceiling of her room

it was real. they really came. they really ruined my best life in only a matter of seconds.

flashback:

"mamas?"

"nina, get your stuff, we're leaving," carol hurriedly said.

"what?"

"i told you not to interact with these people anymore, we're going home."

"what- home? as in la?"

"yes nina, you being here has caused enough damage between you and elijah. we need to go back so you can fix everything."

nina was taken aback, of course she's blaming me.

"nina, why don't we just talk about this, okay?" dana said.

"what is there to talk about?" she started, not being about to keep up an act and pretend that everything was okay. "how after 16 years i finally get to see my real family and after what, a week? you come here and tell me i need to go back home?"

"nina, we're your real family. not these strangers."

"mama c, they aren't strangers!"

"i'm really sorry about-"

"no dana, do not apologize to the people who are taking our daughter. they need to apologize to us."

"carol-"

"mamas, stop!"

"do not use that tone with me nina salazar-roberts," carol scolded.

"then don't come into my life and pretend you know what's best for me. control my life all you want in la, but i just want to be free in salt lake mama c, what's so bad about that?"

"you're letting these strangers into your life nina, they're the ones controlling you. not us."

"we're doing no such thing," charles said.

"you have no right to speak," carol pointed her finger at the man. "nina, let's go."

"fine, i'll go. but i'm not going back to la."

"nina-"

"i'm not leaving this house until you say i can stay in salt lake."

carol let out a breath before she turned around and headed back to the car, clearly angry.

"i'm really sorry to interrupt your dinner, we just wanted to surprise nina and when carol saw her instagram post, she went ballistic and insisted we drive down here," dana explained to the cruz family as nina went to grab her stuff.

the cruz's stayed quiet as they glared at dana. nina came through with all her stuff and stopped to stare at dana who pointed to the car with her head, a sad smile on her face.

nina gave them all hugs and thanked them for everything before she headed out and stood next to her mom, facing back at the family.

"i'm really sorry this was how we had to meet, you all seem like lovely people, a trait nina inherited, thankfully," dana smiled. "thank you for taking care of her."

the mother and daughter slowly made their way to the car so they could drive nina back to the caswell house. she sat quietly for the whole ride as stared out the window and the tears fell.