I Am Keeley

Chapter 16: I Promise

Knock Knock Knock

"Keeley, can I come in?" My father's voice sounded tired as he spoke from the other side of the door. I quickly cleared my throat.

"Yeah," I shouted hoping my face wasn't red and blotchy from my little episode.

He opened the door and walked in with a container of Chinese, a water bottle, and a fortune cookie. My father shut the door with his elbow before walking over and sitting on the corner of my bed.

"You haven't eaten today." The food and water bottle were set in my lap as my father looked anywhere but me. I could tell something was on his mind by the way the right side of his jaw slightly twitched, just like Nick. His dress shirt that was normally pressed and sleek-looking was a wrinkled mess and no longer tucked into his dress pants. My father's hair was sticking up all over and had definitely seen better days.

"What's wrong?" I asked timidly hoping to not anger him. His head turned to me as his metallic blue eyes burned into my amber ones.

"We have camera's in the gym, Keeley, and I played back you and Brady fighting. Why?"

"What do you mean, why?" I stared back at him. I was entirely confused by what he wanted to know.

"Why," he began while standing up and pacing beside the bed, "why did you let him hurt you like that? Like that-that knee to the back thing, and why didn't you walk away when the two of you broke apart for a minute? Why was it at the end that you looked sad for him and not madder than hell at him for hitting you as he did? Bust most of all- why did you step in when I got there? And don't throw that mafia shit in my face where you only told me because I'm the Capo and I needed to know. That's bullshit, Keeley, and we both know it."

I swallowed as my eyes slightly widened. He had successfully caught me off guard and had thrown me for a loop with his questions. I moved my eyes to the take-out box in front of me and held it in my hands like it was the most interesting thing in the world. I didn't speak.

"Answer me."

"I-" I have no idea what to say. It's not really my business to tell him about Brady's father and it's not like I want to relive this morning's events.

"Keeley Blake, when I talk to you, I expect an answer." My father's voice was cold and held no room for argument. I also knew he was royally pissed by the way he used my middle name. Not many people scared me, but he did.

"I didn't let him hurt me," I began quietly.

"Keeley, I know how you fight and-"

I cut him off immediately. "You asked me questions and I'm answering them."

 My father and I stared at each other for a second. I could basically see the steam coming out of his ears. 

"Fine. Go."

I took a breath. "As I was saying, I didn't let him hurt me. Our skill level is very much the same as we were trained by the same people. He happened to catch me at an open moment and he took that to his advantage. If the roles were reversed, I would have done the same thing. And I didn't walk away because I wanted to fight. For some fucked up reason, I like the adrenaline and the high I get from fighting. I like feeling strong, and that's what I felt."