Sharp Practice

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Tangled in the Great Escape

"We can't let you," Shawn said as he took a step forward.

"We won't let you," Forrest corrected as he also advanced.

Though Kris stayed silent, he circled around us and stopped right in front of me. We met each other's gazes and he still looked as confused as ever which I guess I should have expected since it had only been a few minutes since our dispute. I had wanted so desperately for him to pick me for three main reasons: one, he was my soulmate, I loved him, and didn't want to leave without him; two, he said he would come with me before and I couldn't entirely grasp why he would back out on me for John; three, it was his fault all this had happened to me and my family in the first place, he flipped my life upside down, it was only fair his got flipped too. Kris broke the gaze first by looking down.

"Tough shit," my father spat at Forrest. Now Rhylee.

I grabbed both my parents' hands as the boys rushed forward and as they reached out to tear us apart a ball of fire hit them both right in the chest and they went flying. I gaped in shock and turned to see Kris with a distinct frown on his face.

"Let's hurry up and get out of here," he said as he squeezed between my mother and me and grabbed our hands, "they're dazed not down."

I didn't question him and closed my eyes and teleported us into my living room. As soon as we were in my house my mom took charge.

"Kris do you still have clothes at your apartment?" my mother asked. When he nodded she referred to me, "Drop him off at his house to pack." To Kris she added, "Be ready in ten!"

He nodded as I grabbed him and we went from my living room to his bedroom. When we landed we turned to each other and said nothing; the weight of his decision hung in the air. After a minute of silence I smiled at him and he smiled back and before I knew what happened we were on his bed with tangled limbs. I could feel his body heat searing against me as we grinded and rolled on his bed, our own lust filled sun. His lips were soft and sent the sparks throughout my every nerve, his mouth still slightly tasted of blood but there was also a hint of peppermint, and his teeth grazed my lip as groans rumbled in my throat.

I gasped as I pulled away from him, our faces flushed, chest heaving, and clothes disheveled. I stared down into his bright gray eyes and remembered how they used to flash gold when I got close to him. It was my subconscious trying to inform me that he was my soulmate but I wouldn't listen. I thought of all the events that had transpired over the past twenty-four hours and couldn't believe how quick my life had changed. I wasn't sure if I was sad though, I didn't mind a change, the only thing I would miss was, "Skeigh."

"What about her?"

"We're- I'm leaving her," I frowned as I moved from off top of Kris and walked over to his dresser where his sketchbook sat. "I should write her a note."

Kris sat up and nodded. "That's a good idea." He grabbed a pen off of his nightstand as he stood up and gave it to me. "You write and I'll pack."

"Okay," I said as I took the pen and flipped to a clean page. As I finished writing the letter Kris put his hand on my shoulder and I looked up into the mirror and realized I had been crying. I offered him a weak smile as I wiped my eyes before I ripped the paper out, folded up the letter, and put it in the pocket of my hoodie. "Ready to go?"

"One more thing," he said before he grabbed his sketchbook and tucked it into his duffel bag. "Okay, I'm ready."

I took his hand and we were in my bedroom. I grabbed a bag and pulled my underwear drawer out of the dresser and dumped the entire contents into my bad. I threw in my favorite hats, shirts, jeans, sweaters, as well as a dress, two extra pair of shoes, a coat, and a picture of me and Skeigh from over the summer. The last thing I grabbed before I closed my bag was the plushie Kris had given me for my birthday.

My family, Kris, and I convened in the kitchen each with bags on our shoulders. I knew my mom had filled a decent bit of her bag with pictures she didn't want to leave behind and majority of their clothes were actually in my father's bag. Both of them looked tired and drained and when I looked at the clock on the stove I was surprised to see that it was three o'clock in the morning.

"So where are we going?" Kris asked my parents.

My father glared at him. "I don't know why you're coming with us to begin."

"They're soulmates, Quen," my mother defended.

"I don't care if they're married or conjoined at the hip," my father spat. "I don't want him coming with us. For all we know this could be another trick."

"It's not," Kris grunted. "I regret telling John about you but I don't regret coming here. I love Rhylee and I want to be with her, to support her. Trust me or not I'd rather be on the run with her than living with John without her."

"You love her?!" my father scoffed. "If you loved her you wouldn't have done any of the things you did to hurt her! You wouldn't have wanted to hurt her!"

"I was hurt!" Kris argued. "I know I didn't handle the situation properly but for three month I hadn't been doing as I was told. I had to refocus on my mission; refocus my loyalties."

"You're supposed to be loyal to your other half!" my father growled.

"I'm here now!"

"So?! Our life is ruined! My daughter, the one you claim that you love, has to leave the only home she's ever known, all of her friends, and her school because of you! My wife and I have to abandon the life that we created for ourselves because of you! I don't know where you think your loyalties are but they aren't here, with us!"

Kris opened his mouth to argue but he was stumped; with a grim look on his face he looked to me. He's right. I ruined everything for you.

"I don't care," I frowned at him. I looked to my father, "I know this is his fault, I'm not defending him, but I want him here. I love him too, Dad. I was scared of it before but- I don't know," I shook my head as I tried to unscramble what I was trying to say, "I can't explain it but the idea of not having him with me is worse than the fact that we have to leave."

Both of my parents looked at each other for a long moment, both thinking about when they first met and how intense the connection was for them. My father didn't want to admit it but he understood exactly how I felt and he knew he couldn't tear apart and he wouldn't. He sighed. You're too much like your mother.

I grinned at him. I never thought a benefit to having soulmates for parents would be their understanding when I found my own. "So where?" I asked.

"New Brunswick, Canada," my mother said.

"Do any of you speak French?" Kris asked.

"Yo hablo poco Español," I offered with a weak smile.

Kris grinned at me, "I guess it'll have to do."

"Okay I guess let's go," my father said as he reached for my hand, already thinking of the picture he saw on Google.

"Wait," I said before he grabbed it, "I have to do something first." Before they could ask what it was I was in Skeigh's room. She was asleep in her bed with her hair spread across her pillow, her mouth agape, and a light snore escaping her lips. I grinned sadly at her as I took the letter out of my pocket and placed it on her nightstand. I leaned over her bed and kissed her cheek, "I love you so much Skeigh." Then I was back in the kitchen with my family.

"Skeigh?" my mother asked.

I nodded and blinked back the tears in my eyes. "Okay." I grabbed my father and Kris' hands, who each grab one of my mothers, "Time for a new excellent adventure." And then we left the home and the life I could never return to.

'a