Chapter 22

(Sophia's POV)

When my dad came down the next morning we were already in the kitchen cooking.

"What do you want to do about the wall?"

"Well, we can get a picture or something to cover it. It's up to you." Takeda reaches around me to grab the spices.

I glance at the door briefly "good morning dad."

He groans grabbing his head. His eyes move from the pile of clothes and bag of broken glass to the hole in the wall "what happened to the kitchen?"

"You did."

"What?"

"You got drunk and angry last night and started throwing things," Takeda adds

I watch him walk to the table "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really..." he whispers softly

I hum and keep stirring the food "I'm all for testing the limits but you shouldn't get drunk like that. You put yourself and us at risk last night."

"Did you change my clothes?"

"I had too, your clothes were covered in vomit"

I glance at Takeda in shock and he shrugs once. He wasn't one to dwell in the past. Dad looks down at the table

"Dad, I understand I will never know what you felt or what happened between you and mom and I can clearly see you don't want to talk to me about it but you need to talk to someone. You need to let someone in."

He sighs "Sophia please, you can't possibly understand what I felt."

"So, what?! I'm just supposed to sit here and watch as you burn down our life around us?! Had you tossed that blade the other way you would have impaled me Dad!" I toss the spoon against the back of the stove "I know you went through hell Dad but these last fourteen years haven't been easy for me either! You sit there at the table and we talk, we smile but don't really talk because you won't let me in. Honestly, I felt closer to you when you were gone." He looks at me quietly "You need to talk to someone, you need to let someone in."

He scoffs once more "Sophia you cant-"

"I LOST HER TOO!" I shout, causing him to jump "She was your wife but she was my mother! You walk around like you lost everything, you haven't lost everything dad. You have a son who will need you when he wakes up and a daughter who cares about you!" I turn, sticking a finger in the air "But I swear dad, one more night like that and you will have lost everything."

Takeda had taken the food off the stove, put some in containers and had grabbed my arm at the end of my rant.

"Let's go."

His voice was soft and I feel myself pulled back but my eyes never leave my father, the man that said nothing even with the threat of losing his family.

..

..

We walked out of the house and made our way to Kozue's. In an effort to not crowd her small kitchen we sat outside on the patio deck. Lounging in the chairs before school.

I run a hand down my face and when I felt Baki's eyes on me I crack my fingers open slightly, I had no doubt he heard the commotion last night and this morning. He opens his legs, tapping his lap and I move, lying in his warm embrace and feel myself relax into his gentle yet skilled fingers rubbing my thighs. I lean my head against his shoulder, feeling his breath ghosting over my ear.

"You doing okay?"

I sigh "is it bad that I'm hoping for some problems?"

He smiles, kissing my temple "Nah, I used to go looking for fights after dealing with my mom too. Its human nature to crave release."

I smirk " isn't that why people have sex?"

"Maybe, but its always the same feeling."

I glance at the blue sky and sigh, the morning should have been so peaceful. Honestly the fact that I had to deal with this crap made me more pissed then usual and I found myself fighting to hold back my tears.

"I don't know what he wants Baki..." my voice was soft, broken "I don't know how to be the child he wants without forgetting myself. All we've been doing is pushing each other and now he doesn't have an ocean separating us."

He lifts my hand, taking in the two bandages id put on last night from fishing the glass out of the bottom of the stove "I'm okay, it's just small cuts."

"I can't really say much for fixing crappy parents but I do know that friends help. Being around people that care about you makes the shit they dump on us manageable." his arms hug me softly, another kiss on my forehead "Don't turn away from the people that love you Sophia. Age doesn't make people wise, blood doesn't make people family. It's the choices we make and we're not going anywhere."

..

..

Over the next few weeks, my life had gotten easier. With the success of the club, the school seemed to lighten up. People would smile at me in the halls and id had quite a few suggestions tossed my way. People seemed very eager about theme nights. I spent three nights at the club, monitoring the activity, two nights at Kozue's and the weekends with Kaoru. After a week and a half, I got my stitches out and I'd been spending an hour every day working on strength training with Takeda.

I'd hardly allowed myself a moment to be at home. Dad and I had hardly spoken after our fight and I wasn't sure if he was avoiding the pain and getting drunk every night or talking with someone. As much as I wanted to fix things I didn't have time. With kendo training, strength training, work, homework, studying for midterms, a boyfriend and friends fixing my father's emotional baggage wasn't high on my list.

In fact, I wasn't high on my list so when Kozue suggests a hot rocks massage with -Kaoru's card of course- I was hesitant to go.

"Come on!" She whines, falling into the couch beside me, we were in the club avoiding our parents, well I was avoiding mine and Kozue was nice enough to join us "it's been forever since we last went and considering everything you need one the most."

"It's a good idea," Kaoru agrees, sipping some rye he'd 'smuggled' into the club "Even I need a break sometimes."

I bite my lip in thought and stare at her, Kozue's bright smile and I caved.

"Okay, okay."

"Yes!" She tosses her hands up.

..

..

We were walking down the street; my eyes idly watched a few cars go past. We'd gotten a ride most of the way but I didn't feel like waiting twenty minutes to find parking downtown on a Saturday and we got out a few blocks away. I'd sent Kaoru a text, letting him know of the changes and ignored any complaint he offered. We had two guys meeting us at the massage parlor so I hardly thought the five blocks would be life-threatening.

I was wrong.

Kozue was beside me, chatting about a few ideas for the restaurant, it was the next dice I'd rolled when a chill went down my spine. I step closer to Kozue, taking her hand in case we had to run and I glance around the block secretly. Kozue smiles, not noticing any change and squeezes my hand back happily. The twisting inside my gut was the same as when I'd met Doyle or Dorian and I turn my head to the left, catching a pair of eyes watching us from the alley across the street.

I was amazed I hadn't frozen on the spot when I locked eyes with an older man with short black hair. His face was emotionless, eyes locked on me with a lazy gaze as his hands rest at his sides. Considering there were a few other people on the street he could have watched anyone, could have been waiting for anyone but I would have had to be blind to ignore the way his eyes continue to follow me.

Ryuukou Yanagi. His brown eyes look into my soul and I barely suppress the shutter.

I couldn't help but feel like he'd been waiting there for me. Like he was reading my mind I see him lift his hand, placing a grey hat on his head. I feel my throat tighten slightly as the corners of his lips curl into a smirk and he turns, bowing his head to blend into the crowd around him. This time I stop, turning around to watch him walk away.

What the hell was that?