Ready Or Not | ✔

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty - No Reply

Monday, 20th July 2020

KRYSTALLIA

We stumbled out of the SUV and ran faster than Usain Bolt towards the front door, the dark night surrounding us. Before we got to reach though, one side of the mahogany doors swung wide open and slammed into the wall beside it.

There stood Kris, the guy who's barely shown emotion, his face completely red with anger as he glared at us. Well, mostly Sam, but us.

I ran and jumped, wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders. His arms quickly went around my waist to catch me.

"I'm so sorry, Kris. We lost track of time and I'm an idiot for not informing you," I start apologizing and I could hear him sigh against my hair as he used one hand to rub my back, the other keeping me from falling.

"It's alright. It's not your fault. It's the guards."

I pushed myself off him, "If it's the guards' fault, then it's actually mine. They've taken the blame for my actions too many times. I'm always running and getting into trouble, but they're the ones getting the blame. It's not fair, Kris."

"Life's not fair. Deal with it. My sister will never get the blame for anything, no matter if she's responsible or not," he seethed and I pulled at his sleeve, "Please, Kris. I can't stay on a pedestal forever. Something has to break me down every once in a while so I have room to grow and learn."

"You've already been broken down before, Krystal. I'm doing this to protect you."

"One incident can't make me into a grown-up, Kris. I need to experience distress and misery, pain and agony. I can't stay like this, not knowing the cruel world outside these walls you built for me."

"Once you've experienced it, you'll wish you didn't."

"What if you and Kristian leave? What am I supposed to do? Continue to think that you'll protect me?"

"We won't leave. I won't leave. Don't think like that, Krystal."

"Just give me a chance to live without your protection, Kris. Without guards watching my every move, letting me cook my own food, find myself a place. Just give me one chance to be free."

"I'm doing this, I'm doing all of these, because I love you, Krystal. I don't want to see you hurt. What would dad think if he sees you alone in a house without us or guards?"

He did not just pull the 'dad' card.

"What would dad think if he sees you restricting me and keeping me confined in here?" I countered.

"He'd think I'm doing my best to protect you. You need to be protected, Krystal."

"I'm not a fragile glass that would break if someone poked me the wrong way!"

"But your tattoo says otherwise. You'll barely survive without me."

"But I would survive. I can and I will survive. Because dad raised me to be strong. You raised me to be strong. You need to let me go every once in a while so I could experience the world."

"We can travel anywhere you want."

"I meant, exploring on my own."

He stared at me for a minute before grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the foyer, slamming the door in Sam and the guards' faces. He dragged me up the stairs and into my room.

He let go of my wrist and I could see a prominent bruise starting to show. He held my shoulder with one hand and made me look up at him with his other, "I'm sorry, but if I have to do this to keep you with me, I will."