Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

Chapter 66: I'll Just Go Myself!

-Chapter 66-

Mr. Owen Blackbourne's POV:

What an awful night, I thought as I finally pushed through my front door. The sun was rising and I questioned how Sean always managed to function on so little sleep.

"Good morning, Mr. Blackbourne."

I glanced over to see Silas with his gargantuan feet propped up on my coffee table. Miss Sorenson was curled up at his side as he held her close with one arm.

Her little face was red as if she had been crying or-- no.

"Mr. Korba, you're up early." I glanced over to see movie credits rolling up my flat-screen.

"Sang is having nightmares. She couldn't sleep. I found her down here crying."

"Did she say what her nightmares consisted of?" I asked, loosening my tie.

Silas' eyes flashed. "The kidnappers, of course. She thinks herself worthless. She doesn't think she deserves our help."

"And what did you do, Mr. Korba? You appear to have calmed her."

He shrugged, becoming guarded. Something had happened. "Mr. Korba..."

"I don't have to tell you that. You are no longer acting as team leader and I do not belive my actions have had negative impact. Speaking of which, what the hell did Dr. Green tell her about kissing?"

Kissing? Silas would only be bringing up kissing at a time like this if some kissing had occurred. That was a safe assumption, wasn't it?

"Dr. Green simply made an error in judgment. He is aware he needs to sit down with Miss Sorenson and have a talk."

"She loves us, Mr. Blackbourne. She told me. She doesn't want to kiss us as friends. She doesn't think she should kiss more than one of us, but her heart says otherwise.

"We are going to have a Toma team situation, by the sound of it," Kota said as he emerged from a bedroom holding Simba.

Do not run for the cat, Owen. Show some self control. I blinked. Just one blink and I lost my resolve, swooping my adorable, naughty kitten out of Kota's arms and hugged the orange beast to my chest. "Sang rescued Simba," I said, giving the girl a fleeting glance. "As long as she happy, you all should do as she wants. Something tells me she will save us a thousand more times than we can ever save her."

***

Sang Sorenson's POV:

I awoke to the sweet smell of pancakes and smiled lazily, rolling on my back just in time for a kitten to join me.

Simba was all purr as he stretched out across my belly. I giggled. This was the life.

My eyes were kind of dry and it took me a moment to remember that I had cried last night...to Silas...and we kissed.

Fuck.

Would Victor be mad?

Would my friends want to take me out of their lives?

Wasn't this what North had been afraid of?

A sinking feeling filled my gut as my gaze drifted up to the white popcorn of the ceiling. Maybe I should just get lost now instead of waiting until they are sick of me...

I had already caused them so much trouble. They had tried and failed to save me from a sex ring. They were angry at themselves for something that wasn't their fault.

Plus, I liked them.

And not like family.

Dammit, it was hard to admit that to myself. I felt my cheeks heat up. I hadn't known these people that long. I had never been in love. Or really ever had a crush.

Mother would have never allowed it. Mother. The woman who sold me. My heart squeezed painfully, but I wouldn't cry. Not over her.

Not over the last seventeen years of my life, because things were different now.

I was going to join the Academy.

It didn't matter that I didn't exist.

I would reinvent myself.

I would become strong.

I didn't want to think about my mother anymore. I didn't want to remember that I had a sister or a father who allowed me to be beaten and burned.

They isolated me. I never had love, and now there were nine people on my life. Nine who cared about me.

That was more than I could have ever asked for...

"--Matthew--"

The name of my hero cut through the white noise coming from the kitchen. Was he here? Did he and North get back okay? Were we going to begin training? A thousand questions raced through my mind.

I could hear Mr. Blackbourne. "...should be alright...missed his brain...went in at an angle... optometrist believes his chances are good...eyepatch..."

Well, my curiosity had peaked as much as my anxiety as I pushed myself off the couch, tiptoeing to the kitchen door.

They spoke quietly, but my super ears picked up on their words.

"Shit, and how has North been doing? Victor said he was okay, but he never came home." Luke was worried.

"He's fine, Mr. Taylor. Your brother didn't want to leave Mr. Eli at the hospital without family support."

No one said anything but the unspoken 'He's not our family!' hovered in the air.

Matt was in the hospital? Why was he in the hospital? What happened? I couldn't hold back any longer and pushed my way into the kitchen.

Luke was there, as expected, with his arms crossed, though his brown eyes softened significantly when he looked to me. "Hey, Sugar. Did you sleep well?"

He was the only one in the kitchen aside from Mr. Blackbourne. They were making pancakes together.

Did I sleep well after an evening of nightmares and betrayal? Like a fucking baby.

I nodded, before turning angry eyes on Mr. Blackbourne. "You said something is wrong with Matt. What happened? He's at the hospital?"

"There was an accident, Miss Sorenson."

"What the fuck do you mean there was an accident? Is he okay? What about North--?"

"Both are fine, Miss Sorenson."

"More or less," Luke huffed under his breath.

I looked between them, feeling very pissed off no one was being straightforward. "Take me there," I said finally.

"No. Miss Sorenson, you haven't even had breakfast and--"

I glanced down at my very casual attire. Soft shorts and a black tee. It was plenty good enough for walking, I thought as I turned out of the kitchen and picked up a pair of white girl sneakers by the front door, which could only be meant for me.

If the boys wouldn't take me to the hospital, that was fine.

I would get there myself.