a dangerous combination [discontinued]

~ F O R T Y - E I G H T ~

Keefe glanced up from where he'd been laying on the floor of his room, staring at a dust particle as though it held all the secrets of the world.

Above him towered his mother, all in her dangerous essence.

She was totally rocking the villain-as-a-mom look.

Keefe had his suspicions that she did it on purpose.

But none of that mattered at the moment. Gisela had a glint in her eyes, and Keefe had come to know that it meant that his mother had an idea.

The thing most sane people would do in that moment was run.

But either Keefe was very incredibly brave, or very incredibly stupid when he asked her, "What?"

Gisela beamed, but her eyes were chips of ice as she told him "Our cameras have caught some members of a certain bird lurking in California."

Keefe knew what that meant. The Neverseen were going to confront the Black Swan again.

"And you're telling me this...why?"

"A pretty little moonlark is with them as well."

Keefe jumped to his feet, realizing too late that his mother had been looking for a reaction from him. Her steely eyes bore into him, and he wished that he hadn't done so.

Keefe tried to play it off as stretching his legs. "Okay, and?"

"I thought you might like to pay your little girlfriend a visit."

Keefe's hands clenched into fists. She was playing with his emotions, he knew that, but it didn't help that she knew exactly the right way to hurt him.

Thinking about Sophie was hard enough. Thinking about what they could've been, well, that was literal torture for him.

He took a deep breath. He wouldn't give into his mother's tricks. "Why do you want me to come with you? What use would I be?"

Gisela must've had the response ready to go, as she immediately replied "She likes you. She wouldn't hurt you."

In other words, he was a distraction.

Keefe gritted his teeth, but this was exactly the way his mother's mind worked.

"Need I remind you that if you don't cooperate, you won't be welcome here anymore."

Gisela knew the way Keefe's mind worked too. She knew that he was only staying because he had nowhere else to go.

Keefe sighed and stood up straighter, making sure to put every ounce of anger and hatred he had for his mother in his eyes when she made eye contact with him.

You made your decision.

Now you have to live with it.

~~~~~~~~~

okay I'm really sorry for not updating. it sorta started out because i didn't feel like it but afterwards i learned that my best friend on wp is leaving.

milxyway is an amazing person and she's one of the people who've stuck with this book, despite the long breaks and unworthy chapters. she gave me advice and her stories could be published, thats how good they are. my hearts breaking as i write this and idk why you're leaving so suddenly but I'm wishing you the best of luck wherever you go. ily <3

- Riya

7/2/20