Caught in Time

Chapter 30. A Scolding to Remember

-Keegan-

A second later his father came back in, to everyone's surprise. By the look on his face, Keegan concluded that he had something more to say. He inhaled silently and held his breath in preparation.

"Orla and Flynn, go outside. Now." His father's voice rumbled like thunder in the room.

The twins almost threw themselves out of their seats and was gone within three seconds. The door slammed after they had exited the fastet he had ever seen before.

"Now... Keegan." His father muttered and gestured for him to stand with an swift snap of his large fingers.

Keegan pushed his chair out and rose to his feet. With slow, hesitant, steps he placed himself next to his father's chair, creating him space between him and both of his parents. His mother stood next to the cauldron, having stepped nowhere since this quarrel had started. When he met her gaze, he saw something even more unusual than how his father was acting; a precarious look on her face. He felt his eyes widen at the sight and when she noticed it, she nodded at him to turn his attention back to his father.

"Yes, father?" Keegan breathed. He knew he might be in for the worst scolding of his life, and even though he knew... he did not feel at all prepared for it. Something told him that this had the potential of being worse than the scoldings his mother usually gave him.

"It is clear as day that you and Cara are very fond of each other but also very unable to just spit it out." His father began with annoyance in his voice and leaned his right hand against the wall close to the door.

I have told her how I feel, old man... and up until today we were pretty clear with where we had each other... Keegan muttered in his thoughts. An image of Cara, straddling him, flashed before his eyes. Her panting breaths and glowing eyes as they caught their breaths in between kisses. He forced himself to blink it away quickly, before his parents would be appalled of how his body could betray him.

"Why on this green earth would you ask her if she is a witch?! Why not let your mother ask her herself? It is beyond me why you did something so unbelievably dumb!" His father exclaimed in what could only be described as pure frustration. He even held his hands to his temples, which signaled that he wasn't able to comprehend what his son had done, and why.

Keegan's eyes widened and so did his mother's. She gave her oldest son a look of regret that told him that she was sorry for everything. She inhaled deeply, gaining her husband's attention in doing so.

"What does it matter if Keegan asked or if I had done it?" She wondered out loud and crossed her arms over her chest. Keegan expected his father to answer her in a calm manner but instead, his father clenched his fists, still very frustrated and shot her a dark look.

"Because now the girl is upset with him!" His father growled and pointed with his whole hand at Keegan. "I do not know about you, Miriam, but I would love it if Keegan found himself a nice girl. Preferably before I die!" He added so harshly that it made Keegan frown and jerk his head to the side a bit. "And you - might I add, who love the Gods and all that they do - cannot see that Cara was perhaps delivered to us by the Gods?"

Keegan almost snorted but he managed to keep it to himself. His father was trying to appease his mother by dragging her faith into this. Did he really think that she would think that the Gods had delivered Cara to them? No. He had taken things too far, and his mother would see through it immediately. A part of him felt calmer now. This meant things would be restored to the way they normally was; his mother doing all the screaming.