Sang

"Code Red," I whisper, my eyes widening as I watch Kota leap on the stage to go after Ryan.

Marissa and Zerric immediately grab each of my arms, leading me off the stage while Darren and Ryan deal with the monstrous rage that is Dakota Lee. Before I know it, the three of us are in the back of the van with Jaelyn at the wheel.

"What the hell just happened?" I ask in shock as Jae pulls out of our parking spot.

"What happened is some guy coming up on stage and attacking Ryan," Zerric responds. "Well, trying to." He chuckles.

"Zerric! I am not laughing!"

"We know, Starshine," Marissa tries to calm me down. "But it looks like your boys are back, and I for one find that a little humorous."

"They aren't my boys," I respond automatically. "And what part about this thing do you find funny?"

"Maybe the fact that the supposed quiet one, jumped on stage to go after Ryan, who was all over you," Jaelyn supplies from the front seat.

"What the hell are they even doing back?" I muse aloud.

"Looks like their mission's over," Zerric mumbles.

"Looks like it," Marissa adds.

"Riss," I grab her arm. "Have Ryan and Darren bring them to the house. There's a few things I'd like to discuss with the Blackbourne team." My voice is shaking lightly as I think of all the things I need to say to them and the confrontation that this could bring.

No, you are not that Sang anymore. You don't fear confrontation anymore. These boys left you! Time to show them what they missed out on.

"You got it Starshine." Marissa replies.

Zerric takes my hand in his and starts rubbing soothing circles on my palm with his thumb. He knows that calms me down, they all do.

Because that's something that family knows. They are my family.

Jaelyn's driving at a pace that I'm sure isn't legal, but since it's late and I'm really tense about what's going to happen once we get to the house, I think I'll let it pass. I lay my head on Zerric's shoulder as I watch the street lights go by in a blur of color. I bite down on my lip as I think of all the things I want to say to them, least of all being why the hell they thought it was ok to leave with only a letter explaining why. And a piss poor letter at that.

Taking a deep breath in, I slowly exhale through my mouth and try to release all the tension in my body. With a few more deep breaths, I'm back in control, and feeling much more like myself. Well...the me that I've been for the last two years anyway.

Feeling Marissa shift next to me, I turn my head in her direction to see her staring at me, worry filling her wide green eyes. I give her a small smile as I lift my free hand and tap her on the nose with my index finger. It's something I've come to do with any of them when they start to worry too hard. It's to let them know that everything's fine, and whatever is worrying them isn't stronger than us.

"Time to woman up eh, Starshine?" She says with a small smile as we pull up to the house.

"Looks like it Riss."

As Jaelyn parks the car, I take one last deep breath before pulling my arm away from Zerric. Unfortunately for me, he isn't having any of that and keeps a tight grip on my hand as we get out of the car. Good thing he did too, because as soon as we're out, three different cars pull up on the street. The first being Ryan's black Kia Sorrento, the second, North's black Jeep, and the third, Mr. Blackbourne's grey BMW. Car doors are flying open even before the engines are turned off.

Ryan and Darren make quick work of getting to me and the others as we reach the house, with the Blackbourne's not far behind.

Walking in the house, I head straight to the kitchen to get a glass of water before confronting them. After a few seconds, I start to feel antsy and feel that I've stalled long enough. Walking back out into the living room, there's a clear divide as the nine boys I used to call mine stand on one side, and the people who have been there for me for the past two years stand on the other.

Not wanting either to feel like I'm choosing sides, I stand in the middle of the room, not moving as the boys eyes roam over me. Unfortunately, Ryan's not having any of that, and quickly walks up behind me, placing his arms around my waist to pull my back against his chest. The tension this causes in the boys is thick enough to cut with a knife. North, Nathan, and Kota have to be physically restrained by their brothers, while the others look on with mixed looks. Some hurt, some anger, but all pointed towards Ryan's arms around me.

Looking into the steel eyes of their leader, who's stoic expression is really starting to piss me off, I ask the question at the forefront of my mind. "What the hell are you doing here?"

My choice of language quickly changes Mr. Blackbourne's expression as well as the rest of the boys as they stare at me in shock. Or pride, where Gabriel's concerned. However, they quickly school themselves as their leader answers my question.

"We are here to ask, no, beg, for your forgiveness. The Aca-," he cuts himself off as he looks at Marissa, Zerric, Darren, Ryan, and Jaelyn.

"No point in hiding anything Owen, they know. They know everything."

Their faces pale before Gabriel yells, "What the fuck do you mean they know everything?"

"Relax Gabriel, they're Academy. Or should I say, we're Academy." My casual tone while addressing him seems to freeze him in his tracks, before he realizes what I said. And then there was chaos.

They all start yelling, trying to figure out what I mean. They're yelling at each other, my team...me! I've had enough! I slap my hands over my ears as I try to tune them all out and not blow up the way I want to. Ryan, still wrapped around me, notices and turns me around into his chest, tucking my head under his chin. I move my hands from my ears to grip his waist as he whispers soothing words, begging me to relax. It starts to work...until I realize the noise isn't as deafening as if was. In fact, it's non-existent. It's dead silent.

I turn and lift my head to see a sorrow filled eyes on all of the boys on team Blackbourne. I'm confused until Mr. Blackbourne speaks up.

"Miss Sorenson, are you involved with this man?"

What? Why does he care who I'm involved with?

"What does that matter?" I ask. "Why do you even care? You all left, remember?"

"So you're with him!?" North explodes.

"Don't put words in my mouth!" I yell back. "You don't get to speak for me anymore. You lost that privilege when you left! And so what if I am with Ryan? It's not like any of you even held a sliver of the feelings I did."

Confusion, shock and hurt flits across each of their faces, causing me to become confused. Why would they be hurt? They didn't love me, they left! Like passing ships in the night they just left. So...why do they look hurt?

"Miss Sorenson, we are all completely in love with you," he responds.

Now it's my turn to be shocked. Ryan stands firm behind me as I work through his words.

No freaking way. They can't love me. They left!

"Bullshit," I state calmly. "If you're so in love with me, then why did you leave?"

"The Academy sent us on a mission that would last two years, rewarding us with enough favors to pull us completely out of debt. Due to the nature of the mission, we could have no contact with anyone in Charleston for the time we were away. None of us wanted to leave you, but it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up. We are so sorry, Sang, but over that period of time we discovered that life without you wasn't an option. Those two years were torture. Sang, we all love you so much, and we are so, so sorry."

"So you think you love me?" I ask, needing to clarify. "If you loved me you wouldn't have left. You would have given me more than a fucking letter. Hell, if you loved me you would have cared enough to plan a life for the two years you would be gone. Whatever this is, it isn't love. Not the love I want. Not the love I deserve."

S&M blaring from my phone cuts off anything they would have said in response. I walk out of Ryan's arms, turning my back to the room to create some distance as I answer my phone.

"Hey Karen."

"Sang, she cheated on me. Nora cheated on me." Answers a broken Karen. The sadness in her voice being accentuated by a piercing sob.

"That sorry, selfish slut did what?" I explode. "Where are you, I'm on my way."

Karen and I got really close after the boys left. She admitted to having a bit of crush on me, but quickly got over it as she helped me get over the boys abandonment. She was always there for me, and after graduation, we made sure to still keep our friendship. Nora is a girl that Karen got with a few months ago while we were still in school. They are, or were adorable but Nora's a bitchy materialistic queen bee, the total opposite of my down to earth, spunky Karen. I can't say that I'm surprised Nora cheated, but I had hoped she wouldn't hurt my friend.

"I'm in front of the Sergeant Jasper apartment building," she tells me.

"Stay there, I'm coming love."

I hang up and look back at the people around me. "Ryan, I need my keys."

He gives me a nod before running to the kitchen to grab my keys. Once he hands them to me, I speed walk past everyone, and run to the curb where my sleek black Mercedes Benz waits. I hop in the driver's seat and peel down the road, leaving everyone in my rear view as they run out of the house and scramble to their cars.

Too slow boys. My friend needs me.