21

Toya.

I arrive at the training centre and Rei is waiting outside wearing her winter coat, it matches with the one I am wearing. We bought these together.

"Hey you." She stands in front of me, but she's not smiling.

Sounded urgent whatever she had to say, I just came here to confirm that she is actually here. I'm going home to check how things are going. We also dumped the triplets on my dad until Rei and I can get on good terms again.

"What's up?" I ask keeping my distance.

"It's about Kai, I just want a simple and honest answer, do not take long to think about it. Ready?" She gives me that serious look of hers, leaning forward, eyes open a bit wide, and lips pursed.

"Yeah, shoot."

"In the past, when someone came after Kai, or someone important to him, how long did he take to deal with the situation?" She looks at me directly waiting for an answer.

"Barely lasted 24 hours jumping into action. Why?"

She shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know, but my gut is telling me that I can't trust Kai to deal with Yachi, she attacked Kaiya, and he is still sitting on his ass, maybe I don't know who she is, but since you dated her too, I just wanted to know more about her before jumping into conclusions, I just think Kai is still in love with her."

I cup her cheek, "That's because he is, I didn't understand until I met you, and I really wish I could deal with her right now, but the Ise are top priority."

"That leaves just me to handle her, great." She crosses her arms pouting. Her cheeks are red, it must be cold, I wore this because I was thinking about her, I'm weather proof, I don't know what the cold feels like.

"Rei, she's a criminal, and a killer, you'd be going on a suicide mission. Don't make me lock you up in dungeon, you know I will." I joke and she lets out a breathy laugh, her smile is so weak, it pisses me off seeing her like this.

"I know, she told me things about you and Kai, about what the Domei and Hanafuda really are. I knew from the moment I met you, you just have the face for it, Kai I was shocked, but she was so mad when I told her I didn't care.

"You're protecting me from it, and you're right, I can't handle the truth, I would never forgive you if I saw you kill someone in front of me, but Toya, this woman is the exception."

What?!

I bite lip as hard as I can to make sure I'm not dreaming. I don't want to be dreaming. I can't be.

I cup her face and look her in the eyes, "Rei please tell me this is really you, and I'm not hallucinating this conversation, I'm begging you."

"This conversation is real Toya." She takes me hands and holds them in her own shivering a little before coming closer, "Can we sit somewhere warm, I'm freezing."

I nod taking her inside. We sit down in the conference room and she sits beside me, "I thought you hated me?"

"I did, until I missed my kids, and realised this is exactly what she wants, she wants me to break your heart, and I can't let that happen. I can't keep being such a weakling, I don't want to be used by people to hurt you or Kai." She leans closer to me and I hug her.

"I'll deal with her Rei, please don't go on a suicide mission, she'd kill you."

"Toya, she could have killed Kaiya in her sleep, don't you think if she wanted us dead, we'd be dead by now? I just want to be with my kids, our fights are not worth it, I'm so sorry for the crap I said, but the truth is that I meant it."

"I don't care, wish me dead all you want, I am not letting you go, just don't go drinking while carrying my child."

She frowns, "I would never have done that in a million years, I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too, from now on we stick together, right?" I cup her cheeks and she smiles nodding slowly, but I know Rei, she's stubborn, she's not letting Yachi get away with this, best thing is to take her with me when I visit my family.

"Mom?"

We turn our heads and Kaiya is at the door, she should be at school why is she hear? Please don't tell me I was dreaming this whole time. I'd rather die then for all this to be a lie.

"Hey." Rei replies weakly. Kaiya joins us and sits next to her mother worried.

"What's wrong?" Kaiya asks rubbing Rei's back up and down gently.

"It's your dad Kaiya, I just don't feel like I can trust him anymore. There is a woman messing with all of us in our sleep, and he knows Yachi is behind it, but he's not doing anything.

"Kaiya, you're only alive because she wanted you to be, I saw the bruises on your neck, if she had killed you in your dream, you'd be dead right now, but Kai said he's still in love with her, and he's not doing anything about it." Rei crosses her arms angry.

"Dad said that?" Kaiya looks at us confused.

We nod and she shakes her head, "That's a lie, dad does not still love her, she must be doing something to him. Dad was broken when she left, but he did not leave anything unfinished or unsaid with her, we talked about her together until there was nothing to talk about, I hated her until I couldn't anymore. Dad does not love her." She takes Rei's hand begging her to believe what she just said.

Rei smiles, "I'll take your word for it Kido, but that means we still need to deal with her, doing nothing is tearing us apart. She's winning."

Kaiya looks at us confused now, "What are you talking about?"

I look at Kaiya, I should answer this one myself, or she'll forever be afraid of me, "Rei and I sent the kids away because we were fighting, and not the cute kind either, it was really bad, I really hurt her and I can't take it back."

Kaiya turns to Rei who shrugs her shoulders.

"They just used my greatest fear against me, my mother always put it in my head that if I don't marry the person she wanted me to marry I would get married to a man who would beat me black and blue, and I'm not exaggerating either.

"She used to be very explicit about it, she would say it like it's something already happening, I didn't realise it at the time because I would just ignore her, but subconsciously I became afraid of relationships. I wasn't single because no one was approaching me, I was single because I was afraid that every man is a violent brute who will eat my intestines for breakfast.

"So when Toya grabbed me the way he did, it all just surfaced and I felt like a total weakling, it wasn't until I thought I needed a man to protect me, that I finally pieced it together where exactly this feeling came from. She's powerful, to even use something as small as that against us."

"He hit you?" Kaiya asks looking at me, she's not looking at me like I did anything, but Rei's answer is about to decide our relationship.

"No, of course not love. Toya would never do that, he honestly does that to me all the time, it just scared me this time because she wanted me to be afraid of Toya, and it worked," she turns to me, "You were my biggest nightmare."

"I'm sorry, I really need to get my anger in check." I look at Kaiya smiling at me. Gosh I can only imagine if the answer to that question was a yes, "Kaiya, what dreams have you had, and don't lie, I see it in your eyes."

Kaiya looks away, "She told me that mom loved Toya and my dad, but once mom and my dad break up she'd leave me. I don't want you to leave me mom."

Rei gives her hug, "Sweety, your dad and I broke up years ago. She doesn't know what she's talking about. He was hiding secrets and lying about where he was, he kept saying he was at work when he wasn't and I honestly had enough it. If that was true I would have left a long time ago."

Rei cups both of Kaiya's cheeks, "Kaiya, you are my daughter and I would never abandon my little girl like that. I only wish I carried you inside me myself, but I am not going anywhere."

My phone rings and I step out of the room to answer.

"Hey Toya, it's Raena. Wanna meet up for drinks?"

"I can't, I've got family matters to address, and thanks for the advice, Rei finally knows the truth."

"Oh, okay. So, I'm guessing, expecting going out for drinks again to be off the table."

"Yeah, last night was a blast though. So, don't think I regret it or anything."

Rei kicks my ass, and throws a middle finger mouthing 'cheater' while walking past me.

"Does Rei know?"

"Yup, she doesn't really care, it's not like we're together."

"But you do have sex with her?"

"Yeah, sometimes, what can I say, she's got needs too, and I'd rather I be the one who takes care of them."

"It's an open relationship, wouldn't take her as the type to eat out of two plates."

"If you're trying to piss me off, it's working. It's not an open relationship."

"Really? So, she's cheating on Kai with you then?"

"If that's the truth, I cheated on her with you. Look, it was just a one night stand, don't be all sour about it, not when I wanted us to be friends."

"Friends? Why? To protect your family?"

"I want you to be a part of the family, having you as an enemy is not something I want, can we meet, I'd rather have that conversation face to face, but only say yes if you're considering the deal."

"Why should I trust you?"

"You know secrets no one else knows about me, I have every reason to trust you, so? Are we friends?"

"Not yet, but convince me and I might change my mind."

"Good. We'll talk when I come back. I won't be around for a while."

I hang up and Rei kicks me again, "You jerk." She kicks me again and sniffle, she looks at me and I laugh, she actually believed my act.

I pull her in for a hug, "You damn innocent idiot. I was joking, it did hurt though."

"I'm sorry, you're just going around being a man-whore again, I hate when you do that."

"Well, you and Kai are still involved." I cross my arms and she shrugs her shoulders, "Rei? Hey! What does that mean?"

"What, can't a girl love you both?"

I glare at her and she laughs at me, "Rei, I'm serious right now."

"I have not been in Kai's bed since we broke up." She lifts her pinky in the air, "I promise."

"So, it's been just me and you this whole time?"

She kicks me again and harder this time, she's so angry with me, "It's been me and you, and whatever skank you felt like screwing when the mood struck."

"Rei, you're wrong. She was the first and last, I promise."

"I am going home to pack Kaiya's bags, she's coming with for the road trip."

"I'm not lying to you!" I yell since she's already out of sight.

She peaks through the door with her cheesy smile on her face, "Keep it up." She gives me a thumbs up and I smile.