~6 A.M.~
"Today's the big day!" Her mother squeals. All of Sakura's friends clamor haplessly about the long road, details, and how they thought she would never get hitched.
She isn't listening.
They don't care.
Because this isn't about Sakura. It's about money and the additional bonus of being able to bring up embarrassing events in her life. While they trade stories, Sakura stares out the window. It's a nice summer morning. The sky is still dark, which reminds her of Sasuke.
He isn't a liar nor one to make empty threats. He packed up everything and left. She hasn't seen him since that morning he walked out.
She sighs, trying to expel the thought. It's an old chapter, its high time to move on.
A lot easier said than done.
It hurts. Like waxing with duck tape.
She tries not to let it show. The people around her are so shallow, they can't see through her bullshit.
The women sing happily, while she tries to process everything. This was happening. She was about to get married to a man she hated.
Several ladies packed in a limo, and not a single one of them she can confide in. None of them care about how she feels toward Koji.
Marriage isn't about love, her mother scolded when she brought it up.
She is screwed.
~6:35 A.M.~
Her head continually hangs limp, much to the annoyance of the woman trying to do her hair.
"Sakura dear, keep your head up. You're not acting very bride like." Her mother chides.
She does as she is told, facing a grim reflection of herself. "For someone whose about to get married, you look as if ya seen an accident." The hair stylist's thick New York accent amused her.
New York is where she met Sasuke. The Plaza Hotel was where they became better acquainted.
"I'm just tired."
"Right, and I'm the queen of England."
It brings a smile to her face. At least someone is paying attention.
~7:19 A.M.~
Sakura has no idea what's going on. She has been in the dark about most of the details. They cleverly disguised the lack of informing her as declaring it the day to be treated like a princess.
So she does what princesses do, wait for their prince charming to save them. The only problem being her's is more than likely not to show up.
The women are running around as if all the malls in the world were about to shut down. They are shouting things.
Late. Late. Holy shit they're running late.
She is happy.
~7:31 A.M.~
Sakura manages to slip past the women. Not a hard task since she is the lowest of their priorities.
She walks leisurely to anywhere that wasn't the wedding venue.
A hotel, she realized it was.
How classy.
~7:56 A.M.~
Being in public makes her realize she hates couples. Seeing them hold hands and kiss, it's annoying. She hates love. Is it because she knows that she'll never find true love, or has and it isn't reciprocal? Probably.
Jealously is a petty emotion, yet it can drive a person to extremes.
She sits in the cafe, silently wishing that every pair would just disappear.
"Can I have that one?" A child's voice breaks through the clamor of the shop.
Sakura lifts her head from her coffee to see a shocking sight. Her eyes dart low, to avoid eye contact. In the back of her mind, she knows it was too late.
"Hey stranger."
It's a small world indeed.
~8:30 A.M.~
The park. A scene for aspiring artist to capture life in it's purest and real form. The miniature version of Sasuke was playing with another little girl.
Sakura notes all the similarities. Dark eyes, pale skin, and the deepest shade of brunette hair color. Really the only difference between the two were their hair; her's is perfectly straight and Sasuke's is a reason people would think gravity doesn't exist.
It has been a while. Six weeks of silence. Not text saying hi or a call to update each other about life. Well now it all makes sense, who has time for an old fling when a child is in the picture?
Still, one call would have been nice. Then again Sasuke is anything but nice. He is the master of plots and crushing spirits. The timing couldn't have been any worse in her opinion. She was hoping for a way out, but seeing this has made all hopes recede.
She is trapped and he can't save her. This is her fault. She knew exactly the type of person Sasuke is. He waited this long to speak to her. Well their meeting is a coincidence, meaning that if she wasn't at the cafe, they probably would've never spoken.
That hurt. Just when she thinks the pain he can cause her couldn't get any worse, he always does something to prove her wrong.
She bites her lip. It was too late. He has found someone else.
He smirks, seeing the distraught all over the pinkette's face. "That's my niece." For once, he decided not to be cruel. There was plenty of time for that later.
She lets out an audible sigh of relief. There was still some hope.
"Though, I probably have a few ankle biters somewhere."
Its almost comforting to know he hasn't changed.
~8:36 A.M.~
Dresses. The dresses were nowhere to be found.
The flowers. Where the fuck are the flowers?
Sakura gave the delivery person the wrong address.
Oops.
~8:59 A.M.~
"You could've won." He states offhandedly.
She shakes her head. Fighting dirty isn't her style. It probably would have broken him. Despite the tough exterior he exudes, a few simple phrases can trigger a meltdown. Not many know the phrases, nor the significance of the effects they have on him. Those who do know them, know never to use them.
The results aren't pretty.
He looked so conflicted that morning, it would have been cruel. She just couldn't bring herself to do it; even with the knowledge that if it were the other way, he would do it in a heartbeat.
"You should've done it." The rest of the sentence went unspoken, but she knew what he was going to say.
They both knew he wasn't going to walk away completely. He was too invested. But he did like to tease and string people along for wild chases. And she followed because what else is there to do with life?
"When do you have to be back?"
She shrugs. The show will probably go on without her. Not once has her phone rang since she left. Who would be her replacement, she wonders. After all, the wedding has nothing to do with love and she has two sisters, both single.
~9:04 A.M.~
The bride is missing and no one is concerned. The dresses and flowers have yet to be found.
Apparently the groom's tux is a few sizes too small.
Someone got hungry and took a big piece from the wedding cake.
Things aren't going according to plan. They are way behind schedule.
Who was the guy that said that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong?
Whoever he was, that man is a god.
~9:17 A.M.~
She swears he's a sadist. Even after not seeing each other for weeks, he still tortures her by going slow. He is admiring every curve and inch of skin, becoming familiar once more with the body underneath him. She groans and rolls her hips, hoping to entice him.
The smirk on his lips meant it did nothing. He is perfectly in control of the situation.
"Good things come for girls who wait." He whispers.
She bites his ear. "I've been waiting for six weeks, you owe me."
"Whatever you say."
~10:20 A.M.~
"Why did you leave?"
He looks away from her. "Can't we just enjoy our time together?"
"We can. After you answer my question."
He shrugs. "Its a little of this and that, nothing too important."
"Tell me the truth."
His tongue darts out to lick his partially dry lips. "That is the truth."
She stood up, lifting his chin up to face her. Their eyes meet with an intensity neither of them were aware they could devise at the moment.
"Don't get mad..."
~10:26 A.M.~
A father is someone who is supposed to look out for their daughter. A man who keeps her best interests at heart.
Sure Sasuke isn't the best man for her. But he makes her happy.
What kind of person pays their daughter's lover to just leave and spare them no explanation?
Her father.
What kind of person accepts that payment?
Sasuke.
~10:32 A.M.~
He's receiving the look of a thousand deaths. She wants to scream and throw stuff around. But she settles for tears.
"I said don't get mad." He reminds the heated pinkette.
"You left me for money?!"
He'd leave her for a Klondike bar. "That's not the only reason I left."
"It might as well been."
He stays silent, even though she's wrong.
Her eyes show disappointment. "I know this is a game to you, I get that. But that fact that you are willing to dump me for a couple million, is sad."
A couple million was only a fraction of what he was paid.
"I'm here now."
Better late than never.
~10:39 A.M.~
"Where the hell are our dresses?!" Sakura's mother screeched to the poor customer sales rep.
"We sent them to the address you've provided."
"Obviously you didn't otherwise I wouldn't be calling you."
The man types in some information. "The Haruno-Shibata wedding, I have that address is 134 22nd Street."
He pulls the phone away as the woman lets out a horrifying scream.
Accidents will happen.
~10:43 A.M.~
"I'll make it up to you." He whispers as he holds her close.
She stares at him, unable to decipher fact from fiction. "I don't believe you." Her tone is borderline bitter.
He shrugs, fully expecting her not to. "C'mon."
"Where are we going?"
"You can't be late to your own ceremony."
Her eyes widen and heart stops. Surely she was just hearing things. The look on his face says otherwise. He was seriously going to let her go through with it.
She silently berates herself for falling for another of his tricks.
~11:30 A.M.~
"Sakura, there you are dear! Get dressed, quickly, we're starting the ceremony in half an hour." Her mother instructs, paying no mind to her daughter's hair or the guest she brought.
She barely registers her mother's voice. The girl feels numb. Life is moving slowly and words are warped beyond comprehension. She tries to tell herself this is a dream but it's real. Why does fate hate her? Is it too much to ask for one thing in her life to go right?
Sasuke refuses to do anything that will help her. It's way too entertaining to watch someone squirm.
Her green eyes look toward him in desperation. This was a joke that has gone on for too long, she hopes. If she has to walk down the isle, then her already fragmented heart would break further into nothing.
He pretends not to notice and guides her to the dressing room.
~11:48 A.M.~
Brides are supposed to be happy on their big day. They feel like they're in a fairytale that has come true. Not Sakura. This is a nightmare. A punishment that will result in years of regret and anguish.
Though she feels miserable, she looks stunning in her dress. It flatters her figure every well. She is too distraught to notice.
As she stares at her reflection, she is overcome with a barrage of emotions. "Don't I mean anything to you?!" She shouts to the male who is in awe of her beauty. He levels a plain gaze at her, which breaks her down even further. "I always thought, that in spite of everything you do or say, you actually cared. I put up with everything you gave me and for what? You've caused me nothing but pain."
He closes his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry that I'm not your knight in shining armor. But honestly Sakura, after everything we've been through, you should know how I feel about you."
It will take a hundred scientist to figure out his logic.
She flops down in a chair, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know Sasuke. You're a fucking mystery."
He chuckles. "Well, if we're gonna be honest with each other, I just wanted to see what the dress would look like on you." His eyes shine with amusement, much to her chagrin and relief.
Only he can cause so much pain and pleasure with a sentence.
"You're such a bastard." She laughs, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"You love it though." He says as he pulls her up and closer to him.
"I do."
Their lips connect passionately, as if agreeing to spend the rest of their lives with each other.