Rukia tapped her fingers on her knee in annoyance as Rangiku forced her to listen to her gush about Grimmjow. She was exhausted in every way. Her head was aching from all the stress and hearing Rangiku's excited voice was doing nothing but irritating her.

"He's so big!" Rangiku gushed, brushing tangerine locks off her shoulder which a huge smile on her face. "It was hard to fit all of that in my mouth."

Rukia's head snapped towards her friend, her violet eyes glared at her. She shook her head and made a face of disgust while crossing her legs and looking in another direction. Rangiku's smile faded at Rukia's hostility.

"What's the matter?"

Rukia grit her teeth together and realized she had to leave before saying something hurtful, but truthful. She stood up and put on her coat. "I'm fine. I'm headed out."

"Where are you going?" Rangiku questioned while moving around the table they were sitting at.

"Out," Rukia snapped, getting even more annoyed when the zipper on her jacket caught halfway up.

Rangiku hmphed and crossed her arms. "You know, since you and Ichigo broke up you've been a real bitch. There isn't a relationship between you two anymore."

Rukia stopped at the front door, her hand resting on the doorknob. Tears slid down her cheeks for the hundredth time. The orange-haired woman could be clueless sometimes and Rukia overlooked it because Rangiku meant well; this time was a different story. She had so much anger building up. Rukia whirled around and stomped toward Rangiku.

"How dare you speak like that after you just had sex with a man you knew for thirty minutes?! Don't you ever try to tell me how I should act when you sleep with anything that looks at you! That's embarrassing!"

Rangiku's mouth dropped open in astonishment as Rukia stormed out of her house and slammed the door. Rukia leaned against it from the outside, breaths coming in heavy gasps. She didn't mean to say those hurtful things, but Rangiku pushed the wrong buttons. Rukia was already emotionally off balance and saying things like that just threw her further over the edge. She would apologize to her best friend when she returned. Rukia and her ex-boyfriend lived together, but when he broke up with her, she left with all her belongings still in their apartment.

The troubled woman jumped into her vehicle and sped off. She parked in Ichigo's apartment complex. Rukia laid her head against the steering wheel and exhaled a shaky breath. She hadn't spoken to him since he broke up with her. Maybe they could talk and discuss why he felt different about their relationship. When did these feelings arise? Rukia got out of her car, her heart pounding as she moved towards the complex. His car was in the parking lot, so she knew he was home. She climbed to the second floor and knocked on the fourth door. She heard shuffling as the door unlocked. Rukia rehearsed what she would say. When the door opened, Rukia's eyes widened in shock and her preparation for their conversation vanished.

"What are you doing here?"

Orihime stood at the door and looked at the ground as she tucked her orange hair behind her ear, large grey orbs not daring to look her in the face. "I umm... I'm just..."

"Orihime, who's at the door?" Rukia heard from inside.

Rukia's heart fell as Ichigo came to the door shirtless. He looked at her before stepping out into the hallway. He turned to Orihime. "I need to talk to her alone okay?"

"Okay Ichigo," she whispered. She looked over at Rukia. "I'm sorry Rukia."

She closed the door. He leaned against the door, propping his foot up. His light brown eyes gazed at her and she could remember the first time she ever laid eyes on them. She was fourteen in the ninth grade. He had just transferred to her school and all the girls were going crazy over him. She remembered them whispering and giggling in class about how handsome he was. Rukia was not interested in boys. She had her school work to worry about. A boy wouldn't get her into a good school.

She had been running through the halls because a detour to her locker would make her late to her fourth period English 1 Honors class. She ran smack into someone and as she said her apologies while picking up her books, she saw the figure bend down to assist her.

"Oh, it's all right. You don't have to..."

Her voice caught in her throat as Ichigo smiled at her. Their fingers touched as they both tried to grasp the same book. She pulled her hand back, and they each chuckled. Once they stood, Rukia told him she had to get to class. She knew if she kept standing in his presence, she might melt through the floor.

"Hey, let me walk you to class," he said. "Don't want you falling again."

She giggled out of nervousness. He chuckled again at her actions and walked her to class. They dated a month after that day and their relationship continued into adulthood. Standing here looking at him was making her heart swell with sadness and the love she bore for him.

"Rukia," he started as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry, but..."

"What is she doing here?" she interrupted, dark eyes blazing with anger. "Why is that woman in our apartment?"

"Rukia I..."

"She lives here now?!" Rukia exclaimed. "I'm gone for a few days and I come back to find out someone else has taken my place? What an asshole move, Ichigo."

Ichigo remained silent and didn't meet her gaze. Rukia moved in front of him and grabbed his chin. "Look at me dammit! Who is she to you?"

Ichigo gazed down at her for a moment before saying, "She's my girlfriend."

Rukia stumbled back. "Wh-what? After all, we've been through you want to leave me? We've been together six years Ichigo. How can you throw our relationship away?"

"Rukia I'm sorry," he answered, "but I can't help it."

She tried to keep her breath from hitching. "So that's it then."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I hope we can still be fr-"

"Don't you dare say it," Rukia snapped. She brushed past him and inside the apartment.

"Rukia don't!" he called out as he grasped her arm.

Orihime stood next to the couch in the living room. She clasped her hands in front of her and gazed at Rukia, watching the tears fall down the shorter woman's face.

"You took him away from me!" Rukia cried. "You were my friend, you horrible bitch!"

"Rukia stop it," Ichigo scolded as he turned her to face him, gripping her elbows. "It's not her fault."

"It is her fault!" Rukia screamed as she ripped free of his grasp. She smacked him hard across the face, turned on her heels, and gathered her things.

Ichigo stood in the doorway as she slammed her things around. She put her clothes in a large suitcase and got all her belongings including her laptop, which was the only computer in the house.

"Wait, you're taking that?"

Rukia packed it into its case and placed it on top of her suitcase. "I paid for it so yes I'm taking it."

She got an empty box from underneath the bed and packed the rest of her things into it. She hauled both her suitcase and her laptop and moved over to Ichigo. She dropped them in his arms and continued to grasp her box of things.

"The least you can do is help me carry my stuff," she said as she brushed past him. "I don't know what you're going to tell the landlord. You already know she can't stay here until she has had a credit check."

She glared at Orihime as she walked by. "I expect you'll be covering rent that's due in two days."

"Wh-what?" Orihime asked, grey eyes widening in confusion.

"What? Did you think I was just going to continue paying while you shack up with him?" Rukia snapped. "You're as stupid as you look."

"Rukia please stop," Ichigo pleaded.

"You're defending her now," she muttered as she exited the apartment and headed down the stairs. "I can't explain how bad you've hurt me Ichigo Kurosaki."

He lowered his head as he followed her brisk pace to her car. The sky was darkening, threatening more rain on the humid autumn day. Rukia sniffed as she unlocked the trunk and allowed him to put her stuff inside. She turned her back to him.

"I'll call Yamamoto about the lease," he said.

"Whatever," she muttered as she got in the driver's side of her car. "It doesn't matter anymore. You don't matter."

She wished that she meant that. She was tearing on the inside at the loneliness in her heart. She wiped her eyes as she started her car and pulled out of the apartment complex without looking back. She still could not believe he threw everything they had together away. She was questioning everything. She cared so much about him, but she discovered the latter part of their relationship was one-sided.

Rukia cried as she drove, thunder boomed, and lightning flashed around her. Rain pelted her car windows. She went back to that lake she had visited a few days ago. She got out of her car, not caring that she was being soaked to the bone. She moved over to the water's edge and continued to weep. She was alone. Aside from Rangiku and her step-brother Byakuya, she had no one else. Her parents died two years ago in a car accident and they were both an only child, so she didn't have aunts, uncles, or cousins.

Rukia's grandparents had all passed away except for her grandfather on her mom's side. Her mother never met her father. She loved Ichigo with all of her being, and he filled that void she lacked from not having much family. She gave him her heart on a silver platter and he plunged a knife into it. Rukia fell to her knees and continued to sob. He wanted Orihime. She hoped that things wouldn't work out between them and he would realize what he let go of.

Grimmjow watched from underneath a tree as the woman cried. It amazed him that he kept running into her like this. It was weird, but right now that wasn't what he was paying attention to. The woman looked broken; a lover put her in that state. He was all too aware of it. Michiko flashed in his mind and he shoved that image away. He wouldn't fret over someone who didn't want him.

"Ah what the hell," he said as he walked out into the rain and next to the wailing girl.

Rukia felt a hand on her back. It was that guy she met, the one who Rangiku had her one-night stand with. Grimmjow. She stared up at him, her tears mixing with the warm rain.

"Come on," he said as he helped her up. "Get out of the rain. At least that way if you catch a cold, who cares."

Rukia continued to breathe with small hitches in her throat. They headed towards a pavilion near the park by the lake.

Why is he helping me? Rukia wondered as she watched his blue hair plastered to his forehead.

She didn't want to see him or anyone else, but her misery craved a little company.