"I can't do this anymore!"
"Don't give up! Just please don't. I'll do anything!"
"Why can't you understand? I told you, I'm marrying Mikan, not you. I'm sick and tired of you and your mother controlling everything! It's never going to work! It never did."
"I can always tell my mom, Natsume. There's a way for everything!"
"And I'm choosing the other way, the one with Mikan standing at the altar by my side. If you'd be cooperative enough, I might send you an invitation."
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Why is it so hard for you to understand?"
-.-
He turned off the engine of his car. He wanted everything to stop. His conscience was driving him ballistic and he couldn't live another day without telling her the whole damn truth.
He started to become fidgety.
He looked to his right and saw the girl he'd always dreamed of going home to. The girl he wanted to cook for his breakfast, to be the one whom he sleeps at night and kiss good morning when dawn breaks. She was the girl he wanted to promise forever.
Mikan held his hand reassuringly, silently telling him that they are in this together. He gripped it tighter and kissed her forehead. With one last sigh, he got out of the car and knocked on the front door of the Shouda's residence.
"Natsume, is that you?" He heard her say after his fifth knock. He heard running inside the house and a little bit of laughters.
Sumire opened the door widely and was about to tackle him with a hug. "Great timing! Mom just finished cook- oh. Who's this?"
She turned her head towards Mikan who just bowed her head. Sumire gave a hesitant smile before turning her gaze back to Natsume.
"You didn't tell you had company."
"We'll take this outside."
Natsume grabbed her hand and led her beside his car with Mikan towing behind them, giving a fair distance for them to talk.
Sumire gave him a very worried look. She rubbed her forearm with her hand, starting to feel cold.
"What's all this about?" She asked.
"There's no easy way to say this." He couldn't look at her straight in the eye.
"I don't like where this is going."
"Her name's Mikan. I know you know about her."
"If you're going to tell me you're breaking up with me for her, I'm not going to listen."
Natsume stayed silent. Her eyes were firm and fierce but as seconds passed, she wavered. She grasped his collar and hit his chest. She was already crying and she hated it.
"Is this an advance April Fool's joke? Seriously, it's not funny. Stop kidding around!"
Sumire laughed. How could he play tricks on her when he knew she was a sensitive person? She hit his shoulder blade playfully and held his hand, motioning him to go with her inside the house for dinner. But Natsume didn't move. He stayed where he was standing firmly.
"Please understand. I love her so much." His voice was low and it was so heartbreaking for Sumire to hear him like this. She couldn't let him go. Why would she? She loved him too much.
"I won't let it end."
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and brushed her hair. "This talk never happened. I'm going inside and I'm going to eat a hearty dinner. A pleasant night to you."
Sumire flipped her hair and rolled her eyes at Mikan. She walked triumphantly and banged the door close.
Mikan approached Natsume right away and hugged him. "At least she knows already."
All he could do was leave everything to his mom.
Natsume's mother talked to Sumire's mom and surprisingly, she understood. She told her she didn't want Natsume to be tied up to a married life having the feelings he had. Though she did say it was a pity since everything went so well between him and Sumire. It was a great loss for he was a fine man. Sumire was lucky enough to have shared a few years of happiness with him.
When Sumire knew about it, she thought it was sabotage. She felt as though she was stabbed in the back by the people whom she trusted so much.
"I don't expect you to move on right away, but please do try to be civil with them." Her mom told her after telling her the little talk she had with Natsume's mother. "It was fate that led them back together."
Her head snapped to her and she was almost losing sanity. "Oh, please, mom, fate my ass. Isn't that a little too classic to hear? It's almost as if they were words stolen from a fairy tale book. Destiny and all those other damn things are too much of a cliché. If there's one girl for him, it's me and nobody else."
"Stop this, Sumire! Snap out of it! Natsume isn't the only boy in the world! As much as I love the thought of my only daughter getting married to the man she loves, I can't do anything about it anymore." She told her, giving her a stern glare.
She won't deny how crushed she was when she knew Natsume's mother took time to talk to her mom. Fighting for his love won't be as easy as she thought, especially when her opponents are the in-laws. It wasn't supposed to be like that. She always got what she wanted but why won't they let her keep the one she wanted the most?
"You're right. He isn't." Tears crept down her cheeks, flowing endlessly. "But he's the only boy in mine."
She turned her back on her, still crying. "Of all people, I expected you to understand me the most. You should know better that I don't do well in competitions, mom."
"This isn't a contest, Sumire."
"But why do I feel like I'm losing?"
She heard her sigh. Sumire bit her lip and just went to her room.
No, she won't lose. Not this time.
A longer chapter. R and R. :3
Much love, Mich 11-16-11 6:24 PM
