Chapter Four

When? Kagome slashed open the bright lemon, its juices spirting from the violent attack. When? How many times was he out . . . with her? How many times did he look her in the eye, after he was with her? It was like their whole relationship fell, all the colors dark and horrendous with sickening shadows of deceit. Her fingers became pink and white from the pressure she put on the rind, the pulp becoming flat as its juices pooled in the bowl. Her throat tickled, tightening the more she thought about it, the small snippets of interactions that she thought were innocent and lovely. Her nails sunk into the rind, her stupid pink nail polish chipping with the pressure.

"Try not to poison it please," Kikyo peered at her sister from the rim over her steaming cup of tea, her brown eyes still rimmed by worry. Kagome's shoulders relaxed as she avoided her sister's gaze, staring almost blankly at the remains of her relationship—the chipped nail polish.

"You know. . . a few weeks ago I caught him looking at engagement rings on his phone, he completely freaked out. I just thought he didn't want me to know, you know since engagement rings are supposed to be a surprise, I was so excited. . . I would day dream about how he would purpose." Kagome whispered as she picked up the lemon, her fingers moving over the damaged pulp with tenderness.

"Maybe. . . " Kikyo tried to start, but her voice failed with the knowledge that that ring wasn't going to be for Kagome. "I'll get the sugar out." Kikyo squeezed Kagome's arm as she passed, her face as troubled as Kagome's chest. Kagome watched silently as Kikyo carefully spooned in the sugar—the opposite way that Kagome would do, but maybe that was why she did it instead—they didn't want their guest to die of sweetness. Or instant diabetes.

"Why don't we go get our nails done at the mall later?" Kikyo asked, staring deep into Kagome's eyes as she handed her the large glass of the lemonade, which Kagome quickly looked away from as guilt curled like ivy inside of her.

"I'll think about it." Kagome quickly told her as she hurried away from her sister, unable to stand knowing she was causing her sister to act so hesitantly instead of being her bold self. She would have never asked before, she would have just grabbed her hand without asking for anything.

The sun blinded her as she stepped out, the force of the heat already make her forehead sweat as she crossed the yard, eager to make it under the shadow of the tree line. Kagome clenched the glass as she stepped on the worn path, trying to not think those thoughts she had earlier. Instead she forced herself to think about the rude guest who probably didn't get anything done at all.

"Quiet," his cold voice hissed as Kagome came into the area where the old greenhouse used to be. "You stomp like a bear."

"Humph!" Kagome glared around the area, ready to have her thoughts correct . . . but there was only the barest of the remains in the ground, foliage growing over them as if it would heal them. "You're supposed to be working." Kagome mumbled under her breath.

". . . " His eyes flashed out from the other side of the remains, which eerily reminded Kagome of seeing a predator when hunting. The small sight of his dark gold eyes and flash of silver hair disappeared, as if a ghost. Kagome calmed her heart as she came around the side, her curiosity peaking as she tried to be silent, which was impossible with all the twigs and leaves as if she was stepping through natures bombs.

She rounded the steepest part of the old green house, the ground declining uncomfortably, and it revealed the sight of Sesshomaru crouching on the ground, his breathing slow as his camera gave almost silent shutters. Kagome bit her lip as her eyes traveled to what he was taking a picture of and almost did a double take. The smallest of foxes were curled into the roots of the tree, his face softly curled into its body with a blue bird resting on top as if it felt safe.

"I can't believe it. . ." Kagome whispered as Sesshomaru slowly stood up, his own face relaxed in a way she never thought could be on him. He glanced at her, his eyes dancing like a sparking sun, his mouth in the smallest of curls.

"Ah, here, it's your lemonade . . . that I made." Kagome fumbled around her tongue, holding out the glass like an afterthought, which awkwardly hung in the air before he took it, his expression closing. It was like looking at a different form of Inuyasha close up into. . .well, the actual person. Kagome mentally kicked herself for thinking this daiyokai looked anything like Inuyasha, her heart twisting.

"So. . . you've done a lot of work. . ." Kagome looked away from the diayokai, instead catching a glimpse of the fox trotting away and the blue bird gone. Silence met her awkward words, the only thing breaking it was the soft sounds of nature around them. "Will you finish it today?" Kagome bit the inside of her lip again to make sure she wouldn't start rambling.

"No." He started to walk about, the glass empty and held gently between his long and slender fingers. She watched his retreating back a second as she took note of how his dark grey shirt and blue jeans were dusty with the dirt, her cheeks heating up as she noticed the curve of the dirt cupping his ass. The mortification jumpstarted he limbs as she rushed to meet his pace, her blood thumping in her temple with the hope he didn't notice her looking.

"Why is that?" Kagome cleared her throat, unable to look at him as they walked the overgrown path. Silence curled between them as they stepped over plants, coming closer and closer to the edge of the tree line.

"I have to go to work." Sesshomaru finally admitted, his voice so monotone he could have been a robot if they had deep voices. They cleared the tree line, the house coming out like a Victorian mansion, but the romanticized idea faded as they came closer, its villa characteristics became predominant.

"I thought you were an artist." Kagome inquired as she opened the door, raising an eyebrow as she imagined him painting. The air conditioning blasted as soon as she came inside, and was a sweet relief from the heat, moving against her sweat with a vengeance that terrorized her armpits and under her bra.

"Art doesn't pay the bills." Sesshomaru cut her an annoyed stare, as if that was the stupidest things she had ever said to him. With those sharp words he walked away from her, disappearing deeper into the villa.

"Stupid man, as if I don't know that." Kagome grumbled under her breath, marching to the kitchen with the idea of that sweet pie from the night before to ease her embarrassment. He probably was just a desk pusher, she thought darkly, his career non-existent. He probably wasn't even that educated! Ha! Stupid man. . .

". . . Can't believe he would be that- that- ugh!" Kikyo's voice stopped Kagome from going across the threshold of the kitchen, her muscles freezing as she realized Kikyo was using that same voice as before. The I'm-talking-about-Kagome one, where it's all whispery and concerned.

"We can't let her know." Grandmamma sighed, so Kagome slowly peered from the wooden side panel to see what was going on. Grandmamma was hugging Kikyo, her face scrunched up with anger and tears that were uncomfortable to look at.

"I know, but you don't think she'll notice all the pictures? The ring?" Kikyo's scowl deepened as she stepped away from Grandmamma. Kagome's heart sunk even further as she slowly backed away from the kitchen threshold as she heard Sesshomaru enter it. She fled up the stairs up to her room and locked the door, tears glimmering in her eyes.

"I have to know, I have every right to know." Kagome tried to reassure herself as she curled on the bed, opening the laptop and logging onto facebook, her fingers shaking over the keys. Small hiccups popped in Kagome's throat as she tried to process what she was seeing. There was him. There was a women. There was a ring. Kagome covered her eyes with her shaking fingers as she took a deep breath. It was going to be alright. . .

She uncovered her eyes and forced herself to stare at the picture, her face scrunching up. Inuyasha looked so happy, his fingers curled around her waist, his smile huge and bright—how he used to smile at her. The woman looked just as happy, her green eyes popping with dark makeup on her heart shaped face. Her short blonde hair was pushed back with her happiness, her tan toned arm wrapped around Inuyasha's shoulders, her nails pinching into the fabric. Her other hand rested on her toned leg that was wrapped around him, the ring gleaming on her skin. Kagome took a deeper breath, her chest rattling. She was the curviest woman Kagome ever saw in real life. . . and she was wearing the same ring Kagome caught Inuyasha looking at.

Kagome snapped the laptop shut, glaring at the cover. Fine. Fine, she huffed loudly as if could channel all her hurt and anger. That anger boiled in her chest, moving about all those broken bits, and no more tears her in eyes as that magma that was in her set. He could be with her, since he was such a cheating bitch. She shoved the laptop away and it hit the floorboards alarmingly loud but she couldn't bring herself to care about it, determination humming in her veins. He deserved her, she was probably just as rotten and unloyal as he was, and and ugh! She jumped off the bed, her teeth grinding, her nails digging deep into her skin.

"I don't have to be like this. He can just die! Ugh! How dare I ever love him!" Kagome snapped at herself as she roughly pulled out clothing and put them on the bed, as well as cosmetics. "I'm going to show that bastard, he'll see." She ripped open the door, her clothes, cosmetic bag and towel hanging over her shoulder.

"Let's get our nails done! I'm going to take a quick shower!" Kagome shouted down the stairs, not waiting for a response as she turned Pandora to the Beyoncé station and blared it. She turned to the mirror, her blue eyes gleaming like hell's fire and pointed at herself.

"We are so much better than this, so it's time to start taking care of ourself." She sternly told her reflection and nodded. She was done with this bullshit, she didn't want to cry anymore, make her sister stay up late at night with worry, or make Grandmamma's heart hurt. She still cried a bit in the shower, but her shattered glass heart was going to deal.

A/n:

Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update, but I couldn't get the words to come out while I was writing this on my phone. After an incident I realized I wasn't writing Kagome realistic enough, she would feel more paranoid about it, and hell she'd get angry because there is only so much a person can cry and can deal with. This does not mean that the SessKag ship can sail yet though, that'll take awhile.

ANYWAY THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR READING THIS! Feel free to tell me anything.

Thank you dancing dragon gurl for your review, because it really kicked my butt into gear