A/N: Thanks to everyone who was considerate enough to leave a review last chapter. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Be warned there is alot of drama in this chapter so please buckle up for safety. I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions after this chapter so if you could review that would be great. Thanks.
Torn: Redux
Chapter 12: Part 1
Best Thing I Never Had
He knew as soon as he said those words his brother would be angry. He knew his brother did not like confrontation so he knew this would be a blow to his ego. No sooner than the words left his lips, he heard the growl from his brother he realized that he needed to pay attention.
Sasuke was annoying when he wanted to be.
"What do you mean I am not as discreet?" Sasuke inquired with a scowl as he glared at his older brother. He was not certain what Itachi was assuming but he did not like the assumption that came with it.
Itachi swiveled in his chair before locking eyes with his younger sibling. He was positive Sasuke was being a pain in the rear but he decided to indulge him anyway.
"You know what I am speaking of. I am discussing your association with Uzumaki Karin."
It was enthralling to behold the look of surprise that covered his baby brother's face as his words sank in. He knew about Karin.
"It is not what you think Itachi. She-"
Itachi interrupted swiftly. "What she does for you is none of my concern; however, your wife should be very concerned."
He could only watch as comprehension shifted onto Sasuke's face. Ino knew about Karin. He was positive of that.
"How?"
Itachi raised a lone eyebrow at his younger brother as he thought back to the conversation in the parking garage he heard on tape. He was genuinely haunted to learn that not only did Ino know Sasuke was cheating but she had heard the entire thing through the telephone.
He felt concerned when Ino showed up on his doorstep the day stating she was leaving town. He could understand why she wanted to leave. Not only was she pregnant but the fact her husband was cheating on her was the final blow to her already fragile psyche.
He understood her words as well as her actions. She needed time and space.
He never thought his brother would put another woman in this type of position.
Secretly, he wondered where he had learned such behavior. Their parents had raised them to be respectful toward all women. Why Sasuke felt the need to cheat on every single woman he involved himself with was something that puzzled him.
He told Ino he would respect any choice she made but he wondered what would happen to the child. Would she keep it or would she cut off all ties with Sasuke, including the life growing in her belly?
He questioned her plans concerning the child but she never gave an answer. She had been consumed by anger and misery that he could only sit and watch as she cried her heart out. He could see the rage in her actions and he wondered if her pain rivaled Sakura's.
"Itachi. Itachi!" Sasuke shouted as he was pulled away from his thoughts. He could discern the frustration in his brother's face and he knew he hit a nerve. Sasuke prided himself on being a private type of person. To know that another knew of his secret, shook him to the core.
"She heard you."
Itachi could only stare blankly at his brother as the words slipped from his lips. He could see the wheels turning in Sasuke's head and was positive what his next question would be.
"How?"
"Foolish little brother did you not realize that your cell phone was on the entire time? She heard you make love to another woman."
As he walked away of his brother's office, he felt as if he had been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. His wife. The love of his life abandoned him due to infidelity.
He felt annoyed and slightly enraged that Ino did not speak with him regarding the entire incident.
She just packed her things and left.
'Did her marriage vows mean anything to her?'
As he greeted his secretary, Tenten, he wondered what could he do to make things right with Ino. He adored her but she was too idealistic. She lived in a dream world and thought the world ran on happiness and rainbows but he loved her anyway.
He took a shaky breath and gazed at the picture of his beautiful, blond wife sitting on his desk. He could feel the stab a pain in his heart.
His wife abandoned him.
He never thought that would occur. He picked up the silver frame and looked back at the happily smiling face before slamming it against the desk. How could she abandon him?
Did she not know how much he loved her?
He stared at the shattered picture for a minute before picking up his phone to call the one person who would have an idea of where Ino was. He was not sure if they had worked out their differences but she knew Ino better than he did.
If there was anyone who could bring Ino out of hiding, it would be her.
He scrolled down the list and dialed the number.
He took a deep breath.
He had to do this.
For the sake of his marriage.
"Sakura, come on and show it to me already." The blond haired woman complained as they stepped into the large, spacious bedroom on Thursday afternoon.
"Geez, Temari is this what you put Shikamaru through? No wonder he calls you troublesome." Sakura laughed as she wandered into her closet.
Temari lounged in a small chair as Sakura canvassed the closet for the dress. She could hear the sound of hangers being moved as Sakura finally came with dress in tow.
She knew the instant she saw the dress that this was not the dress for Sakura.
Sure, it was elegant in a very classic, old fashioned way. She was sure that Sakura probably thought the same thing which was why she wanted to know her opinion of the dress.
"You know you are going to have to buy a new dress right?" The blond, pigtailed woman inquired as she looked down at the black dress Sakura had in her hands. She cringed in annoyance at the way the pink haired woman fumbled with accessories before laying the items near the dress.
"You don't like it?" Sakura asked as she looked at her dress once again. When she had chosen the dress, she chose it in a rush. Of course, she had her eye on it the minute she walked into the store but at the insistence of Shizune she just picked a dress so that Shizune would not miss out on her time with Genma.
She didn't hate the dress.
She thought that the dress was gorgeous for the occasion, but that was before Itachi insisted on being her date.
"The dress is nice but you are going to one of the biggest social events of the year. I had to drag Shikamaru into going last year so I know the way these things work. Not only will you be judged by appearance but you will be more scrutinized because of whom your date is."
Sakura grimaced.
She never understood the meaning of having a charity social event when the person already gave money to the hospital. But, she decided to heed Temari's advice. Temari was the daughter of a diplomat so she knew the inner most workings of this type of event.
"We have to go shopping, Sakura."
A cherry eyebrow rose in surprise. Temari never liked shopping when they were in college. She had never considered her a girly girl but apparently some things had changed with the blond. Her meeting Shikamaru was a blessing in disguise.
She sighed loudly. "Where are we going?" She asked as she picked up her Coach bag and car keys. She raised a skeptical eyebrow as Temari smiled sweetly.
"Oh, you'll see."She said mysteriously as they reached the bottom of the staircase. The two women began to bicker back and forth as she reached for the handle to the door. She had just pulled open the door when her phone rang.
"Just let the machine get it." Temari smirked as the shrill ring continued.
Sakura paused. People rarely called her house phone when they had her cellular number. Usually the people who called her home phone were those she did not interact with on a daily basis and those who did not have cell number.
"It may be important." She said before closing the door and walking back toward the phone. She reached for the phone when it stopped ringing.
"Maybe they didn't want anything." Sakura said before turning back toward Temari. The blond shrugged her shoulders before opening the door once again.
"Alright let's go. We have 24 hours to make you the..." She said before the sound of the answering machine cut her off.
"Hello this is Dr. Sakura Haruno. Please leave a message."
Beep.
"Sakura...I need to talk to you."
She watched in shock as Sakura turned pale and tears jumped to her eyes. The sound of Sakura dropping to the ground was the only warning she had as the voice of the man who had broken her best friend's heart filled the air.
"Sasuke." She growled.
"You bastard."
It took ten minutes of shaking and slapping the pink haired female before the blond departed to the kitchen and flung cold water on the woman.
Sakura immediately woke with a gasp as the icy water touched her body. She clutched her head in pain as her fuzzy memories became clearer and clearer.
Sasuke called her?
Why? She thought to herself as the questions swarmed her head. She could feel her heart skip a beat as the thought of Sasuke finding out about Itachi raced through her mind.
She could not deal with shopping right now. She had to find out what Sasuke knew.
"Temari I don't think I..."
"Don't even think about it." Temari snapped as she watched the bubblegum haired woman rise from the floor with a downtrodden look on her face. Temari itched to slap her again for allowing that one message from Sasuke get to her. The man was a prick who obviously did not understand the concept of loyalty or integrity.
"Temari I could always use the dress I have upstairs. There is nothing wrong with that dress."
Temari stood, slowly as rage began to seep onto the contours of her face. She was angry that Sakura was retreating to the person she was when she was dating Sasuke. The Sakura she knew was a strong minded individual who didn't give a damn what someone else thought. To see her retreat into an almost submissive type of person was a blow to the chest.
'What happened to her best friend?'
"Sakura, you will not. I repeat, will not back out of this shopping trip."
"But, Temari I really don't feel like I should g-"
"I don't give a damn what you feel right now, Sakura." Temari cut in viciously. She needed to wake Sakura up from this dreamworld she seemed to be living in.
"Sasuke left you, Sakura! He is not worthy of your time or your attention. To see you turn around and act like a weak submissive wife is enough to make me sick! Where is your backbone? Where is my fiery best friend who doesn't give a shit about Sasuke. Who is this weak woman who has seemed to take her place?"
For the longest time, Sakura stared ahead quietly as the blond watched anxiously. She knew she had crossed a line once she called Sakura weak but this was something she needed to hear.
"You're right."
Her head snapped up as she caught the soft fire glowing in the eyes of the green eyed woman. Temari smiled in response. Her best friend was finally back.
"It's about time you grew some balls Haruno. I was afraid Ino-Pig ate it."
Sakura laughed as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. She calmly picked up her purse and walked toward the door. She looked back at her friend as a gentle smile lined her face.
"Just for the record I do not have balls."
Temari snickered at Sakura's lame attempt at a joke. She was glad her corny, fiery best friend was back.
"Sure you don't."
"Thank you Temari. I needed that."
Temari humphed as she walked out of the door. "No problem. I have been waiting to knock that submissive bitch out of you."
The two women laughed as they got into the car. It was in that moment that Sakura realized that she was finally free.
"No, no, no!" Temari yelled as the salesperson carried over a violet dress for Sakura to try on. Her blond eyebrows were raised in annoyance as she watched the salesperson scramble for another dress. She was positive this store would be the place where Sakura would find the dress needed to knock the socks off the nonresponsive Uchiha heir.
She knew Sakura well enough to know that she liked Itachi. When she found the two kissing that day in her office, she had been so shocked that she couldn't think. But, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Sasuke was similar to his brother but he wasn't quite the man Itachi was. Itachi seemed to be a peaceful type of man who could crush you if needed. He didn't crush people for fun like Sasuke seemed to.
"Sakura, if you're ready then come out." She yelled as the salesperson brought a black, strapless, sweetheart neckline dress toward her. She instantly lit up as she analyzed the dress.
This dress was perfect for Sakura.
It was just enough cleavage without being trampy and short enough to remain classy. She snatched the dress from the woman's hand and walked toward Sakura's dressing room. She knocked once before opening the door and pushing the dress into the woman's arm.
"This dress is perfect. Take that one off and put this one on." She mumbled before closing the door once again. She kept a pep in her step as a smile slid across her face.
The Uchiha was not going to know what hit him.
As she sat in front her mirror Friday night, Sakura tried not to listen to the message Sasuke left on her machine again. Once she and Temari returned from their shopping expedition, she lay on the couch lost in thought.
Why was Sasuke calling her now? And what did they need to talk about?
Temari threatened to disembowel her if she called Sasuke but she let her mind wonder. Why was he calling now after waiting so long?
She could only stare at herself in disgust as she raised her hand to line her eyes. Why was she still thinking about Sasuke? Did she even care?
As she lined her bright emerald eyes, the glossy beading of her black dress caught her eye. She put the finishing touches on her makeup and walked over to the dress.
She had to admit Temari had excellent taste when it came to picking gowns. The dress was gorgeous. With a beaded bodice and sheer overlay she was surprised by how comfortable she felt in the dress. She felt like she was the sexiest creature on the planet in that dress.
With a sigh she realized she needed to get dressed if she wanted to be ready when Itachi came. She was positive he was not the type of man to wait patiently as she continued to get dressed.
The dress slid on perfectly as she zipped the back. She could only smile in irony at the fact that she was all dressed to go somewhere with a Uchiha.
A year ago she would have used an obscene number of profanities toward any Uchiha male. The irony of this entire event was not lost on her.
She slid her feet into the black six inch stiletto heels she and Temari found after they bought the dress. As she sprayed a spritz of perfume against her wrists, she looked over at her clock. It was 6:55pm and she was sure Itachi was not going to be late.
She grabbed her beaded bag and walked carefully down the steps. She made it to the last stair when the doorbell reached her ears.
He was here!
She took a deep breath and smoothed down her curled pink hair one last time before taking the plunge and opening the door.
This was going to be interesting.
a/n: review?
