Hi everyone! So this is a much earlier than usual update, but I was going on a writing spree and decided to upload this chapter as soon as possible. Hope you like it! Please Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.

Kyoko sat in the seat of his car with her hands clasped tightly together, her skin stretched taut over her white knuckles. She didn't even look up at the window to see where he was taking her. Even though the curiosity was practically burning a hole through her stomach, she was too afraid of making the wrong move. What if she said something that made him angry? What if she did something that made him regret asking her to come with him?

She couldn't take the risk. Kyoko didn't want to do anything that would ruin this moment. She had failed to talk to him yesterday and by some sort of miracle he was now only a foot away from her. Although a part of her felt uneasy from this random visit, she decided to take this chance in stride and do what she set out to do. Today would be the day. Today would be the day she will tell him. Today would be the day where she will properly explain herself, for both his and her sake.

Peeking up at his profile, Kyoko ran a sweeping gaze over his strong jaw line, the curve of his slender nose, his hair that was now combed down instead of swept out of his face, the intent look of his eyes on the road, and his masculine hands that were wrapped firmly around the steering wheel. She looked around the car and felt nostalgia raining down like a storm. Sitting in this seat brought back so many memories, some she cherished and others she would rather forget.

Unnerved, Kyoko quickly glanced out the window as if he could hear her thoughts. She didn't want to think about that day. Not now, not yet.

They had driven for almost thirty minutes and he still hadn't said a word to her, not like she had said anything herself. She was still trying to clear the haze within her mind. Kyoko could only remember reaching for his outstretched hand like a mindless child and relishing in the softness of his skin as he led her out of the apartment. Following him into the elevator and towards his car was just one giant blur. She had even forgotten to write Kanae a note to explain where she was, but thankfully she had her phone on her so she was able to shoot her a quick text in the car.

She looked down at her clothes and wondered if she was dressed properly for wherever he was taking her. While she wore a simple outfit of white denim shorts and a delicate yellow blouse, he was wearing a dark blue long-sleeve dress shirt and a pair of grey slacks. She felt so underdressed.

But he didn't say anything about her outfit. In fact, he hadn't looked her way at all. As soon as he closed the passenger door and got behind the wheel, an odd silence settled over their heads. The quiet sound of the rumbling engine thankfully masked the rapid beating of her heart that was bound to go into cardiac arrest any minute. Kyoko was as never as hyper aware of her actions as she was right at that moment. Feeling like she was treading on ice, Kyoko silently brought a hand to her neck and touched Princess Rosa for much-needed encouragement to keep herself from cracking at the seams.

Not realizing that he had noticed the movement of her hand, Kyoko nearly jumped thirty feet into the air when he murmured, "I didn't give her the necklace."

Staring at his eyes that were still focused on the road, Kyoko blinked a few times before she settled back against the seat and looked ahead. She didn't know what to say. Of course a part of her was thrilled that he hadn't given Princess Rosa to her, but saying "thank you" didn't seem right. It would imply that he held back for her and Kyoko was more than sure that that was far from the truth. Still, she could feel her heart lighten with every breath she took.

The only thing she could do was nod. She couldn't tell him that she was happy. She couldn't tell him that she was relieved. She couldn't tell him how she felt…not when she still had so much to explain.

After that, nothing else was exchanged. No sneaky glances, no uttered sounds, just a thick cloud of unease that Kyoko tried to ignore. She kept her eyes on the zooming scenery, but wasn't familiar with any of the roads or buildings. Eventually, they drove out of the bustling city and down a scenic route with grassy hills on one side and the sparkling ocean on the other. Confused, Kyoko sat up and swiveled her head around.

"Where are—?" She cleared her dry throat. "Where are we going?"

"It's just up ahead."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Kyoko looked forward and saw tall trees in the distance. The sun was high above the bright blue sky that was completely cloudless. It was such a beautiful day outside and plenty of people were probably going to be down by the beach, but when she gazed out at the twinkling sea, there wasn't a soul in sight. In fact, this place didn't have a single sign of human life. There weren't any residential homes, business buildings, or even road signs.

With her curiosity piqued, Kyoko sat back against the leather seat and focused on the greenery that grew thicker as they drove farther down. They passed under an umbrella of thick branches and leaves before they made their way to a meadow of pale flowers of blue and pink. Kyoko's fairy tale radar went crazy as she watched in awe at the beautiful sight that unraveled before her. Maybe it was just her raving imagination, but everything seemed to twinkle like diamonds here as they basked in the light of the sun's golden rays. To her delight, the car finally stopped at the bottom of a hill where a large wooden house stood from above.

Kyoko opened the door in a trance-like state and stared up at the house. It wasn't the mansion she expected to find in a place like this, but the warmth of the wooden structure and the tall glass windows exuded a similar sense of elegance. She heard his door close from behind and the crunch of his shoes upon the gravel. Waiting with a pounding heart, she felt rather than saw him stand beside her.

She kept her eyes on the building, but her eyes didn't register a thing. Kyoko was too busy waiting for him to speak. And just when she was going to ask from pure anxiety, he suddenly murmured, "This place is mine."

Kyoko turned to him in surprise, but he didn't look at her. With a slight nod of his head, he made his way up the cobbled steps as she trailed behind him. Surrounded by daisies, cherry blossoms, and swaying trees, it felt as if she was transported into another world. This place was beautiful. If she wasn't so nervous, she would have stopped and admired the flora. But the man in front of her had taken all of her attention.

If she was confused before, she was downright going insane now. Kyoko didn't understand what was going on. Why would he take her here? This place was obviously his private sanctuary and for him to allow her entrance to such a personal part of his life seemed out of character—at least for the man he was now. Wary as he led her to the front door, Kyoko stopped a few feet away as he took out an old-looking key and turned the elegant handle.

The sight that greeted her was just as jaw-dropping as the scenery outside. Unlike his condo that was decorated with black and cold stainless steel, this place was filled to the rim with warm tones of brown, red, and gold that were strewn among suede couches, massive rugs, a stone fireplace, and a quaint wooden kitchen. Without even waiting for his cue, Kyoko walked through the doorway and looked up at the high ceiling that had colossal wooden beams stretching for what seemed like miles. To the side, there was a simple winding staircase that led to a second floor with a balcony that looked down at the first.

When the door closed behind her with a soft click, Kyoko turned to him and smiled a smile she hoped was controlled. "This place is beautiful."

"I bought it over a year ago," he replied in a voice that caused a ripple to travel down her spine. "It took some time to be furnished, but the wait was worth it."

"Do you live here?"

"No, I only come here when I need to."

Kyoko turned her head to the living room. Oddly, a strong sense of sadness washed over her as she imagined him in this place all alone. She could almost see him sitting on the couch, staring at the burning fire with a glass of his favorite cognac in hand. She imagined him hunched over, his hair draping over his forehead to conceal the depth of his eyes.

"How often?" she murmured in a softer voice than intended.

He shrugged casually, but the hard look in his face said otherwise. "How about something to drink?" he asked instead.

But she hadn't even responded before he already made his way into the kitchen. It wasn't as big as the one back at his condo, but roomy enough for Kyoko to put enough distance between them. The uneasy feeling she had had earlier intensified as she watched him pour two glasses of water. Something was wrong. This visit wasn't simply a visit. This was something else.

The air around him may not have quivered with anger and his face may not have hardened from lines of frustration, but Kyoko couldn't fight the sense of foreboding that choked her like thick chains. She stood rooted to the spot at his approach as he handed her a glass. She kept her eyes glued to the crystal clear water, trying to control the shaking of her hand.

He stepped back a few feet until she was leaning against the granite counter and he against the fridge. Kyoko waited. She could feel it coming. The heavy silence was starting to lift. Holding back her desire to squeeze her eyes shut, she finally raised her head and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Why did you leave yesterday?"

Kyoko gripped the glass with tense fingers and replied, "I didn't feel it was right to stay."

"Why? Because Ryoko was there?"

"If I didn't leave, then the atmosphere would have gotten uncomfortable."

"I see, so you were thinking in the best interest of others."

She stared into his eyes as if she could somehow find the reasoning behind this conversation, but found nothing except darkness. "I'm sorry if I caused problems," Kyoko murmured.

He laughed darkly. "Out of all things to apologize for, you decide on that?"

Kyoko didn't answer.

Then in a low voice, he said, "Although I don't agree with what Ryoko did, I can't say I don't understand. She was only doing what she felt was right."

Crossing his feet at the ankles, he continued, "For all these years, Ryoko has been nothing but good to me. She has been supportive, kind, and helped me forget even if it was only for a short while. For me, Ryoko made these last few years bearable."

He looked around the kitchen and smiled grimly. "But even with all of her patience, I was unable to see her differently. I wanted to grow to love her. I wanted to feel for her the same way she felt about me, but I couldn't. It was unfair and it was cruel, but no matter how much time I spent with her, I couldn't change how I felt. I wallowed in past moments, replaying the same day over and over again until I grew sick of the memory."

"It was weakness that kept me up at night. It was the desire to fix what had gone wrong and it was the certainty that I could have done something different that made me sink further into self-doubt." Letting out a harsh laugh, he ran a hand through his hair and whispered, "I was so sure that it was my fault, so sure that I ruined what could have been. Why I placed the blame on myself, I never understood."

"Maybe I assumed that if it was my doing, then I could find the solution to return everything back to the way it was. Maybe it was my way of trying to hold onto the last shreds of hope before the anger started to fester inside of me."

"Being angry," he murmured with downcast eyes, "was easier. Letting the frustration and contempt grow helped to blind me from the pain. When angry, I didn't have to think about anyone but myself. It freed me from having to contemplate and wonder. But anger wasn't always so forgiving. The more I allowed myself to fall into hatred, the more helpless I felt." He shook his head and looked into her eyes. "Even you must think what a pathetic fool I've been."

Kyoko tried to control the breath that escaped her lips, but it came out in a shaky gasp as ache clawed up her throat. She couldn't say anything as she took in the hateful look in his eyes. But this time, she welcomed his malice. She wanted him to hurt her, to say anything he needed to relinquish the pain that was so obvious in his gaze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He laughed coldly as his fingers dug into the palm of his hand. "For what? For my weakness or for my stupidity?"

Kyoko shook her head. "I know I hurt—"

"Hurt?" he repeated quietly. "No, it hurt when I fell in love with you and realized that nothing could happen between us. It hurt when I forced myself to stay away from you because I was afraid of what it would do to us. It hurt when I thought of you drifting farther and farther away from me because of my cowardice."

"But telling you the truth didn't hurt. It was a mistake. If only you had hurt me, then I would have stomached the pain. If only you had told me you didn't love me from the start, then I would have moved on with my life. But instead, you played me like a fool."

The room was starting to spin. Kyoko couldn't believe how fast everything was falling apart. He had it all wrong. He had it all wrong!

"No, that's not what I—!"

"It doesn't matter now!" he shouted, his composure slipping through the cracks. "I spent too many years trying to figure out why you kept up the charade. I spent night after sleepless night trying to understand why you didn't tell me from the beginning. Were you trying to spare my feelings? Did I not give you a chance to voice how you truly felt? Did I push myself upon you? Was I in the wrong?"

"No," Kyoko stammered as she stepped forward with her hand shaking uncontrollably. "It wasn't you. It was never you."

He pinned her with his hard eyes and said, "Although I hated how you lied to me, I knew that deep down a part of me still blamed myself. It was only up until last night that I finally knew the truth."

She felt her eyes grow wide at the venomous look upon his face. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Her knees trembled violently as she watched his features transform into a mask of pure malevolence.

"It never crossed my mind that it all boiled down to him. It never crossed my mind that he was the reason why. I was too idiotic, too self-absorbed, to realize it was never about you and me. It was and always will be about him." He balled his hand into a tight fist. "But at least Fuwa had the decency to tell me the truth. Tell me, were you ever going to tell me that you still love him?"

The strength in her fingers vanished. In slow motion, Kyoko watched her glass drop to the floor and smash into pieces. Water spilled over her bare feet and shards of glass slid across the marbled tiles. Time suddenly slowed to a crawl as Kyoko knelt down onto her knees. It was only on instinct that she began to pick up the broken pieces and place it into the palm of her trembling hand. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what else to do.

She heard him place his glass into the sink with a thud and walk towards her. Leaning down onto his calves, he reached down and picked up a large shard by her foot. Kyoko stared at his face, but couldn't see anything as he murmured, "Was it fun? Was it amusing to see me pour my heart out to you when you knew what was going to happen?"

"No."

"Did you enjoy watching me fall for your lies?" he grounded out, his hand wrapped tightly around the jagged glass.

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said as she dropped the sharp pieces onto the floor. "Stop."

"You must have," he murmured, gripping it tighter and tighter.

"Tsuruga-san!"

A small trail of blood suddenly began to trickle down his wrist, seeping into the sleeve of his shirt. Desperate now, she dug her nails into the slits of his fingers and pulled. "Tsuruga-san, stop! You're bleeding!"

But his hold wouldn't weaken. The blood wouldn't stop.

"Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko cried, the tears stinging in the corner of her eyes as she pulled with all her might. "Stop! Stop! Tsuruga-san! REN!"

With a powerful wrench, she pulled his fingers apart and the bloodied shard dropped to the floor. But just as she reached for his injured hand, she suddenly felt his other fingers curl around her neck and swing her away from the bed of sharp glass. The back of her head hit the palm of his hand as her body was pressed between him and the icy floor.

Kyoko's heart thudded against her chest as she stared up at his face.

"Why do you care?" he murmured with eyes blazing like burning coals. "Why do you suddenly care if I'm hurt now? What does it matter?"

She shook her head.

His eyes flashed in white fury. "Where was your compassion before?" he demanded, the volume of his voice rising higher and higher. "Where was this compassion when you left without an explanation? Where was your compassion when you got on that damn plane to leave me confused and alone? Where was—?"

Then in a movement he never would have predicted, she fisted the front of his shirt into the palm of her hands and yanked his lips down to hers.