Chapter 29
Aftermath
Seiya dropped down behind her on almost silent feet. It was quite an accomplishment, but it was a long drop and the bottoms of his feet painfully retaliated. He let out a soft curse and Rei spun around wide eyed and her mouth open in a surprised oh.
"Who...?" she started and stopped stepping back timidly. The fact that she was isolated behind the school and a stranger had just climbed over the wall didn't escape her.
"Rei, relax." Seiya flicked the brim of his hat up and took off his sunglasses.
"How do you know my…" she stopped and her mouth fell open with surprise. She looked young and cute; Seiya felt his mouth curve with amusement.
"Seiya Star, what are you doing here?"
"Never mind," he replied curtly, "what the hell is going on with Serena Johnson?" Her face closed up, a wry smile on her lips.
"That is not my secret to tell, if you want to know you have to ask her."
Loyalty; that was something he hadn't expected from her. "I do plan to ask her, you however, getting abused for her sake- whatever the hell is going on... you...!" He paused, getting control again and softened his tone. "You shouldn't have to go through it."
Rei was honestly surprised. She had only met Seiya once and had literally thrown herself at him, but here he was nosily prying into her life, telling her that she deserved better. It was laughable and very confusing.
"I'm sorry, what is it to you? You have no right to jump down from a tree and be my knight in shining armour." She glanced up taking in the height, "you know," she continued, "eavesdropping is very rude." She levelled a glare at him, and Seiya felt all the ice in her brown eyes shoot daggers through his head he shook it marvelling; she was still unpleasant.
"I only wanted to help. Sorry to care." He said and turned on his heel determined to walk away from her and let her stew in her own juice. It annoyed him that she was being catty. He really did want to help her, his heart fluttered with pity whenever he saw her eyes harden. He had taken only two steps when her quiet voice made him turn again.
"Sorry? What was that?" he asked and strode back to where she stood looking down defiantly.
"I said, I'm sorry!" Her head came up with a snap, the defiance withering under his patient, warm gaze. "I…" she hesitated and took a breath, "I don't like people to know when I'm upset, or hurting. I don't like to seem weak to other people." Her voice shook slightly and she lifted her chin defying the tears that were threatening in her clear eyes.
"I understand," he replied, and he did. He felt he knew Rei better than she thought he did. She was under a lot of pressure to maintain a cold edge, alone in her quest, without support and a warm haven to be herself in. He had been like that once upon a time. When he was newly famous, he had to maintain this edge, this façade that wasn't him, always showing something that he wasn't and it had made him hard inside. It wasn't until he had met Serena, through his cousin Mina, that he had let himself go and been himself. As a result his fame grew as he drew people to him by being blatantly himself and not what a label wanted.
He reached forward and enclosed her gently in his arms, felt her stiffen and then gradually relax. A slight tremble in her shoulders and a warm, wet patch began to grow on his shirt. She was crying as he held her, allowing herself to release all her pain in the arms of a stranger. He felt privileged to bare witness as Rei let her barriers down; she was being herself and a subtle change began to bloom in his heart.
He stroked her back and hair and muttered soft nothings to her all the while enjoying the feel of her in his arms. A startling realisation crossed his mind. In the five minutes they had been talking a change had taken place in his heart. An impossible, illogical, unbelievable possibility had occurred; he had fallen for Rei Hino.
Seiya let the insane thought settle and assessed everything that was going on in his heart and head. It took him a few moments to work through the lust and he was left with admiration for her character and brilliant selflessness, the shy, fragile girl that he wanted to protect above all others. It felt right -she felt right- but it was completely insane!
It wasn't possible to grow these sort of feelings this quickly, two minutes ago he had thought her thoroughly unpleasant, now he thought her the most amazing girl he had ever known. In this modern world of Hollywood and dating, it was impossible for him to feel this way about her so fast; it was almost indecent, like he was one to fall in and out of love. He knew he wasn't that type, he had only ever loved one girl and that was Serena. He still loved her in a way, but it was the passionate longing he had before. Now, that part of him belonged to the quietly contained, crying girl in his arms. He looked down at the top of her purple/black hair and smiled tenderly, affection filling him. He tightened his grip as she grew quiet and still in his arms, not wanting her to pull away yet.
She let him hold her loving the warmth of another person that wasn't hurting her, but comforting her, letting her cry and understanding. She was grateful to him; she knew he didn't know her, or anything that had happened. He had seen her upset and had comforted her without the background story, without wanting anything in return. Her mouth twitched as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. What she wouldn't give for him to hold her like this forever, accepting her as she was; frail, soft and unprotected instead of hard, cruel and independent.
"You're so brave Rei," he whispered into her hair and rested his cheek there. "So many people would have broken long before this, but you have remained strong for so long."
She pulled away slightly to look up at him and her heart began to pound at the expression in his eyes. He let her pull away, but a hand on hers didn't let her go too far. "May I look at your bruises?" he asked gently. When she nodded he ran his fingers delicately over her arms noticing the welts that were rising under her smooth skin, and he took his time, loving the feel of her skin under the pads of his fingers. As he explored and examined his anger grew, his fingers lingered over the bruise on her face that was barely visible under her make up to the hicky high on her throat. He began to open her school shirt and she turned her face away, blushing but not resisting. He undid enough to see the expanse of her throat and was shocked and angry with the abusive marks of passion spotted all over her chest, some of them black and others an angry red. He buttoned her shirt and turned her face towards him.
Her eyes were closed and her jaw clenched with humiliation. She was embarrassed that Diamond had used her body like a whore, hurting her and now Seiya had seen everything
she was.
With her eyes still closed, his fingers were gently running over her bruised face in a caress. She gave a small sigh and opened her eyes, heart speeding up instantly when she saw how close they were.
"He is a bastard, Rei." He said his eyes intense with high emotion.
She nodded but stood silent, watching, waiting her breathing rushing fast between her slightly parted lips.
It suddenly occurred to him how easily he could kiss her, just lean down the two inches between them and brush his lips against hers. His eyes wandered over her beautiful face, going from her eyes to her lips and back again. He could see her anticipation; she had read the signs in his eyes and was waiting patiently for him to kiss her. She wanted him to. A heady mixture of desire and adrenaline raced through him and one particular thought arose. It was too much of a temptation. His desire to protect and love Rei was not an excuse to take advantage of her emotional state. She might let him kiss her now, but later when she had her thoughts and feelings back under her control she would regret it. He couldn't never do that to her. He gently pulled away from her ignoring the ice returning to her eyes and her face closing off emotions back behind a cold mask.
Rei took a breath and fought down the humiliation at his rejection, she had done it again, opened herself up and been shot down. She let herself wallow in that rut of self pity for a second then admitted she was being ridiculous. He had comforted her, that didn't mean that he wanted to cross that line, he was being kind and she had thrown herself at him again like she had the first time they met. She blushed mortified; he must think she deserved everything, that she was a whore.
"I'm sorry," she apologised, wanting him to think well of her, "I didn't mean to throw myself at you again."
Seiya started, she thought she had been too forward? It had been him, not her in the wrong.
"No, Rei, it's my fault. I started to take advantage of you. You came to me for comfort-I should never have..." he trailed off unsure of what to say, "you would have regretted it later." He said finally and turned to leave.
"No, I wouldn't." She said softly behind him and he pretended not to hear as his heart leapt. He would do this properly, wait until this thing with Serena was cleared up and then he would approach her. He didn't want to make her confused when she obviously needed her wits about her. He needed to talk to Serena to find out what the hell was going on.
0000
Half an hour before
It's not real, it's not real, it's not real, it's not real… repeated in Darien's head as he stalked away from the benches and all the people talking about him. He had to hand it to Sere, she had done that well, his cheek still smarted from her slap, he was getting a headache as well and a ringing tone reverberated between his ears. She must have put some effort into it, he thought grimly and sat on a bench far away from everyone. He let his head fall back and he surveyed the school grounds upside-down. His headache intensified ten-fold and he righted himself to see Rei approaching. He scowled at her and put his head back again blatantly ignoring her. Even though Rei was now on their side, he still didn't like or trust her. She didn't ask his permission to sit down, she just sat next to him and stared at her hands clenched in her lap. Silence stretched awkwardly between them and she let out a small sigh.
"How are you feeling?" she asked quietly, as if unsure if she should be asking. He tilted his head and glared at her in annoyance.
"I feel like I was just broken up with and slapped besides." He snapped, turning away.
"You know it wasn't real." She put in, addressing the back of his head. She was becoming angry; he could be such a jerk!
He turned his face back and she shifted in discomfort under the intense look of dislike on his face.
"Yes, I know, Rei. I was there when you two made up this stupid plan."
"I'll tell Sere you're fine then, and I'll get out of your way." She got off of the bench in a swift movement, began to move away, then stopped and turned back, "Don't phone her or contact her using any of your numbers. Diamond will check her phone somehow."
"I'm not stupid." He snarled at her.
"Sorry, my mistake." She hissed back and stormed off to find Diamond, he should be finished comforting Serena by now and she needed to finish this part of the plan for Serena.
0000
I wandered around the school trying not to replay the scene I had just staged over and over again in my head. It was finished-over-and now it was time to move on to the next phase of the plan when all I wanted to do was burrow myself deep in my boyfriend's arms and apologise while sobbing hysterically. I had never seen him look so stricken before. Angry-yes; jealous-yes; hurt-yes; stricken...
No.
He looked so shocked like I had cut his heart out and was dangling it before his eyes tauntingly, "I'm sorry was this yours?" I could just hear it. At least the imaginary scene had pushed the real one out of my mind for a couple of seconds. Now it was back. Even Rei had looked horrified by the brutality of it all. Thankfully she had recovered before Diamond had seen her.
I took a deep breath as I passed the greenhouse, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers in full bloom within the warm building. I needed something to cheer me up. I wandered inside and was cheered by the surrounding splashes of brilliant blues, yellows, pinks, reds, violets and the scents that accompanied them. I breathed in deeply, appreciating the aroma and used it to push the horrible memory of crushing Darien out of my head.
"Serena?" I heard the familiar dark chocolate tones of Diamond behind me and schooled my face to show indifference as I turned to look at him.
"Hi, Diamond." I said giving him a sardonic smile. I could play this, I would win.
"Are you okay? That was a pretty intense break-up."
"Yes, I'm fine," I said with a smile and felt it waver at the edges, I turned away from him surprised that I wasn't okay; I was hanging onto my emotional sanity by a thread.
"Liar," he said quietly and stepped behind me, pulling me around and wrapping me in his arms, grip tight. I heard myself break in my head, it sounded like thin ice crackling as it shatters under heavy weight. Before I realised it, I was sobbing into his chest allowing him to hold me and comfort me. It wasn't anything he wasn't expecting yet, I was the one most surprised. I hurriedly pulled myself together and stopped crying. I was stronger than this. There was no excuse to fall apart, especially in my enemy's arms, even though it helped my cause; I wasn't going to embarrass myself further.
I stopped crying and just leaned into his chest, soaking up his warmth and played up my fragile state. "Will anything be right again, Diamond?"
"Yes, everything will be fine, Serena." He let out a low chuckle. "He was wrong for you, now you can find someone better, someone who wants you for you and not for anything else."
"Darien wanted me for me." I whispered defiantly against Diamond's chest and there was silence above me. I pulled my head back to look up at him. His face was tight with something. His lips thin and whitening, his pale blue eyes icicles.
"What's wrong?" I asked feeling bewildered, why was he so angry?
Diamond exploded into a flurry of words and actions. He grabbed me by my arms and hauled me against him tightly, hugging me so tightly that I was being crushed against his school uniform. I could feel a button pressing into my cheek painfully, but I remained still as his words crashed over me.
"He was wrong for you, Serena! Can't you see that? He got what he wanted from you… he got what should have been mine!" I was deadly still; there was only one thing he could be talking about. "I have loved you ever since the first time I saw you in the park by your apartments. I love every part of you, and you made me watch as you continuously went back to him, after he hurt you again and again! Serena…" his voice tailed off and I thought he had stopped but he gripped me convulsively. "I love you! I want you! I would never treat you the way he did! Please… stay with me." he pushed me back and looked down into my wide eyes beseechingly.
I had been expecting... something, but not this. Not this depth of emotion and feeling. I looked up into his eyes and saw the pleading. His eyes burned with want and need and behind all that something was breaking. I could sense it, with that torrent of emotion he had been saying what he really felt and I couldn't ignore it. For all his confidence and deviance he was fragile… or that was what he wanted me to see. I pulled away from him, drowning my wish to comfort with cold hard facts; Diamond was a master manipulator. He could be acting and even if he felt that way about me, I was not single, I was still attached to Darien. We were still a couple and that bond would not be broken over an admission of feelings; real or not.
I had been silent too long. He shook me as his handsome face fell into hopelessness.
"Why did you break up with him then, Serena, if you are still in love with him?"
"I…" I stumbled, unsure how to proceed.
"I see," he said coldly and let me go abruptly looking at me with the coldest eyes I have ever seen. I looked miserably back at him, but his expression didn't change. He turned to leave and I suddenly realised that my plan was falling apart in front of me, I had to do something! I leapt forward and grabbed his arm tightly swinging him around. I threw myself into his arms, my arms winding around his neck and held him close.
"Don't leave me," I whispered into his neck and his arms wound around my back holding me steady against him. His lips moved on my neck in a soft caress and I let my thoughts wonder to Darien, imagining it was his lips moving gently over my skin. I could bear this if I was thinking of him. I pulled back and raised my face up to Diamond's expectant and hopeful.
He lowered his head and for the first time he kissed me gently, lovingly giving proof to his words of love. I softened under his firm hands and gentle mouth, letting my body relax into his and my arms moved down to hold onto the front of his uniform.
The usual firecrackers that came when I kissed Diamond didn't come this time, but my knees were a little unsteady all the same. Diamond still held unbelievable attraction for me; I couldn't help but start enjoying myself. It was wrong and treacherous but all the same, he touched me in dark secret places I never showed the light. They were there, hovering under a mound of good and Diamond coaxed them out of hiding every time he touched me. Dark, sinful pleasures and sensations that were frowned on by morals and everything good. I let myself wallow in that dark chocolate, letting the taste of his mouth, the feel of his hands awaken the other parts of me that lay dormant. I let them out and I enjoyed it.
I turned the kiss passionate, pushing harder against his lips and increasing the tempo of our movements. Diamond followed me with amazing skill that spoke of practice and our own special link. I knew I was going to regret this later, I was going to regret the ashes he left in my mouth, I was going to hate the guilt I felt when I spoke to Darien, but the dark parts of me sang for release and I was giving them what they wanted: a lover that could satisfy their every whim. His hand moved down over my butt and under my skirt and I pulled away startled. What was I doing? I was not going to have sex with him. I was not going to let myself get taken over by run away passions and let that get so far. I took a step away from him my eyes wide and my breathing laboured. Diamond's eyes were a little unfocused and his lips were red and temptingly parted allowing fast breaths to pass through. He gave me a sexy half grin and I felt my insides melt. I shook my head and bit my tongue to get rid of that traitorous feeling. I had to stop giving into this temptation. He was like a habit I couldn't kick, that one guy that you always fall back into a rut with even though he is so bad for you.
A bell rang and I sighed with relief inside.
"I gotta go, Diamond." I said with a smile and reached into my bag to get a mirror to
check my makeup. It was still fine, my cheeks were a little flushed and my lips red, but it was a pretty effect and I clipped the mirror closed putting it back into my bag.
"I'll call you tonight?" He said, giving that grin again. I nodded and smiled as I passed him. He leant down and I raised my face for a kiss goodbye. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he gave me a lingering kiss and I flounced off. My face crumbled the second I was away from him. I waited until I was around the corner before I wiped my lips with the back of my hand in disgust. I went to the water fountain and rinsed my mouth out a couple of times. I still felt unclean. I needed a shower, and I was regretting my stupid passion with a vengeance now. Thoughts and guilt whirled around my head and my stomach lurched. I was a horrible person for enjoying Diamond's touch. I was a complex and confused person. I acknowledged that and walked quickly to class. I had to see Darien soon, who knew what I was going to do if I was away from him too long with Diamond now sniffing around and confident of his conquest.
Argh, I thought in disgust, I'm his trophy. I wanted to throw up all over again.
0000
My phone rang straight after my last class and I answered thinking that the person had brilliant timing.
"Hello?"
"Hi Serena."
"Seiya?!" I exclaimed happily, and then lowered my voice as people started turning around. All at once I remembered that everyone knew that Seiya Star was a friend of mine. That had just died down and now I was resurrecting it.
"What's up?" I asked as I walked quickly to my locker avoiding eye contact with anyone and changed books for my homework and studying, though with everything going on I wasn't likely to get any studying done tonight.
"I'm in town and I want to see you."
"Oh fantastic! Have you seen Mina yet?"
"No…" there was a pause as if he was replaying her vague messagethat she had left on his answering machine before he came to Japan in his head. "She left a really vague message on my phone and so I thought I would come check it out."
I laughed, "Its brilliant news that I won't tell you. You're going to have to ask her yourself."
"Apparently," he replied dryly. We joked and talked for a couple of minutes and then suddenly his voice went serious.
"Serena, what is going on with you and Darien? And how is Rei involved?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. Students trying to get out of the hall elbowed me aside and I started walking again.
"How did you know?" I asked finally, still shocked that he knew. If anything I wanted him to stay out of it.
"I came by the school this afternoon and saw a confrontation between Rei and that asshole Diamond."
"Oh." Was all I could say.
"Don't 'oh' me, Serena. Rei said it was your business and if I wanted to know I had to ask you."
"Oh" I said again, feeling guilty.
"Did you know that he was hitting her, Serena?"
"Yes," I sighed, "that's why we are doing this. Look I'll talk to you about it tonight, are you going to Mina's?" I asked knowing that I wanted Mina and Malachite to take the edge off and support me. Maybe this conversation would wait when Mina told her cousin that she was getting married. I crossed my fingers and sent that prayer to whoever was listening.
"Fine." He sounded frustrated and angry. I sighed out my frustration.
"You could just stay out of it you know." I said tartly.
"Can't do that, I held Rei today as she cried after that bastard abused her…" his voice had a dangerous edge to it. My mouth opened in shock and I felt terrible that I hadn't known.
"I didn't know, she said he had been fine."
"I know I was there, Serena. Rei took the abuse then phoned you without a trace of anything in her voice," he explained a seed of pride coming into his voice.
"Why don't we all meet at Mina's and discuss this?" How can I avoid this? "Let's go to Mina first then, after she has told you her news, we will call everyone for a meeting."
"Fine." He said curtly. "I'll see you at 7 tonight."
"Ok," I responded tightly, "see you then."
Click.
He hadn't said goodbye. I closed my phone and stared at it feeling irritated about his rudeness and guilty about Rei being abused and then feeling she had to lie to me about it. I had to get rid of Diamond soon. I walked out of the school gates and walked home slowly, my thoughts on the greenhouse and the incident with Diamond. I had behaved very badly. I should never have let myself get out of control, but there was just something about him that made me weak. I needed to get rid of his poison soon. I needed to call Darien badly. I needed to hear his voice; ask him if he was okay. I needed to throw myself into his arms and sob hysterically that I was sorry. Pour out all my secrets to him and let him deal with me as he saw fit. Knowing him, he would probably hold me tightly and kiss away my doubts, tell me he loved me and forgive me for giving into Diamond again. My throat constricted with tears.
I didn't deserve him.
0000
That night I finished dinner quickly and ran out of the apartment, hailing a cab to take me to Mina's house. I wasn't going to walk on my own and I was running a little late.
I arrived a little after seven and took a deep, steeling breath before getting out of the cab and walking up to the front door. The entire cab ride I had been playing what I was going to say to Seiya when he dragged me aside to talk. Nothing sounded right. Hopefully he would be too preoccupied with Mina and Malachite's engagement to pay any mind to me. Fat chance! I thought, knowing that nothing short of an earthquake would make Seiya forget about this little talk. Sometimes it really sucked to have someone care enough to stick his nose into everything.
I knocked on the front door and heard laughter inside. Knots clenched in my stomach and I willed myself not to do something stupid. Really, this wasn't that big of a deal. I was getting worked up over nothing. I took another deep breath and readied my smile as the sharp clack of high heels were heard coming to the door. It swung open and Mina's beautiful mother stood in the doorway a welcoming smile on her face. I was instantly at ease; I had always liked Isabella, and her daughter was a smiling carbon copy of her.
"Come in, come in! They're waiting for you." She winked and ushered me through the hallway into the lounge where Mina and Malachite were sitting on a couch opposite a seated Seiya. Mina was ginning like an idiot and Malachite looked bored with the proceedings. Seiya was looking bewildered and, as I sat down next to him, Mina winked at me, wordlessly informing me that they hadn't told Seiya yet. I smiled at them, touched; they had waited for me to arrive before telling him the huge news.
Isabella came back into the room and stood behind her daughter and future son-in-law's couch, grin identical to Mina's. Seiya looked at me, a glint of panic hidden in his eyes. Malachite cracked a smile and, for a second I stared; he was really handsome when he smiled, even more so than usual.
"Okay, everybody ready?" Mina exclaimed suddenly and turned to smile at Malachite, he gave her a brief nod and she wiggled with excitement, "Mal and I are getting married!" she sang and gave Malachite another huge grin, he didn't return it, but his eyes softened with love and Mina became caught in them. Isabella cleared her throat and Mina laughed pulling her gaze away from Malachite's to Seiya. I turned to look; his face was slack with shock. I elbowed him trying to get a reaction. Nada.
Nervous laugher ran through the room. Mina's smile fell a little as her cousin didn't recover, "Did he die?" she asked tilting her head and grabbing Malachite's hand tightly.
"Seiya," I hissed, "you are supposed to responding to this." I accompanied this with another sharp elbow to the ribs and he jumped.
"You're what!?" he exclaimed and stood up incensed. "You're not even 19 yet!"
Mina turned to Malachite for help and his mouth tightened.
"She has made her choice, Seiya. You should be happy for her." he said calmly pinning Seiya with his eyes. Seiya wasn't intimidated by him and his jaw clenched. He appealed to his Aunt for help.
"Aunt Isabelle, you can't seriously be condoning this."
"Of course I am, Seiya. They are a good couple."
"But they're so young!" he exclaimed and ran an agitated hand through his hair. As bad as it sounds I was secretly glad he was over reacting to this. It might mean that my little problem wasn't going to cross his mind anytime soon. Malachite got up slowly and got into Seiya's space. For a moment I was afraid that they were going to throw punches, instead Malachite leaned in very close and said something that only Seiya could hear. Seiya's face-if possible-got tighter with anger, then he released it with a breath and smiled. Malachite moved back and took Mina's hand pulling her up off the couch and pulled her back tightly against his chest an arm around her waist so she would feel safe. It was such a natural reaction that my heart ached for Darien.
"Sorry," Seiya said sheepishly, "this is your decision and I won't stand in your way. As long as you are happy and healthy that should be enough for me." he grinned at his cousin and stepped forward to hug her. Malachite released his fiancée and she went forward and collapsed into her cousin's arms laughing with relief. Seiya pulled back and patted her on the head affectionately, "Congratulations, Mina."
I got up off the couch and raced forward to hug my best friend. I was thankful that Seiya had accepted it. I glanced over at him and his face was smiling but it wasn't reaching his eyes all the way. He still wasn't accepting it, but he was making Mina happy instead and I was grateful to him for it.
The doorbell rang again and Isabella excused herself to go answer it. She came back in looking confused with a perfectly prim Rei trailing behind her, expressionless. I hadn't called Rei, why was she here? I glanced at Seiya and my eyebrows lifted with surprise. There was tenderness in his eyes when he looked at Rei and, when she saw him her face lit with a brilliant smile. I made a mental note and highlighted it for a discussion with him later. I hadn't called her, but Seiya must have. The doorbell sounded again and Isabella excused herself and left the room. There was only one more person that would be coming, my heart lifted and butterflies began in my stomach. Isabella was chatting with someone as she re-entered the room. I recognised his voice before I saw him; Darien. With a little sound I launched myself away from the group and ran full tilt for him. He barely had enough time to open his arms before I was hugging him tightly burying my face in his neck. There was surprised silence behind us.
"Huh." Seiya said and clicked his tongue. "Now I'm really confused."
I didn't respond I was gripping Darien hard, trying to get as close as possible. He had wrapped himself around me, his cheek on mine head and a hand cupping the back of my head to him. He was murmuring things into my hair and it took me a little while to work out that he was telling me it was okay, that he was okay and that everything was going to be okay. I burst into tears unable to keep my turbulent emotions under control. The silence behind us became more pronounced as I cried against Darien's chest and he cradled me, comforting me. I didn't care what the others thought of me, all that mattered was that I was in Darien's arms.
I felt rather than heard the other leave the room, leaving Darien and I to talk and hold each other. The others vacated to the kitchen where I heard the conversation start up. In hushed tones Rei and Mina told the others what had been happening. Isabella's outraged tones at the abuse Rei and Serena had gotten at the hands of Diamond was heard clear in the lounge and it helped me to pull myself together.
I drew back and looked up at Darien, his eyes were red and wet and I realised he had been crying with me. I cradled his face in my hands and smiled at him. We kissed sweetly, gently, so full of love my throat closed with tears again and they slipped over my cheeks. We were going to be fine; we were going to be together forever. Diamond was never going to rip us apart and my attraction for Diamond was not going to tear us apart either. I was going to win this. We were going to get rid of him and we were going to finish our last year in high school with joy and love.
Nothing is going to keep us apart. I vowed silently to the powers that be and our lips met again.
A/N: Wow ok so I've finally finished my semester so hopefully that means I have more time to write! I've missed this story and all of you so much!
A huge Thank you to lachicarebelde22 who PM'd me with an ultimation. It made me write, thanks a lot.
thank you to all my wonderful readers and reviewers!
tiffany aka basketcase, Usagi Tora, merangelgal, Shrouded Mist, jupiter2005, Krys7, raye85, SailorMoonForever, ffgirlmoonie, Jingy5, katblue, usakomamo4ever, GuinevereRose, rosebudjamie, ViscountessKier and riyarules.
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