Chapter 44

Whisked away upon arrival, what was the point of going up all those stairs anyway? To get a glimpse of the bride that was not mine? I order a coffee and Tsukasa a glass of wine.

"What happened to Shigeru's lunch?" I asked as the waiter walked away.

"Oh..um.. I forgot," said Tsukasa in the sheepish way he behaved when he was lying.

"What are you not telling me?" I demanded with an even tone.

"Nothing…Waiter menu!" he said snapping his fingers.

What could the fool possibly want to hide from me in between having lunch and going for a bridal gown fitting? I mused looking at him fumble until I realized what he was trying to hide.

"Two handbags…" I said more or less to myself.

"What?" half-screeched Tsukasa choking on his wine.

"Two handbags," I said more firmly.

"She's up there isn't she?" I asked searchingly and his caught red-tongued look told me what I needed to know as I stood abruptly to run back.

"Rui please! She doesn't want to see you…" I hear Tsukasa in the background as I run striding out of the café.

I bump into Shigeru, "Rui.. I thought" but continued on my path to catch a glimpse of her. I run up the stairs and into the room I was in before.

"Tsukushi…" I say between gasps, the familiar frame frozen in motion at the sound of my voice.

"Turn around will you?" I close to plead.

"I can't." I hear her say I icily.

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't. I can't see you. Seeing you would make this year's effort invalid." I see her frame tremble.

"Then close your eyes and turn around, you won't see me that way." I reason.

"Rui," I hear her resolve dissolve within the single syllable of my name.

"Yes?" I reply as she turns around obediently, eyes closed.

She looks like a fairy, an little sprite in grey-silver and green; I feel my heart drop in awe of her beauty, I feel it thump heavily knowing I've scoured the earth looking for this half of me. I missed her, missed her scent and the way her touch washes over my wounds. Drawn to her like opposite poles of a magnet I take three strides across the room and drag her into my arms.

And I said, "Roaming the earth leaving a place filled with you didn't help, every numbing substance and form of debauchery made me feel even more empty than the next. I now know with no doubt… I'm going to feel this way for the rest of my life, I love you Tsukushi Makino. Always have, always will."