Chapter 8: Unwanted Confrontations

I would have updated sooner, but my senior year of high school started and I have a lot of things to keep up with. Updates will be slow even though it's not like I was updating every week in the first place. Now…

Enjoy!

It was almost 3:30 p.m. when Kasumi decided to visit her brother. Ayane told her that the boys came back to Seattle four days ago, yet Kasumi hasn't talked to Hayate since the phone call before the trip. She knew her brother could handle himself, but she was slightly worried about not talking to him lately. I will feel better after I talk to him, Kasumi thought. There's another reason for why she's driving to Hayabusa's house right now, but Kasumi's main focus is finding Hayate.

Minutes later, Kasumi parked her car next to a black Mercedes in the driveway and stared at Hayabusa's house. Hayate's car wasn't there either although he could be in the house so she decided not to leave yet. I'm pretty sure Hayabusa is here, she thought while she removed her seatbelt. Kasumi didn't like the possibility of running into him since she still doesn't know what to say about what happened between them. She has been thinking about him lately, but she's not going to let that get in the way of what she's doing now. I'm only here for Hayate, she told herself. She got out of her car and walked towards the two-story house. After closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she lifted a hand to knock on the maroon door.

The door opened before her hand could touch it, making her yelp and step back in surprise. She started to panic when she lost her balance then closed her eyes to brace herself for the fall. Someone caught her though, saving her from the embarrassment and pain of falling. The hands around her arms felt rough although they held her arms gently, and she could feel the person gazing at her. After a few seconds, Kasumi opened her eyes to stare back at Hayabusa, who was wearing a white Oxford shirt with black Bermuda shorts. He raised an eyebrow and removed his hands before he spoke.

"Kasumi, I'm sorry! My neighbor, Mrs. Adams, had called me and said someone had been sitting outside of my house for a while, so I came to check it out. I didn't mean to run into you like that. Are you okay?" he asked, moving forward to wave at his neighbor. Kasumi turned and saw a woman - who looked like she was in her early forties - watering her flowers and waving to Hayabusa.

"I'm okay, just a little surprised," she answered, facing him again. She noticed the specks of blue paint on his hands and shirt, which really drew attention to his body now that she's staring at it. Stop it, she thought while shaking her head. "Is Hayate here?"

"I've been in my art studio since last night, so I haven't seen him. Come in, I'll go see if he's here," he replied, walking into his house. Kasumi quietly followed him, trying to ignore her nervousness. Hayabusa disappeared into another part of his house, leaving Kasumi in the living room. Two large single-hung windows were placed on either side of the door and were covered by green window blinds. A black bookshelf nearly filled with books and photographs was against the wall on Kasumi's right side, next to a set of slider windows.

A black couch with two yellow pillows was facing the large television and two black loveseats were facing each other on either side of the couch. There was also two black end tables in the corners that the couch and loveseats had formed along with a glass coffee table in front of them. Oh my, Kasumi thought when she turned to look at the wall on her left side. The other walls were painted white, but this wall was turned into a mural of the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. All of the furniture and decorations complimented the mural, leaving Kasumi stunned by both the design and Hayabusa's artistic talent. It seems so real.

"Hayate isn't here and he isn't answering his phone," Hayabusa said, stopping at the end of the stairs. Kasumi watched as he put on a pair of shoes and grabbed the keys that were on the coffee table before walking to her. "We might be able to find him if we go to some of the places he likes to visit."

"No! Wait!" Kasumi nearly shouted, wrapping her hands around his arm. She could feel his muscles tense for a second before they relaxed in her grip. She looked away nervously, trying to hide the red glow that came over her face. If Hayabusa was surprised by her sudden outburst he didn't show it, which she was secretly thankful for.

"Why? I thought you were searching for him," Hayabusa stated, turning to stare at Kasumi. It felt as if his eyes were reading her like a book, but that didn't stop her from slowly releasing his arm and lightly dragging her fingers along it. She shook her head and reminded herself about why she came here. Hayabusa was being a dangerous distraction and Kasumi couldn't understand how he's gaining all of her attention without even trying to. Memories of their kiss in the kitchen have been replaying in her mind for a while - sometimes she could still feel his hands on her hips. Simply put, he's been the center of most of her thoughts, making her question her feelings towards him. I don't know why I've been thinking about Hayabusa lately.

"I've been thinking about you, too. That doesn't explain why I shouldn't help you find Hayate though," Hayabusa suddenly declared, smirking. His statement made Kasumi realize she had said that thought aloud, making her blush from embarrassment. He yawned and lifted his arms to stretch, unknowingly giving Kasumi a great view when his shirt rose a little.

Kasumi sighed and looked away from Hayabusa again. She was frustrated by how she was acting around him, especially when it's like he isn't aware of how seductive his actions look. She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them and met his vibrant green eyes. "Weren't you in the middle of painting something before you opened the door?"

"Not really. I'd rather help you since it's unusual for Hayate to disappear like this," he answered, shifting his weight to his other foot. She silently watched as he prowled around his living room, wondering if he was feeling as restless as she was. Kasumi couldn't tear her eyes away from him and didn't stop herself from briefly wondering what it's like to watch him strip since she still didn't remember the last time he did. Why am I thinking about him like this? I need to leave.

"Thank you, Hayabusa, but I have to leave," Kasumi nervously claimed, walking to the door. She didn't know where Hayabusa was standing, but it doesn't matter since she needs to leave before he makes some type of move. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side today, because Hayabusa's hand suddenly appeared against the door, keeping it closed. Kasumi didn't dare to turn around although she knew Hayabusa was standing close.

"You don't want me to help you and I doubt if you're going to tell me why," Hayabusa observed, barely heard over the sound of Kasumi's erratic heart beat. She turned around to face him and could feel his outstretched arm slightly brush against her face. That brief moment of skin to skin contact along with Hayabusa's intense stare and her mixed feelings about him easily pushed her over the edge.

Kasumi grabbed the collar of Hayabusa's shirt and pulled him to her. He easily took control of the kiss and pulled her closer, but that didn't break Kasumi's concentration on his shirt. She finally unbuttoned the annoying thing, focusing back on his lips while her hands pulled the shirt off his arms. His hands felt like they were everywhere, so she decided to familiarize herself with his chest in order to return the favor. His name gracefully slipped past her lips when Hayabusa shifted to kiss her neck while she tilted her head back before his lips covered hers again. After a few minutes of giving in to her desires, Kasumi pushed Hayabusa away then leaned against the door.

"I have never been this confused before," Hayabusa confessed, his voice huskier than it usually is. He shifted his weight again and stared at Kasumi, ignoring his shirt on the floor. His eyes showed the same feeling of desire that Kasumi had felt moments ago, so she had to stop looking at him before she forced herself to speak.

"I can't keep making bad decisions, Hayabusa. I need to go see my fiancé," she whispered, opening the door. Hayabusa didn't say anything and she was glad he didn't try to stop her. She quickly got in her car and took a moment to think about her actions. She felt ashamed of herself for kissing Hayabusa, worried about Rig cancelling their wedding and scared because she isn't sure about her feelings towards Hayabusa. I need to figure this out before anything else happens, she realized. She started to drive to Donovan Industries, where her fiancé was the CEO.

Her hands were shaking although she tried to calm herself down before she walked into the twelve-story building. She didn't stop to look around the large building, walking directly to the nearest elevator. After pressing the button for the tenth floor, Kasumi looked around and found someone's wallet in the corner of the elevator. She picked it up along with the picture that was laying under it. This is Rig's wallet, Kasumi thought when she saw the picture of her and Rig from when they had went to a festival. She placed both the picture and wallet in her pocket then exited the elevator. I can do this, Kasumi told herself while she approached Rig's secretary.

"Hello, Kasumi," a woman with long, black hair and gray eyes greeted.

"Hello, Kokoro. Is Rig still in his office?" Kasumi asked, getting to the point.

"He just came from a meeting, but he has another one coming up in a few minutes. There's a chance he's in his office right now," Kokoro answered. Kasumi quickly thanked her and walked down the hallway towards Rig's office. Why was I so nervous before? Kasumi knocked on the door and waited for a response, but Rig didn't say anything. She heard something fall to the floor, so Kasumi grabbed the door handle and opened the door.

"Rig? I –" she started, but quickly stopped as her mind went blank. There were papers and other small objects scattered on the floor although that wasn't what Kasumi was staring at. Rig was sitting in his office chair with a surprised looked on his face and a white-haired woman was sitting on his desk with her legs on either side of Rig and her shirt slightly unbuttoned. He instantly pushed the woman away and stood up to walk to Kasumi, who backed away from him. Kasumi tried to say something, but she thought about it before she turned and walked away.

"Kasumi, wait! We need to talk," Rig said, catching up to Kasumi. He grabbed her arm and managed to lead her into a smaller office before she pushed his hand away from her.

"That's exactly why I came here! I just didn't think about the chance of interrupting your affair with that woman," she exclaimed. Kasumi knew it was wrong to accuse him of cheating when she was the one who probably cheated first, but things took a turn for the worse when Rig didn't say anything. Silence hung in the air while Kasumi waited for Rig to say something – to tell her that she's wrong – although nothing changed.

"If you're not going to say anything, I don't have any reason to stay here! You can find me when you're ready to tell me about that woman and what you were doing with her then I'll tell you why I came here," she shouted, opening the door and slamming it behind her. She rushed past Kokoro, who was trying to ask if Kasumi was okay. Of course I'm not okay, she thought. She wiped her tears away when she stepped into the elevator, refusing to let her emotions get the best of her when she needs to think about what she's going to do now.

While she was driving home, Kasumi noticed a bar that was already open. It's already eight and I don't mind having a few drinks by myself, she thought while parking near the bar. She showed the security guard her I.D. before he nodded and stepped aside to let her in. The inside of the bar was a little dark with loud music, flashing neon lights and people dancing. Kasumi easily made her way over to the counter and sat down. The bartender was a man who had long white hair in a low ponytail. He turned to face Kasumi before he smiled at her.

"My name is Brad. What kind of beverage would a beautiful woman such as yourself want to drink tonight?" he asked, winking at her.

"Surprise me; just don't make it too strong," she answered truthfully. Brad nodded and went to make the drink, leaving Kasumi to her thoughts. I'm so confused and angry, but I don't know if I'm angry with Rig or myself! I never thought he would be that kind of person. It's not like I would ever find out since he didn't bother to explain anything. My relationship is already falling apart. Kasumi thanked Brad for her drink before she raised it to her lips. She finished it sooner than she expected to, so she ordered another one and glanced at her phone. I wonder why Ayane called me so many times, Kasumi thought although she didn't make any move to call her sister back.

Two drinks quickly turned into six before Kasumi decided to leave the bar. She called a taxi to take her home since she knew she wasn't in a good shape to drive. Her thoughts were all over the place, so she told the driver to take her to the first address she thought of. She couldn't remember whose house she was going to, but she's sure that the person wouldn't mind a random visit.

…

What could be a good last name for Kasumi, Hayate, and Ayane? I can't think of any and I would love to see your ideas. Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice!