CHAPTER 14
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi
The sounds of another day in Los Angeles invaded Kagome's apartment: rushing traffic, the honking of annoyed drivers and the occasional car alarm going off. The noises didn't bother her before. But now she wished for silence and a dark place to hide in.
Guilt consumed her. She couldn't stop crying despite what Sesshomaru did or said. She kept seeing Inuyasha's distraught face, kept hearing the last thing he said to her. She betrayed him and with his brother no less. She curled up into a ball and cried harder.
Sesshomaru dressed himself and called the newspaper to say Kagome wouldn't be coming in today. He didn't know what else to do for her. He sat in the living room wracking his brain for something, anything that might comfort her. The only options he could come up with involved maiming or killing Inuyasha. And he knew Kagome would never go for that.
His musings were interrupted by Kagome who now stood in front of him. She looked everywhere but at him.
"Sesshomaru. We need to talk.''
He didn't like the sound of that.
"Maybe we shouldn't see each other for awhile.''
"No. That is unacceptable.''
He stood up, took ahold of her chin and forced her to look at him.
"Do you regret being with me? Because I regret nothing. Nothing.''
"I hurt Inuyasha.''
"You knew this was going to happen when you chose me.''
"Hai. But it kills me knowing I caused him so much pain.''
Sesshomaru's heart sank. He dropped his hand and turned away from her. When he finally spoke again, his voice was cold and emotionless. His voice belied the turmoil inside of him.
"What do you intend to do Kagome? Will you leave me for Inuyasha? Are you even sure he would welcome you back?''
He felt her arms encircle his waist as she pressed herself against his back.
"I love you Sesshomaru. All I ask is for some time apart. And I have to talk to him alone. Please.''
She broke down, her tears seeping through his silk shirt. Sesshomaru didn't understand why she was doing this. But he knew he could not deny her anything.
"As you wish Kagome. I will wait for you.''
"I know.''
Kagura could command a page by herself in the tabloids not too long ago. But a slew of bad movie roles tarnished her star. You couldn't be an up and coming actress in Hollywood for long. This is what she was reduced to - a graph in a gossip column. And in a second rate tabloid too. Kagura sighed. She tried to interest the press in her sad story of a pregnant woman dumped by a heartless man for a reporter who was dating that man's brother.
Only one bit. Even that hack freely admitted to having a slight interest only.
"Honey, let's face facts. You're in your 30s, you haven't had a hit movie or even a TV show and you're not an A-list or even a B-list celebrity anymore. Sure Sesshomaru Taiko is rich, but he's not known outside the business world. And who is this Kagome Higurashi? And who cares about Mr. Taiko's brother? They're nobodies. You're the only one of any interest in this tale and you gotta admit, you're not much interest to a lot of us right now. I heard you're not even pregnant.''
It was Onigumo who showed her pictures of Sesshomaru going in and out of Kagome's apartment and of the couple kissing. She stormed over to Sesshomaru's house but Jaken turned her away. The businessman refused to take her calls. Onigumo told her going to the press would work, that Sesshomaru would do anything to protect Kagome from scandal.
And this was the result - a graph buried on page 7. No one even called to commiserate with her. She seethed. That bitch Kagome would pay.
Onigumo used his business venture with Sesshomaru to drop in on the Brentwood house as often as he could. He noticed Sesshomaru was home often now and casually mentioned this to Jaken. The toady relayed his suspicions that Sesshomaru and Kagome might be having problems because of Inuyasha who just returned from Japan. Onigumo knew he had to make his move now. And he needed to use Kagura again.
She balked at his latest suggestion however.
"Why would I invite that woman out for a drink? Why would I even want to talk to her?''
"Kagura. You're not really going to have a girls' night out with Kagome. I just need you to take her somewhere."
"What's in it for me?"
"She won't trouble you again. Sesshomaru would forget her in time."
"Let me think about it."
"Don't think. Just do it."
"Don't order me around! Who do you think you are?"
"Don't cross me Kagura or you'll never work in this town again. Do you want to go back to the obscurity you came from?"
"You're bluffing."
"Then call my bluff,'' he said and hung up.
It was time to call in some favors owed him. Onigumo learned long ago that in Hollywood, money and who you knew got things done.
Within a month, the job offers dried up. At first, Kagura chalked it up to her recent string of movies that flopped. But she grew frightened when she wasn't even getting commercial gigs, her agent suddenly quit and no one returned her calls. She dreaded returning to the small town where she grew up. That town suffocated her. She needed a place where she could be somebody, or at least pretend to be somebody.
She bowed to the inevitable and called Onigumo. She dispensed with the pleasantries and quickly got to the point.
"Where do you want me to take her?,'' she sullenly said.
"I knew you would see it my way."
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi
The sounds of another day in Los Angeles invaded Kagome's apartment: rushing traffic, the honking of annoyed drivers and the occasional car alarm going off. The noises didn't bother her before. But now she wished for silence and a dark place to hide in.
Guilt consumed her. She couldn't stop crying despite what Sesshomaru did or said. She kept seeing Inuyasha's distraught face, kept hearing the last thing he said to her. She betrayed him and with his brother no less. She curled up into a ball and cried harder.
Sesshomaru dressed himself and called the newspaper to say Kagome wouldn't be coming in today. He didn't know what else to do for her. He sat in the living room wracking his brain for something, anything that might comfort her. The only options he could come up with involved maiming or killing Inuyasha. And he knew Kagome would never go for that.
His musings were interrupted by Kagome who now stood in front of him. She looked everywhere but at him.
"Sesshomaru. We need to talk.''
He didn't like the sound of that.
"Maybe we shouldn't see each other for awhile.''
"No. That is unacceptable.''
He stood up, took ahold of her chin and forced her to look at him.
"Do you regret being with me? Because I regret nothing. Nothing.''
"I hurt Inuyasha.''
"You knew this was going to happen when you chose me.''
"Hai. But it kills me knowing I caused him so much pain.''
Sesshomaru's heart sank. He dropped his hand and turned away from her. When he finally spoke again, his voice was cold and emotionless. His voice belied the turmoil inside of him.
"What do you intend to do Kagome? Will you leave me for Inuyasha? Are you even sure he would welcome you back?''
He felt her arms encircle his waist as she pressed herself against his back.
"I love you Sesshomaru. All I ask is for some time apart. And I have to talk to him alone. Please.''
She broke down, her tears seeping through his silk shirt. Sesshomaru didn't understand why she was doing this. But he knew he could not deny her anything.
"As you wish Kagome. I will wait for you.''
"I know.''
Kagura could command a page by herself in the tabloids not too long ago. But a slew of bad movie roles tarnished her star. You couldn't be an up and coming actress in Hollywood for long. This is what she was reduced to - a graph in a gossip column. And in a second rate tabloid too. Kagura sighed. She tried to interest the press in her sad story of a pregnant woman dumped by a heartless man for a reporter who was dating that man's brother.
Only one bit. Even that hack freely admitted to having a slight interest only.
"Honey, let's face facts. You're in your 30s, you haven't had a hit movie or even a TV show and you're not an A-list or even a B-list celebrity anymore. Sure Sesshomaru Taiko is rich, but he's not known outside the business world. And who is this Kagome Higurashi? And who cares about Mr. Taiko's brother? They're nobodies. You're the only one of any interest in this tale and you gotta admit, you're not much interest to a lot of us right now. I heard you're not even pregnant.''
It was Onigumo who showed her pictures of Sesshomaru going in and out of Kagome's apartment and of the couple kissing. She stormed over to Sesshomaru's house but Jaken turned her away. The businessman refused to take her calls. Onigumo told her going to the press would work, that Sesshomaru would do anything to protect Kagome from scandal.
And this was the result - a graph buried on page 7. No one even called to commiserate with her. She seethed. That bitch Kagome would pay.
Onigumo used his business venture with Sesshomaru to drop in on the Brentwood house as often as he could. He noticed Sesshomaru was home often now and casually mentioned this to Jaken. The toady relayed his suspicions that Sesshomaru and Kagome might be having problems because of Inuyasha who just returned from Japan. Onigumo knew he had to make his move now. And he needed to use Kagura again.
She balked at his latest suggestion however.
"Why would I invite that woman out for a drink? Why would I even want to talk to her?''
"Kagura. You're not really going to have a girls' night out with Kagome. I just need you to take her somewhere."
"What's in it for me?"
"She won't trouble you again. Sesshomaru would forget her in time."
"Let me think about it."
"Don't think. Just do it."
"Don't order me around! Who do you think you are?"
"Don't cross me Kagura or you'll never work in this town again. Do you want to go back to the obscurity you came from?"
"You're bluffing."
"Then call my bluff,'' he said and hung up.
It was time to call in some favors owed him. Onigumo learned long ago that in Hollywood, money and who you knew got things done.
Within a month, the job offers dried up. At first, Kagura chalked it up to her recent string of movies that flopped. But she grew frightened when she wasn't even getting commercial gigs, her agent suddenly quit and no one returned her calls. She dreaded returning to the small town where she grew up. That town suffocated her. She needed a place where she could be somebody, or at least pretend to be somebody.
She bowed to the inevitable and called Onigumo. She dispensed with the pleasantries and quickly got to the point.
"Where do you want me to take her?,'' she sullenly said.
"I knew you would see it my way."