Authoress here.

Okay, that last chapter hurt my fingers, but I'm still typing this one anyway. It'll be a little bit shorter than the other one, however, I'm having fun with this story. I'm thinking this won't really be depressing in the end, so I may have to change the genre unless I can think of a sad plot twist.

I don't own anything except this story, Matori, and Shinji.

START CHAPTER

Matori shifted her weight from one foot to the other and cast a nervous glance around her. Miroku had come to speak to her after everyone else was already asleep, and it was risky. If Shinji were to wake up and hear them talking, he would assume the worst and attempt to cause harm to the monk. "You wanted to talk to me?" she whispered.

Nodding, Miroku also looked around before replying. They were right outside her bedroom door, which meant that there was also the danger of Kagome or Sango waking up as well. "I did."

"About what?" came the quiet, lightning fast reply. "As far as I know, there's nothing to say."

"It's about Shinji. Why are you marrying him?"

Because I have to. "What kind of question is that?" she demanded.

Miroku sighed softly. "What reason is there for marrying that man?"

"Miroku, stop. All I ask is for you to come to my wedding tomorrow. Can't you just be happy for me?" As much as it hurt her to try and send him on a guilt trip, it was something she couldn't avoid at this point. She was to be another man's wife, and she just wanted to have the one she truly loved there.

The monk hesitated a moment before he nodded and sighed. "I will be there, but I can't be happy for you."

"Miroku..." she whispered.

Miroku turned to head back to his own room. "I won't object to this marriage," he assured her. "But I know you don't love him." He went into his room before she could respond, but his words had a lasting effect. They left her wanting to cry and sink to the ground, but after having her heart broken, she was stronger than before. Instead, she went back into her room.

As she was climbing back into bed, Kagome rolled over to look at her. "Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

Matori didn't answer right away. She had planned for this. "I already told you. I can't. Will you and Sango help me get ready tomorrow?" A casual change of the subject was not enough to permanently keep Kagome off the topic that made her want to cry the most, but Matori thought it would be nice to talk about something else.

Kagome sighed, but nodded. "We'll be there to help you...but I still don't like it. Why won't you just tell him and then leave with us? Shinji can't hurt you if he can't find you."

Matori lifted her head to fluff her pillow as she considered the words of the younger girl. "Leaving to escape him would work, but it's impossible for me to bail out of this marriage now. We wed tomorrow at dusk, Kagome. That doesn't leave much time for me to make a plan."

Kagome shrugged. "Act out of impulse, then. You're never going to be happy if you live a lie because you're too afraid to do something about it."

"Then tell Inuyasha how you feel about him," Matori replied slyly; she wasn't foolish enough to not notice the discreet flirtations between the two.

Kagome flushed. "You're changing the subject."

"I know."

"Because I'm traveling with Inuyasha, I get to see him every day, and then there's hope. If you just ditch Miroku and marry that loser, you'll never be happy."

"Such wisdom coming from such young girl," Matori responded sarcastically, aggravated that she knew Kagome was right.

"You don't have to be a jerk, you know," Kagome replied. "I'm just trying to help you."

"I'm sorry," Matori said honestly. "I'm right now. I don't know what I should d-do." Her voice broke and she gave in to the strong urge to let all the tears that she had bottled up for six years fall. "I l-love Miroku. I love him, Kagome. B-but I can't back out of this. Shinji will k-kill me, then he'll kill Miroku, too. I can't let that h-happen. I'd rather spend the rest of my life living in pain than let Miroku get hurt because of me."

Kagome reached over and patted her on the back sympathetically. "It's fine. Miroku's stronger than he looks. So is Inuyasha. That guy can't hurt them."

Matori sniffled into her pillow and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "What should I do? I can't pretend anymore, Kagome. It hurts too much. I just can't."

Kagome smiled a little. "Call off the wedding. I'll be right there with you so he won't hurt you. I promise." She patted Matori's back. "Now get some sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you."

Matori nodded, letting her head sink into her pillow, comforted by the promise that she knew would never come true. Shinji was also stronger than he looked, and she doubted she, or anyone else, would escape unscathed.

Six years had passed since Miroku had promised to marry her. She was eighteen now, and beyond the legal and widely accepted age to wed. At eighteen, she had yet to experience her first kiss. While waiting for Miroku, she had pushed men from her and vowed that her first kiss would be with him.

At eighteen and still living her life from dream to dream, she drifted off to sleep.

END CHAPTER

I love Inuyasha. I love anime. I love writing. I love typing.

I also love ranting, so I'll tear myself away before I start with that too.

Authoress out.