0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 19: Can't Forget

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Feeling rather stunned by Amara's blatant denial, Kai dropped his grip on her wrist. This gave her the perfect opportunity to run. Kai stood there. He stood there and watched her disappear. He could see her through the window running. Her small figure got smaller and smaller as she got further and further away.

20-year-old Kai Hiwatari's silver eye's flashed open. There was nothing but white in front of him. He quickly realized that he had pulled his white sheet over his head and removed it.

It was only a dream. Amara hadn't just left him. No she had been gone for almost a year. Kai had gone back to Russia the same day the red head disappeared. He was about to get married to one of her best friends in only a matter of days and now the dream was becoming more and more frequent.

Kai ran his fingers through his messy two-toned blue hair. Why would he start dreaming about Amara now? He had after she first left but it had been a while. Pulling back the covers, Kai let his feet touch the cold floor. It was still early but the summer sun was shining through his shear blinds. Realizing he wasn't going to get anymore sleep, Kai headed downstairs to track down some breakfast.

Lady Catherine was already seated at the small table outside on the terrace. She was busily putting sugar in her tea.

"You're up early my dear," she said without looking up. Kai took the seat across from her. A servant came a placed a cup of juice in front of him. It was the same thing every morning but usually Kai ate alone.

"Couldn't sleep," he grumbled.

"Well, it's better this way," she told him matter of factly. "You sleep too much. You should be spending more time with your fiancé."

"No thank you," Kai replied curtly. "I think I'll pass."

"Kai," his great grandmother warned. "It's been a year and you barely say a word to the poor girl. She moved into the house so that you two would get to know each other better."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't want to get to know her?" Kai snapped the words coming out a little harsher than he had planned.

"You will be marrying her so get rid of any notions that you still might be carrying around that you're going to see that girl again," Voltaire warned taking a seat at the head of the table.

"Whatever," Kai grumbled, pushing his chair back from the table.

"Where do you think you are going?" Voltaire asked in a low growl.

"I would rather spend time with her than you." Kai replied heading back into the house.

It didn't take him long to locate Jules, who spent most of her time in the same wing of the house where her room and private living room was. She was sitting alone on the sofa reading, her brown hair that now fell past her shoulders covered her face from his view as he entered the room. Kai quietly took a seat in the chair across from her.

"Kai?" Jules jumped slightly when she finally realized he was there. "Can I help you with something? Did you get lost?"

"Very funny but no," he replied shortly. "I came to talk to you."

"Oh, well this is a surprise now isn't it," she said not sounding too eager. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Playing stupid doesn't suit you."

"Oh really," Jules tried not to sound too curious. "And you know what suits me since you've just been ignoring me so well this past year."

"I am sorry about that but I needed my space and I assumed you needed yours."

"Yes, but it comes to a point where you just get lonely in this place," Jules grimaced a little. She closed her book and placed it on the table beside her. "I did want some time to think but after about six months I was starting to get tired of my own thoughts."

"I'm sorry," Kai replied solemnly.

"Yeah, well what can you do," Jules shrugged. "We can't change the past."

"No, we can't but we can try to make the inevitable future better."

"Do you love her still?"

"She has nothing to do with the future," Kai snapped gruffly.

"Yes, she does," Jules, countered. "She has a lot to do with it actually."

"Really? And how do you figure on that?" Kai asked getting more and more irritated by the second.

"If you stay hung up on Amara and I stay hung up on Tala there is no way we're going to be able to have a life of our own," Jules replied standing up and pacing as she spoke. "Like you said this marriage is inevitable so we need to make the best of it. I know that I'll always be wondering if you're thinking of her when you kiss me…"

"And you won't be thinking of Tala?" Kai asked cutting her off. Jules turned and looked at him. A slight blush covering her cheeks. "See it works both ways."

"You're right it does," Jules agreed somewhat reluctantly. "What does it really matter? It's not like either of us are keen on this relationship."

"Well you brought it up."

"Yeah, well this is why," Jules shoved a paper in his face that she had picked up from the table beside where she had been sitting.

"What is it?" Kai asked a little confused. CONTRACT was written across the top in bold black.

"That would be the contract that we have to follow after our wedding," Jules grimaced returning to her seat on the couch.

"There's a contract?" Kai snapped angrily. This was just like his grandfather.

"We have to have a baby by the time we're 25 or all benefits will be revoked."

"We what? Baby?" Kai stuttered numbly. He stared blankly at the sheet of paper in front of him. He had to be a father by the time he was 25 that was only five years away. This wasn't right.

"Come on!" Kai grabbed Jules wrist and pulled her after him. They were going to have a little chat with his grandfather and Lady Catherine. "What the hell is this?" Kai slapped the contract down on Voltaire's desk. Voltaire picked up the paper and skimmed its contents.

"I don't know," he replied with disinterest.

"You lying bastard," Kai growled. "Only you would put a contract on this relationship."

"Calm down Kai," Lady Catherine said calmly from the doorway. "He really doesn't know."

"Then who did it?" Kai demanded. Jules stood silently behind him not daring to get in on it.

"It's partially my fault," Lady Catherine continued in the same unwavering tone. She sat down in one of the chairs in front of Voltaire's desk. "You see that contract was written years ago as a guideline for who would get the inheritance. Unfortunately now it is very out of date and I can't change it. It's a legal document."

"So we seriously have to have a baby before Kai's 25th birthday?" Jules asked letting her presence be known.

"Yes, along with whatever else it says," Lady Catherine, replied solemnly.

0 0 0

"You look like shit!" Tala couldn't help but chuckle.

"Nice to see you too," Kai grumbled taking a seat on the couch opposite his friend.

Kai really didn't look so good. There were heavy black bags under his usually clear silver eyes. His hair, even though he usually did sport a messy look, was matted and sticking up in every possible direction. Even his clothes looked as if they had been slept in.

"Sorry, dude, just saying it like it is," Tala shrugged and tossed the magazine he had been reading onto the coffee table.

"Guess I don't really deserve your friendship anymore?" Kai ran his hand through his hair a typical gesture when he was uncomfortable.

"Guess not," Tala replied not looking at Kai. "So what do you want anyway? This is the first time you've come to see me."

"Yeah, didn't think you wanted to see me."

"No can't really say I did," Tala tried to keep the atmosphere light.

"Well, I guess I just needed someone to talk to right now." Kai still wasn't looked at Tala. Instead his eyes were focused on an envelope on the table. "I'm getting married in a week…"

"So I've read in every bloody news paper for the last month," Tala interrupted his voice a low growl.

"I want you to come." Now Kai looked up wanting to see his friend's reaction.

"What does Jules have to say about this?" Tala asked without so much as flinching.

"I haven't told her," Kai answered almost sheepishly.

"Not exactly trying to build a trusting relationship now are you?" Tala sneered.

"She'll just have to forgive me for it later," he shrugged. "If things were different I probably would have asked you to be my best man you know."

"Yeah, I know, but things aren't different." Tala answered bitterly. He followed Kai's gaze and noticed that he was staring at an envelope on the table. "As much as you stare at it, it's not going to do anything."

"It's from her isn't it?" Kai asked his eyes never leaving the letter.

"Yeah, it is."

"How is she?" There was no mistaking the sadness in Kai's usually strong voice.

"Still alive," Tala kept his answers short. "Moves around a lot."

"The last thing she said to me…I can still hear it…can't seem to forget it," Kai said sounding very far away. He was lost in his own thoughts. "I can't love you."

"You have to forget it man," Tala said pulling Kai back to the present. "You're marrying Jules. Your loyalty is to her now."

Kai nodded and stood to leave. "Thanks man." He offered his hand to Tala to shake. "I hope to see you there."

"We'll see," Tala replied with a smile. The two old friends shook hands then Kai left. Tala stood at the window and watched the blue haired teen walk down his driveway and disappear around the corner. "You heard that didn't you?"

"Yeah," a small voice said from one of the other doorways into the large living room. "I heard all of it."

"Damn it, Ams, he's still totally hung up on you," Tala grumbled raking his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Sounds like it," Amara crossed the room and let her exhausted body fall onto the couch where Kai had just been minutes before.

Tala turned to look at her and his expression softened. Amara was a lot thinner than when he had seen her last. Her face seemed almost hallow, but somehow her sapphire eyes still sparkled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that," Tala sat down beside her and draped an arm around her shoulders. "It's not your fault."

"Cut the guy some slack," Amara said with a yawn. She rested her head on Tala's shoulder and allowing her heavy eyelids to close. "You're still very much so hung up on Jules are you not?"

"I'm working on it," he grumbled knowing he had been caught.

"Me too," Amara mumbled close to sleep.

"Master Tala?" the butler was in the doorway. "There's someone here to see you."

"Who is it?" Tala was curious.

"A young lady," the butler replied and waited for Tala's response.

"Show her in but wait one minute I need to take this one to her room." The butler nodded and Tala moved to help Amara. She was light enough for him to carry so he picked her in his arms.

"Aren't you just a popular guy," she teased sleepily.

"That's me," Tala smiled. He took Amara up to the room that had basically become hers every time she came for a visit. He laid her on the bed and pulled the blankets over her. "Sleep tight." Tala leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek.

Tala walked into the living room to find Jules inspecting one of the paintings on the wall. It was a family portrait of Tala and his four sisters.

"Hello," Tala said to get Jules attention.

"Oh, hi," she jumped a little. "Nice to see you. How have you been?"

"Cut the niceties," Tala replied gruffly. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," Jules said sitting down on one of the wing-backed chairs. "Is that so wrong?"

"Considering the situation it just might be," Tala watched Jules expression harden at his response.

"Fine, it was a mistake for coming here anyway," Jules moved to stand and so did Tala.

"Wait," Tala grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down to her seat. "I'm sorry. You can say whatever you came here to say and I'll listen."

"Thanks," Jules mumbled wiping the expression of shock off her face.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Do you love me?"

"Jules, this isn't something we need to talk about," Tala replied curtly. "It's done. You're marrying Kai. End of story."

"Did you love me?" Tala could see the tears welling up in her emerald eyes.

"Jules…" Tala tried again to talk her out of asking but it wouldn't work.

"Answer the question, damn it!" Jules snapped causing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. Tala wanted so much to reach out and brush them away but he stopped himself.

"No," Tala said sternly.

Jules closed her eyes causing the tears to fall even more. Tala's words rang through her head.

"You were right it was wrong for me to come here," Jules said softly and rose from her seat.

"Jules, you don't understand…" Tala stood to stop her. This time she knew he would grab for her wrist so she jerked away before he could.

"No, Tala," Jules snapped heading for the door.

Tala jumped over the couch and beat her to the door. He closed it and then covered it with his body. "Would you just listen to me?"

"I want to leave! You didn't want me here anyway," Jules huffed. She stood in front of him with her hands on her jean clad hips.

"Listen to me," Tala pulled her to him. Jules hands rested on his chest and looked up at him. Tala found himself mesmerized by something in her eyes.

"Tala?" Jules said softly.

Tala leaned down and crushed his lips to hers. His arms naturally snaked their way around her slender waist to pull her closer. He could feel Jules grip the front of his t-shirt.

They both knew they should pull away but neither of them really wanted to at that moment. Tala knew once she walked out the door that she would be gone from his life forever…again.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

There it is….chapter 19. The wedding/the end is coming. I know I've said that before but honestly now. There are only really two maybe three to go…depends on if I put an epilogue in it. Thanks to everyone who has been reading this story and reviewing. I love to hear from you guys so please read and review…no flames please.

Till Next Time

Miss Wright

THANKS TO THE REVIEWERS!!!!

DarkDesirezz, bitter.sweet.31, Beyblade-gal, YamiClara, konfizkate91, Scarlet Witch 41, -eMiLy, Moonlight Kitten, evilive, Aggs, and Kaislilangel you all ROCK!!!