Lovelyanime: Welcome back for the ninth time! If you can tell, I'm all better from the last chapter. Just because I was swearing on the top of my lungs in the middle of the street, in front of people covering their children's ears and repeatedly was warned that they would call the cops, doesn't mean that I should get a ticket.

Zoe: True, it means you belong behind bars and not finish this fanfiction.

Lovelyanime: Why do you want to end it so badly?

Zoe: I don't want it to end, I want to finish it. I know everything that you're going to type and I don't like it. Specially when Ga-

Lovelyanime: Oh, would you look at the time! It's time to start the chapter. I'm sure the readers wouldn't want you to waste the chapter on your babbling. Oh also…Warning! Extreme sadness up ahead in the beginning of the chapter. You might want a tissue box near by. It might not be so bad for some people, but just in case. Also there will be a lot of blushing in the chapter.

Chapter 9- What the Hell?

Takuya awoke and stared up at the ceiling. It took a moment when it hit him that he was still on the couch in the bookstore. He looked around to see the lights still on and the clock on the wall saying 3:26. He looked down to see what had woken him up. It was Zoe, withher head on his stomach…crying.

"Zoe?" He whispered. He carefully sat up so he wouldn't wake her. Takuya stared at her with concern and confusion. He pushed her lightly, "Wake up, what's wrong?"

Zoe clinged on to him. And silently whispered something, but Takuya couldn't hear. He asked once again what was wrong.

"Don't let him hurt me.." She cried.

"What," was all Takuya could say. Who was she talking about, him or some other guy that she met? "Who's hurting you?"

"J-" She started screaming as if she was being tortured.

Takuya went to the ground on his knees and hugged Zoe. "It's okay, everything's fine. Shhh…" He said as he rocked her back and forth. She clinged onto him as her tears soaked his shirt. "Come on Zoe, I'm here, it's okay." Soon she stopped screaming.

Takuya got up and lifted her onto the couch and walked over to turn off the lights. 'It's to late to go back to her house,' he thought. 'Might as well sleep here for the night.' He walked back to the couch and sat down next to Zoe. He reached some of her hair from in front of her face and tucked it behind her ear. He rubbed his hand against her cheek.

Zoe was fidgeting from his touch, but soon was still. She soon stopped crying. Takuya sat there staring worriedly at her for the rest of the night. Or at least until he fell asleep, which wasn't that long. He laid next to her on the couch, with his arm around her…

THAT MORNING

"Zoe, wake up. Are you okay?" Zoe slowly opened her eyes. When her sight finally got into focus she saw Kari knelt down besides her, Rika with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrow raised. And a very confused Sora standing next to Rika.

"What…What's wrong?" She asked sleeply, not even moving from her spot. She was to warm and comfortable to move.

"First answer our question." Rika spoke up. "Who's the guy you're on top of?"

Zoe's eyes widened and slowly turned her head down to see a red colored shirt. She looked at who was wearing the shirt. If it was possible, her eyes widened even more. She was laying on Takuya. 'How the hell did I get up here?' She thought. (That's what I want to know) Her face turned red and she screamed, which caused Takuya to wake up.

"Wh-where's the fire?" He sat up quickly that made Zoe fall to the ground on top of Kari. He looked down with an anime sweatdrop. "Err…Sorry?"

Zoe got off of Kari. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, no big deal. It was an accident." Kari sat up as she rubbed her head.

"Izumi, can I talk to you alone…Now?" Sora's eye was twitching during that sentence. Zoe didn't like it one bit. "Can everybody go in the front?"

Takuya got up and helped the two women onto their feet. He left the room followed by Kari an Rika. Rika said before closing the door behind her, "good luck."

"What the hell!" Sora screamed. "I thought yesterday you made him go home during closing time. You spaced out again when I was talking to you, didn't you?"

"Yeah, so." Zoe was getting irritated. "He's my friend that I haven't seen in nine years." (I decided to change it from eleven to nine. I just felt like doing it.)

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Well, I umm… Kind of…Forgot."

"I see… Just don't scare me like that again. You're my friend and I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I understand, but don't worry about Takuya. He's my friend and he wouldn't hurt me in anyway."

"Just a friend? If you're just friends then why were you laying on him?"

Zoe's face went red. "I-I don't really know. Last thing I remember was that I was on the ground after I was done working."

Sora sighed. "As long as nothing happened… I'll trust him for now, but if anything did happen I'll-"

"What exactly kind of things are you talking about?"

"Err- the kind-when a man and a woman-things like kissing-err- you know…making out?" Sora's face was red from embarrassment.

Zoe stood there frozen with her face all red. "Y-y-you really think I would do something like that?" Sora didn't respond. "You've been reading the rated M stories on that one website again, haven't you?"

"Maybe one or two of them…"

Zoe walked off to the front where the others were at. She didn't want to hear anymore. The store wasn't opened yet, so there was only Rika looking through the books, while Kari and Takuya sat on the couch. Kari kept scooting closer and asked him a lot of questions about Zoe. Takuya kept answering her the question as he scooted away from her.

"When did you first meet her? Where did you guys hangout? Are you really just friends? Why did you move? Are you the one who called her Zoe in the first place?" She kept on going and going.

"Lets see, when we were twelve. I can't tell you, we promised not to tell people. Of course we're just friends. My dad made us move because of his work. Yeah, she seems like more of a Zoe than a Izumi, to me at least."

"Umm…Sorry to interrupt, but it's time to go Takuya." Zoe walked over to them.

"How come you're leaving?" Kari asked. As she scooted away from Takuya.

"I was only here because you guys had trouble yesterday."

"Right, I guess I'll you later." Takuya got up and followed Zoe outside. "Oh wait! I have to come to your house tonight to get my cd you borrowed."

Zoe turned around and replied, "Thanks for the reminder."

"But if you guys are to…Busy, I promise I won't disturb you."

Both, Zoe and Takuya's face turned red as a tomato 'Has she been reading stuff off of that website too?' Zoe thought.

"Hey, Takuya right?" Rika called, not leaving her sight from the books. "Come here for a sec."

Takuya slowly walked over to her. "Yes?"

"Lay a finger on her and you're dead." Takuya gulped when she said that very coldy. "Sora told me to tell that to any guy when they start to hangout with Izumi. She said I said it in a convincing, yet scary way or something like that."

"W-well, sh-she sure wasn't lying." Takuya nervously laughed. "But you weren't serious, right?"

"Actually I was."

Takuya's eye started to twitched as he turned away. Zoe and him went outside and to Zoe's car.

"So, what did Rika want to tell you?" Zoe asked when they were in the car.

"Umm…sh-she was just telling me a really funny joke." Takuya replied.

Zoe started the car and drove away from the store. "What do you want to do today?"

"How about we get a couple of movies and have a movie night?"

"Sure, I'm not sure what's in right now, but we'll find something."

Takuya stared out the window and thought about last night. He could hear her scream over and over again. But who was causing that pain? "Hey Zoe…"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"It's just that…" He sighed. "Never mind, it's nothing."

'It was only one night, right? She was just having a nightmare.' Takuya thought as they continued to drive down the street.

End of chapter 9

Lovelyanime: Awesome! I'm finally finished it. Bet no one expected that in the beginning. And there you go, another clue to Zoe's mysterious ex-boyfriend. I guess like more than half of the readers finally know who he is now.

Zoe: Aren't you going to tell them about the bonus?

Lovelyanime: oh right, the bonus. Chapter 10 will be my anniversary for Promises and Kari is the star for the chapter. It's going to be about Kari bumping into a guy that knows Takuya. It seems he came into town with him and needs to find him to give him something. Kari tells him she know s him and she'll give it to him. She'll also find out something about Takuya that not even Zoe knows.

Zoe: And in chapter ten, I will be gone for a while. Takuya will be here with Lovelyanime to take my place.

Lovelyanime: Please review!