Chapter 14

"Sasuke!" Hinata ran up the stairs of the apartment. Her face flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling with a secret.

"Sasuke!" she stopped midway to catch her breath before bouncing up the last flight, too happy to wait much longer. Her fingers tapped rapidly on the door, a large smile on her face, excited to show the paper in her hands, her acceptance to play in one of Milan's most prestigious schools of art.

The door jiggled a bit with her knocks but stayed close. Hecticly rummaging around she breathed a sigh of annoyance, in her excitement she had left the purse in Kurenai's class. "Sasuke!" she knocked a few more times before the door opened but on the other side was a woman she had never seen before.

"You're not Sasuke." Her excitement faltered as she sized the red head, beautiful in her own right but she had on Sasuke's shirt Hinata always slept in when she stayed over.

"No, I'm Karin, his fiance." she smiled, her glasses reflecting the sun's suddenly painful rays.

A soft laugh came from Hinata, her stomach squeezing slightly as she smiled back, "You can't be serious." the promise ring on her finger, a plain black band with a tiny sapphire stone burning into her skin.

"I am," the girl smiled, before showing her hand. The ring, much more extravagant and expensive, felt like the start of a kindled flame.

"Karin, what are you doing at the door?" Sasuke's voice like venom began from behind before his eyes landed on Hinata's, their shine replaced with betrayal and pain as she turned to leave.

"Hinata," he whispered

"She was looking for you but, hey, Miss," Karin called out oblivious to the pain her presence carried. Sasuke pulled her away as he ran past her to the blunette.

"Hinata!" his voice echoed in the stairway, followed by his footsteps and her loud sob.

"It's not what it looked like!" He called desperately but got nothing in response. Picking up his pace, he slid down the banister, and hopped off the stairs in twos when the banister felt weak.

She ran into the darkness with all abandonment. The pouring rain had no effect on her other than to join in her pain. She heard her name being called from behind but couldn't look back. Wiping her face, she felt the coolness of the metal ring then slowed her pace.

Her sobs came out in incoherent sounds and her throat burned through with an acrid taste.

"Hinata," Sasuke wrapped his arms around her, burrowing her nose into his chest, his breath heavy from running. Pushing back with all her might she looked him in the eye, her eyes blood red and swollen from use as she pulled off the ring and held it out to him.

"I no longer want to be a pawn in this sick game you play." she whispered, her eyes looking him square in the eyes, unrelenting

"You're overreacting, Hinata, she's Naruto's cousin."

"And you have the gall to lie to me." she whispered, her heart clenching in ache

"What do you want from me?"

"The truth."

So in the rain they stood as he explained his engagement to the redhead. How his uncle had set up the arrangement without his consent and had planned the whole situation without his knowledge. He lifted his left hand that held the same look as her ring,

"I would never hurt you Hinata,"

"Then stop the engagement." her voice wobbled with sadness,

"Hinata,"

"You made me believe that when the time comes you will talk to your Uncle Sasuke and I believed it. But I see now, as long as your uncle controls you -

The slap reverberated around them. Its sting harshe due to the drops on her face. Hinata stood, her mouth agape as she felt her face burn up. Pearl-like eyes met equally shocked onyx eyes, he had never hit her. He floundered for words but couldn't bring himself to say the words he needed to say. Instead, his eyes hardened in stubbornness.

Those three words hung heavily above them.

Dropping the ring in his hands, she turned, her lips quivering as her face itched, phantom feels of his fingers lingering over her cheeks. Her view obstructed by the tears that kept falling, her body slightly disoriented.

His eyes followed her as she walked away, unable to follow. He had done what he had always said he wouldn't. He had become the very men in his life he had despised. Guilt and self loathing ate him from within as he watched her wobble away. His heart throbbed.

Just as she was about to cross the street, sharp blue lights shone brightly through the rain from the right.

"Hinata," he whispered, his legs moving from a drag, to walk, and soon he was sprinting

"Hinata, STOP!"

But he was too late as he watched the truck collide with her body.

"HINATA!"

His body kept running as time slowed to a still, he watched as the impact of her body to the windshield sounded throughout the street.

"HINATA"

Sasuke's throat bled with rawness. Kneeling before her bloody body, he hugged her as tears burnt his eyes. "Hinata, please."

The sounds of sirens fading to nothingness as he cradled the limp body in his arms.

"Hinata, please...I'm sorry."

The words he had been too proud to utter, he now spake, but falling upon deaf ears, remained useless.

AN: This was hard to write, so please forgive any mistakes. I don't have the heart to go over it yet.