Cast out of the night, well you've got a foolish heart

So you took your place but the fall from grace was the hardest part

"Oh, mija, what's wrong?"

Missy clenched her cell phone tighter in her hand as she bit her lip. When Kaoru had left, she had called Marisol immediately, seeking comfort from the mother that she had chosen for herself.

When Marisol had answered, the model had to put all her energy into not bursting into tears immediately. "I-I hurt him. I really did, Marisol. But I know that it was right."

Marisol hummed on the other line as she listened to the younger girl. "What happened?" she asked softly, her voice conveying nothing but warmth and concern.

Missy eased into the cushion of her couch as her puppy pressed himself into her lap. She scratched between his ears absently as he nuzzled her knee. "I kissed him. And then I took it back. I'm the worst. I told him that we can't be together because he's a designer and I'm a model and everyone would thing I got the job because I'm sleeping with him. We would both be discredited!" she nearly shouted in agitation as the words came pouring out faster and faster. "I can't do that to him. We both worked hard to get here. It wouldn't be fair," Missy insisted.

"Oh, Missy. Honey, I'm so sorry. Your heart is hurting."

Nodding her head, Missy replied, "Yeah."

"But there will be other boys, mija, and other times. You are still so young. Who says you have to find your soulmate now, hm?" Marisol reassured. "It's okay to be sad, to be hurt. But that hurt won't last forever. You are my strong girl!"

Missy laughed at Marisol's comment on her strength. Throughout the last few years, Marisol had always insisted that the model was stronger than she gave herself credit for, pointing out that few children had the courage to board a plane a show up on a stranger's doorstep, insisting on finding a home.

"Honey, even strong girls hurt. It's good to feel." Marisol sighed heavily before continuing. "When your father left me, it hurt a lot. But life goes on, and God gave me the strength to bear it. He will give you the same strength, too. You have the courage to keep going. If it's just for a day. Even if that day is not today. You are not ruined by this, and neither is the boy. You can both be professional. And maybe, down the line, things change. And maybe they don't," she admitted. "You feel, you process, and you live, mija."

Missy felt the tears in her eyes well over and she could do nothing to stop them. She knew that Marisol was right (she always was), but the hurt was still so fresh and new.

The worst part was that she had hurt Kaoru.

He was perfect to her. He was kind and thoughtful, with warm mannerisms and an observant nature. Kaoru was supportive and patient, and creative enough to outshine most of the designers that she had ever worked with.

Why does he have to be so unavailable? She thought to herself.

Tilney whined in her lap and turned around, moving his paws to rest on her chest as he began to lick her cheeks assuringly. Missy felt the rough texture of his tongue on her cheek and she began to giggle. "Tilney, stop," she insisted as she continued to squirm.

"Tilney? From the book?"

Missy rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Kaoru gave him to me," she explained softly. "Kaoru reminds me of Tilney."

"The dog or the Jane Austen hero?" Marisol asked mischievously.

The model sniffled in reply as she wiped a tear from her face. "Both, I think," she answered with a laugh.

"He must be a very nice young man, then, to earn that title of the heroic Tilney. I see why you feel so conflicted."

Tilney barked in her lap, trying to grab his master's attention. His ocean blue eyes stared into hers and she knew that he was the best present she had ever gotten. "He is," she admitted softly. "He really is."

"Oh, honey. I wish I could take this hurt from you."

"I know, I wish you could, too," the model admitted, tugging her knees tighter against her chest. "Listen, I have to get some sleep, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Of course, whatever you need. You know that I'm here for you. I love you, mija."

Missy smiled softly. "Love you, too," she replied before ending the call.

She felt drained, physically and emotionally spent. So much had happened so fast and she wondered if she really had the strength necessary to deal with it. Marisol thought she was strong, but was she really? Was she still just a little girl playing dress up in her mother's heels? She felt like a child who had seen the glitter of makeup and wanted to be a grownup before she had the knowledge to do so.

She was trying to play house.

That's what it was.

That was why she wanted her own career. Her own home. Her own identity.

She couldn't be a teenager; a seventeen year old girl with a simple crush.

Missy wanted to prove her own strength by being unwilling to bend.

And she would pay the price for it.

"She made you leave?" Hikaru hissed as his twin entered their bedroom in the early hours of the morning. "After all of that, she kicked you out? I'll kill her," the hot-headed twin insisted as he threw the covers off of his bed.

"Don't," Kaoru warned in reply, sinking into the sofa as if his bad had completely given up. He had practically gone limp as he allowed the soft leather to all but absorb his weary heart and body. "Sit down, Hikaru. It's not her fault."

Hikaru threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "What do you mean 'it's not her fault?' It's obviously her fault! We both know you're too in love with her to consider caving," he snarled from his position on the bed. He stood up quickly and crossed to the couch in wild, agitated steps. His entire posture was rigid, in complete contrast with his twin.

"Sit, please," Kaoru insisted quietly.

The older twin paused. Kaoru had always been the quiet one, but his even temper was perfect for controlling Hikaru's wild tendencies. Kaoru was the steady flame that forged steel, while Hikaru was the highest setting on the toaster; always leaving things a charcoaled mess. With an indignant huff, he sat, both arms crossed over his chest. "What?" he asked.

Kaoru leaned forward with a sigh, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the wall. "People would accuse her of getting the job by sleeping with me. They wouldn't give her a fair evaluation of her work."

"Who cares what the commoners think?" Hikaru snarled. "They would forget quickly."

"And our classmates? Our peers? Other designers? Would they forget?" Kaoru asked evenly, his amber gaze flickering towards his brother. "She's safe as long as her contract with us is valid, but what if something happens? Her reputation and credibility would be damaged, and mine would be, too."

Hikaru watched his brother speak and he felt the flames of rage simmer within him. The inferno was quieted for the moment as he contemplated the truth of what his twin had said. A year ago, he would have schemed to ruin Missy's life. Now, he wondered if the model was seeing something that he simply couldn't yet.

"So what are you going to do now?" the older twin asked. He would trust his brother's lead and do whatever he needed.

Kaoru leaned back into the sofa, shutting his eyes to regain his composure. "I'm going to be her friend. And I'm going to wait."

A/N: Sorry for the hiatus and everything, and also the short chapter. I felt compelled to leave it at this length because the next scene features a major time skip, so this one will have to do for a bit. Thank you to all of you who review and follow this story. It means a lot! :)