Somewhere on Autumn Woods Drive

By Rikku Minouke

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH

Chapter thirty nine

It was difficult for me to confront my issues. But the longer I spent trying to hide my past the harder it became to cover it up. After a while, I knew that the truth would come out. The only problem I had with that seemed to be I couldn't look into the heart of my torment without getting burned again.

I sat at the breakfast bar looking out our balcony window at the blue sky. My phone was in between my forearms that rested against the granite. Breathing slowly I sat there in complete silence hoping the ceiling would suddenly fall on top of me.

"Good morning," Kurama appeared from the doorway of his room with a smile on his face. We had opted to stay in our own rooms now that we were dating. I felt it was too soon to spend every night together and I needed all the sleep I could get with the baby keeping me awake most nights.

"Kurama, it's one in the afternoon," I smiled lightly at him as he took the closest stool.

"Yes," he nodded with a light chuckle. "That's still morning to me."

Rolling my eyes I looked down at the dark screen on my phone. Sucking in a small breath, my mouth sagged a bit as I looked at my reflection.

"What's wrong?" he reached over to clasp my hand in his. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah," I said automatically. Then I paused. "No, no I'm not." Licking my suddenly dry lips, I lifted my eyes to see the concern in the green orbs. "I got a phone call today from my old landlord in St. Cloud. She needs me to go in and talk to her about last year's rent. So I can get the renters credit in august."

He nodded slowly, processing what I said. "You don't want to go, do you?"

"No," I shook my head before exhaling. "I didn't want to take a chance seeing my ex. Especially like this."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Kurama asked, tightening his grip slightly on my hand, to show me that he was there for me. "We can go up tomorrow if you would like. It's only an hour drive."

I thought about it for a moment before nodding.

Kurama and I stood on the curb of Third Street outside of my old apartment building.

"She was nice," Kurama told me as I pushed the straps of my bag on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I nodded slightly. "She definitely gives you the grandma feeling when you talk to her."

"She really likes you," he smiled.

"It's because I grew up in the town her daughter now lives in," I laughed at him, but my nerves were in every note. He watched me rotate my shoulders nervously for a moment until I met his gaze. "What?"

"He isn't here," Kurama told me and I sighed.

"Yeah, but the landlord said he hasn't shown up yet, so he could be here any moment," I told him licking my lips nervously. My eyes scanned the horizon just in case he might appear.

"Botan," Kurama stepped into my eye sight so I continued to look at his face. "Why don't we go grab lunch and then head home?"

His voice calmed me enough to listen to his words. "Alright. What would you want to get?"

"What is one of your favorite places up here?" Kurama reached out and lightly touched my hand. "Somewhere we don't have back in home."

I thought about this for a moment before a soft smile played with the corners of my lips. "The Mongolian grill up here, Mongo's, is great."

"Then let's go," I let him lead me back to his green Toyota. Sitting down I glanced up at the small brick building where our room used to be. That was where all the trauma happened. In that small one bedroom apartment that we paid five hundred for. I paid two-fifty a month for six months to be abused. And this was the scene of the crime.

Gulping I watched the blinds of the apartment stand still. Almost expecting him to still be there, watching my every movement from the second story window. Those calculating eyes spying on me, always one step ahead of me.

"Botan?" I blinked and looked at Kurama with raised eyebrows. "Do you want to direct me there?"

"Oh, sorry," I gave him a sideways tilt of my lips with my apology. "Just go down Division Street up here. You will follow that all the way there. It's the turn before Barnes and Noble and the Waite Park Mall."

He nodded and I pointed to the turn on to Division. St Cloud was on spring break, so the town was fairly empty. There were less cars than normal and not as many people on the streets. "You used to work around here, didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah," I gave a small smile then. "I worked over there in Herberger's unloading trucks in the morning. It was actually kind of a fun job working with the people there. We would be at work by five in the morning and I could walk from my apartment. There was never a need for a car when I lived up here."

"You said you'd had two jobs, right?" Kurama asked as he stopped at a red light. Glancing out the window I looked at the giant billboard for some event shop that was similar to a local Party City. It hadn't changed since the day I'd moved up here at eighteen.

"Yep," I told him. "I also worked on St Germain, back there, at a local game shop. That's how Yusuke and Kuwabara got into Magic the Gathering, actually. When they would come up to visit me, the two of them would play with some of the regulars at the shop."

"Wait, you worked at a legit game shop? Not a Game by James place, but a table top, role playing, hardcore store?" Kurama looked at me with shock painted across his face. "That is hot."

I laughed at his words and to my own amazement, I realized that I felt relaxed again. Somehow he made me forget why I was so nervous to be back in this town. "I worked there part time. But I really didn't understand half the games. When the owner interviewed me, he asked what games I played and I told him the basics." I chuckled at that. "He asked me to clarify what I meant. I remember telling him Uno, Life, Monopoly, Sorry, and I had enjoyed Settlers but had only played it once."

"Well those are definitely the basics," Kurama shook his head in disbelief. "I'm struggling to see you in a game shop."

"I walked by the window and saw a help wanted sign and I knew I needed another job," I shrugged. "He hired me because I wasn't a hardcore gamer. That's what he told me. Someone who wouldn't spend their time on the clock playing all the games."

"Maybe we can swing through sometime and you can show me the shop," he said and I feel like he would have winked had I been looking at him. But my eyes were on the stores we passed.

"I don't think I can ever step foot in there again though," I told him with a low note in my voice. "I loved working there. I loved the regulars that would come in. But that's where I met my ex. He was a regular and I doubt my leaving stopped him from going there. It's too risky for me."

"Maybe someday we can go," Kurama suggested.

"Maybe…"