A/N: These chapters are coming out fast. I think I will be able to hold to my promise of finishing this story before the month is finished. As always a review is much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor the song with which this song shares a title.

Chapter 9

Aster POV

I honestly didn't want to stay in San Francisco another day. But the meeting with Pegasus did go incredibly well. He didn't mention a sponsorship but he seemed to like me. We ended up talking about the Gordon family. He'd met Dana a few times, which didn't surprise me, and we talked about her for a while. But then he asked if I knew her brothers as well. I told him about how I had met them, but I didn't ever really talk to them. Matthew lives in London and really only ever talked to Jason and Dana. Jason was living the family life with his wife but none of us ever really saw him. But when I left he did ask if we could meet again sometime soon. Of course, I agreed.

I sat back in my plane seat as Loren was spouting off something next to me. "Loren, please, can I go twelve hours without having to worry about my career. I just want to get home to my fiance and rest for the weekend."

And that was that. The flight was incredibly dull. I slept most of the time. It was well needed sleep. But unfortunately, our flight landed later than scheduled, but maybe if we hurried I could still get home on time and see Zane.

That hope was quickly shot down when it took over an hour to get our luggage. The airline sent us all to the wrong baggage claim and then misplaced the carts with all the bags. It was a great inconvenience to everyone on the flight.

Then after all that, we couldn't get a cab hailed and the one that we did get misheard what Loren said and took us to the complete other side of Domino City. By that time it was 7:30 and I was already late. I got out of the cab having thrown money at the driver even though I shouldn't have paid him at all. I started my way away from the car only to have Loren chase after me with all our luggage.

"Aster, wait. Aster, please."

"Loren, I am an hour and a half late. I need to get home now." I didn't even stop walking.

"Call another cab. You'll get home sooner."

"I have had quite enough of-" I was stopped when a curb got in my way. I tripped and fell on the concrete. I sat up checked myself for injuries. There weren't any, but the shoulder of my suit jacket had been torn and the button had been pulled off. I looked up and glared at Loren. I wouldn't have fallen if he hadn't distracted me. "I'll find my own way home, Loren." I stood up and took my bag from him. "I'll talk to you on Monday. And don't think of calling me before. I want one uninterrupted weekend with my fiance."

I left him there on the corner as I found my own way home. Walking few blocks had made me calm down a little and I realized Loren had a point in that it was better for me to call a cab. I hailed the first one that came around and gave them the address making sure that they knew exactly where to go. I looked at my watch as he pulled away. 8:00. Zane was sure not going to be happy.

Zane POV

11:00.

He said he'd be home at 9:00. And he's wasn't.

11:01.

I shouldn't be worried. I'm sure something just happened out of his control

11:02.

Calm down, Zane, calm down. He'f be home soon.

11:03.

"Where the hell is he?!" I pushed my mug off the counter. It shattered when it hit the tile floor. It didn't phase me. I held my head in my hands. Worthless thoughts ran through my head and tears stained my sleeve.

My head shot up from the counter. I wiped my eyes. There was no way I could be crying over this. I looked to the the clock one more time.

11:07.

What if something happened to him and he's not coming back? What if he's lying in a ditch crying for me but I can't hear him? What if he's lost and is to egotistic to ask for directions? What if he-

What if he's with him?

That Loren, his "manager."

He'd seen him most days. For meetings, for lunch. Hed started to see more of him than of me. God only knows what they actually did together. They were probably at his apartment doing...

"No!"

I screamed my thoughts. I collapsed on the floor. I brought my knees to my chest and hid my face from anyone who might be looking. The tears started to flow again, but this time, I didn't stop them. I had to ask myself the question eating away at my very being.

Was Aster cheating on me?

Was he getting bored of me?

What did I do to push him away?

I love him, and he loves me, or so he says. I look to my left hand. On my fourth finger was the dark silver ring Aster had gotten me for our engagement. I twist it from my finger and wipe my eyes to look at it better.

I couldn't bring myself to put it back on my finger, but I couldn't stop looking at it. This is the one thing that has me holding on to him. I move my arm and bring the ring to my lips. What did I do?

11:15.

The doorknob turned then

I jump up and run to the door. It opens before I can reach it. Aster walks through, looking exhausted. He looks to me and smiles. "Zane, you would not believe the night that I've had." He closed the door behind him and I got a look at his clothes. Torn and buttons missing.

What the hell had he been doing?

Aster POV

I walked towards Zane so that I could hug him after having not seen him for five days

Then Zane did something unexpected. He pushed away from me.

"Why is your suit ripped?" I assume he's referring to what the concrete did to my suit.

"Well, you see-" I start but he doesn't let me say anything else.

"And why is your hair all out of order? And why are you late? You're never late."

Zane was starting to scare me. He'd never gotten this angry with me. I was so surprised, I didn't say anything.

"What's your excuse Aster? Huh? What do you have to say?" His arms were crossed across his chest and he had a look of sheer anger on his face.

I sigh and stepped towards him. "Zane, I can explain." I reached out for him, but he pulled away.

Tears filled his eyes. "Don't touch me." It was almost inaudible.

"Zane, what's going on?" I took another step towards him and tried again.

"Don't touch me!" He screamed it this time. We stayed still for what seemed like hours before Zane moved. He turned his back to me and whispered something I couldn't hear.

"What is it Zane?" I finally managed to get to him and put my hand on his shoulder, but as soon as I made contact Zane spun around, causing my hand to fall from his shoulder.

"I said get out."

I heard what he said but I didn't want to believe it. I stared at him wide-eyed hoping he would break, but he never did.

"Zane what did I do?" I reached out to him for the millionth time but like all the other times, he dodged my touch.

We paused again. Then Zane walked forward and grabbed my wrist, hard. "Ow, Zane, that hurts!"

It seemed like he couldn't hear. He picked me up by the waist and dragged my to the door. I fought him with all that I had, but he was much stronger than me.

Eventually he made his way over the threshold and dropped me on the floor. I collapsed and couldn't find the strength to stand back up. I looked up at him. "Zane, please."

He gave me one last look filled with some emotion I couldn't recognize before he slammed the door, creating a barrier between the two of us. I found my strength to stand and crashed myself against the door. He had locked it.

"Zane, please open the door and talk to me." I heard nothing from the other side. I got desperate. "Zane! Please! I don't know what's wrong, but please tell me what's wrong." More silence. I pounded my fist against the door. I couldn't form any more words. The sobs radiating from my body were shaking my chest and I fell to my knees. My fist continued to pound at the piece of wood in hopes that this was all a dream, and that Zane would open the door and be my lover again.

But it wasn't a dream.

It was happening.

And Zane just kicked me out of our apartment.

My fist stopped pounding. I didn't want to accept the truth, but I had no strength left. I laid my head against the door. My sobs grew louder with the longing to see my love again.

I managed to get out one more sentence before my speech was lost: "I love you."

My hands fell from the wood to the floor and I felt something tighten around my finger. I looked to my hand and saw the silver ring. My engagement ring. Zane's way of saying he was going to love me forever

But what was I supposed to think now?

I was sitting there on the floor, begging Zane to let me into our home. A single tear fell from my face onto the ring. I worked quickly to remove the liquid before it ruined the metal.

After what we'd been through, we made a promise, a commitment to love and protect each other, through better or through worse. But now?

What happened next?

I guess I had no choice but to let Zane win.

The tears were flowing on their own now, falling from my face at unseen speeds. "I'll always love you Zane, and I hope that someday you can love me again." I said it louder this time hoping someone would hear, maybe even Zane.

I stood there for a long while, waiting for Zane to open the door.

He didn't.

I turned away from the door and without looking back, I walked slowly down the hall to the elevator.