"Tenten," Sakura said groggily when she opened the door.
It was obvious that I had woken her from her slumber, but I hadn't known where else to go after Neji kissed me. Ino was probably at some club, and I wasn't sure if Hinata had been released from the hospital yet. It was maybe one in the morning, but I really had no idea. The time was really not my concern right now.
Sakura's eyes focused better on my face, and her eyes widened slightly. "Kami, what the hell happened to you? Come in. Come in." She ushered me inside. Did I really look that bad?
Sasuke was standing in the doorway to their bedroom, looking sort of pissed and tired, but his gaze lost that angry edge when he saw me. Shit, what the hell did I look like?
I knew my hair was a mess, my lips swollen, and I spotted a red mark on my shoulder that Neji had left. I had cried a bit so my eyes were probably red rimmed, and my clothes were a bit mussed. I must have looked a fright.
Sakura led me to the couch and sat down beside me, her arm draped around my shoulders. "Ten, what happened to you?" she asked urgently.
"Neji-" I began in a soft voice, but she cut me off.
"Neji did this to you?"
I nodded slowly, and she shot the Uchiha a worried look, who had gotten off the wall and was standing there in disbelief, or something rather close to it.
"Kami, I can't believe he would do this to you," Sakura exclaimed, jumping off the couch. "Sasuke, we have to do something."
I stared at her for a moment, confused as to why she was freaking out. Then it clicked.
"He didn't rape me you dumbass," I snapped, and Sakura sighed in relief. "No, he just kissed me and left. I mean, what kind of guy kisses you and then leaves. I know he's got a fiancé, but then why the hell did he kiss me?"
Sakura's gaze softened, and she reclaimed her spot next to me. For some odd reason, she was smiling. "I told you he loved you, Ten," she said softly.
"You don't get it," I said, placing my head in my hands. "He had me right there. I told him I loved him, and after he kissed me he still didn't want to be with me. He wants to be with her."
Hot tears slid through my fingers, and I was overcome by the helplessness that hit me. There was nothing I could do or say that would bring him back to me. I was at a loss. I'd already confessed that I was still in love with him and made it pretty damn obvious that he could have me if he wanted me, but he didn't. I was no longer a person of interest to him.
Sakura's gentle hands rubbed a comforting circle on my back, and I let myself sink lower into the sofa. "I hate him, Sakura," I whispered. "I love him so much that I hate him."
"I know how you feel," she responded, and I lifted my head up.
"You do know Sasuke's still in the room, right?" I whispered.
"Yes," she giggled. "But he knows that he used to be an inconsiderate asshole." She flashed a cheeky grin at her boyfriend, who only grunted. There was, however, a gentle glow in his eyes.
It was odd to see the once stone cold Uchiha gaze so fondly at Sakura. I mean, this was Sasuke Uchiha. He was known for his nonexistent emotions and indifferent attitude. It had just been a front this whole time. He did care, but his ego had been too big to let it show.
The two were so alike it was almost scary. For a time, I had gotten through to Neji the same way Sakura had to Sasuke. Maybe apologizing and realizing that you made the wrong decision bruised Neji's ego a bit too much. I really didn't care. I just wanted him to be with me.
And he'd have to come after me because I wasn't the type of girl to pursue and engaged man, no matter how much I loved him. It just didn't seem right to me.
I voiced my thoughts to Sakura, and she listened intently. "Well, if that's your decision, then you've got to go on with life the best you can until he comes to his senses," she said. That was so much easier said than done, but I would do what I had to.
When I got home at nearly four in the morning later that night, I went to the bedroom and lay on what was once Neji's side of the bed. I buried my face deep into the pillow that hadn't been touched since the day he left.
It was the same pillow that he had rolled over on and semi smiled at me when I woke up in the morning. It was the same pillow that he had buried his face in after a tiring mission, and his smell still clung to it faintly.
I inhaled it deeply, breathing that beautiful scent until it filled my lungs. The tears leaked from my eyes and dampened the pillow, but his scent never left. And I fell asleep on his side of the bed that night, clutching the pillow as tightly as possible and wishing it was him. Something inside me hoped that he would be by my side again, and another part of me tried to face the reality of the matter and realize that he might not want to be.
A/N: That was sort of depressing, but I enjoyed writing it. Lol. I try to throw in a bit of humor in every chapter to lighten the mood a little, so if it's not funny I apologize. Well, the next chapter is the wedding, but everything won't turn out as planned. I think there will be maybe two chapters left, but I'm not quite sure, so we'll just have to wait and see.