Chapter Thirteen
Memories of the rain
The afternoon went by rather smoothly; Mokuba had managed to talk Ryan into giving them an extra hour's worth of sailing so that they could see the island illuminated under the moonlight.
To Tea, the day spent was like a dream. She would have never imagined in a million years that one day she would actually be sitting on a Yacht at a beach resort having red wine and watching the sunset. – And with the Kaiba brothers of all people. Talk about mind-blowing!
As the outing came to a close they all left the Yacht accompanied by Ryan who seemed to have had a bit too much booze for the night.
They stood at the dock, waiting for the jeep to take them back to the hotel.
"So, did you guys and gals enjoy the ride today?"
Kaiba had no intention of making small talk; so he made absolutely no effort to respond.
Mokuba yawned loudly looking too exhausted to say a thing.
So Tea took it upon herself to be polite.
"Oh of course, it was beautiful!"
He nodded his approval.
"Well that's great to hear Ms Kaiba; I'm glad, glad I could be of service."
Tea tried hard to fight off the heat rising to her cheeks. She decided that it was time to set the record straight herself, before the entire island got the wrong idea about her.
"Um, Well, see that's the thing, I'm not actually…."
"Isn't the Jeep supposed to be here by now?"
Kaiba cut her off before she could finish her sentence. Ryan immediately turned his attention to Kaiba, ecstatic that he was getting some attention.
"Uh, Well we did stay a bit longer than planned…"
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit nervous.
"…It should be here any second now Mr. Kaiba. No worries."
Kaiba shot him a cold glance before turning his attention elsewhere.
Huh? What was that about?
Tea decided not to say anything further; not knowing exactly what to make of Kaiba's reaction.
A few awkward minutes later the jeep pulled up in front of them, almost blinding them with its high beam.
Mokuba yawned again as he climbed into the back seat first, followed by Tea then a disgruntled Kaiba.
Ryan hoped into the front seat with the driver who seemed just as young and inexperienced as him. As they pulled off, Ryan reached over and turned on the radio. He kept the volume on low so as not to disturb anyone in the back, anyone meaning mostly Kaiba.
There was a familiar song on that Tea recognized right away; 'Innocent' by Fuel.
She allowed herself to enjoy the music as she felt her eyelids becoming heavy.
(FLASHBACK)
Approximately 1 year ago
Domino City
8:30 pm
"Thank you so much Miss Reyuna!"
Tea felt a rush of relief ripple through her entire body. Apparently her dance routine wasn't as amateurish as she thought it was. Her instructor sat across the desk from her, commending her about her well choreographed performance.
"The next audition is in two weeks Tea, you've been doing well…despite missing a few classes and showing up late half of the time of course…"
She flashed Tea a hopeless smile. Tea bit her lip, trying to look as apologetic as humanly possible.
"I'm so sorry about that…I'll try to…"
The instructor held her hand up to stop her from saying anything further.
"It's alright Tea, I understand, I know how hard it must be for you since…well…"
She paused for a second, choosing her words wisely.
"..Since the accident…"
Tea looked away as she tried to prevent the memory form washing over her.
The instructor gave her time to recollect her thoughts.
When she felt it was alright to continue she went on.
"But you're one of my best students Tea, you can do so much better, I see the potential in you. You have a talent that very few others possess. I want to see you reach your goals."
"Thanks Miss Reyuna."
"Your routine is good but it needs to be solid for the final audition. This is your one and only chance to get accepted this year, so you need to put everything that you've learned into this one routine ok."
"Yes mam."
Miss Reyuna looked at the clock on the desk.
"Ok, looks like I've kept you a bit longer than I should have. Well, that's all Tea; we can talk about this some more on Monday morning ok. Do you want a ride home?"
"Oh that's ok; someone's waiting for me outside."
"Ok, see you on Monday then, have a good night."
"You too…"
It was freezing cold outside the dance studio. Tea stood at the entrance peering through the hand full of people scattered on the sidewalk and across the street. She walked further out onto the corner trying to spot the person she was searching for. Just then her cell phone rang. She reached into her jacket pocket to retrieve it, feeling the icy wind wisp across her face.
"Hello?"
"Tea, it's me, I'm sorry baby but I can't make it tonight, something came up."
Tea felt her heart sink but she was too exhausted and freezing to make a fuss
"Oh ok…. I'll just see if I can get a ride with someone else then, if not I'll just take the bus."
"Ok babe, I'm so sorry, I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"Don't worry about it, I know you're really busy, I'll call you when I get home ok."
Tea listened to Yami half heartedly before saying goodbye and closing her cell phone.
She let out a frosty breath as she scanned the area for someone familiar who could possibly give her a ride home.
Unfortunately there was no one of the sort in sight.
Feeling frustrated, she adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she reluctantly headed down the sidewalk toward the bus terminal.
Present Day
Ocean View Hotel
Thursday
7:00am
Tea awoke to the sound of the quiet alarm clock she had placed on the night stand next to her bed. Her eyes were puffy and her body felt un-rested. For some reason she couldn't stop thinking about her past life in Domino, and all the events which led up to her moving to the city.
She realized that ever since she had gotten the job at Kaiba Corp, her mind was slowly starting to let go. She hadn't even noticed before just how different her life had become since that day. But her memories were returning, it felt as though someone had woken her from a deep sleep, forcing her once again to open her eyes to the darkness all around her. But why? Why was she starting to feel that way again?
She reached over and finally turned the alarm off. She felt as if she could just lie in bed for the entire day, but she knew her body would never allow it. She slowly forced herself to get out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom.
Kaiba stared at the laptop screen, his concentration in disarray. He was deep in thought about his predicament with a certain someone. He wondered whether his actions were making it a bit too obvious that he had feelings for her. Back in high school he wouldn't have been caught dead being that nice to her, despite the fact that he had always seen Tea in a different light.
But what the hell happened to her back in domino to make her so depressed? His curiosity was growing at a dangerous rate.
He gave up on getting any work done and leaned back against the comfortable chair. He sighed as he crossed his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. His mind was made up; before the vacation was over he was going to get the answers he was looking for…by any means necessary.
Tea pinned her hair up and stepped into the shower. She had thought that once she was out of bed her head would stop spinning; unfortunately she couldn't have been more wrong. It had gotten considerably worse. She allowed the warm water to flow over her body as she closed her eyes, hoping she could somehow block out her memories.
(FLASHBACK)
Domino City
Tea poured herself a glass of orange juice from the refrigerator. It had been exactly one week since her dance instructor had told her about the final audition. She was this close to finally attaining her dream and she was grateful.
Tea, is that you? You home already?"
Tea turned around to see her uncle just now entering the kitchen. His eyes were blood shot and he was obviously drunk again.
"..Um, yea Uncle Mike, I just got home."
Tea felt her heart beating against her chest. She picked up her gym bag from the floor forgetting about the orange juice.
"I'm gonna go up to my room ok."
She turned toward the door but she was stopped, her uncle had already grabbed her by the arm.
"What did I tell you about that goddamn dance class Tea? You're wasting your time on that shit!"
Tea forced herself to speak through the panic welling up in her chest.
"But, I told you, I quit, I don't go to that class anymore…"
Her voice was shaking; her eyes were filling with tears. She hated lying but it was the only way she could continue practicing.
Her uncle however was nobody's fool.
"You're lying to me! You think I'm stupid you little ungrateful brat!"
Tea braced herself for what was coming. Her uncle suddenly struck her across the face the impact throwing her to the floor.
He looked down at her, anger etched across his brow.
Tea felt the fear shooting through her veins like electricity.
She looked up at her uncle through timid eyes, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
"Don't look at me like that young lady, it's for your own good, I was good enough to take you in after your folks died; all I ask is for you to do as you're told! Now get up and go o your room, and I don't wanna hear nothing about that damn dance class, you here me?"
Tea quickly scrabbled up off the floor, trying to stop her sobbing but found that she couldn't.
She kept her head bent as she faced her uncle once again; still feeling the sting of his right hand on her face.
"Yes sir."
"Good, now go on upstairs."
Without another word she grabbed her bag and walked out of the kitchen.
Once inside her room, Tea threw her gym bag onto the floor. She put her back against the door, allowing herself to cry. She touched her face where she had been slapped, wishing that her life at that moment was somehow just a dream. Why was this happening to her? What did she do to deserve it?
When her tears were finally showing signs of stopping, she headed over to her bed and sat on the edge. She removed her shoes and took off her jacket; eager to retrieve her phone. At least there was one person in the world who she could run to; and at that moment she needed him more than ever.
She lay on the bed clutching her pillow with her cell phone to her ear; anticipating he sound of Yami's reassuring voice.
Present Day
Tea stepped out of the bathroom feeling a little bit more relaxed. The warm water seemed to have done her some good. After a few minutes she was back in the bedroom wrapped in her bathrobe, unpinning her hair. She wondered what Mokuba had in store for them that day. She smiled to herself at the thought; she could really use the fresh air.
Suddenly without warning her mind shifted to the older Kaiba.
She found that she couldn't stop her face from turning red, at the thought of him.
Oddly enough it seemed that Kaiba had suddenly taken on the role of being her rescuer.
Who would've thought that Seto Kaiba of all people would be the one to comfort her though all this? Life was definitely anything but predictable.
That morning Mokuba had planned another excursion, this time on land. It was a private tour of the island by jeep. They were booked to visit three of the island's most exclusive tourist hot spots; The Ocean View Aquarium, The Coral Reef hot springs and the island's only waterfall at the end of the Ocean View Forest reserve.
According to the brochure, at the very end of the tour, they would also be able to stay at the hot springs guest house over night; this privilege of course reserved only for a chosen few; the Kaiba's being no exception.
Tea watched quietly as Ryan packed their light luggage into the trunk of the jeep. Kaiba, she noticed, looked extremely annoyed at the fact that Ryan would once again be accompanying them on their outing. Apparently, Ryan's similarity to Joey was a bit too much for him to handle with a straight face.
She also couldn't help herself from noticing just how hot Kaiba looked standing there in his black short sleeved shirt.
-Black was definitely a good color on him.
"OK, looks like everything's all packed…"
Ryan looked at them and clasped his hands together.
"Time to hit the road folks."
The ride through the island was quite an experience. The pathways toward the hot spots were mostly dirt roads; cleared through the forested areas of the island. If the hotel was aiming for an island safari theme they definitely hit the mark.
Tea sat in the middle of Mokuba and Kaiba so she found herself occasionally leaning over both of them to catch a closer glimpse of the lush green forest on either side of the jeep.
Both Mokuba and Kaiba seemed equally amused at her fascination.
First Hot spot
The Ocean View Aquarium
The jeep finally came to a stop in front of a large stone building. There were a handful of guests already gaping at them from the entrance as they all exited the vehicle.
Tea noticed that she was once again in danger of being murdered by Kaiba's never ending stockpile of fan girls.
-Two girls were already whispering to each other and glaring at her with daggers in their eyes.
-She sighed as she tried to ignore the unwanted attention.
"Alright people, we've arrived at our first hot spot of the day."
Ryan stepped out of the jeep and walked over to them, apparently eager to get the tour started.
"Don't worry about your bags; everything stays with the jeep until we get to the hot springs ok."
Tea and Mokuba nodded politely, whereas Kaiba simply kept his arms folded and his expression somber.
Ryan, however, had seemed to have gotten used to Kaiba's anti-social characteristics; He continued without falter.
"Now, this large building, you see behind me is none other than the Ocean View's very own Aquarium; Here, guests can get a first hand look at the aquatic environment surrounding the island…"
Kaiba rolled his eyes as Ryan went on; clearly not as interested in his speech as Tea and Mokuba was.
When Ryan was finished giving them a briefing of the aquarium he finally invited them to go inside.
The Aquarium was everything Tea anticipated and more. They were able to see all the different types of fish that inhabited the waters around the island; they were some of the most elaborate & beautiful fish Tea had ever seen. The interior of the building was also one of the buildings greatest assets. The lighting was comfortably dim enhancing the viewing experience of the large illuminated aquariums.
Tea and Mokuba were both having a hard time containing themselves. Ryan seemed to be enjoying himself as well; he took obvious pleasure in sharing his insight on the various fishes and diverse ocean life. Kaiba on the other hand seemed to be one step away from storming out the door.
They spent their time admiring the variety of aquariums throughout the building, occasionally stopping for snack breaks and the like.
Tea felt herself trying extremely hard to fight off her thoughts of the past. They stopped at one of the large fish tanks on the upper floor; Ryan busily elaborating on the golden text engraved on the aquarium title plaque.
As Tea stared at the fishes swimming aimlessly through the illuminated water her thoughts slowly drifted off again.
(FLASHBACK)
Domino City
Tea felt her heart beating faster in her chest as she looked at the small white envelope in her hand. Her mouth was dry and she couldn't seem to think about anything else.
It had been a few days since she had done her dance routine at the final auditions and she had just now gotten the letter that would ultimately change her life.
She took a deep calming breath as she turned the envelope around so that she could open the seal.
"Come on Tea, it'll be fine, just do it."
Yami was sitting next to her, his hand on her shoulder.
She looked at him and smiled, grateful for his support.
She tore her eyes away to look back at the letter; taking a deep breath.
She pressed her lips together as she started to break the seal. After a few seconds she was finally able to unfold the acceptance letter. She reluctantly scanned the contents, her eyes focused.
Yami couldn't read her expression, for some reason she seemed to be confused.
"What is it? Did you get in or not?"
Tea finished reading the letter without saying a word.
She took a few seconds to respond
"I…I did…I got in.."
Yami smiled allowing himself to relax.
"See, told you not to worry…."
He looked at her seriously.
"So what's with the long face baby, you should be jumping for joy right about now, what's the matter, aren't you happy?"
"No, of course I'm happy; it's just that, I didn't apply for …Julliard."
"Julliard? What, did they enroll you there?"
She nodded slowly
"But, that's in New York?"
"I know, that's why I didn't apply, it's a great school but, I know you wouldn't be able to come with me so I…"
"Look, Tea, it's alright, you shouldn't let me come between you and your dreams…"
Yami pulled his eyes away, his expression changing.
"Yami, I'm sorry, I didn't apply for New York, it's some sort of mistake. I'll get to the bottom of it…"
"It's ok, I told you, don't let me get in the way of your future Tea."
"What? Why are you being like this Yami? I told I'd get to the bottom of it."
"But what if you can't get to the bottom of it? What if it can't be fixed? What then? Are you just gonna reject the offer?"
Tea couldn't respond, her dream had finally come true, how could she possibly throw it all away now?
"That's what I thought."
His voice was cold and meaningful.
He got up from the bed and started toward the door.
Tea got up after him,
"Wait Yami, please don't leave… I… I'm sorry."
He turned to look at her as he opened the door.
"It's ok; I guess some things are more important than others."
Without another word he walked out of the room slamming the door behind him.
Present Day
When Tea caught wind of her senses again it was already time to leave. They all left the building as it was finally time to head to the next attraction.
Second hot spot
Ocean View's Forest Reserve Waterfall
They all exited the jeep, Mokuba brimming with excitement. Tea could hear the heavy rushing sound of the waterfall close by. She took a deep calming breath, allowing the clean forested air to filter into her lungs.
They had parked next to a small Caribbean style bar situated about 5 minutes walking distance away from the forest.
There was a large open field with a wide dirt trail in the middle leading into the hillsides. Tea assumed that they would have to hike up the hills in order to get to the waterfall; the idea was unexpectedly welcoming.
There were a few cars parked along side of them; and a handful of upper crust looking guests were lounging at the bar.
Ryan excused himself for a second so that he could go into the bar. Apparently he had to check in with the bar manager before he could take them up to the waterfall.
"Oh man, this is great, the last time me and Seto were here, these attractions were practically non-existent. You're lucky you came with us this time Tea."
"Looks like I am."
She smiled cheerily at him.
Mokuba suddenly turned his attention to his older brother, who seemed to be in a worse mood than usual.
"What's wrong big brother? Aren't you just a little bit excited?"
"Mokuba, you know how I feel about these stupid so-called hotspots; It's just an idiotic ploy to make gullible tourists spend more money. Just be grateful that I chose to come with you two and I'm not back in my room!"
Mokuba sighed hopelessly, not knowing what he should say next.
Just then Ryan came out of the bar.
"Ok people, all clear, time to go."
He stood in front of them with a calculating look.
"Ok, looks like you're all dressed appropriately for the hike, it's not far, and we've got good weather; there shouldn't be any mud puddles and junk like that to worry about so your clothes should be safe. Um, is anyone planning on doing any swimming when we get there?"
"Swimming?"
The word caught Mokuba's attention.
"Sure, the waterfall isn't all that big so it flows into a shallow river pool. It's pretty awesome for swimming, pretty safe too cause it's not that deep."
Mokuba's eyes lit up, he immediately turned to look up at Kaiba.
"Please big brother, can I go swimming?"
"Mokuba, I don't want you swimming in a goddamn river pool!"
Ryan smiled reassuringly
"Don't worry Mr. Kaiba, your brother's in good hands, we won't be going alone, two of the hotel's scouts will be going with us…"
Tea watched quietly as the three of them fought it out. In the end Mokuba emerged the victor.
Kaiba instructed Mokuba to put on his bathing trunks under his clothes so that he could change when they got to the pool. Mokuba of course, was too ecstatic to care; he quickly did as he was told.
When everything was settled they all headed along the dirt trail toward the hillside.
The hike through the forest was fairly easy, despite Tea's tendency to trip over exposed tree roots.
After approximately 10 minutes they finally arrived at their destination at a large clearing at the top of the hill.
The waterfall was fairly high, equivalent to about 5 stories up.
Tea watched in amazement as the water flowed heavily into the small river. The pool was crystal clear and she could easily see the bottom of the river bed through the water. Ryan was right, it would've been a great place to take a swim, and it couldn't have been more than 5 feet deep.
Mokuba's eyes sparkled with the sight of the pool, eager to get in.
Ryan stood next to the two hotel scouts who had accompanied them on their hike.
"Well, time to relax and enjoy, young Mr. Kaiba, feel free to jump in, the water's great."
He turned to Tea and Kaiba who were unintentionally standing next to each other.
"As for you two love birds, you can either stay here at the pool or head on over to the small cabin a little further east of the dirt trail."
Tea immediately turned bright red. Why did everything have to lead back to her and Kaiba?
Tea opened her mouth to refuse, but to her surprise, Kaiba unexpectedly intervened before she could say a single word.
"What about Mokuba?"
"Don't worry; we'll be keeping an eye on him."
"Ok, just don't let him out of your sight; I don't think I need to elaborate on what would happen to you and the entire hotel if anything were to happen to him!"
Ryan gulped nervously.
"Of course Mr. Kaiba, we understand perfectly."
Kaiba then turned his attention to Tea.
"Come on let's go."
Tea looked at him with wide eyes, perplexity written all over her face.
"…What? But…"
Kaiba didn't let her finish, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her with him toward the cabin.
Tea's heart was pounding in her chest.
What the hell was going on here? Just what was Kaiba thinking?
They finally reached the cabin. Kaiba opened the unlocked door and stepped inside, Tea timidly following close behind. Once inside, Kaiba closed the door behind them and locked the hatch. Tea suddenly felt a swarm of butterflies invading her stomach all at once. Being alone with him like that was unbearable nerve-racking. She turned to face him after scanning the small one room cabin, which mainly consisted of a large bed, fireplace, an icebox, a few drawers and shelves, two chairs and a wooden table.
By and large the effect was extremely cozy, perfect for couples, but completely inappropriate for her and Kaiba…
"What's the big idea Kaiba? Why'd you drag me in here?"
Kaiba was staring straight into her eyes.
"I want to ask you something."
"Ask me something?"
Kaiba hesitated for a fraction of a second, but made up his mind to move forward.
"I want to know what happened to you back in Domino."
"What?..."
Tea couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"...You dragged me in here to ask me about my personal life?"
"Look, I need to know ok, I want to get to the bottom of this once and for all, I hate being in the dark about this."
"What do you mean? I told you, I don't want you poking around in my personal life. My past has nothing to do with you."
She looked up at him angrily, then turned around and walked over to the bed.
She sat at the edge, looking as if the entire world was suddenly resting on her shoulders.
Kaiba sighed quietly to himself as he walked over to her. He sat next to her on the bed keeping his eyes forward.
"Look I know you don't want me prying into your life, but don't you think I'm in a little too deep now for you to keep hiding it from me?"
Tea couldn't help herself turning red in the face after hearing him being so forward with her.
"Kaiba, I know I've been dragging you into this from the very beginning but, you don't have to worry about it, I promise I won't let it affect my work anymore ok."
Kaiba wished he could tell her the truth about his concern but his resolve was still solid.
"Humph, you're right you have been dragging me into this, and now you've dragged me in up to my elbows, so I think I deserve some kind of explanation as to why you've been acting this way."
Tea stared at the floor knowing that he was somehow right.
"…Ok, I f I tell you part of it would you leave the subject alone from now on?"
"I'm not making any promises."
Tea sighed hopelessly, knowing that she had backed herself into a corner.
"Fine, it's got something to do with Yami and me."
"I hate to tell you this, but that's obvious."
"Well if it's that obvious then why are you asking me what happened?"
"I'm asking because I want the whole truth."
Tea felt her memories flooding back into her mind. They were like a weight attached to her soul; dragging her down into depression.
Her voice was small and quiet as she responded.
"… I know I owe you an explanation but…please don't make me open up old wounds… I don't think I can take it."
Kaiba kept the harshness in his voice to a bear minimum. He spoke to her as kindly as he could manage without sacrificing his reputation as a cold son of a bitch.
"…It's ok, you don't have to tell me everything… just enough.'
He looked at her when she didn't respond. She was already fighting back tears.
"Please understand…I can't…"
Tea closed her eyes trying hard not to cry. She felt like a complete fool, sitting there next to him. She opened her eyes and forced herself to look at him. A single tear managed to escape her eyes and was slowly rolling down her check. Kaiba brought his hand up to her face and wiped the tear away with his thumb; but to her surprise he kept his hand on her face, letting his fingers slip past her ear and into her hair. She felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart rate increasing rapidly. Why was he touching her like that? Tea found that she couldn't move an inch, even when she felt his other hand wrap around her waist pulling her closer to him. She could feel his breath on her face and she could smell his intoxicating cologne. What was going on? What in the world was happening?
But despite her thoughts she couldn't bring herself to move or to push him away. Instead she found herself longing for more.
His ocean blue eyes were like magnets keeping her gaze fixated upon his.
His voice was tantalizingly seductive as he spoke to her, his hand stroking her soft check.
"It's ok, you don't have to give in to your past Tea; you're stronger than you think you are, but you don't have to tell me now if you don't want to, you can tell me when you're ready ok."
Tea bit her lip to stop herself from falling apart. He was holding her in his arms again and she found herself getting used to it. For some reason she couldn't find the strength or the will to push him away.
He was still stroking her cheek and he wasn't showing any signs of letting her go.
Her heart was pounding as she looked up at him.
His eyes were intense and heavily focused on hers.
Kaiba found that he couldn't control himself; but at that point he didn't care; he allowed his feelings to take total control.
He stopped stroking her check and slipped his fingers under her chin, tilting her head up. He waited for opposition, but there was none. His resolve to hide his feelings was somehow like a distant memory and despite his better judgment he couldn't find the strength to stop himself. Tea felt his grip tighten around her waist as she felt her body giving in to him. Why was she paralyzed under his touch? Why was she allowing him to take control? Her mind was a torrent of panic, but at that moment nothing was stronger than her desire to be his. She instinctively closed her eyes as he slowly brought his mouth toward hers.
~~~~~~~~~~~To be Continued in Chapter 14.
Note: So sorry about the cliffie but it was a necessary evil in order for me to move the story along. Hope you enjoyed the read. Please send me a review if you have the time ok. I know this chapter was a bit heavy but don't worry everything will iron itself out later on.
Thanks From
Tamia*