Chapter 22
They pulled up in front of the crashing waves, the salty air with a breeze coming on and off…
"Can you promise me something?" asked Rui.
"Depends…" she replied.
"Promise me you'll never leave." He said still staring straight ahead.
"Rui… You know full well that is something neither of us can promise…" she said hugging herself.
He took of his jacket and put it round her shoulders then proceeding to put his arms around her… in response she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder.
"But I'll promise you one thing…"
"What is that?"
"My heart will always be yours. No one else's"
"Silly boy," she said resting her head against her chest.
I sit here in a quiet corner with only merlot for company, a life of a model.
raprap
"Huh?" I said as I looked up.
"Mind if I join you?" said the charmer by the door.
"Of course not, how have you been Akira?" I asked as he took a seat next to me.
"Same old, same old... How 'bout you? Tsukushi's appearance must have shaken your relationship with Rui eh?" said Akira pouring himself a glass of merlot.
"There was never one to begin with, now I can only regret," I said taking another sip of the wine.
"So, I take it that Rui and her are going steady now…"
"Unfortunately," I said swirling the wine.
"Unfortunately?"
"Me and Rui are betrothed to each other." I said meeting his eye.
"Since when!" said Akira jumping up from the chair.
"Since we were kids. Not much of a say in the matter, mummy just told me about it recently…"
"That's why you came back." Said Akira with a certain finality in his voice.
"Mmmmhmm…. But who am I to come between 'true love'."
"Shizuka, you've got to stop them before they become inseparable." Said Akira coolly.
"I know. I know…"
IN NEW YORK
In the silent halls, behind the doors, at the opening of each window, lies a parasite so small so insignificant till something happens.
"How did this happen?" said Tsukasa with furrowed eyebrows.
"I don't know, I just got here two days ago." Said Tsubaki chugging down the coffee.
"What are we going to do?" asked Tsukasa ruffling his hair.
"If I knew would you need to be here?'' sighed Tsubaki
"We'll figure this out won't we…" said Tsukasa.
"As per usual… as per usual…"
