Chapter 42

As I lay on my bed looking up at the ceiling I recall the willowy figure with wispy brown hair that slithered his way down the stairs back at the restaurant. The one I returned to the table saying, "The old man wished us a happy anniversary."

Somehow delaying her knowledge of his return for even a day seemed comforting. Sometimes I wonder why I dread hearing my best friends name especially when she had the chance to make a break for it she chose me.

Maybe because deep down inside I know that I might be her prince but he is the knight-in-shining-armor. Or maybe I'm just delirious.

*********

Somewhere in between wondering what he was doing back and when he was leaving I fell asleep and the sun rose. I sit up groggily and ruffle my hair trying to get my bearings straight…

"You always look like this in the mornings? Or only on the mornings where you lied to me the night before!" I hear Tsukushi say.

Immediately my eyes pop wide open but all I see is the ceiling. I quickly sit up and look around the room; it's empty. I heave a sigh of relief… it was just a dream.

Just then I feel a pair of arms snake around me, "Why the deep sigh so early in the morning?"

I jump and yelp in shock.

"Jirou… are you okay?" I see Tsukushi standing there all 5' 7" of her.

"Uh.. oh," I replied inarticulately. I heave a sigh again and quickly move to hold her close to me.

She is motionless for about 3 seconds before she hugs me back and starts running her hands up and down my back.

"I'm glad it's just you…" I say whispering in her hair.

"Who else were you expecting?" she asks pulling apart for a moment to look at me.

"Someone… Someone, I'm glad you're not," I hold her close again thinking of the dream.

"Silly boy, that's no way to assure your fiancée you weren't thinking of some other girl," she said amusedly.

"I wasn't! Really! I wasn't!" I exclaim.

She chuckles and caresses my cheek before kissing the same spot.

"I know silly boy… Hurry, clean up… I made breakfast," she gives me a kiss on the opposite cheek and leaves the room.

*********

I pulled a scarf off the rack and slung it on top of the coat on my arm and took a last glance at the liar in the mirror. I walk along the hallway and down the stairs into the conservatory where I see my fiancée holding a cup of coffee and staring out at the mountains in the distance. She looks like the perfect picture and as I step in and we eat accompanied by easy conversation we look right out of an 80's advertorial. As the meal comes to an end we sit in comfortable silence and for that moment I don't think about the prospect of living a life where she leaves me again

"What's bothering you?" Tsukushi said re-filling her coffee cup and mine.

"Nothing is, what makes you think anything is," I try to cover up

"You do this thing with fingers when you are troubled," she demonstrates.

"Eh, do I? What does this mean then?" as I lean in and give her a soft but long kiss on the lips.

"A, it means something is really bothering you; B, it's just something you've been wanting to do that since you saw me this morning" She smiles.

"B is slightly more accurate, on another note, what are we doing today?" I dodge again. This time successfully.