Chapter 3

Six heads whipped around.

Tomoyo's heart was pounding and her body trembling. She kept her hands together in nervousness. With a big smile, she faced them. Her eyes roamed the room, studied each person, and then rested on Sakura. The guilt came rushing in like a torrent.

Her smile faltered a little when the girls didn't return her smile.

Then Hiro realized no one had spoken in about five seconds. He looked around quickly and caught sight of open-eyed stares. Syaoran had also realized the silence, and simultaneously, both got up and walked to Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo! Hey!" They exchanged quick hugs with her.

Takashi followed suit and hugged her tightly. "Oh man, never thought I'd see you again, Daidouji!"

Tomoyo laughed as she returned his hug. "Hi Takashi-kun. It's been so long, I know."

Syaoran threw Eriol a look, who then got to his feet in automatic response. He squeezed in between Takashi and Tomoyo, grabbing her for another hug.

"Hey Tomo."

A genuinely relieved smile lit her face. "Hi Eriol."

"It's good to see you again," he murmured.

"Me too."

Then, out of nowhere, a loud voice came booming from behind the men. "You… WERE ALIVE ALL THIS TIME?!" Naoko yelled.

Six pairs of eyes widened. In addition to the rest of the restaurant's guests looking over at them.

"I could slap you!" She cried again, marching over to Tomoyo. And just in front of her, she pulled her roughly into a tight hug. "Oh Tomoyo Daidouji, I could just slap you," she repeated in a softer voice. "But I'd rather hug you right now."

At that, Tomoyo felt a ball of tears rise up her throat. All sorts of complicated feelings continued to fill her heart, guilt still winning among them.

The six turned to Sakura who remained frozen in her seat. She didn't quite know what to say or do, and every second that she took figuring it out increased the tension in the atmosphere a bit more.

Tomoyo tried a smile. "Sakura," she began.

Like a deer caught in headlights, she stared back, her mind going a mile a minute. Even a "hey" wouldn't come out of her mouth.

Faster than anyone could notice, Syaoran found his way to Sakura's side and took her hand. He knew that she only went speechless like this when she was overwhelmed.

"Come on," he said quietly, pulling her up. Her hand was cold and clammy. Warming it up, he calmed her down, and as always, it did the trick.

Sakura finally smiled, albeit a half-smile. "Tomoyo, hi." She was really here. Alive. In the flesh.

Syaoran moved away. Tomoyo made the first move and hugged Sakura, who returned it awkwardly and quickly.

Hiro broke the tension and announced, "So who's hungry? I know I am!"

"So am I," Taka said. "Let's all sit down."

"You can sit here Tomoyo," Naoko said quickly, patting the seat beside her.

Grateful, she nodded.

The seating arrangement ended up with Hiro, Syaoran, Sakura, and Eriol at one side, Tomoyo, Naoko, and Takashi at the other. Relieved that she was sitting far away from her, Sakura relaxed. This way she could gather her thoughts without having those wary grey eyes on her.

When they were all finally served their meals, the atmosphere relaxed a bit more. Naoko and Tomoyo seemed to hit it off again. For Naoko, all was forgiven. Hiro and Takashi too had no problem forgetting the past. It was really just the other corner of the table that seemed to have a hard time making conversation with the purple-haired woman.

"London was amazing. The weather wasn't always nice, but I loved the atmosphere, the lifestyle, the fashion. Paris was only a train ride away, so I spent a lot of long weekends there. But enough about me," Tomoyo said, answering Hiro's question about life in Europe. "What's going on in your lives?"

"Oh I'm still in school," Naoko said with a shrug. "But I'm almost done."

"She's getting her PhD," Taka interrupted.

"Really?"

Blushing, Naoko shook her head. "I've studied so long that it doesn't feel like such an accomplishment, especially when you think about how everyone our age is having kids. Like Rika, who's still in Australia. She's got one little boy and another one on the way."

"What? When did she get married?"

"Two years ago. It was in Australia, so none of us were there," Takashi answered.

After eight years, everything was a surprise. But it surprised her more that Rika, unlike her, had kept in touch with the group all this time. Tomoyo squashed down the guilt that was resurfacing again.

"AND our very own Sakura's getting married in less than 2 months!" Hiro added, grinning proudly. "Look at that ring!"

Sakura looked up sharply. Tomoyo turned swiftly to her, their eyes meeting. Then, before she could stop herself, Tomoyo's gaze shifted visibly to Syaoran.

"You and-"

"No!" Sakura denied a bit too loudly.

Syaoran blinked.

Sakura composed herself, burying the anger threatening to come out. "His name's Kohei. I wanted him to join us tonight, but he thought it would be better without him."

"You should meet him! He's the male version of Sakura to a tee. Oh except that he never gets mad. So maybe not to a tee, but they are very similar in other ways. He's really nice and cute, like her," Naoko commented, returning to her pasta. "Oh this is good!"

"How did you meet him?" Tomoyo asked instead, trying to cover her tiny slip-up. At least no one seemed to have noticed, she thought with relief. Except Sakura.

"At work."

"Show her the ring," Hiro urged.

"Later."

Eventually, when the topic of Sakura's engagement died down, partly because of her lack of responses, the conversation went to Hiro and Takashi's long stretch of goukon attendances.

Syaoran took the opportunity now to elbow Sakura. "What was that about?" He whispered.

"What?" She asked in between bites.

"Why'd she look at me when-"

"How would I know?" Sakura snapped.

At her tone, he frowned.

"Let it go," Eriol suggested to Syaoran under his breath.

Very confused, Syaoran said, "But I don't get it."

:::

At the end of the night, the seven of them stood outside the restaurant. One stranger took their photo several times in front of the restaurant name. All were smiling and the photo showed a group of friends who had a great reunion. The real situation between the ex-besties, however, wasn't so cozy.

Tomoyo asked to have another gathering like this soon and most of them were open and agreeable. Eriol had opened up just a bit more too, finally able to exchange a few sentences with Tomoyo instead of one-word answers. It was only Sakura left who was still quiet, and who, for most of the night, asked no questions nor replied much.

When everyone began to separate ways, Taka and Hiro took Naoko with them. Syaoran and Eriol said their goodbyes to Tomoyo and began walking to the car parking lot. Sakura was about to follow the men, but stopped and turned around.

There had been something she wanted to say to Tomoyo but she didn't want anyone else to hear it. Now seemed like the perfect time.

Tomoyo spoke first. "Sakura, I'm so sorry about earlier. I really-"

She put a hand up. "You disappeared for eight years. You have no right to assume anything."

Silenced and guilt-ridden, Tomoyo's gaze dropped to the ground. "I know. I'm sorry."

Her nerves fried, Sakura said, "Look, whatever I told you in the past, that was so long ago. Please forget it. It's all gone now. I'm getting married. So-"

"So you're over him?"

Sakura stared blatantly at her. "I'm marrying someone else. Of course I'm over him."

"Did you ever tell him?"

She was taken aback. "Why are you asking me that?"

Tomoyo shook her head, her eyes unable to meet Sakura's gaze. "I thought you would've. Someday I thought…you'd tell him and you would end up-"

"Anyway," Sakura interrupted loudly, uncomfortable with the conversation. "I'm going to go." Sakura turned and began walking away.

"Wait. Sakura. Please, wait." Tomoyo waited until Sakura looked back again, then she released a deep breath. "I came back for him."

Nothing could have prepared her for that. It took her a moment to process those words. "What?"

"If you're marrying someone else, then…you're okay with that. Right?"

In disbelief, in confusion, Sakura walked back to her, her eyes narrow. "Came back for who exactly, Tomoyo?"

"Syaoran."

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. The next one will be longer. More importantly though, secrets are coming out... so tell me what you think. =)