"I'm letting you go."

The words echoed mercilessly in her head ,and yet she refused to believe it. No, she didn't want to understand because she made a promise to herself that the next time she saw him, she wouldn't let him go. She steeled her gaze at him even when her thoughts were a blank. Sasuke began turning away so she did the only thing her heart was desiring her to do.

She shot up from the sofa and tugged him down, slanting her mouth over his. She wound her arms around his neck as she moved her lips against his rather cold flesh, coaxing out a reaction from him. She had her eyes closed as she savored his comforting warmth, kissing him slow but with the desperation and passion that she had bottled up for so long.

She broke away temporarily and cupped his cheeks. "I love you," she breathed, touching her nose to his, smiling at how natural and fulfilling it was to say it – she had never been so sure of anything else in her life.

Sasuke, however, pushed himself off her sharply as if doused by cold water. He dug his hands in his pockets as he paced away, stopping at a respectable distance from her. He wanted nothing else but to hold her, kiss her senseless, let her feel his full reciprocation of what she was offering. He was willing to take his words back upon feeling her touch, but a painful realization jolted through him upon hearing her words.

"You're confused," he stated stolidly.

Sakura could only look back at him, gaping slightly as she fumbled for words to say.

"Wha - how. . . How could you say that?" she whispered brokenly.

"Don't mistake gratitude for love," he said as if he knew any better. He would like to think he didn't. But there was no way that she could love him when he practically took advantage of her situation. He shouldn't have ever touched her. He shouldn't have made her feel obligated to pay him for what he had given her.

Sakura balled her fists, keeping her tears at bay. She had just laid her heart out for him to take. She didn't expect he'd throw it back so easily, so quickly. "I don't understand, Sasuke-kun. I just . . . I do lo – "

He hardened his gaze, determined to drive home his point and end this conversation as cleanly as he could. "You have no one else."

Her tears finally spilled as the implication of what he was saying hit her.

"You pity me," she countered accusingly. All along, our relationship has been out of pity.

He turned his back on her, briefly closing his eyes as he tried to control himself. That wasn't what he wanted her to feel. She was never a beneficiary to him. It was never pity that allowed him the decision to take her in.

Her sobs came in sputter, and she felt her knees go weaker by the minute. He wasn't answering, and it was enough confirmation for Sakura. Whatever they had was never real. It was nothing but an act of kindness on his part, and she was a piteous fool to read something else into it.

She sighed shakily as she braved to ask a question, the final nail that would help her seal off her feelings.

"Are you in love with someone else?"

Sasuke half turned. "I'm getting married," he paused. "For convenience," he added, lowering his voice. He didn't know why he felt the need to clarify things, but she deserved to be offered some semblance of truth.

"And you're just OK with that?" she bit back severely. She wouldn't deny that she felt hope surging from within at his admission that he'd be marrying not out of love, but she immediately squashed it down. Sasuke seemed too certain of not doing otherwise.

"I have no choice," he shrugged as nonchalantly as possible.

Sakura then angrily strode towards him until she was facing him. "Why won't you tell me anything Sasuke? Please tell me. I want to know everything that's hurting you! I can – "

"Don't you think it's too late for that?" he countered with wry amusement, keeping up the facade that he didn't actually care that much.

His resolve of letting her go was dissolving fast, and he wished it was easy to fall into her arms and just be with her. But he was afraid he couldn't protect her. He was afraid because he had always been a coward. He had to let her go. He couldn't drag her down with him especially when she was only under the illusion that what she was feeling for him was love. They both knew it was nothing complicated but simple gratitude. He just needed her to know that she was no longer obligated to stay as a form of repayment. She needed to start her life anew, and it would be for the best if it would be without him who had been nothing but a deadweight.

"Sakura, this is over. I'm leaving you this apartment. You can stay here for as long as you want. No need to pay me back."

He walked past her, striving to reach the door without succumbing to the need to have one last look at her. He was, however, stopped dead in his tracks when he felt arms snaking around his waist.

If it was only Sakura, she didn't want to let go but she knew he could no longer hold him back. He had responsibilities to fulfill that she knew nothing about – that wasn't for her to know because she was nothing important to him. And she would accept that. But just before she let him walk away, she wanted to hold him one last time.

"Please. Just give me ten seconds."

She pressed the side of her face against his back, tightening her hold around him, imprinting this feeling in her heart. She would never forget.

"6. . .4 . . ." she mumbled, her voice thick with tears, "2 . . . 1."

She then released him and swiped at her tears vigorously. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun, for everything," she said as warmly and cheerily as she could. She would have given him the brightest smile that she could, but he no longer faced her and just hastily stepped out the door.

The click of the door sounded distant and conclusive as she fell to her knees and cried to her heart's content.

xxx

He had managed to survive for a week by dedicating himself to office work. And yet his thoughts of Sakura and her pink hair and glassy green eyes overwhelmed him in every instance of breathing – and he always got pulled back into the undercurrent. Too many times, he had to extinguish the burning wick of desire to drive to the apartment and check up on her. He thought it'd be okay to simply see the lights on inside – he just needed to know that she was still there, never mind the physicality of their separation. Too many times, he had to remind himself that it was his decision to let her go.

He had to resume living the life determined for him, and it would've been tolerable if he only had to face the company's documents without having unnecessary confrontations with his parents. But here he was at a restaurant, acting civil with them, waiting for their soon-to-be business partners and his soon-to-be wife.

Ino Yamanaka was a woman of stature, and she didn't fail to exude that aura in every confident step that she took, donned in her royal blue halter gown. There was a certain definiteness in her angular cheekbone, and the rigid placidity of her gaze spoke of quiet conviction and regality. When she fixed him with that stare, he knew right away that she meant business.

Their respective parents moved to a separate table to talk of "business," and Ino's mother reasoned in a rather gaily fashion that Sasuke and her daughter must likewise do some acquainting.

Ino daintily took a sip of her cranberry wine before resting her chin lightly against her gloved hand. Sasuke paid her no attention, focusing on slicing off his steak, despite feeling her probing gaze.

"You know . . ." she started with a honeyed voice. "I've never seen such a smokingly, alluringly hot man before, and I would've jumped you at any moment . . ."

Sasuke coldly met her gaze then and saw her smirk.

"Except that I'm already deeply in love with someone else and I'd like to believe you suffer from the same pain," she finished somberly, pursing her lips as she waited for his reply.

He focused back on his plate, not wanting to engage her fancies. He wasn't attracted to the idea of shared suffering because at the end of the day, it still spelled nothing but a hopeless case of despair for each party. Affected displays of sympathy weren't a prerequisite to arranging a loveless marriage, and like her, he only meant business so he'd rather they get this over with as quickly as possible.

"It's none of my concern," he said dryly.

"You have to care," she replied swiftly, "I don't wanna ruin my life by having this nonsense arrangement."

"I wouldn't be here if I had a choice."

"Actually, you did. And you didn't take it," she sighed in frustration, then she clicked her tongue. "I'm planning to run away with my lover after the party tomorrow. Just letting you know so that you wouldn't stand there with your mouth hanging open and flashing cameras swarming around your face."

"Besides, I need you to cooperate." She then extended her hand to him. "So, let's just give them a show, shall we?"

Sasuke could only eye her hand, hating how easy she had put it, as if escaping was also an option for him.

"You wish it was that easy."

Ino snorted. "Oh, it's never easy. But that doesn't mean you give up."

Sasuke didn't know what to say in return. He had been a coward, and a stranger need not rub it in.

"Our company needs your investment," he said instead. After all, one could never go wrong with facts.

Ino gulped down the remaining liquid in her glass before she began again. "I've heard things about you. To be honest, your company doesn't need me or our company. You just need to man up and face the responsibilities."

He was quick to shoot her a glare. "You don't know anything."

She let out a theatrical smile. "I know about your tragedies, honey."

Sasuke clenched his fists and scraped his chair backward, which caught the attention of their audience from the other table.

Ino immediately reached out for his hand on the table, hastily sending their audience a reassuring smile. She looked at him gently then before withdrawing.

"Your brother would probably have not liked this. I don't. And I'm sure as hell you don't. So we just need to fake our way through this until tomorrow and we're done."

Sasuke made a move to stand, unable and unwilling to comprehend her antics.

"I've also heard about a certain girl – " Ino persisted, looking up at him knowingly.

"Don't," he choked. He couldn't afford having her poke into a wound that would probably never heal.

Ino smiled triumphantly. "Then it's a deal."

xxx

To say she'd been living in darkness was a cruel understatement. At least in the dark, she could move through, feel the pulse of life somewhere beyond its horizons. But ever since he walked out of the door, she'd been living in the shell of void, sucked out of life, harrowingly suspended between the now and the then.

She wanted to hold on to their memories, and each time, she bore the multiple brunt of regret at not realizing her true feelings sooner, at failing to make him believe she had loved him not out of gratitude but despite her brokenness. With him, she was not a fragmented picture but a woman, alive and whole and passionately in love.

He had let her go, and she took it as an imperative to start anew, but without him, she could only end. She had stopped going to work, choosing to stay in the apartment, with the flimsy hope that he would return to her any minute. She wanted to be there if and when that happened. But it had been a week, and he was nowhere in sight.

Across the table laid different newspapers having the same material, announcing the near engagement of the heir of Uchiha Inc. and the heiress of Yamanaka Corps. It was the talk of the town and of the country because how could it not when it was practically the marriage of the century, the union of the two most powerful and influential business groups in Japan and Asia.

It was only in these broadsheets that she was able to see his face even though each captured shot also had the Yamanaka heiress in the picture. She had opted not to turn on the TV for days because he and his future wife were sure to be featured in various channels, which she wouldn't be able to take. But the need to see him in motion and hear his voice proved to be stronger.

She reached for the remote concealed between the strewn sheets atop the table and switched the machine on with a heavy and dejected sigh. She pressed the button unceasingly until she landed on a certain scene that had her heart wrenched into knots. Tears started rolling down as she sat there, witnessing how he was standing so close to another woman in one moment and securing his arm around her the next. His face was calm and intent as he led the woman inside the grand hall, protecting her from the intrusive cameras.

The headline repetitively flashed in big, bold print as if mocking her. He was to be engaged in an hour, and she wouldn't be able to stop him.

She had to let go.

xxx

"People still can't believe you did that," Sasuke deadpanned as he noticed the interested looks that people were sending his companion's way.

The scene that Ino made five years ago in that grand banquet hall where they were to announce their official engagement had become a legendary story that had traveled across the globe and which until now was still an inexorably hot topic among paparazzi, bloggers, and plain gossipers.

The woman in question, however, didn't seem to care as evidenced by the way she sauntered into the restaurant without batting an eyelash at the waiters and waitresses who were running their eyes up and down her figure, confidentially lowering their voices as they passed words with one another in a not-so-discreet manner.

"Oh, honey. You'll do anything for love." She winked and crinkled a smile, confidently glancing around at the fascinatingly nosy onlookers to make a point.

He could still remember how she had held his hand on the stage to lure the crowd in front them into an entrancing show. He did his own part for the act, resting his had lightly against her lower back, as she spoke over the mic.

"It is an honor for me to be here with you in this most important night of my life. I am pleased to inform you that I am to be wed in a few months and it is with the love of my life who is currently waiting for me at the backstage. So enjoy the night as we make our sweet escapade!"

He had smiled at her then for her bravery, catching her six-inch heels as she took off running towards where her lover was. His part of the deal was pretty easy as he only needed to make sure that there would be no one around in the backstage at the time of announcement. They had perfected the act so as to give their parents a sense of complacency and make them believe that their growing intimacy was of an amorous nature that they deserved a certain level of privacy.

The incident was followed by an expected commotion. The Yamanakas threatened to disown their daughter, but Ino stood her ground and resigned from her post as she escaped with her lover to who-knows-where, cutting off all forms of contact with her parents. Their distraught over the whole shebang affected their company's performance so much so that the Uchihas eventually found them no longer an asset loss.

Sasuke's parents never questioned him if he knew anything about his supposed marriage partner's plans, but he would've denied it even if they did. He admired her for what she had done and wished he had also possessed the courage to run back to Sakura and run away together.

A year later, Ino reappeared, healthy and pregnant. She made it known in a conference that she was back in Japan to support the first-ever exhibit of his artist husband. Sasuke didn't know what had transpired between Ino and her parents, but Ino could only talk about how her parents would always insist that she leave her kids with them on weekends. She was no longer the heiress, however, as she swore to just travel with her husband to support him with his world-class exhibits.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had stayed civil with his father, promising him that he would lead and sustain the company, with the condition that he would no longer be forced into business dates to meet prospect marriage partners. His mother had been more affectionate towards him, supporting him with every decision that he would make for the company, shielding him from his father's autocratic methods. But truthfully, he had stopped caring. His life had already reached a point of stability, and he'd like to believe that it was enough to get him by for the rest of his life.

However, Ino had stubbornly refused to let him have a closure with the previous chapter of his life. She had reconnected with him months after her reappearance, and the first thing that came out of her mouth was Sakura's name.

"So, how is Sakura?"

"Have you found her yet?" Ino asked worryingly.

He looked at her for a moment before shifting his gaze down. After the incident five years ago, he immediately drove towards the apartment, finding the lights on upon his arrival. He didn't even bother knocking as he keyed his way in. But the moment he stepped inside, he knew she wasn't there anymore. The place was cleaned up, her presence erased from every corner. He had looked for her everywhere, and he would have searched around the world, but he knew he would never find her. She wouldn't let him. Not after what he did.

"No," he said, as painful as it was to admit.

"Then perhaps you're not searching hard enough."

He swirled the wine in his glass before emptying it into his mouth. It wasn't that he had stopped looking; he was just waiting. He wouldn't be able to find someone who didn't want to be found, and he'd respect that.

"I let her go."

Ino moaned solicitously. "Don't worry. I'll help you. I'll have the company's agents look for her all over the world."

Sasuke grunted. "Stop worrying about us."

"I can't! Your love life has been my business ever since I got her name. Look, when I ran away with Sai, I was hoping you'd do the same thing with your girl."

'Sorry to disappoint," he stated flatly.

"I know. But I want you to be happy," she said earnestly.

Sasuke just cocked a brow.

"We were on the same boat back then, and I managed to get out, and . . ." she paused, shaking her head. "I don't wanna keep spewing some sentimental lines here, but you get what I'm saying, right? Your brother would want you happy. I didn't have the chance to know him personally but from what I've heard, he was a good – "

"He was a great man," he supplied, smiling lightly. "He was my best friend."

She nodded, smiling in return. "If he was still alive, I'm sure he'd be the one in my position."

They lapsed then into a contemplative silence.

"Anyway, I'm flying with Sai to New York the day after tomorrow. If you have time, drop by our house later for dinner. You might also find some paintings of Sai worth hanging in your office," she laughed.

"Of course. And I'd also like to meet your twins."

xxx

Before driving back to his office, he stopped by his favorite coffee shop. It was a routine that he had fallen into as a way of coping. He missed her dreadfully, and he still was hoping he'd soon find her there someday, serving him his espresso shot. His phone vibrated inside his pocket, and he was about to get it when he saw a motion of pink exiting the shop. He jerked up from his seat, sending the chair reeling backward, as he unhesitatingly ran out.

The figure was about to cross the street, and he caught up, pulled her around until he was looking at the same face she made five years ago inside his car when he called her name and her eyes fluttered open.

"Sakura."

That was the original ending or something as ambiguous as that but I made you wait for almost three months so I thought it'd be injustice to serve such an unsatisfying ending. I'll be adding another chapter, don't worry.

To answer Rainbow Sparkle's question, I did not delete my previous fics here because this is a new account. I have another (older) account here on FFN that doesn't have M-rated fics. This account is just like a practice platform for lemony endeavors. Having said that, I'll have to update my other stories in that account as well as upload some fluff bits to type out the rusty tips of my fingers – I haven't written anything non-academic in months and it shows here!

I'm really sorry for the late update and dull chapter. A lot of things happened. And I almost lost my life either by accident or by my own hands. But all is well now. (Just finished watching 3 idiots haha).

Give me a holler if you're still reading this!