Sakura gritted her teeth and pulled back. “What are you talking about?”
“What am I talking about? What am I talking about?” Kate asked sarcastically. “Why don’t you just get it straight in that dumb head of yours? That you don’t belong with the Princeton family. That all you’ve ever done is cause the family to break apart. Let’s just face it, why don’t we? You’ve destroyed both Tara’s and Alaina’s life.”
Sakura shook her head as Kate started moving toward her in a threatening way, like she’d always done in high school.
“First, you burned down the orphanage and killed Tara’s mom because you bloody well hated Tara’s and her mom’s guts so much. Then you played the helpless little girl so you could get adopted by one of the wealthiest families in America. Then, of course, you use your bloody tricks to take poor Darcy away from Alaina, spinning his head with lies and making them turn against one another. Now you even take dear Sebastian away from poor Tara. Now, did I forget something else? Ah, how about James? He’s so bloody smitten with you that he forgot about his own children. Oh, Alaina told me all about how you used your bloody tricks on James. How he took Alaina’s inheritance away and gave it to you.”
“What? That’s not true,” Sakura said, shaking her head. “Kate, I don’t have to listen to your stupid accusations. Now get out of my way. I’m going home.”
“Shut up! Just shut up, bitch,” Kate said. “You know, these people are good people, and I, for one, will not allow a wicked bitch like you to hurt them.” She grabbed Sakura by the hair and roughly slammed her head and body against the rocky wall of the cave.
The impact was so great that it nearly broke Sakura’s bones, and she fell to the ground, her head spinning and her body aching. Her breathing was short as she tried to get up to get away from the woman who obviously wanted to kill her. She needed to gain control of herself. She needed to defend herself. She had to. She couldn’t allow this woman to bully her anymore, to hurt her anymore.
When Sakura managed to gain control of her body again, she looked up to see Kate taking a Swiss Army knife out of her belt.
Sakura gritted her teeth and pushed herself up, ignoring the pain that was coursing through her body. She tried to get up but found that her body was too weak and the pain was too unbearable. Suddenly Kate was on top of her, kneeing her to the ground.
Sakura watched in horror as Kate brought the Swiss Army knife down toward her. She screamed, and instantly, before the knife could cut her flesh, Sakura’s hand shot out and held Kate’s wrist, stopping her in time.
“Why are you doing this?” she panted out lowly, her face pale.
“To get rid of you. You’ve destroyed too many lives. You’ve destroyed Tara’s life. You’ve destroyed Alaina’s life. They’re my best friends. Now you’ve also destroyed my life. You took my Darcy away from me. You’ve ruined my life, you bitch.”
Kate applied more force, her face red as she brought the knife closer to Sakura’s throat, ready to slice her life away.
Sakura wanted to cry out. Oh, God! The fear within her was overwhelming. What if Kate did manage to slice her throat here and now and kill her in an instant?
Sakura couldn’t think further and managed to jostle the knife out of Kate’s hand. Kate scrambled for her precious weapon. Sakura took the opportunity to shove Kate back, causing the other woman to fall on her backside. Sakura chose the chance to run out of the cave and into the storm outside.
The rain was hard and heavy and beating down on her with a ferocious anger. She couldn’t see a thing as she raced down the narrow pathway she hoped would lead her to somewhere safe.
“Come back here, bitch,” Kate shouted after her. “I’m going to kill you for what you did.”
Sakura wasn’t listening. She raced around the sharp corner, nearly slipping on the muddy pathway. She blinked away rainwater from her eyes as she searched in panic which way to go.
“Sakura! Where the fuck are you?” Kate screamed in the rain. “Come back here and let me kill you properly!” Then she laughed.
Sakura came to a sudden stop and nearly fell off the cliff. It was a dead end. She shot back and clung flat against the wall. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, praying very hard that she wouldn’t fall.
“You know,” Kate said, not too far away, rain beating down on her. “This is a pretty good place for you to die. Instead of me slicing your throat to make it look like suicide, maybe I’ll throw you off the cliff and make it look like an accident. What do you think, Sakura?”
Sakura felt her heart thumping loud and furious within her chest, her head spinning and her whole body shaking. How did it come to this? Why was Kate trying to kill her? She hadn’t done anything to deserve this.
She bit her lip and peeked down. She shouldn’t have done that, for straight down below her was the sea—very angry, with those big waves crashing against the cliff’s edge. It was ready to devour her.
She swallowed and tried to stay as calm as she could, telling herself to take a deep breath and not move. If she kept quiet and still, then Kate would realize she wasn’t here and would leave.
She breathed in heavily and clung to the side of the cliff as the rain beat down on her, her whole body cold and wet and her head throbbing with pain. She felt blood sliding down her face and quickly wiped it away. That was when she realized her head was injured, probably from the impact against the rocky wall in the cave.
“Where are you?” Kate sang merrily.
Suddenly Kate appeared, and Sakura jumped in fear.
“There you are.” Kate chuckled. “Just like old times, eh? Now then. Time to die.” She grabbed Sakura by her arm and shoved her toward the edge of the cliff.
Sakura held on to Kate for dear life. “Don’t!” she begged. “You don’t want to do this. You shouldn’t be doing this! Kate, please listen to me.”
“Why? Why shouldn’t I be doing this?” Kate asked. “You’ve ruined my life. I have to get rid of you so we all can live happily ever after.” She shoved Sakura harder, but Sakura held on to the groove of the rock with one hand and Kate with the other.
Then when Sakura thought she couldn’t hold on any longer, Conrad suddenly appeared on the other side, shocked to see her hanging on to the cliff within a thread of her life.
“Shit! Sakura!” he screamed. “Kate, what the hell are you doing? Get away from Sakura!”
Kate, after hearing Conrad’s voice, went into shocked stillness. Then she panicked, and as if she couldn’t help herself because she’d come too far, she shoved Sakura harder, which caused Sakura to lose her grip on the rock.
“Conrad!” Sakura screamed as her body fell back, her hands reaching out to him. Oh, God! She was going to die.
Conrad raced to Sakura, screaming her name. “Sakura!” His hand reached out for her, but he was too late. She was already falling from the cliff and into the ocean below.
“Sakura!” he screamed again, his voice echoing across the sea.
The voice, though mostly muffled out by the rain and the storm, reached the brothers down below. They all turned just in time to see Sakura’s body flying down like a little doll and hitting the water.
Sebastian went cold the moment he saw her body. Darcy screamed his head off. “Sakura!” he howled, his voice loud, his face red, his stomach flipping with dread.
The brothers discarded their surfboards, diving deep into the ocean, and swam toward her. They propelled themselves against the current, their strong arms and legs working hard against the waves. In that instant, an enormous wave came crashing toward them, steering them off course. Sebastian dove deep under and then emerged again. Darcy was behind him, and then suddenly another wave came and smashed against Darcy, swirling his body about and throwing it off against a rock, scratching his skin and breaking his arm in the process. He fell unconscious immediately.
As soon as it was here, the wave was gone again, and Sebastian swam back to Darcy. He caught his brother and brought him up to the surf
ace. Nicolas, Tristan, Logan, and Hayden finally got to them. Hayden took Darcy and slid him on top of his surfboard.
Sebastian, leaving Darcy in Logan and Hayden’s care, dove back down and went in search for Sakura. Nicolas and Tristan weren’t far behind him.
Please, God, let her be all right, Sebastian prayed. Please let her be all right.
He finally found her and vigorously swam toward her. He caught her by the small of her waist, hugged her against him, and brought her back up to the surface. Nicolas and Tristan came to help. They put her on Nicolas’s surfboard and started heading back. Once they got back to the beach, Sebastian took Sakura in his arms, testing to see if she was breathing. She wasn’t. Oh, shit!
He laid her back down, his heart thundering in his chest and his stomach knotted in dread. Don’t die on me, sweetheart. Don’t you dare die on me! he cried internally in anguish.
He opened her mouth and blew air into her lungs. Then he pressed on her chest.
“Come on,” he said, anguish in his voice and tears in his eyes. He moved to blow air into her lungs again and then pressed her chest. “Sweetheart, Sakura, wake up!” he growled.
Hayden and Logan were fixing Darcy up as best as they could so he wouldn’t bleed to death.
“So much blood,” Hayden said. “Shit!”
“Sakura! Sakura!” Conrad shouted from the distance as he raced down toward them. “Sakura!” He came to kneel beside her, his face pale. “Shit! Sakura!” he cried.
Sebastian continued to do CPR, and then finally, she coughed, spurting out loads of saltwater, and opened her eyes. Sebastian sighed with relief and hugged her tight within his arms, tears rolling down his face. “Sakura,” he whispered against her wet hair.
Sakura gazed at the man who had saved her life once again. “Sebastian,” she whispered weakly. Then she hazily looked around. Her heart was pounding violently within her chest when she saw Darcy lying on the ground not too far away from her, bleeding. Blood. There was so much blood. “Darcy,” she whispered dryly, her head spinning. Then, as if as she couldn’t take it any longer, she closed her eyes again and fell unconscious.
THIRTY-THREE:
Confession
Sakura slowly opened her eyes. Why was she so sore? She groaned in pain as she brought her hand up to touch her forehead. Oh, God, her head was aching something sorely. Suddenly, she realized there were long lines of IV tubes connected to her arm.
Where am I?
She tried to sit up but found she couldn’t.
“Don’t move,” she heard someone say to her softly.
Sakura turned to see Sebastian moving toward her from where he sat. He touched his warm hand to her cheek, cupping her face. “Lie back,” he said.
She obeyed him. Sebastian pulled the blanket up to her chin as he watched her.
“Where am I?” she asked weakly.
“In the hospital,” he said.
“Oh,” she voiced, staring up at the ceiling. Then she closed her eyes again, trying to think what had happened. Her head hurt. Why was it so painful? Then slowly—very slowly—everything came back to her. The storm. Kate. Conrad. Her falling from the cliff.
The last thing she remembered was her flying down, hitting the water, and then drowning. She had thought that she was going to die for sure. The water, it was taking her, wanting to kill her. She whimpered in pain at the reminder.
Darcy! She’d seen him bleeding on the ground next to her.
She flashed open her eyes. “Darcy!”
“Hush,” Sebastian said. “He’s fine. He’s fine.”
“Tell me what happened to him, please,” she begged, tears in her eyes.
Sebastian slid in next to her then and pulled the blanket on the both of them. He made her rest her head in his arms, and then slowly, he moved and kissed her forehead. “He’s fine. He’s just across the hall.” He didn’t dare tell her that Darcy had lost a lot of blood and his left arm was broken when he was trying to save her.
Sebastian rested his chin on top of her head and said, “I was so worried. When I saw you fall, I thought I’d die.”
Sakura clutched onto him, her body trembling. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? I couldn’t believe Kate would do that to you.” He nudged her face up so she could look at him. “Sakura,” he began slowly.
Sebastian knew he couldn’t hold back anymore. He had to tell her. After the accident, her life seemed so fragile, and he realized she could be snatched away from him just like that, like yesterday afternoon. He knew for certain he never wanted that to happen again, ever. Yes, he needed to tell her now.
“I love you,” he said, staring into her dark eyes—eyes that had always mesmerized him. “I have always loved you, Sakura. I’m not going to ever let you leave me, ever again.”
As she stared up at him, tears were rolling down her pale cheeks. She held on to him tightly, her whole body shaking like a leaf. “Sebastian,” she whispered softly. She desperately wanted to tell him that she, too, loved him. But she knew she could not because she knew very well that it would never work out. All too soon, she’d be leaving him. All too soon, she’d be leaving them all, and it pained her to think about it.
Then before she could say anything, his lips were on hers, kissing her gently and passionately. With tears in her eyes, Sakura submitted to him, letting him kiss her, letting him explore her mouth, letting him have all of her because she knew it would be the last time she’d share a kiss with him. Then when he finally lifted his head and wiped her tears away, she couldn’t help herself and said softly, “I love you, too.”
Sebastian’s heart burst with happiness. His hands were shaking as he cupped her face. Then slowly he kissed her again and again. He tenderly kissed her forehead, her nose, her pale cheek, her chin, and then he passionately and wildly kissed her lips.
When he was finally done kissing her, Sakura laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, clinging onto him, never wanting to let him go, knowing very well that this would be the last time she’d feel his warm embrace and smell his earthy scent. Eventually she slept in his arms.
Sebastian stayed with her until well past midnight, embracing her in his arms, thanking God that she was saved. Then, of course, he had to leave because the nurse begged him to.
When Sakura woke the next morning, she was surrounded with people. Daddy James and Mom Brenda were sitting on one side of the room. Nicolas was leaning against the window, Tristan and Logan at the end of her bed, Sebastian and Hayden on her left, and Conrad on her right.
She licked her lips and tried to get up. Conrad was fast. He stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulders, telling her to lie back.
“Don’t move. You’re not well yet,” he said. Then he hugged her really tight, a worried expression on his face. “I was so worried last night, but stupid Sebastian wouldn’t let me stay with you. You scared the shit out of me, falling off that cliff.”
“Oi, lie down, puppy boy,” Tristan said teasingly. “You’re suffocating poor Sakura.”
Conrad frowned at his brother but did move back to give Sakura some breathing space.
Nicolas said, “How are you feeling, Sakura?”
Sakura managed to give him a weak smile, nodding her head to tell him she was fine.
Logan cleared his throat and then said, “You really put up a good fight against that sea there, Sakura. I’m impressed.”
A frown formed on Sakura’s pale face.
Tristan elbowed his brother, telling him it wasn’t appropriate to mention the incident.
“Kate?” Sakura asked softly.
The brothers looked at one another. “Kate has been taken into custody for questioning.”
“What’s going to happen to her?” Sakura couldn’t help asking.
“She’s being investigated for attempted murder,” James said, his eyes dark.
Sakura could feel the pain radiating from his voice, and her heart ached in response. “You’re tired. You should rest,” B
renda said, stroking back her hair.
Sakura nodded in agreement. Then Brenda shooed all her sons out, who finally left after putting up a big fight. Brenda kissed her on her forehead gently. “Get well soon.”
Sakura nodded, and then before Brenda went, she said, “Mom?”
“Yes, sweetheart?” Brenda raised her brows.
Sakura said slowly, her eyes on the older woman’s face, “I love you and thank you so much for everything.”
Brenda cocked her head to one side, confused as to why Sakura would say those words to her all of a sudden. She replied, “My pleasure.”
Sakura watched her adopted mother go, tears brewing in her eyes, her heart aching, knowing very well this would be the last time she’d see the woman for a long while. Finally, she turned her attention to James—Daddy James.
He took her hand in both of his and brought it up to his forehead. “I’m sorry,” he said in anguish.
Sakura’s tears flowed down her cheeks. “Daddy James, please, you’ve done nothing wrong.”
James brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’m so sorry, Sakura. I’ve failed as a father. I couldn’t protect you.”
Sakura shook her head. “No, you didn’t fail. You’re a marvelous father, and I’m your daughter.” She raised up and touched her hand to his face. Slowly, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you, Daddy James, and thank you for everything. You will always be my Daddy James.”
James looked at his adopted daughter and realized the meaning of her words. Yes, she had told them that she was leaving, but this soon?
“Good-bye, Daddy James,” she said, a sad smile on her face.
James watched as she slowly rested back and then closed her eyes, tears rolling down her pale cheeks.
A hollow feeling sat in the pit of his stomach as James walked out the door, knowing very well what was going to happen next. “I love you, my daughter Sakura. You will always be our Sakura no matter who you are or where you are.” Then he was gone.
Sakura quietly sobbed until she fell asleep. The next time she woke up, she saw Ned sitting beside her bed, waiting for her to wake.
Falling For Sakura (Falling For Sakura Trilogy, #1) Page 33
