by Alexia Praks
“Her dress,” Alaina chuckled. “It’s awfully big on her, don’t you think? Not suitable for her at all. Mary would be ashamed to see her bridesmaid wearing such a hideous dress at her wedding.”
Sakura’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, God! She knew these women too well to be ignorant of what they were implying. Without delay, she braced herself by lifting her skirt up and rushed out the door as quickly as possible.
“Where do you think you’re going, Silly Sally?” Tara shouted. “We’re going to help you with that dress.”
Sakura wasn’t listening. Oh, she knew they were going to ruin her dress all right, and there’s no way she’d let them do that. Not this time. Not Mary’s choice of dress.
She raced across the corridor and then toward the back stairs that no one ever used except for her and the maids. At the same time, she held tightly onto her dress, afraid it might fall off her person. Even worse, though, she might topple on the long skirt, fall down the stairs, and break her slender neck.
She gathered up the thick, long material of the skirt and hugged it against her chest as she raced. Oh, dear God! She could hear them coming after her, laughing merrily like they used to when they were children. God! She couldn’t believe they hadn’t changed. Not one bit.
“You’re still running the same old route, my dear Silly Sally,” Alaina shouted after her from the top of the stairs. Tara giggled as if she were really thrilled at the thought of chasing and hunting down Sakura.
Sakura wasn’t thrilled, however, and felt that fear again like she’d always felt when Tara and Alaina were harassing her. Oh, God! What was she going to do? She couldn’t possibly run into the drawing room and accuse Tara and Alaina of wanting to hurt her in front of everyone, especially now that they were all grown up.
She finally opened a door and found herself in the large indoor pool area on the ground floor. No one was there, and she decided the two women wouldn’t find her here.
She hastily closed the door and collapsed against it, breathing heavily, relief sweeping through her body.
Her relief, however, was short lived when she heard both Tara’s and Alaina’s laughter not too far away, and only moments later the door was thrust open from the other side, throwing her off balance.
“Aw,” Alaina began the moment she saw Sakura, who was looking at them with fear in her eyes. “You ran to hide in the wrong room.”
“What do you want?” Sakura asked, her voice quivering.
Tara shrugged her shoulders. “Just want to help out, dear sister. After all, that dress is awfully pretty on you.”
Sakura couldn’t help herself and decided she had enough of this stupid harassment. She wasn’t going to run any longer and stood her ground.
“You know what?” she said, her voice stronger now as she stood there, her head held high and her whole body stiff and tense. “I never said this to you before, but you two are bitches. So if you want to beat me, there you go. I’m right here. But don’t expect me to just stand here and allow you to beat me senseless like before.”
Tara cocked her head to one side. “Oh, we know you’ve grown up, Silly Sally. We know you’ve grown your broken wings.”
“And we also know you’ll never tell anyone about how we treated you,” Alaina said. “Because it’s just you, dear sister.”
Sakura gritted her teeth. Her heart was pounding hard as she glared at them, her hand fisted tight.
“I think that’s enough talking,” Tara said. She stalked forward and pulled Sakura by the arm. Because Sakura was smaller, she couldn’t really offer much resistance and found herself being dragged along. Alaina helped by pulling at her gown, ripping out the beautiful, expensive material from her shoulders.
“Stop it!” Sakura screamed. “You’re ruining my dress!”
Alaina chuckled merrily. “We’re just fixing it for ya. Now don’t move, dear sister. You’ll look very beautiful in a minute. Isn’t that what you want?”
Sakura couldn’t help herself and she slapped Alaina in the face, sending her staggering backward. Alaina touched her cheek and glared. “You bitch! You slapped me!” She marched forward and sent her hand smashing on Sakura’s left cheek. Tara held on to Sakura, allowing Alaina to slap her again.
“Have you learned how to swim yet, my silly girl?” Alaina asked, her eyes on the deep pool just a step away.
Sakura’s eyes widened in fear as the meaning of Alaina’s words sank in. She shook her head, fear rising within her chest.
Tara felt pleasure rushing through her veins once she saw the look on Sakura’s beautiful face. Alaina was laughing like some maniac, which also pleased Tara.
“You haven’t?” Alaina asked. “I can’t believe that. After all these years, after what happened that last time, you still haven’t learned?”
Sakura felt her heart thumping faster. Oh, God! They were going to throw her into the pool like they had years ago, throwing her into the sea. If Daddy James hadn’t arrived on time, she would have drowned and died back then. But no one was here now. No one would hear her. No one would see her. She’d really die here if they did throw her into the pool.
She shook her head. “Don’t. Please don’t.”
Alaina shook her head and her lips turned downward, as if she were imitating Sakura. “Don’t? No, don’t. No, please.”
Tara couldn’t hide her excitement when she saw the wild look on Alaina’s face. “Throw her in, Alaina. Throw the bitch in.”
Alaina chuckled. “Time to go say hi to your maker,” she said to Sakura and forcefully shoved her back.
“No!” Sakura screamed as she fell backward into the deep pool, her hands reaching out for them to help her. All she could see, however, were Tara and Alaina standing there, smiling as they watched her struggling in the water.
Sakura felt suffocated, the water pulling her down, dragging her to her doom. She tried. Oh, how she tried to scream for help, but she was tired and her body was weak. She closed her eyes, knowing very well that this could be the end of her. Yes, it was the end of her.
“Mom,” she whispered for her mother, the woman she’d never met, the woman who had given her life. This was it. She would never meet her, and she felt rather sad about that. She closed her eyes and her body sank toward the bottom of the deep pool.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 21
Savior
“Shit!” Darcy swore under his breath. He shouldn’t have picked up the phone. Shouldn’t have at all, and now, what was he supposed to do? Hang up! That was what he was supposed to do.
“Hello? Darcy, is that you? Darling, please, I’m so sorry. Please talk to me. I’ve missed you. I’m very sorry for what happened. There’s no excuse for what I’ve done. I know I slept with the guy, but I swear I’ll make it up to you. I swear, Darcy, sweetheart. Please talk to me.”
Darcy tightened his hand around his cell phone as he stared at the number on the screen. Kate Anderson. It was her again—his ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend whom he’d never had any feelings for, the ex-girlfriend who had cheated on him. Now she expected him to go crawling back to her? Just like that? Did she consider him stupid? He would never go back to her. Not now. Not ever!
He’d never liked her. In fact, he’d never understood why he’d gone into a relationship with her in the first place. Well, to be honest, the relationship had always been one-sided, and that was her side. He had gone along without realizing it because Tara and Alaina had been pulling him along since Kate was their friend.
He gritted his teeth. Shit! She was still going on about her mistakes, begging him to come back to her. He was sick and tired of it and quickly switched the phone off, cutting her off midsentence.
He stood up and threw the cell phone onto the sofa with so much force and frustration that if it were the wall it would have been smashed to pieces.
He needed to be alone to think clearly, to get Kate out of his mind. And, yes, he admitted to himself, to stop himself from thinking about his adopted sister Sa
kura.
Sakura. Why was he thinking about her? Why was he hurting so much thinking about her? Why was he thinking about her and Sebastian together? Why was he hurting so much when Sebastian had taken her out riding on Hayden’s motorbike? Why had his heart beat so fast when he’d seen Sebastian holding Sakura’s hand? Why had he held his breath when Sakura looked at him?
The expression on her face. Oh, God! It really tormented him. It had caused his breathing to shudder involuntarily and his heart to flutter achingly. There was something in her eyes, something deep, passionate, and longing.
No! Don’t be stupid, Darcy! the voice in his head shouted. She never wanted you. She hated your guts.
“Shit!” he swore under his breath. He needed to get away. He needed to be in his comfort zone, and his room wasn’t his comfort zone anymore. He needed to be somewhere else.
In a split second he was gone out of his bedroom.
He came to the only other places in the house where he knew he’d find peace and quiet. A place where he knew no one would find him. A place high up where he knew he could lie down and think.
He opened the door to the indoor pool and found that it was, as he expected, empty. Yes, he had the place to himself and he was glad.
He headed straight for the stairs that would lead him up high to the diving board above. Once he reached the top, he lay down, put both his arms under his head, and closed his eyes. Instantly, Sakura’s face conjured up in his mind, and his heart started to beat irregularly again, almost painfully.
“Sakura,” he whispered softly. “Why do I feel like this toward you? Why?”
* * * * *
Thirteen Years Ago, Summer
Nine-year-old Darcy opened his eyes as he felt something tickling his face. The first thing he saw was the clear blue sky above him. It was a beautiful summer day, and he didn’t want it to ever end. He turned his eyes to the left, and his heart glowed with joy as his eyes met his pretty adopted sister’s.
Ten-year-old Sakura was watching him, a beautiful smile on her lips. She looked like an angel with her dark hair and pale skin. He thought she looked just like Snow White in the fairytale book.
“You’re awake?” she asked softly.
Darcy adjusted his head that was resting on her lap so he could lie there more comfortably. Her thighs were soft beneath his head, and he liked that. He only wished he could sleep on her lap every night instead of his pillows.
He reached out his small hand and started playing with her long hair, coiling the strands about his fingers. He didn’t know why, but he just loved being with her. She made him feel wonderful.
“Did you have a good sleep?” she asked.
“Yes,” Darcy replied.
“Did you have a good dream?”
“Nope.”
Sakura moved her hand and ruffled his dark hair.
“I don’t have good dreams either,” she whispered softly, gazing off into the distance.
Darcy looked up at her, noting her sorrowful expression, which in turn caused his own heart to throb with pain. Of course, he didn’t understand why.
“Do you have nightmares?” he asked.
He watched her nod her head.
“Well, if you have another one, I’ll come and sleep with you. I’ll protect you from your nightmare. I’ll be your bodyguard. I’ll be your prince, Snow.”
She laughed. “You’re only a little boy, Darce.”
“I don’t care. I’ll still protect you even if I’m just a little boy,” he said firmly, giving her a dashing smile. He moved his hand from her hair to touch her face, his fingers caressing her skin.
“You’re such a nice brother, Darce,” she said, returning his smile.
Darcy’s expression quickly changed to a scowl. He sat up abruptly, which caused Sakura to gasp in surprise. He turned to look at her long and hard, his mauve-gray eyes intense on her face. “I’m not your brother,” he muttered darkly.
Sakura was taken aback. “But—”
“I don’t want to be your brother—ever!” he said firmly. “I want to be with you forever, but I don’t want to be your brother.”
“Darce,” Sakura whispered, her face pale and sad. “But I thought you liked me.”
Darcy panicked. No! No! No! He didn’t want to upset her. He just didn’t want her to be his sister; that was all. So why was she so upset? Oh no! She was going to cry.
“I do,” he protested, trying to soothe her sadness. “I like you a lot.”
“Then why?” she asked. “Why, Darce? Why can’t I be your sister like Alaina and Tara?”
Darcy watched two fat tears roll down Sakura’s cheeks. He didn’t understand why himself, but he just knew he wanted to stay with her forever and that he didn’t want her as his sister.
“Because I…”
* * * * *
“Stop it! You’re ruining my dress!”
Darcy flashed his eyes open.
Sakura? No. Surely he hadn’t been daydreaming and was now hearing Sakura’s voice? Surely not.
He heard a woman’s voice chuckling away merrily.
“We’re just fixing it for ya. Now don’t move, dear sister. You’ll look very beautiful in a minute. Isn’t that what you want?”
“You bitch! You slapped me!”
Darcy jolted up and rushed over to the edge of the diving board. He hung his head over and looked down. From his vantage point and to his great surprise, he saw Sakura standing dangerously close to the pool. Before Sakura were Tara and Alaina, threatening her. He watched in horror as Alaina marched forward and sent her hand smashing on Sakura’s left cheek. Tara, meanwhile, held on to Sakura tightly so the girl wouldn’t be able to escape. Alaina slapped Sakura again.
“Have you learned how to swim yet, my silly girl?” Alaina asked. “You haven’t? I can’t believe that. After all these years, after what happened that last time, you still haven’t learned?”
Darcy gritted his teeth as he realized what was going on. Tara and Alaina were bullying Sakura again. At this age? They were all adults now, for Christ’s sake!
He felt protectiveness toward Sakura surge through his being, and his temper flared.
“Don’t. Please don’t,” he heard Sakura beg.
“Sakura,” he said softly. “Don’t let them bully you. Don’t let them hurt you.”
Darcy felt an uncomfortable feeling rising in his gut. Shit! He knew something wasn’t right. Knew something horrible was going to happen to Sakura.
“Don’t? No, don’t. No, please,” Alaina imitated Sakura.
“Throw her in, Alaina. Throw the bitch in,” Tara urged.
“Time to go say hi to your maker,” Alaina said to Sakura. Then forcefully, she shoved Sakura back.
Darcy watched in horror as Sakura screamed and fell into the pool. His whole body froze in shock as he watched her struggling and fighting to stay afloat. But the merciless water dragged her down the harder she fought, shoving her back into its depths.
“Sakura!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, his body tense and ready for action.
Alaina and Tara looked up in dismay to see Darcy at the top of the diving board. They watched, dread and fear contorted on their beautiful faces, as Darcy, in jeans and T-shirt, ran off the board and expertly and smoothly somersaulted down, flying in midair.
His athletic body hit the water cleanly, and as he gained momentum within the deep pool, he swam toward Sakura, who was sinking toward the bottom.
Darcy reached out to her, fearful he might lose her. He kicked so hard and fast that the water turned into a whirlpool. He caught her by the small of her waist and pulled her up to him, hugging her against him tightly. With her safely in his embrace, he swam back to the surface.
Sakura sucked in air as they emerged from the pool. She coughed and spluttered water as she instinctively wrapped her arms around Darcy’s muscular neck, holding on to him tightly for dear life.
Darcy, too, tightened his hold on her and started swimming toward the ed
ge of the pool. Once there, he lifted her along as he pulled himself out of the water.
He gently laid her on the marble floor, her back and head resting against his massive chest and his arm wrapping around her protectively. His heart was pounding with dread as he examined her face.
God! Please let her be all right. Please!
He felt his body shaking with emotions, with trepidation, as he gently touched his hand to her pale, cold skin.
“Sakura?” he said softly, his lips warm and his breath hot against her forehead. “Sakura?”
When he saw her responding to his soft calling and looking up at him, he sighed with relief and wanted to cry with joy. Then he noticed she was having trouble breathing and touched her forehead again, gently, as if he were stroking her, caressing her.
“Breathe slowly,” he said. “Don’t force yourself.”
Sakura, still dazed and lightheaded from the experience, did as she was told, the fear in her heart slowly fading away. She liked Darcy’s gentle, feathery touches on her face because it helped calm her down. By instinct, she snuggled her face against his chest, her body shaking uncontrollably.
Darcy responded by tightening his arms around her, drawing her even closer to him. He kept her within his embrace until she breathed normally again, until he was sure she wasn’t going to faint, until her slender body stopped shivering.
Sakura turned to look at him, her eyes large. It broke Darcy’s heart, for he saw the fear still lingering in her eyes. Her lips were quivering delicately. He knew she was about to cry but was fighting very hard to hold back.
He touched her cheek, gently guiding her face to rest back against the nape of his neck. Sakura couldn’t help herself, and tears began to pour from her eyes.
She softly sobbed in his arms.
“Darcy! What the hell are you doing?” Alaina shouted.
Darcy couldn’t control the raging of his beating heart, nor could he control the anger welling up in his chest.
No, he’d deal with them later. Now, however, he needed to comfort Sakura. So he sat there comforting her as she gently sobbed away while the whole time Alaina was shouting at him to leave her alone.
