by Alexia Praks
Darcy was in fact in a very deep, dark dilemma. What to do? Oh, God, just looking at her caused his insides to ache. How could he back out of wanting this woman to be his when he loved her so much? But then again, his brother Sebastian was also in love with this woman. How could he steal Sakura from Sebastian? They were family. But he loved this woman. Shit! His heart hurt.
Sebastian, sitting beside Nicolas and Conrad, noticed Darcy and Sakura staring at each other and frowned darkly. The atmosphere was indeed tense.
At that moment, a voice sang out to them. “My, my. The whole family here at the hotel?”
Sakura looked up to see Alaina walking toward them. Behind her were Tara and another woman Sakura thought looked oddly familiar to her. As they came closer, Sakura felt as though someone had just punched her in the face. It was Kate Anderson, her ex-classmate, the popular cheerleader who had bullied her in high school.
Mary nearly choked on her orange juice the moment she saw Kate. “Shit!” she swore under her breath. “What the hell!”
“What’s wrong?” Peter asked his fiancée.
The brothers looked up then and all swallowed hard, staring at the brunette beauty that was heading their way. They knew Darcy was in deep shit now.
“Holy cow!” Hayden shouted out. “It’s Kate!”
Darcy went rigid instantly and his impassive face turned even colder. Since his back was to the door, he was glad he didn’t have to look at his ex-girlfriend.
“Hi, everyone,” Kate said pleasantly as she scanned around the long table. Then she spotted Darcy and smiled with delight. The smile, however, didn’t last long as she spotted Sakura opposite her boyfriend.
Oh, Tara and Alaina had told her about her ex-classmate all right, that the bitch Sakura was trying to steal Darcy from her, and that was why Darcy wouldn’t return her calls. Kate wanted to snort with disgust. There was no way she’d let someone like Sakura Princeton—the fake Princeton—steal her Darcy away from her. She had all her plans worked out. Yes, all she needed to do was to kick the bitch out and take Darcy back, and she’d do anything to get her Darcy back, even if it killed her.
She cleared her throat and said loudly so that everyone could hear her, “Darcy, darling!” Then she rushed over and hugged him from behind, kissing his cheek in front of everyone.
Sakura felt as though she’d just died. Kate? Darcy? Her head spun, and she felt sick to her stomach. Suddenly, her body started trembling.
Mary noticed and took hold of her hand to support her. Mary, however, didn’t know it was because of what Kate had implied about her relationship with Darcy. Sakura wasn’t afraid of Kate, as Mary thought.
Sakura glanced up and her eyes met Darcy’s, intense and blazing.
“Did you miss me?” Kate asked, snuggling her face against his neck.
Tara and Alaina looked at each other, smiling, pleased with how things had gone so far.
James cleared his throat. “I’m afraid we haven’t met,” he said.
Kate chuckled and said to James, “I’m Kate, Darcy’s girlfriend.”
Sakura sucked in her breath and wanted to die right there and then. Why she had such a reaction she didn’t know, but God, how that very statement really affected her. So that was why he was keeping his distance. She couldn’t believe it! Couldn’t believe he had kissed her, yet he was dating Kate.
Darcy scowled darkly. He was still staring at Sakura, his eyes intense. Please, Sakura, don’t get the wrong idea, he wanted to shout out. But he didn’t, and Kate giggled as she kissed him on the cheek again.
Everyone was watching them, even the brothers, waiting for Darcy to do something.
Suddenly, Darcy was pissed. Why the hell did she have to turn up here and now of all places? After all, he had told her their relationship was over.
He shoved his chair back, which caused Kate to jump back in surprise. He turned to look at her then, his face a mask of anger and his eyes dark. The look on his face scared Kate shitless, but she managed to compose herself because she was here for a reason. She wasn’t going to back out now.
Without saying anything, he stalked out of the room. Kate felt embarrassed for only a split second and then followed him. Tara and Alaina grinned at each other, knowing very well that their plan had gone rather well thus far.
Sebastian turned his eyes to Sakura and noted her hands were shaking. His stomach knotted in dread. Shit!
Sakura chose that moment to get up and excuse herself, her voice shaking. Then she rushed out and headed straight to her car. Alone and with her heart still thumping hard within her chest, she drove out.
Oh, God! She could feel herself shaking, and her heart wouldn’t slow down its furious beatings. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Why was she crying? Why?
Soon she came near the Princeton Estate, and instead of driving up to the house, she parked the car on the side of the road and ran into the woods until she reached her cherry tree, the very same tree where Darcy had kissed her.
She collapsed against the tree and cried her heart out, her body shaking and her heart trembling. She stayed there, for how long she didn’t know, staring up at the beautiful pink cloud of cherry blossoms as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Oh, God, she couldn’t believe it. She was still crying even at this age. She was turning twenty-four soon and here she was still crying. Crying for what? The stupid crying wouldn’t change anything, would it?
Once she’d used up all her tears, she sighed, feeling a lot better. She sat up, wondering why she was crying so hard. Darcy. She thought that he—
She chuckled. How stupid of her. Yes, Sebastian with Tara and Darcy with Kate. They were two perfect couples.
She’d known her whole life she was never that lucky, that she just had to make the best of what she had. She chuckled again. Yes, she was stupid after all. There was no hope at all, was there? After the wedding, everyone would return to their own lives. Had she forgotten that her life and theirs were completely different? That whatever happened, none of the brothers would ever choose her? Hadn’t she seen it already when Alaina and Tara had tried to kill her by drowning her in the pool when they’d known very well that she didn’t know how to swim? And the brothers? They hadn’t done a thing.
Since they were little, the brothers had always chosen Alaina and Tara over her. How stupid of her to even think that would change. Now it seemed Kate was a part of that privileged group as well.
She sat up and squared her shoulders. That was it. She didn’t care anymore. From now on, she was resolved to keep her distance from the brothers. She no longer wanted to get hurt. Besides, had Nicolas not told her already that none of them ever wanted her as their sister?
Before this day, she’d longed to be their sister, longed for them to love her and care about her. Now, however, she’d had enough. She didn’t care that they didn’t want her as their sister anymore. After this wedding, she was going her own way, to find her biological mother, to begin anew. Yes, and they’d get what they all wanted for so long, even Alaina and Tara. She would no longer be a member of their family. She would no longer be a Princeton.
Her face now dry of tears, she spread her arms as she stared up at the petals of cherry blossoms raining down on her, landing on her face and body. She chuckled and whispered, “Spring is nearly over.”
* * * * *
CHAPTER 17
Cherry Blossom & A Wedding Ceremony
“You’re beautiful,” Beth said, chuckling. “I can’t believe the brothers’ ideas worked.”
Sakura cocked her head to one side as she studied herself in the full-length mirror. Yes, it worked all right; she had to admit that. Her bridesmaid’s dress was elegant. The light blue suited her skin perfectly. It was short and draped to one side of her waist, and from there, the lacy material extended over her left shoulder, falling down her back. Her hair was high on her head, enhancing her swanlike neck and oval face. Her makeup was natural, with a hint of rosy blush on her cheekbones and bright pi
nk lipstick on her lips.
Yes, she did look beautiful.
“Ah,” Beth said. “I see you like the looks of yourself.”
“I don’t usually go this far.” Sakura admitted.
“Now then, I must go and see how the bride is doing. Make sure she doesn’t get cold feet and all that jazz,” Beth said, heading out the door.
Sakura grinned. Alone, she turned to look at herself in the mirror one more time. She was Sakura Princeton. But was she really Sakura Princeton or was she Sakura something else?
Tanaka! The last name rang in her head. Her mother’s name was Haruka Tanaka. At that moment, she knew without a doubt who she was. Yes, she’d been thinking about this since the day Kate made an appearance. She had been thinking about it long and hard, and now she was ready.
Mind made up, she left the room and went in search of James and Brenda. She found them in the study room, and thank God, none of the brothers were there to make her nervous about what she had to do.
She lightly knocked on the door and went in after James called out.
“Hi,” she greeted them the moment she stepped into the large room.
James smiled at her as she came in. “Are you nervous?” he asked, noting how beautiful she looked. His sons were going to have the shock of their lives.
Sakura shook her head, telling him she wasn’t at all nervous. She took a deep, steady breath and said quietly, “I was wondering if both of you have a moment.”
James raised his brows at her, noting the odd tone in her soft voice and the slight expression of dread on her flawless face.
“What is it, sweetheart?” Brenda asked, watching her closely.
Sakura licked her lips, her heart pounding hard within her chest. “Mom?” She looked straight at Brenda, her body stiff.
“Yes, sweetheart?” Brenda queried.
“Dad.” Sakura turned to James. “I have a question to ask.”
“What is it?” James cocked his head to one side.
Sakura took a deep breath and said, “I’m asking your permission… I mean, I… I want to change my name. What I mean to say is that if I were to change my name, I mean my last name, from Princeton to something else, would that bother you? I mean, I don’t want to hurt you or anything, but—”
She paused and licked her lips with nervousness.
“You’re a grown woman now, Sakura. Whether your last name is Princeton or something else, you will always be our Sakura.” As James said that, he had a sad look in his eyes. He knew what this meant. He knew she was leaving them. Of course, he had known all along this day would come sooner or later. After all, he couldn’t very well stop her since she had her own life and her own future to think about.
“So you’re not upset?” Sakura asked.
James chuckled. “You have your own future to think about, Sakura. No matter where you are, you’ll always be our Sakura.”
Sakura cocked her head to one side, wondering if her adopted father suspected she was planning to leave. She turned to Brenda. “And you?”
Brenda said, “Of course, sweetheart, you have my blessing.”
Sakura wasn’t finished yet, and before she got too nervous to tell them, she went straight ahead. “I’ve planned to leave St. Joseph Island after the wedding. I’ve already handed in my resignation letter at the lab. My boss said it’s okay and that he understands it’s such short notice.” She looked up at them and saw Brenda’s face had paled. “I love you both very much.”
Brenda, with tears in her eyes, pulled her adopted daughter into her arms. “I love you, too,” she whispered into Sakura’s hair. “I just never thought you’d be going so soon. This house is going to be so empty without you.”
Sakura chuckled.
“And I’ll have to put up with James complaining about Beth’s standard coffee,” she continued.
James said, “Now, now.” Once his wife had finally let go of their adopted daughter, he pulled Sakura into his arms and hugged her tight. “Just make sure you keep in contact.
Sakura bit her lip at his words, feeling more than a little guilty at the thought that perhaps she couldn’t keep him that promise at all.
Half an hour later, she was standing in the garden, listening to the “Wedding March” played by the St. Joseph Island Orchestra. She gazed at the scene before her in awe. She had been right. A wedding in spring was absolutely beautiful, especially when the ceremony was done under the cherry trees in full bloom. To the left was the pond, the clear water sparkling under the bright sunlight. Now and again, there were soft, gentle breezes which caused the cherry blossom flowers to detach from the branches and rain down on them. It was so nostalgic.
Then it was time, and Sakura found herself not quite being the center of attention, but still the center of attention nonetheless, as she slowly made her way down toward the platform where Peter stood waiting patiently for his bride. Richard and Jack, both in formal attire of black and white, stood to one side of Peter, their hands clasped back.
Sakura couldn’t help but smile as she took a peek at young Michael, who was holding on to a cute satin cushion with two gold bands on top of it. He walked really slowly, worried that he might drop the precious thing.
In front of Sakura was Katherine, dressed in her pale pink maid of honor gown, slowly striding toward the platform. Halfway through, Sakura couldn’t help herself turning her head to the left. Instantly, her eyes spotted the brothers, all dressed in Armani suits, very sleek and refined. They caught many women’s eyes, causing them to gasp in awe. They stood in a row, watching the procession. But to be sure, it wasn’t the procession they had their eyes on. They had their eyes intensely on her, especially Sebastian and Darcy, who weren’t smiling like their other brothers. In fact, their expressions were stone cold.
The brothers couldn’t take their eyes away from their adopted sister. She was so beautiful that she took their breath away, as James had predicted. That dress they helped design fit her slender body perfectly, showing off her fine, delicate figure. Her long hair was formed into a classic bun on top of her head with a bunch of flowers on the left side near her ear. It was the first time the brothers had seen her with her hair like that, and they couldn’t help but marvel at just how sophisticated and refined she looked.
Darcy loved her exposed, swanlike neck and wanted to brush his finger along the length of it. Oh, God, he ached to touch her, to smell her, to feel her in his arms. But he knew he must keep his distance because—
Because what? It was hard. So very hard.
Sebastian couldn’t take his eyes off the woman he was in love with either. She really did take his breath away. Shit! He ached to be near her, to touch her, to kiss her. But for the moment, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t because—
Because what? Shit! It was so hard. So very hard.
Sakura quickly glanced away from them, her heart pounding within her chest. Stop thinking about them, Sakura, she told herself. Just stop! Yes, only a couple more days to go. Then they’d be gone back to their lives and she to hers.
They reached the platform, and Michael rushed up to Richard, sighing with relief that his job was nearly over. Katherine and Sakura came to stand on the other side of the men, waiting for the bride to reach them. Everyone’s eyes were on Mary now, who was making her way very slowly to the front with her father, Mr. Collins, giving her away. Finally, Mary came up and Peter took her hand in his. Mr. Collins returned to his seat in the front row next to his wife.
The minister smiled pleasantly at the audience before him. Then he began. “Dear family and friends, on behalf of Mary Collins and Peter Johnston, I welcome you all to this marriage ceremony. We are here today to encourage, celebrate, and support the covenant these two people, Mary and Peter, are going to make and to share in the joy that Mary and Peter experience as they pledge their love and commitment to each other. We rejoice in the manner God has led them to each other and got them to the place where they now stand.”
Sakura tried to concentr
ate on what the minister was saying but found she couldn’t as she felt two pairs of eyes watching her. Then, of course, she couldn’t help herself and glanced in that direction and saw both Darcy and Sebastian watching her, their eyes intense and their faces expressionless. She bit her lower lip. Stop thinking about them, Sakura, she told herself yet again. It was nearly over.
The minister turned to Peter and continued. “The woman who stands by your side is going to be your wife. She will look to you for comfort, for support, for love, for understanding, for encouragement, and for protection. You must never take her for granted and always stand by her, for good or ill.”
Peter cleared his throat and said loudly, “Today in the presence of God, family, and friends, I pledge to join my life with yours…”
Sakura turned her attention to the cherry tree above them and thought that after tomorrow all the flowers would almost be gone again for another year. Yes, spring was nearly over, and instantly she felt sad.
The minister said, “Peter, since it is your intention to marry, join your right hands and declare your consent. Do you take Mary to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Peter said, smiling brilliantly.
The minister turned to Mary. “Mary, do you take Peter to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”
Mary clearly said, “I do.”
The minister continued. “The wedding ring symbolizes unity, a circle unbroken, without beginning or end. And today Mary and Peter exchange these rings as confirmation of their vows to join their lives, to work at all times to create a life that is complete and unbroken, to love each other unconditionally. May the Lord bless these rings which you give each other as the symbol of your love and fidelity.” He turned to Peter. “Peter, take this ring and place it on your bride’s finger and state your pledge to her, repeating after me.”
