Love Me Bitterly Loath Me Sweetly

Chapter 48 *Event Ended*

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Ichigo

Orihime stood inch away smiling, her vial pinned on her head, flared and sweeped the floor. Two earrings shined from the peak of her soft ears. Delicate diamond ring glittered along her ring finger. Her most ostentatious display was, however, were her big, soft eyes. That made her look like a goddess, a perfect role to play my wife. And I held her arms, an inch away in the place of husband, rather than in my actual place of a business man. She took a deep breath. "Tatsuki-cha never considered me a friend all she did was pitting me." She said looking into my eyes. I searched for any doubt and confusion that she was only saying that to keep my heart. But found none. I nodded, relief took over me. I wanted her to understand that I never told Uryu to do what he did. Her face flashed as bit her lip. She swallowed before she spoke again. "Don't be so hard on yourself . . . it wasn't your fault that she didn't consider me a friend, Ichigo-Kun."

It took few seconds then it hit like a lighting bolt, the unfamiliar electricity sparkled to life between us. The way she said it induced a kind of intimacy. I wanted to groan in her ear and demand that she say it again.

The click click of heels brought me back to my senses, then

"See that wasn't hard! Hime, you're glowing! You are no different Ichigo-kun." Rangiku's voice broke in a high squeal. Max stood beside her. Keigo brought her the cake, and Orihime's eyes lit, I didn't think they could lit anymore. I was certain that Keigo knew about Tatsuki and if he knew about her I wondered if he also knew about mum.

The way he moved around her with so much familiarity, only came with spending so much time. The way he could stop her and ask her about anything.

Keigo glanced at me, raising his one brown brow. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Not as much as you are." I told him. Dad stepped beside Orihime, and we stood inches away. No matter how much Keigo fought with me in the cafe he couldn't go against Orihime's wishes. The way he supported the marriage was a proof.

"I know you apologized about what happened, going so far as writing the vows. I hope you meant it and not for the sake of shutting me up." Keigo saw Orihime and she met our gaze momentarily, swallowing the last bit cake on her plate. "Whether I like it or not you're the reason why she's so happy. She's important to all of us. Don't let us down."

"And what if I do."

"For one - Kenpachi will kill you. And two I won't help."

"Not before I kill him." I looked at him.

His expression theatrically troubled, as though trying to weight my words. "I'm serious Ichigo." He paused, as if he was contemplating and discarding various answers, then eventually found one. "It might not bother you, but you will be breaking her mended heart again."

I wondered what made him look so uncomfortable, he wasn't the type to turn a joke into a monologue. He was the person who added something or laughed at it. Then it stuck, like a sharp pointy edgy knife through my intestine. "So you know and still. . ."

He nodded, a sad pity in his eyes. "Who am I to judge right? But I believe in second chances." He clapped my shoulders tightly. "In the end your pain is same as hers. You two lost a mother." He expected a response, like he hadn't humiliated me enough, but also the right one.

"You don't have to worry, Keigo." I forced the words out. "She's in good hands."

His smile, a triumphed, "good, good!" He lowered his arms to his sides, I saw him in new light, but a reminder of how a protective brother would be. "That's the right response Ichigo."