Chapter Fourteen

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It's only when I'm in bed, trying to sleep, that I allow my thoughts to drift through my strange morning. I keep coming back to the words he told me. I don't do the girlfriend thing. That quote. I am angry at myself, angry that I didn't pounce on that information sooner, before I was in his arms mentally begging with my every fiber of myself to kiss me. He'd said it then and there. Sasuke Uchiha didn't want me as his girlfriend. I turn onto my side. Idly, I wonder if perhaps he is celibate. I close my eyes and start to drift. What if he's saving himself. Well, not for you. My sleepy subconscious has a final swipe at me before unleashing itself on my dreams.
And that night I dream of onyx eyes and an arrogant smirk, and I am running through dark places with eerie strip lighting, and I am unsire if I am running toward, or away from it . . . it's just not clear.


* * * I put my pen down. Finished. I have finished. Yes! My final exam is done. A Cheshire cat grin spreads over my face. Probably, this is the first time in this week that I actually smiled. It's Friday, and we shall be celebrating tonight, like, really celebrating. Maybe I'll get drunk! I've never been drunk before. Hell, I only touched alcohol twice in my life. I glance across the hall at Rin, and she's still scribbling furiously -- five minutes to finish. This is it, the end of my academic career. I shall never have to sit in rows of anxious, isolated students again. Never. The word rings in my heaad, and inside my mind I'm doing graceful cartwheels, knowing fully well that this is the only place where I can actually do cartwheels. Rin stops writing and puts her pen down. She glances at me, and I catch her smile.
We head back to our apartment together in her car, refusing to discuss our final paper. Rin is more concerned about what she's going to wear to the bar this evening. I am busily fishing around my purse for the keys.
"[name], there's a package for you." Rin is standing on the steps up to the front door holding a brown paper parcel. Odd. I haven't ordered anything in the last few days. Rin gives me the package and takes my keys out of my hands, opening the front door for us. The parcel is addressed to Miss [name] [surname]. There's no sender's address or name. Perhaps from Mom or Kisame.
"It's probably from my folks."
"Open it!" Rin is excited as she heads into the kitchen for our exams-are-finally-over champagne.
I open the package, and inside I find a half leather box containing three seemingly identical old cloth-covered books in mint condition and a plain white card. On the other side of it is something in neat cursive handwriting written.

Why didn't you tell me there was danger? Why
didn't you warn me?
Ladies know what to guard against, because they
read novels that tell them of these tricks . . .

I recognize the quote from Tess. I am stunned by the coincidence as I've just spent three hours writing about the novels of Thomas Hardy in my final examination. Perhaps tehre is no coincidence . . . maybe it's deliberate. I inspect the books closely, three volumes of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. I open the front cover of one of the books. Written in an old typeface on the front plate is:

London: Jack R. Osgood Mcllvaine and Co., 1891

Holy shit -- they are first editions. They must be worth a fortue, and I know immediately who sent them. Rin is at my shoulder, gazing at the books. She picks up the card.
"First editions," I whisper.
"No." Rin's eyes are wide open, disbelief written in her brown orbs. "Uchiha-san?"
I nod. "Can't think of anyone else."
"What does this card mean?"
"I have no idea. I think it's a warning -- honestly, he keeps warning me off. I have no idea why. It's not like I'm beating his door down." I frown.
"I know you don't want to talk about him, [name], but he's into you, I'm sure of it. Warnings or not."
I have not let myself dwell on Sasuke Uchiha for the past week. Okay . . . so his onyx eyes are still haunting me in my dreams, and I know it will take like an eternity or two to expunge the feel of his arms around me, and his wonderful fragrance from my brain. Why has he sent me this? He told me that I wasn't for him.
"I've found one Tess first edition for sale in New York for fourteen thousand dollars. But yours look in much better condition. They must have cost more." Rin is consulting her good old friend Google. Damn, more than fourty thousand dollars!? Do you want to pay me for staying away from you. Or for hurting my feelings? Why? What are you trying to accomplish by sending me these gifts?
"This quote -- Tess says it to her mother after Alec d'Urbeville has had his wicked way with her."
"I know," replies Rin. "What is he trying to say?"
"I don't know, and I don't care. I can't accept these from him. I'll send them back with an equally baffing quote from some obscure part of the book."
"The bit where Angel Clare says fuck off?" Rin asks with an entirely straight face.
"Yeah, that bit." I giggle. I love Rin; she's loyal and supportive. I repack the books and leave them on the dining table. Rin hands me a glass of champagne.
"To the end of exams and our new life in Konoha." She grins.
"Yeah, to our new life in Konoha." We clink glasses and drink. Just by the mention of Konoha, I see his obsidian colored eyes again. Will I meet him more often?

THE BAR IS LOUD and hectic, full of soon-to-be graduates out to get trashed. Suigetsu joins us. He won't graduate for another year, but he's in the mood to party and gets us into the spirit of our newfound freedom by buying a pitcher of margaritas for us all. As I drink my fifth glass, I know that this is not a good idea on top of the champagne.
"So what now, [name]?" Suigetsu shouts at me over the noise.
"Rin and I are moving to Konoha. Rin's parents have bought a condominium there for her."
"My God, how the other half live. But you'll be back for my show?"
"Of course, Suigetsu, I wouldn't miss it for the world." I smile, and he puts his arm around my waist and pulls me closer.
"It means a lot to me, [name]," he whispers in my ear. "Another margarita?"
"Suigestu Hozuki -- are you trying to get me drunk? Because I think it's working." I giggle. "I think I'd better have a beer. I'll go get us a pitcher."
"More drink, [name]!" Rin bellows.
Rin has the constitution of an ox. She's got her arm draped over Levi, one of our fellow English students, and her usual photographer. He's given up taking photos of the drunkenness that surrounds him, but rather joins it. He only has eyes for Rin. She's all tiny camisole, tight jeans, and high heels, hair piled high with tendrils hanging down softly around her face, her usual stunning self. Me, I'm more of a Converse and T-Shirt kind of girl, but I'm wearing my most flattering jeans! I move out of Suigetsu's hold and get up from our table.
I make my way toward the bar and decide I should visit the bathroom while I am on my feet, Good thinking, [name]. I stagger off through the crowd. Of course, there's a line, but at least it's quite cool in the corridor. I reach for my cell phone to relieve the boredom of waiting. Hmm . . . who did I last call? Was it Suigetsu? Before that a number I don't recognize. Oh yes. Sasuke, I think this is his number. I laugh. I have no idea whatr time it is; maybe I'll wake him. Perhaps he can tell me why he sent me those books and teh cryptic message. If he wants me to stay away, he should leave me alone. I suppress a drunken grin and hit the "call" button. He answers on the second ring.
"[name]?"



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disclaimer: I do not own Fifty Shades of Grey or Naruto. Naruto solely belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. The Fifty Shades Trilogy belongs to E.L James


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