My light in the dark

Chapter 4

"You seem happy Naruto."

I looked up to see Sakura smiling at me from the bar as I put the glasses in the dishwasher.

"It's been two weeks since you started dating Sasuke hasn't it?"

I nodded my head and the inevitable blush crept onto my cheeks as I thought of the raven. It had been an amazing two weeks. He had taken me out to dinner every night I wasn't working and a couple of breakfasts' after my night shifts at the bar. He had even taken me to the amusement park in town after I had told him I had never gone. He paid for everything when we went out and even though I felt a little guilty I was also glad that it allowed me to continue my saving. Sasuke had asked one night why I worked two jobs when I made enough money at the bar to support myself.

"You will think it strange, a lot of people think it's foolish."

He had pulled me close, we were sitting at a booth next to each other as we had a few drinks. I blushed as I felt his lips on the back of my neck and resisted the urge to bite my lip, knowing it drove him crazy and we were in a public place.

"Well, my parents use to have this house in the countryside. It's where we lived when I was a child. I only remember flashes of it but to me, it's my home. When they both died and I was put into the system the house has sat abandoned. I want to save up enough to buy it back. See, its silly."

He had simple cuddled me and shook his head.

"No, I think it's wonderful."

I blinked away the memory and continued to load the dishwasher when I saw someone with translucent pale skin and dark pits for eyes in the crowd. I gasped and the glass in my hand slammed against the counter, shattering and cutting my palm.

"Naruto are you okay?"

I scanned the crowd, ignoring Sakura at my side and my bleeding palm but I couldn't see him again. I let Sakura drag me into the back and tend to my hand. It was a pretty deep cut but Sakura told me I wouldn't need stitches. As she wrapped it up I sat still, my face blank and my body cold. I felt hands on my face and pink hair entered my vision.

"Naruto, what's wrong?"

I licked my suddenly dry lips and looked at her, my eyes full of fear.

"I thought I saw Sai."

Her own eyes widened in surprise and her hands tensed on my face.

"I should call Shikamaru."

I shook my head.

"He is out of town tonight. I think I am going to go home, maybe it wasn't him."

"I am not letting you go home alone! Stay here and I will ask the boss if I can go home too."

"You can't, there isn't enough staff on."

She pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips.

"Fine, but I am driving you home, they can spare me for fifteen minutes."

I sat on the chair as she went to talk to the manager and looked down at my shaking hands. Sai. My abusive ex-boyfriend. It had been a year since I had last seen him, I had heard he had moved.

Calm down Naruto.

I told myself, taking deep breaths. It probably wasn't him. He wouldn't come to the bar and the security knew his face and wouldn't let him in. It wasn't him.

"Thank you Sakura."

I got out of the car and looked back in through the door at my best friend and she waved at me.