Temptation (NEW)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Shikamaru was a little surprised to see me walk through the door. He had to blink a couple of times to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. For such a nonchalant person, he could be a little dramatic sometimes.

"Everything good?" he asked, still wide-eyed from a Naruto-sighting.

I shrugged, "I guess I'm getting a day off."

He put down his cigarette that he held between two fingers in the ashtray on our coffee table. The smoke swirled a few inches in the air until it dissipated into nothing. He leaned back into the couch, propping his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"His brother is here," I answered. I dropped my bag by the door and plopped down beside him on the couch. "Sasuke insisted that I leave or whatever."

"So, you still don't know the full story then?" He reached back for his cigarette again. I think he was feeling my stress radiating off of me. Major vibe killer, I guess.

"I don't know why he won't tell me what's going on," I huffed. The frustration I felt was finally coming at full force now that I was away from him. "I lost sleep to comfort him, so you'd think I'd have some sort of explanation for it."

"If it's really that bad, do you even want to be involved?" Shikamaru pointed out bluntly. He took another drag of his cigarette and blew out the smoke. "You could end up in a lot of shit for a guy that fucked around with your feelings."

A valid point, but I didn't feel that way. Despite all of the bullshit, I think Sasuke is genuinely a good person. He just got lost in his own struggles and didn't know how to deal with it. I think it'd be ridiculous to give up, especially after finally getting a real chance with him. I'll take on the burden of whatever he is dealing with if I have to.

"We're good," I reassured him. "I'm not worried about his parents or anything."

"Yeah, but you'll have to pick up all the broken pieces."

"You act like I haven't dealt with trauma before," I huffed.

The subtle mention of my parents was enough to silence any of his doubts. Though not the same, I know what it's like to be entirely on your own. It's a scary way of life to navigate by yourself. Luckily, I had my grandfather to come and rescue me, so I want to do the same for Sasuke. If we're going to give whatever this is a try, I have to do my best.

The rest of the week came and went like a breeze. I blame most of that on the fact that we had an exam on Friday. I have to say, Sasuke's determination to study and do homework kind of helped me out. I've never actually been prepared for an exam before, but that really wasn't my main concern. Sasuke hadn't said much about Itachi through texts, and obviously didn't say anything in the middle of an exam. He did look a little rattled in class, though.

"Hey, are we still meeting at the library after class?" I asked as we packed our book-bags at the end of class.

He shook his head. "I have a meeting with the dean for that fight on Monday. My parents are coming, too."

Oh shit. The meeting sounded scarily serious, but his words were lacking any emotion. I think he was shoving his fear away to spare me from worry. Or maybe he was just waiting for the result of it to start reacting.

"Do you want me to wait outside for you?" I offered.

He shook his head again. "The last thing my parents need to see is you."

His words were sharp. I know they weren't intended to hurt me, but I felt a little wounded.

"What's going to happen?" I pleaded, taking his hand firmly into mine.