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His gaze is unwavering as he regards me. Swallowing against the lump forming in my throat and the ache that’s taken up residence in my heart I release the papers.
I’m sorry you thought this for so long. I hated myself for a long time for leaving. I’m not going to lie. I was scared that you hated me for leaving. When I saw pictures of you later in the news you looked at peace. I thought I was bad for your well-being. You were fine before me.” I stop him when he shakes his head.
“I thought your intensity was how it was supposed to be. I admired your unwavering focus on nothing but me and your work. Maybe that’s all I wanted to see.” I shrug. “You weren’t honest, but neither was I. I just never wanted us to end. Then when it did, I ran and hid going on with my life. I abandoned you. I will never forgive myself for my actions, so I understand if you can’t.” He says nothing but moves back beside me taking the papers out of my hands redepositing them on the table.
He pulls me into his arms. “We won’t solve this today.”
It’s not lost on me that he’s not saying he believes me. He has too much loyalty to his brother for that. I can imagine the debate warring between him and his guardian about Kiyoshi’s part in all this.
I know he thought he did it for his own good. Did he know he was making himself the villain in our story? Probably. Did he care? Not if it meant saving his brother and protecting the Takeda legacy. I know that is what matters most to people like the Takedas. Not only had he married an American and a Black one at that he further thumbed his nose at society by being less than the perfect specimen of the elite society, manhood. How dare he?
One infraction they could barely look past let alone more. I remind myself this was years prior to Akchiro setting them on their ear by marrying Flower. Yet, his mother stood in solid support of him and his new wife. I remember meeting her that night and how kind she was. Yet, Hisashi’s mom let it be known she was not a fan of me the moment we met. She was deeply upset when he brought me to the theater.
Knowing her husband had just passed away probably spurred Kiyoshi to do the only thing he could not to cause her further heartache.
He proved to me when he took care of me in his brother’s stead there was nothing he’d not do to protect his brother even deepen the chasm between us.
I rack my brain trying to think but there was no one else. It was Kiyoshi who picked me up off the floor, bathed me, gave me water and food. He nursed me back to health until I was strong enough to get out of his brother’s life.
Then he made sure the deed was done.
“We’ll just wait to see what he has to say,” I murmur against Hisashi’s chest. There is nothing I can do and the helplessness eats at me. I honestly detest it.
“Hai.” He’s noncommittal otherwise. “Hungry?”
It’s a peace offering. “Yeah, but I want grits, eggs, and Conecuh sausage,” I tell him tired of European styled food. We are in the south and I need some home cooking.
“We have your sausage just so you know. You’re the one not eating as you should,” he informs me swinging his feet to the side. “And my chef can rival your cousin’s southern cuisine.”
“Really?” I quirk a brow at him letting my skepticism shine through.
“Sure, Jan,” I tell him, rolling my eyes then laughing at the confused expression on his face.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s an American thing.” I giggle.
“Well, clearly I was more helpful with Nihongo when we first got together.” He gives me an irritated look that doesn’t last.
“You’re just upset because you always have to know every little thing. I gave you a good head start go figure it out,” I tease.
“Brat,” tugging me close, he whispers roughly dragging me under him stopping when my tummy growls in protest.
“Un-un fella, you have to feed me first.” Giving him a little peck I push aside the angst of having to wait for his brother to come out of his lair before I get any answers.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Hisashi ~Sydney, Australia
I’m tryingto reconcile Taylor’s denial with what I know to be true during that time in Tokyo. So much during that time is lost to me. Most of what I remember is shrouded in the despair of losing father. The guilt that surrounded me by what he was driven to do in no small part because of having to constantly care for me rides me like the wind in a storm.
Then for Kiyoshi to be involved? Does she realize I would be honor bound to kill my brother for such a betrayal? That he would have me confined. Forge her signature?
It’s simply not how he operates then or now. My brother is afraid of no man, neither am I. The only thing that kept us from annihilating Akchiro for what we believe was his part in father’s death is him keeping mother a Kana captive in his home. He boldly took them in the night informing us by his very actions that he had no qualms about harming them if we dared moveagainst him or Flower. From our visit I could tell that his wife was surprised to find them as guests on the vast estate. I could see how she brimmed with questions even as she tried to present us with a united front as most couples do. The shock on Flower Takeda’s face was really something to behold. Yet her husband, much like my brother and I, faced her with a stoicism born from having the samurai drilled into us from an early age.
The night is beautiful as we drive through the city following the performance ofThings Hidden Since The Beginning of The World, a dramatic mystery about the murder of a 1970’s pop icon. Even I was intrigued by the story that incorporates true crime podcast and the current social media to solve the cold case. Fascinated, I watch Taylor watching the show with appreciation for its fresh approach.
“I’d love to have one of my plays in such a beautiful theater,” Taylor muses, her back to me taking in the lights whizzing by as we make our way to the hotel.
