Page 90 of Crossed By the Stars
After cleaning the lip of the bowl one last time, Akari presented me with the tea. In the silence, it was almost impossible not to hear the grunt of disapproval that Hina made. I sipped and then commented softly.
“What excellent matcha, Matsuda-san.”
Her jaw tightened. I’d done nothing wrong. As the honored guest, I was supposed to comment on the tea. I was the only one who could, but Akari liked my comment even less than Hina liked me being in the spot that should have been hers. Akari’s jaw tightened, and she turned back to her performance.
She made the tea for the remaining guests while the silence continued. The only sound was our sipping and Akari’s movements. The tea ceremony was about balance and respect, infused with serenity, but I felt far from calm. My anxiety was growing with each moment I had to spend with the women in the room.
I was more than ready for my next role in this little play being put on for either my or Hina’s benefit. When everyone had placed their empty cups down, I turned and asked, “Has everyone finished?”
Bows and nods returned my question, and we all sat and watched while Akari finished the ceremony by cleaning each utensil separately. She added fresh water back to the teapot to equal the amount of hot water that had been taken. More balance needed to be returned to the universe. When the tools and items had been cleared and taken away, Akari moved to the door, kneeling and thanking me for coming.
As we left the pagoda, Hina stormed away with one of the other women following her. Neither Akari nor Ichika reacted. Instead, Ichika calmly offered the other two women a tour of the newly completed gardens, which she did not extend to me. I was left standing, unsure of what to do next.
Kaida was gone, probably tired of waiting for me or leaving me to my fate—I wasn’t sure which. I looked around, trying to decide if I could sneak out a gate. I glanced in the direction of the side yard and saw the bulky shoulders of a security guard that would make leaving that way impossible.
I had little desire to go back into the house to find my father. A shiver went down my spine at the thought of entering the study with the men. That had never gone well for me…had started me on this path a decade ago. I just wanted to be done with it…not just the day, but with my father, theKyodaina, and everyone in it.
Akari came out of the pagoda, slipped into her shoes, and then approached.
When she got closer, she hissed, “How dare you come.”
My eyes widened. “Your mother and my father all but insisted I be here.”
“You disregard your father every day, but this one time, you decide to follow along. Why? To cause my family further shame? If it were not for my deep respect for our traditions, I would have asked you to leave. You being here made me offend Yamasaki-san. OnceAne-sandeclined my invitation, it should have been her as the honored guest. I consulted with her about the menu and then had to move her to last place because you were coming. What should have been honor turned to disgrace.”
“My mother was supposed to come?” Surprise filled me because she rarely left Japan.
Akari shook her head. “No. We knew she would decline. She andHahaare not speaking right now.”
“You’re wrong about our parents. They aren’t having an affair.Otosanis simply trying to keep your father’s Alzheimer’s under wraps so he won’t be shamed by his forgetfulness, so their enemies don’t try to take over. Your mother is helping.”
Akari looked at me with shock. “My father is not ill.”
My tongue lodged itself to the roof of my mouth. Was my father lying, or was she naïve enough not to know about her father’s health? Was she likeKaasan, living in a gilded cage?
“Maybe I misunderstood. Regardless, our parents’ meetings are business related and not sexual in nature.”
Akari’s eyes glowered, but there was something behind her look, something sharp and cunning as if pieces were sliding into place for her. Akari was not the quiet, silent, obedient girl she appeared. Like me, she put on a mask for those around her.
“We have a room set aside for you to get ready in. I’ll show you to it,” she said, but I could tell she’d rather shove me out on the street or down a few stairs in the process. I was completely okay with being kicked out.
She led the way inside with her shoulders back and her stride stiff. All the grace of her movements during the tea ceremony was gone.
Entering the house after being in the pagoda accentuated the stark contrast between the two buildings. While the pagoda had been perfectly Japanese, the house was all Victorian. The crown molding was heavy, the wallpaper was patterned with deep floral colors, and the antique chandeliers barely cast enough light to see by. Dark versus the light of the pagoda.
Akari led me up the mahogany staircase in silence and into a room with a four-poster, canopied bed. A dress bag hung from the wardrobe, and I assumed it contained the dressOtosanhad bought me.
“Dinner will be served in an hour,” she said, her voice cold and angry.
As soon as she’d closed the door, I hurried to the window. I pulled open the blinds, eyes scouring the street for any sign of Cillian, Dax, and the vehicles they typically used. I saw nothing. The street was almost bare. My heart fluttered.
I’d been absolutely certain Dax had understood the signal. I’d received his acknowledgment in return. My stomach twisted as thoughts I didn’t want to have entered my head. Maybe he’d understood but chosen not to come. Maybe my life had finally scared him away for good.
You’re not alone,mon bijou. I’m here. I’ll be here for as long as you let me.
I let his words push aside the doubt. I had to believe he was coming, but in the meantime, I would do what I’d always done. I’d count on myself to get me out of the mess I was in.
I caught sight of my appearance in the wardrobe’s mirror and halted. Dressed in the kimono I never wore, I almost didn’t recognize myself. This was the life I’d rebelled against, and suddenly, my body burned to get out of it. If I didn’t, I might vomit. I might spontaneously combust.
