InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fleeting ❯ Culmination ( Chapter 27 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

un_love_you prompt:  #01 – “You were right about me.”

Sesshoumaru stared grimly at the computer screen, silently scrolling through the latest financial headlines.  He also kept an eye on his inbox and another tab open to follow the overseas markets, some of which had yet to close for the week.  It was a rather mind-numbing and time-consuming task, but taking such large risks required such close scrutiny.  He’d made several purchases and trades that afternoon, all in an attempt to grow his company’s portfolio.  It had to stay strong – and expand quickly – in order to keep up with the rumored amounts of competing bids for Hidecki.

It was the first time he’d been alone in his library carrel-turned-company headquarters for any extended period of time.  Kagome had been with him from the moment he’d put Genkin Katsuro into play; she’d yet to miss an evening, even if she came late or only stayed for a few hours.  He hadn’t realized just how much companionship she’d provided him, even in her silence.  Her presence alone was enough to ease the tension that came with the territory of meddling in the financial markets – and, at the same time, it was so much more than that.  She’d taken on an increasing amount of administrative work – and even claimed to enjoy it, organizing things just so, until it became a seamless addition to the elaborate system she’d set up with Inuyasha in order to trade confidential information.  She was perfectly charming when it came to official company communications, far more patient than he for asinine emails or idiotic phone conversations.

But even on the calm and quiet nights, when she sat beside him and pored over charts and graphs and newspaper articles, or just held marathon texting conversations with her friends, her presence soothed him.  Sometimes she’d ask, “Do you still need me?” to which he’d always answer yes.

I took her for granted, he thought wearily, flipping between browser tabs, spearing a handful of spammy messages and deleting them as they appeared in his inbox.  And I suppose that now I’m paying the price.

He wasn’t sure if she’d return, today or tomorrow or ever.  She had herself to look out for, after all; she was fighting just as hard to keep her inheritance intact as he was.  So what if they worked better together than apart?  He’d pushed her away, and now he had to deal with the consequences.  

He’d left their apartment shortly after apologizing to her that morning, and had been working diligently ever since.

His stomach turned over on itself, a sharp reminder that he hadn’t eaten in several hours.  He closed his eyes, absently smoothing one hand across his abdomen.  She even kept me sated, he mused wryly.  She did all of those little things that allowed me to concentrate on the big picture.  What am I going to do without her?

It was not a notion that he cared to contemplate.

With great reluctance, he began to consider his dinner options, becoming so caught up in his thoughts that he barely registered the soft knock on his carrel door.  Not until it actually opened did he realize he was no longer alone.

“Hungry?” asked an achingly familiar voice.

He turned, his eyes widening imperceptibly as he caught sight of her, shock and adrenaline coursing through his veins.  Kagome slipped into the room, gazing at him expectantly as she gently replaced the door in its frame.  She held up a white plastic bag, laden with takeaway containers.  “I hope you’re in the mood for Greek,” she added, her lips curving into a hopeful, hesitant smile.

His eyes traveled down the length of her and back, taking in her bright yellow tank top, her denim miniskirt, her black ballet flats – her toned shoulders, the hint of her bare midriff, her long, lean legs.  His mouth went dry and his heart throbbed against his ribs, and for a brief moment, he wondered if he’d somehow managed to conjure her from his thoughts.

“You came back,” he sputtered, blinking rapidly as she advanced towards him, accompanied by the enticing fragrance of Mediterranean spices.

“Of course I did,” she murmured, drawing to a halt beside him, lifting her free hand to brush through the hair at his brow.  He savored the fleeting touch, his eyes falling closed, twin waves of warmth and relief cresting through him as she sank into the chair next to his.

Thank you, he thought as he opened his eyes once more, watching her as she pulled two foil packets from the bag, along with plastic utensils and napkins.  “You have no idea how much I appreciate this,” he said softly.

Her smile turned cheeky as she busied herself with opening the containers, releasing even more tantalizing scents into the air around them.  “I couldn’t very well let you go hungry, now could I?” she teased.

He stilled her fidgety movements with one touch, sliding his hand over hers, the warmth from her fingers radiating into his.  “That isn’t what I meant,” he replied, drawing her gaze to meet his, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Her eyes searched his for a long moment, a hint of a blush blossoming in her cheeks as she nodded, somewhat sheepishly.  He resisted the urge to lean over and kiss her, if only because he had a hunch:  once he started, he might not ever be able to stop.

She swallowed convulsively under the intensity of his study, averting her eyes back to the food.  “I brought chicken divan, and a lamb gyro,” she said instead, her tone pleasant.  “Your choice.”

His eyes never left her.  “Why don’t we share?” he suggested instead, reaching past her for one of the knives.

She shot a startled look his way, another smile lifting the corners of her lips as he carved the chicken divan in half.  “Okay,” she agreed, letting go of his hand and taking the other knife, folding the gyro to cut it.

They worked in companionable silence, arranging their plates, splitting the fries that came with the order, passing utensils back and forth, spreading napkins across their laps.  He surreptitiously waited for her to take the first bite, knowing how much she adored Greek food – and he was rewarded with the sight of her blissful expression, her eyes falling closed as she savored the taste.

“Heavenly,” she declared with a delighted sigh.

“Indeed,” he mused as he gazed at her.

The food was quite good, he discovered, but it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as being in her presence, or the mutual companionship that descended upon them during their meal.  He felt himself relaxing his guard as he had his fill of both, the tension easing from his shoulders.

“I talked to Inuyasha today,” she said casually as they finished the last of their dinner.  “About your father, and his reaction to SHK suddenly joining the bidding war for Hidecki.”

“Oh?” he replied, striving to keep his tone neutral, and to not think about everything else they’d probably discussed since last night.

Kagome nodded.  “He thinks that your father believes that SHK’s sudden interest in Hidecki is being driven by you,” she informed him.  “He said that he overheard your father on the phone, talking to one of his associates about the ‘Hidecki issue,’ and that your name came up in connection with SHK several times.”

“Hmm,” Sesshoumaru mused, sitting back in his chair as he considered this tidbit of information.  He thought back, digging into his memory for his own experiences with accidentally-on-purpose eavesdropping on his father’s business dealings.  The elder Taisho had always been fairly savvy on the phone, using plain terms in an elaborate code.  It wasn’t as complex as the cipher he used for internal memos and documents, much less his own personal notes, but he rarely said what he truly meant unless he was certain of his solitude and privacy in the moment.

Still…he probably considered Inuyasha a confidante, as the child that was, ostensibly, still working towards his best interests in all business – and family – matters.  Was it possible that he’d let down his guard in the presence of his favored son?

“When did he say he heard this?” Sesshoumaru asked, not entirely sure that he trusted any information that Inuyasha had to pass along, especially after yesterday’s little display on their doorstep.

“This morning,” Kagome replied blithely, placing their used utensils and now-empty containers back into the plastic bag.  “He said that he was returning some books to your father’s study – and that he was on the phone, with the chair turned away, towards the window.”  She shrugged.  “Inuyasha wasn’t sure your father even realized he was there, actually.  He tried to be quiet, and to look really interested in the books he was returning, just in case.”

That’s interesting, Sesshoumaru thought, drawing to his mind’s eye the exact image painted by Kagome’s words.  His father only turned his back on his study door when he was confident that he was alone – and would not be disturbed.  He himself had pulled that ‘returning books’ ruse once – and the information he’d gleaned from the conversation he’d overheard had come to fruition…

“Do you believe him?” Kagome asked skeptically, abruptly pulling Sesshoumaru out of his reverie.  She, too, had leaned back into her seat, crossing her legs at the knee, her fingers worrying the hem of her skirt as she regarded him.

“I do,” he affirmed with a nod, sliding his eyes away from her hands.  “Did he happen to hear anything else that might be relevant?”

Kagome pursed her lips before responding, her expression turning apprehensive.  “Yes,” she finally confided.  “Your father is going all in on his bid for Hidecki.”

Sesshoumaru wished he could’ve been surprised by this little bombshell, but he wasn’t.  In fact, it was exactly what he’d been counting on.  “Well, then,” he declared, sitting tall in his seat once more and turning to face the computer, “so are we.”

Kagome’s feet hit the floor with a thud beside him.  “We are?” she faltered.

He turned his gaze to her, searching her features for a long moment: the shape of her brow, the glittering sapphire depths of her eyes, the sleek slope of her nose, the sweet bow of her mouth.  His heart began to beat heavily and painfully as he regarded her, the same wave of trepidation rolling through him as he’d felt that morning when he’d stopped by her room to formally apologize.

“If you’re still with me,” he replied softly.  “This is the only way that I know that we can succeed, both in stopping my father and in saving your family’s company.  If he thinks that I’m the driving force behind SHK’s bid, and he’s willing to meet that challenge head-on…”

She shrugged helplessly.  “But what’s to stop him from selling off his assets and coming after SHK anyway, even if you win?” she inquired.

“Me,” he returned solemnly.  “If I’m able to merge Genkin Katsuro with Hidecki, that will give me access to a formidable investment bank, and the means to challenge any move my father makes.”  He looked back at the computer screen, determination filling his gaze.  “By the time this is all over, he’ll know just exactly who it was who faced him down and won – and he’ll know that I am unafraid to challenge him, no matter how high the stakes.”

Her hand was warm when it fell on his arm, her touch igniting a bolt of fiery need that shot straight through him.  “You’re willing to do that?  For SHK?” she murmured, her tone somewhere between incredulous and astonished.

He swiveled towards her and leaned close, cupping her face in his hand, trailing his thumb along the crest of her cheek.  “For you, Kagome,” he vowed, “I’d do anything.”

The bidding war for Hidecki seemed to follow the sun:  the deeper into summer it went, the more heated it became.  The boiling point was rapidly approaching; everyone could sense it, and they were acting accordingly.  Long days turned into long nights, with tensions rising and spilling over into unrelated dealings.  Takeda’s famously short temper only became more frayed; his disdain for Sesshoumaru sharpened with a vengeance as the weeks wore on.  He labored to an almost ridiculous degree to keep his Hidecki proposal a ‘secret’ from its originator, and Sesshoumaru was content to allow him his delusion.

Sesshoumaru threw himself into the projects assigned to him by his immediate supervisor during his time at SHK, all too happy to have an excuse to steer clear of the junior vice president and head of the division.  When the evenings rolled around, he retreated to Genkin Katsuro headquarters with Kagome, poring over the latest news and numbers; he snapped up the stocks and holdings that he desired the moment the markets turned in his favor, and they spent every second of their free time updating and refining their strategy.

Communications with Hidecki continued in earnest, albeit at a formally staid tempo; the sometimes glacial pace of negotiations grew increasingly frustrating, given the heated battle that was the driving force behind them.  Slowly but surely, however, smaller firms began to drop out of the race, narrowing the unlikely courtship to three suitors:  Taisho Enterprises, SHK Corporation, and Genkin Katsuro.

The stress and strain were beginning to take its toll.  Not even in the depths of his work on his master’s thesis had Kagome ever seen Sesshoumaru like this – tense, overworked, anxious, exhausted.  He pushed himself with a singular driving force, the likes of which she’d rarely ever witnessed.  Somehow, he managed it – each long and increasingly-stressful day at SHK, followed by every increasingly-later evening at his carrel-come-office.  His focus never wavered, even if his body eventually did.

She had never seen him so close to tears as she did during those long, late nights.  His emotions rose to the surface as the hours waned, frustration and anguish breaking through his usually impassive expression.  More than once, he’d abruptly stood up and walked away; more than once, he’d slumped over the keyboard, in misery and exhaustion, only to somehow find a way to gather his composure once more and press forward in relentless pursuit.

It was difficult to not be in awe of him and his dedication to their cause.  Slowly, the rest of Kagome’s life began to slip away as she spent more and more time at Genkin Katsuro headquarters.  She took over all official communication, working her vivacious personality to their full advantage, snaring and keeping the interest of their growing network of contacts.  She supported him – figuratively, but also literally, with soothing words and calming caresses, with gentle stirrings and appeasing reminders to eat, to sleep, to take breaks for his sanity (and hers).  She was there, as much as he’d let her be…and that allowance was only increasing as their nights together grew in number.

Now, when they finally stumbled home to their apartment in the darkness of the night, he would take her into his arms and simply hold her, as if she was his anchor in this raging sea of chaos and uncertainty.  

She relished those moments of closeness, of their connection, of the heat and nearness of his body, of the memories it evoked:  of their first, searing, breath-stealing kiss; of waking up in his arms all those months ago; of his solemn promise to do anything for her.  Any lingering worries or doubts of his feelings for her melted away with each welcomed embrace.

The final barrier around his heart was crumbling, and she vowed to be there the moment it fell for good.

The call came when she least expected it.

She was standing at the counter in a jewelry store with Miroku, looking on with excited anticipation as the salesclerk withdrew the beautiful diamond engagement ring she’d selected from the case in front of them.  “Isn’t it breathtaking?” she sighed, only too happy to allow him to carefully slip it onto her finger.

“Gorgeous,” Miroku agreed, taking her hand in his, turning it this way and that to catch every angle in the light.  He glanced up at his friend with a somewhat amused expression.  “But are you sure this is something that Sango would like?”

Before Kagome could respond, her cell phone vibrated and danced across the glass countertop, indicating that she had a call.  “Let me just take this,” she demurred, turning away from Miroku and the salesman.  “Hello?”

“Kagome,” came the breathless response.  “It’s me.”

“Hello, you,” she returned cheekily, masking the sick turn her stomach had taken when she’d glimpsed at the caller info before answering the phone.  “What’s up?”

“It’s time,” Inuyasha panted.  He was trying to speak quietly, but he was also breathing heavily, as if he was sprinting.  “The Hidecki deal – it’s happening.  Soon.”

Kagome’s eyes widened.  “Are you sure?” she hissed, moving further away from her companions in a bid to keep her conversation private.  “When?”

“I don’t know,” Inuyasha admitted, still breathless, “but there was – a memo.  I just – dropped off a copy – at the mailbox – for you.”  He suddenly stopped, his breathing growing muffled for a long moment before he came back on the line.  “I’ve got to go.  This just went down, I’m talking fifteen minutes ago, and I wanted to tell you as soon as I could.  This shit is important, and it really can’t wait.”

“R-right,” Kagome sputtered, blinking rapidly.  “I’m on it.”

She snapped the phone shut, her grip on it turning clammy as she hastily replayed their conversation in her mind.  She’d known the end was nigh – the battle for Hidecki couldn’t drag on forever – but she hadn’t exactly expected this.

She had to get that information to Sesshoumaru, pronto.

She thought fast, plastering a bright smile on her face as she turned back to her confused and concerned companions.  “Honestly, Miroku?” she purred, advancing on him, “I doubt I could decide which one I like best right at this moment.”   She made a show of admiring both of her hands, each of which was adorned with a prospective engagement ring.  “They’re both so enchanting.”

“Ah, I’m happy to hear that, mademoiselle,” the salesman intoned, a pleased look lighting his expression.

She speared him with her most charming, pleading gaze.  “Would it be possible to take these out on loan?  Just for today?” she cajoled, batting her eyelashes at him before turning to Miroku.  “I’d love to see them both in all sorts of lighting conditions, to help me make up my mind.”

Miroku stared at her suspiciously, not buying her sudden, syrupy-sweet shift in personality.  “I don’t want Sango to see them,” he countered.  “This is supposed to be a surprise, you know.”

“I know,” Kagome wheedled, “and I promise, no one is going to see them, except me.”

“Well…”  Miroku shrugged, glancing at the clerk, who had picked up on his misgivings.  “If we come back in the morning, would that be okay?”

The salesman turned back to Kagome.  “There’s a forty-five percent deposit of the purchase price to loan our pieces out,” he informed her crisply, quite certain that this would dissuade her from the notion.

She simply smiled instead, pulling out her platinum credit card and slapping it down on the counter in front of him.  “Put it on my tab,” she returned sweetly.  “Both of them.”  She loved nothing more than to shatter others’ preconceived notions of her wealth and power, especially when she was dressed in a casual, skimpy outfit, as she was today.

The clerk struggled to contain his reaction.  “Yes, mademoiselle,” he choked out, scuttling off to charge her card.

Miroku took the opportunity to pounce.  “Kagome, what’s going on?” he asked quietly, drawing her away from the counter.  “Is everything okay?”

She smiled as she hastily stuffed her phone back into her purse.  “Yes,” she replied, striving to keep her tone casual and even.  “Suffice to say, I think this business with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru is about to clear up.”

He regarded her shrewdly.  “Let’s just hope it doesn’t blow up,” he mused as the clerk came back into view.

Kagome plucked her credit card from the man’s hands and slipped it into her bag.  “It won’t,” she promised her friend as she turned to leave.  She glanced over her shoulder and sent a winning smile to the clerk.  “I’ll be back at eight o’clock sharp, recommendations in hand!” she pledged, hastening out the door.

Once she hit the sidewalk, she broke into a run, excitement and nervousness swirling through her chest.  On one hand, she was happy for this entire endeavor to finally be over, but at the same time – she couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious as well.  It seemed rather abrupt, to suddenly stop in the middle of the negotiations like this.  She knew that Sesshoumaru was anticipating at least one more round of bidding, if not two.

Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? she mused to herself as she hustled into the post office and checked her box.  As promised, there was a new piece of mail, a thin envelope that had been hurriedly shoved into place.  Does stopping now work in our favor, or against us?

“I guess we’re about to find out,” she murmured under her breath.

Kagome managed to calm herself by the time she returned to SHK headquarters.  She slipped into her uniform and picked up her cart of afternoon deliveries as if nothing was out of the ordinary.  She kept her pace calm and steady as she worked her way up to the third floor – and to Sesshoumaru’s office.  Just as she came to a halt in front of his door, raising her hand to knock, a voice rocketed down the hall at her.

“And just what do you think you’re doing?” came the imperious command.

A bolt of disgust shot down Kagome’s spine as she looked up, meeting Takeda’s disapproving glare.  He was standing further down the corridor, closer to his own office; he was holding a stack of papers, an open folder balancing precariously on top, as if he’d just happened to look up while he was in the middle of something.

“My job,” she returned brusquely, gesturing to her mail cart, still laden with packages.  “Why is it any of your concern, Mr. Takeda?”

His face pinched into an irritated expression as he moved towards her.  “Everything that goes on in this division is my business,” he snapped, “and I know for a fact that we are not expecting any deliveries today, for any reason.”  He narrowed his eyes, his features taking on a truly fearsome cast.  “We are here to work, Ms. Higurashi, not fraternize – and the moment I catch you two – ”

“You’ll what?” Kagome interrupted, adrenaline coursing through her body as she steeled her spine, meeting his haughty stare with one of her own.  “Have me dismissed?  I think not.”  She sniffed disdainfully.  “I’ll thank you to remember who I am, Mr. Takeda – as well as your place in speaking to me.”

He glowered at her, and she could practically see the retorts rising to the tip of his tongue – but he didn’t dare voice any of them, knowing full well that he was speaking to Satoshi Higurashi’s daughter, eldest child, and heir.  His face turned three shades of red in his fury, but he simply turned on his heel, huffing off without another word.

Kagome released a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding before turning back to Sesshoumaru’s door.  She quickly regained her composure as she knocked and waited to be bidden entrance, just in case any other prying eyes were watching her.

She slipped into his office when invited, surprised to see that he’d swiveled around in his chair, a curious expression gracing his features as his eyes lit upon her.  “Hello,” he greeted her, amused.  “You have something for me?”

Her heart gained traction in her chest as she returned his appreciative gaze.  Do I, she mused to herself, absently licking her lips, visions of just what exactly she’d like to give him – in the privacy of this room, behind a closed door – racing across the back of her mind.  She couldn’t resist smiling at him as she drew close, enjoying the way his eyes followed her across the room.  “I don’t think Takeda will be bothering you any longer,” she murmured.

“So I presumed,” he replied, his eyes dancing with mirth, “after overhearing that.  I only wish I could’ve seen the look on his face.”

“It was rather magnificent,” she mused in agreement, leaning against his desk, “and way beyond overdue.”

“Thank you,” he returned, teasing her with an alluring smile.  “I’ve never had anyone defend my honor before, even implicitly.”

She resisted the urge to slide into his lap and give him the opportunity to really thank her, though she did allow herself to imagine it.  Heat blossomed in her core as her thoughts began to slip away, conjuring memories of the night before, and their ever-lingering embrace at the door…

“Kagome?”

She startled, shaking herself from her daydreams.  When she lifted her eyes to meet his, she was surprised to find concern glittering in his golden gaze.  “Has something happened?” he prodded.

She nodded somberly as she reached into the front pocket of her uniform, withdrawing the envelope that Inuyasha had left for her in their box.  She handed it to him wordlessly, watching with bated breath as he pulled out the memo and read it.

He frowned, his eyes falling away as he contemplated its contents.

“Excuse me,” he murmured, suddenly pushing to his feet.  He disappeared through the door of his office without another word.

When he returned, several minutes later, his expression was grim.  “It’s true,” he informed her quietly as he slid the door closed behind himself.  He indicated the single sheet of paper he held with a short nod.  “The Gold Team has just received word as well.”

Apprehension filled her as he returned to his desk and settled into his chair.  “So what, exactly, is going on?” she asked.

He sat back in his seat.  “Hidecki’s board of directors has filed its Position Statement with the Prime Minister’s office,” he informed her.  “That means that all negotiations have officially ended, and that they’ve chosen the offer they are willing to accept.”

She felt her gut clench.  “…and that is?” she prompted.

“I don’t know,” Sesshoumaru admitted, looking up at her.  “None of us know yet.  Hidecki has ten days to make their decision known to the public.”

Kagome’s jaw dropped.  “Ten days?!” she echoed incredulously.  “You can’t find out any sooner than that?”

He shrugged, though his impassive expression belayed the nervous apprehension evident in the lines of his body.  “Hidecki is under no obligation to inform any of the firms whose offers they didn’t accept of their decision before that information is made public.”

“Great,” she muttered with a sigh, slumping against the corner of his desk.  She eyed him for a long moment.  “Who do you think they chose?” she ventured.

His gaze turned contemplative.  “I’m not sure,” he mused.  “It’s reasonable to assume that both my father and SHK’s negotiators offered Hidecki a package deal – a mixture of cash and securities, or perhaps even an exchange of stock.  Both companies are so large that it would be difficult to raise enough cash in hand to buy them outright.”

He shifted in his seat.  “I, on the other hand, could only offer them cash, as well as the promise of a vertical merger,” he continued.  “Both Taisho Enterprises and SHK want to absorb Hidecki completely, whereas – if they merged with my company – they would retain their own identity.”

A flare of hope lit in her chest.  “Your offer sounds the best to me,” she commented.

He didn’t appear to be as convinced.  “It depends on what they’re looking for,” he countered with a shrug.  “A parent, or a partner.”

“Oh,” she murmured, feeling her optimism slowly deflate.  She worried the edge of her lower lip.  “So what do we do now?”

He lifted his gaze to meet hers.  “We wait.”

She exhaled sharply.  “Damn.”  Talk about the epitome of hurry up and wait, she added silently, absently starting to fidget with the unfamiliar jewelry still adorning her hands.  She wasn’t even aware that she was doing it until she felt his hand envelope hers, lifting it and bringing it closer to his purview.

“What’s this?” he asked, brushing his thumb across her knuckles as he gazed into the sparkling diamond, set in a classic platinum band.

“An engagement ring,” she replied, adjusting the band so that the stone was centered on her finger.

His expression was unreadable as he stared at the ring.  “You’re engaged?” he asked softly, striving for a neutral tone but not quite finding it.

“What?  No!” she yelped, spearing him with a horror-stricken look.  She reached for him, brushing the fingers of her free hand through his hair before trailing them over his temple, prompting him to lift his gaze to meet hers.  She knew him well enough now to catch the hints of shock and hurt that touched his features.  “Oh God, Sesshoumaru, no,” she reiterated.

He averted his eyes and dropped her hand, picking at the edge of the discarded envelope on his desk instead.  An awkward, unbearable silence rose up around them.

“I wouldn’t do that to you, you know,” she said gently after a moment.  “I…”  I love you, she wanted to say, only to feel the words stick in her throat.

“I’m not ready to get married,” she continued instead, gazing down at the rings in quiet contemplation.  “And sometimes it’s hard to believe that my friends are.  That’s what these are for – Miroku’s going to propose to Sango at the end of the summer, and he asked me to help him pick something out.”

Sesshoumaru nodded.  “I came quite close to proposing to my ex-girlfriend,” he revealed, rather abruptly, “until I found out what sort of woman she really was.”  A small, sad smile crested his lips.  “I’d even chosen a ring.”

Kagome swallowed convulsively, absolutely stunned by his words.  “Oh?” she choked out.  He’d never spoken of his exes before, and she’d never heard tell of them, either.  For as long as she’d known him, he’d been a loner – having little need for friends, much less a lover.  “What was it?”

“A diamond solitaire in a platinum setting,” he replied wryly.  

Kagome cleared her throat.  “Well, then,” she murmured, shifting her gaze to the amethyst set in yellow gold on her right hand – the ring that had been Miroku’s choice – “I think I’ll tell him to pick this one instead.”