Sakura felt something was wrong. A week had gone by since Kazuo had caught her and Gaara together, and it seemed like Gaara was avoiding her. Every time they would be walking towards each other he would go the opposite way or whenever she did get a hold of him he would make up some excuse to go away and whenever she would text or call him he told her that he was tired.

She wasn't the type to get mad over pointless things but him ignoring her was definetly getting on her last nerves and she was going to find out why whether or not he liked it.

It was almost time for lunch when she found Gaara in his room changing from archery practice.

He looked at her and kept shuffling around his room. "You're not supposed to be in here."

"I came here to talk to you." She said.

"Talk to me later. It's time for lunch and my father doesn't like for anyone to be late especially today."

Sakura sat on his bed and held his watch in her hand. "Later never comes for you."

Gaara sighed. "Sakura not now. I said later." He turned to her and held out his hand. "Now would you please give me my watch?"

Sakura smiled at him naughtily. "Or what?" She teased.

His eyes narrowed. "Give 'em."

"I think I will not unless you tell me why you've been avoiding me all week."

"I haven't." His voice dropped an octave. It startled her a little but she wasn't giving up.

"Yes you have. Gaara we no longer hang out or talk to each other anymore. Ever since that night. When you went to your fathers room what did he say to you?"

"That night was a mistake." He interrupted her ignoring her last question. "Just forget about it."

Sakura stood up. "A mistake? It wasn't a mistake for me."

Gaara pinched the bridges of his nose in frustration. "We don't have time to discuss this now Sakura."

"Yes we do." She spat back at him. Her patience with him was wearing thin. "Gaara, I want the truth now."

Gaara looked away. His jaw clenched tightly and she could see the pulse in his neck. He was mad now but she didn't care.

Sakura crossed her arms across her chest "I'm waiting."

Gaara took in a deep breath and looked at her. There was a long silence and it frightened her.

"Sakura, I'm getting married." He said.

"W-what?" Sakura asked. She was now sitting at the dining table with the family.

"The marriage is in two days." Kazuo said without any sympathy. "It is time for Gaara to stop being a child and for him to accept his fate. If he doesn't get married, our clan and company will fall apart.

"But can't he…can't Sasori or Kankuro marry Aya instead of Gaara?" She asked.

"Those efforts are futile." Kazuo answered glancing at Gaara. "Why my son decided to drag you on in this little charade is beyond my knowledge. I apologize for the pain you must be feeling right now. I know you were irrevocably in love with him."

Sakura looked across the table at Gaara. His eyes were downwards and cloudy. She couldn't read his blank expression. It made her angry. Why wasn't he saying anything? He loved her so why wasn't he saying anything? Why?

"You…do love me…right?" Her voice cracked. She couldn't cry. It was stupid for her to cry. She needed to get a hold of herself.

His jaw bone flexed but he didn't say anything or even look at her. This scared her. She had to ask again.

"Gaara. Please, you love me don't you?" She asked again, more desperate this time. Her heart felt like it was going to pop from anxiety. Her pulse in her head made an annoying beating sound in her ears.

After a moment of silence he looked at her and answered.

"I'm sorry Sakura."

The next thing she could hear was Ayame scream and she felt the cool skin of Sasori's hand grabbing her arm.

Gaara's left cheek had turned to a bright red from where she had slapped him. His head and snapped to the side from the impact.

"You bastard." She mumbled.

"Sakura please don't." Sasori warned.

"It's okay Sasori." Gaara said and turned to face her. "I deserved it."

"How could you Gaara? I-I thought we were…" Sakura shook her head denying everything. This couldn't be happening. Gaara couldn't be doing this to her not now. Not after all of what they had been through. There was no way.

"I'm sorry Sakura." He repeated coldly and flat.

She could hear her heart shatter into a million small pieces inside of her. That was it? He was serious. He would do that to her just like that?

"But I don't understand." She whispered.

"Then let me explain it to you. I can't live this lie anymore. It's time for me to wake up. What we had wasn't real. I have to learn to accept that. What is real is what is happening now. Not then in the past but my future here, with Ayame." His words cut right through her.

"Unreal?" Sakura gasped. "Gaara it was real for me! The night you saved me from those thugs. The day we became friends. The night you told me you loved me"

".Real" He hissed.

Sakura fell back into her chair. "Was…not….real?"

Gaara stood up with Ayame clinging to him. "Sakura, you can stay for the wedding if you'd like or you can go home. Which ever you prefer."

"I'm going home." She sniffed and looked up at him with a smile. "You know what Gaara, I don't need you. I have my mom and Sai. I don't even know why I was even taking this crap from you. For all I care, you can marry the grim reaper and burn in hell." She stood up and gave him the finger. "Fuck you." She made sure she pronounced all of her syllables so that it had a deeper affect on him.

When she saw him wince she knew she had hit the nail on the head.

"I'll take you to your room Sakura." Sasori said.

She followed him out the room upstairs. Her adrenaline pumping as hard as ever.

"Man that was AWESOME!" Sasori turned to her and covered his mouth. "I mean, not the marriage part but the way you stood up to Gaara at the end. You're one cold hearted chick man. I have new respect for you." He smiled.

"Thanks Sasori." She smiled back.

Sasori's smile slowly disappeared and he pulled her into his arms constricting her like a Boa.

"S-Sasori?"

"No one's around Sakura. You don't have to be strong for my sake. It's alright."

He knew? Was it that obvious that she was just putting on a front?

"Gaara." She sobbed and buried her face in Sasori's clothes. The warm body she once had was nothing but a cold, empty shell. Gaara was her heart and soul that had flown away.

"Sa-chan!" Sai's rose above all of the screaming and talking in the airport.

She tried her best to smile at him as he pushed his way through the crowds but found utterly difficult to do so. Why did her mom send him to pick her up? Didn't she know that it would be hard to see Sai at this point?

"Sa-chan are you alright?" He gave her a breath taking hug.

Sakura pushed him away and hung her head. "I'm alright."

"Sa-chan you know I will fly all the way back to that damn island and kick the hell out of him. You know I would do that for you right?"

"It's alright Sai, I'm fine."Then look at me." He cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look up at him.

Looking into his dark serene eyes filled with compassion and comfort made her want to cry. She didn't want him to see her like this. She was a mess and probably looked like a train wreck to him.

"Sai let go please." She closed her eyes.

Instead of listening to her he pulled her into his strong arms and held her close.

"Sa-chan you know that I would never, never, hurt you in my life. I never wanted you to leave here. I wanted you to stay but…" He choked.

Sakura sniffed. "Come one Sai, if you cry I'm going to cry too." Her heart sunk when his body began to shake.

"I will never forgive him." He said in a raspy voice. "He will pay for what he did to you. I'll make sure of it."

"Sai…"She tried to steady her shaky voice. "Sai, you don't have to do anything for me except for be there for me."

Sai pulled away from her and wiped away a tear that had escaped from her eye.

"Of course I will."

"Thankyou."

Sai only smiled at her and intertwined his fingers with hers. She knew this moment wouldn't last long. The moment of being happy. The next day when she would wake up to no Gaara, she will remember what had happened and the pain will come again, but she knew that Sai would be there to comfort her as he always was. She was truly lucky to have someone like him.

It took them almost half and hour to get home by taxi and she was exhausted. All that ran though her mind was the word "bed".

"Sai." She looked up at him as he opened her door.

"Yeah?"

"Carry me." She held out her arms.

Sai chuckled and picked her up in his arms. "Good thing Sasori is sending your stuff tomorrow or else I would have to leave them here in the street."

"Mhm…"

When they got across the street something told Sakura to open her eyes. So of course, she did. Her eyes wondered over back to where the cab had dropped her off to see someone standing there.

She caught her breath felt butterflies fill her stomach.

"Gaara?" She whispered and as if he had heard her he smiled.

"Let me down Sai." She squirmed in his arms.

Not having much of a choice, Sai set her on her feet and looked at her alarmed.

"Sa-chan what's up?"

"It's Gaara! He came back!"

He looked to the direction she was looking. "I don't see him. Sa-chan, you're tired. You're hallucinating."

Sakura began to walk to the street. "No, he's right there smiling at me."

"Sa-chan wait!" Sai called after her.

"Gaara!" She quickly broke into a run.

"SAKURA!" He screamed.

Startled, she looked back at him not realizing she was in the middle of the street.

A pair of headlights blinded her eyes and the sound of a horn nearly deafened her ears. By the time she had noticed the car speeding towards her it was too late.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Were the only words she could hear from Sai's frantic voice before the impact.

A/N: Ah, yes it's over…wait no just this story…wait okay. This is part one. I originally didn't plan to make this story a two part story but due to school I cant update as often as I would like so it would take me FOREVER to finish this one. So, instead I'm making part two to Starless Night called Total Eclipse. This one I will try to pour my heart into and make it a very good story with lots of drama, fights, and perhaps jail time? I don't know right now but as I write it, it shall pop into my head ^ ^. Well just to give you a taste of how Total Eclipse is going to be I made a prologue to the story. Soooo if you want to be mad at me for not making a first chapter to the story you can read it or can wait until I actually do start to write the story….which should be…soon? Well, then until next time. Peace out suckas! :p (imitating the voice of Sterling Knight in Sonny With A Chance.)