InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Uptown Girl ❯ Chapter 36 ( Chapter 37 )

A little more pain for our poor Jade. Will she be able to get over her past with Ban or will it hurt her even more? Thanks for reading and reviewing. Please enjoy this next update.

 

Jade blushed as the same memories played out in her mind. “He was my first, but then I had to leave… it felt so right but I knew that it would never be more then that. I didn't belong to him; I was just a tool for him to get in good graces with the family,” she thought as she continued working the cinch loose.

 

A tear came to her eyes as she remembered seeing him with another girl, one from town who had been following him around for a while after that night. It broke her heart seeing him kiss that bitch like he'd kissed her. The next day, after another romp with Ban in the cabin, Jade had left for the Army, stating that she'd wanted to see the world and make a difference. Ban had seen the look in her eyes and knew that it was a lie, but he didn't press her into telling the truth, he knew in the back of his mind that it was because of him. He'd never meant to hurt her, he'd been dating the girl only a week before Jade had come back to the ranch for her summer break after graduating high school.

 

Approaching the girl and her horse, Ban asked, “What brings you back here, Jade? I know that it wasn't for me.” He placed a gentle hand upon Kami's neck as he looked at Jade, seeing the tears well in her eyes as she nimbly worked the cinch free from the saddle.

 

“I'm trying to get my fiancé back,” she replied, a little rushed as she finished loosening the cinch of the saddle, and slide it from Kami's back. Thankful to be free of the offending equipment, Kami shook him self, loosening all the dirt that was trapped under the fine hairs of his body. Jade laughed a little as the horse looked as if he was saying, “Finally… I feel free, now for a roll in the dirt and I'll be all set.” Ban smiled as he heard her laugh again, wishing deep in his heart that it was for him instead of the horse.

 

As she picked up the reins of the bridle Kami knelt on one knee to allow Jade to swing onto his back. Once she adjusted her seat and wrapped her fingers into his mane, Jade asked, “You want to go with me for a ride?”

 

Ban looked at the horse then back at the girl as he pondered the question. He knew that nothing was going to happen between him and Jade. She'd made it quit clear that she didn't want anything from him with her absence from the ranch over the years. The last time she had been there, a year ago, he'd been sent on a cattle drive to bring the cows down from the far northern range. By the time he'd gotten back, it had been too late to see her and he fumed over the whole situation for months afterwards, wishing that he'd been able to tell her how he felt for her. Hell, he'd even had a ring for her and had planned on asking her to be his wife. That was until he'd found out from Jakotsu, his rather flamboyant brother that she was getting married to a Captain from the Army. Ban drank himself into a stupor that night, wanting nothing more than to forget about her, but he couldn't do that. She had ingrained herself upon his soul, something that he was having a problem getting rid of.

 

Knowing his answer before he did, Jade held out her hand to help the young man swing up behind her. Taking her hand, Ban swung himself behind her, trying to ease the restriction of his jeans against harder parts of his anatomy. Once his arms had been wrapped around her slight hips, Jade turned Kami toward the far fence. With a little encouragement, he took off at a dead run. As he approached the fence, he gathered himself into the perfect position to jump the six foot fence as Jade leaned into his neck, grasping more of his mane and Ban leaned into Jade's back, gripping the great horse with his muscular legs.

 

Once Kami touched down on the opposite side of the fence, he continued out of the corral area and into the wide valley of green grass, losing himself in the freedom that he'd long forgotten. Jade let him have his head, knowing that once he took the bit, nothing could hold him back. She relished the feel of his muscular shoulders under her thighs and butt as he stretched out into a full ground eating gallop. The warmth of Ban's chest against her back as well as his arms around her hips brought back the memories of past rides, such as this… only they usually ended up in the horizontal tango.

 

A while later, as Kami slowed, due to his own exhaustion from the long run, Jade turned him back toward home, as she contemplated her impending conversation with Ban. She still loved him, but not the same as she had with Koga. With Ban, despite her sexual experiences with him, she looked more at him now as a brotherly influence, where as Koga was the one that she saw as her lover and friend. Some one with whom she'd spend the rest of her life with.

 

“Ban…” she began, feeling him tighten his grip on her hips. “I want to thank you for the wonderful memories that we shared over the years,” she continued as she felt him move closer into her back, resting his chin upon her shoulder.

 

“What are you trying to say Jade?” he asked, cutting to the chase. He always hated beating around the bush when it came to Jade. Ban almost always tried to be straight with her, even when he knew it would hurt her deeply.

 

Taking a deep breath, she replied, “I came back here to try and regain Koga's trust after a fight we had, and I needed to ask for your help.” Hearing the slight catch in his breathing, Jade asked, “How much do you know about what happened, to me in the last month, that is?”

 

“I know that you were attacked by a bitch named Kikyo, and that she shattered your arm, but other then that, I'm not so sure what you're asking,” he replied as he eased the neck of her shirt off her left shoulder to see the wounds that were evidence of the attack.

 

Seeing the marks, the courting mark as well as the tire iron marks upon her tanned shoulder tore his heart in two. The courting mark was evidence of Koga's intentions, despite its faded appearance. Jade placed her hand over his as she continued, “After I was released from the hospital, we had a fight. He thought that I had cheated on him with another guy, Inuyasha Taisho to be more precise. Words were said, mainly from him, as he threw things, unintentionally hurting me physically in the process.”

 

Jade felt Ban's arm warp more protectively around her as she continued, knowing that what she had to say next would push him over the edge in wanting to kill Koga. “That night, I lost a lot of blood because of a shard imbedded in my left breast. Thankfully I had a girl staying with me who called for help and I was saved. Over the next few weeks, I beat myself up for what had happened, knowing that I was the victim but had no way of telling him, until last night that is. From the urging of Kagome, the girl staying with me, as well as Koga's brothers, I sang to him.”

 

Removing her hand from his and entwining it back into Kami's mane, she continued, “I sang my heart out to him, poured everything that I could into what I had kept bottled up inside for so long. Afterwards, I moved over to where he was, only to see him in a lip lock with a red headed wolf bitch. Unable to take his betrayal, I decked her, dropping her to the floor. I left the bar after that; he followed me out, begging me to take him back. Inuyasha was foolish enough to follow us out as well. I kissed him, seeing as I hadn't done it before, just to prove my point to Koga. However, it back fired. Koga pulled me away from Inuyasha, causing deep cuts on my upper arms. They fought over me for a bit, before Inuyasha revealed the scar on my breast. I couldn't take it any more and so I left, and came here.”

 

Ban seethed at what she had told him, his body shook in rage as he slowly moved the sleeves of her shirt up, revealing the four deep cuts on her upper arms. They were mere scratches by then, but the width was what shocked him the most. “These are claw marks, Jade. You didn't say that Inuyasha was a demon,” he whispered, barely able to contain what little restraint he had left over his anger.

 

“Half demon actually,” she replied, pulling Kami to a halt so that she could look into Ban's face. “I never intended to cheat on Koga… he assumed that I had seeing as Inuyasha insinuated himself into my life after dropping off his car at the shop. Now all I want is to have him back… back by my side to fill the burning ache in my heart,” she continued, seeing the burning flames of hatred in his eyes. Quickly, almost as if on instinct, Jade brushed her lips against Ban's drawing him back to the present, quenching the flames of anger, for the moment.

 

With the shock of the kiss still tingling on his lips, Ban looked at Jade as he asked, “After all that he's put you through, Jade, you honestly want him back? I'd never have treated you that way!”

 

Flames leapt into her eyes, changing from blue to vivid green as she bit out, “You did something worse, Bankotsu.” With the use of his full name, Ban winced visibly, feeling the lash of her words before they even came. “You actually cheated on me with that blond tramp from town,” she continued as the look of shock at being caught crossed his face.

 

“I saw you kissing her in the front seat of your truck. I'm sure that more happened after I left, seeing as you stank of her when we made love that last time. I love Koga and I know deep down that he loves me. I can't say what his actions in regards to the bitch were, but his reaction afterwards was enough for me to forgive him. It took a long time, but I've forgiven you for your transgressions, even though they hurt like hell. I'd given you all that I had, my innocence… my heart… and you threw it away to be with that bitch. You could have had me all to yourself, Bankotsu, but you decided I wasn't worth it, I guess.” Tears streamed down Jade's face as she tore her once healed heart in two, turned her back on him, to leave Ban to think about her words.

 

“She knew all along that I'd cheated on her?” he thought a he slid his arms back around her waist, loving the feel of her body pressed against his. His mind raced at the revelation as they continued the slow gait back to the ranch house. “She knew… and yet she still made love to me before she left? Why… what was the point?” he continued to ponder.

 

Unable to take the mental anguish any more, Ban placed his head against her shoulder as he said, “I'm sorry to have hurt you that way, Jade. I didn't realize that you had seen me with her.” He felt Jade stiffen in his embrace as the fury slowly surfaced once more.

 

Suddenly Jade pulled Kami to a stop as she slid off his back, leaving Ban by himself and the reins across Kami's neck. She moved away from the horse and rider, tears continued to well in her eyes as she recalled their last night together. The passion he showed her as well as the love he poured into every move… touch… kiss… embrace was enough for her to over look the stench of the blond bitch. But the fact that he hadn't said a word about his encounter with her is what had broken Jade's heart. She thought that Ban loved her, but he kept silent the one time that she needed him to be straight forward with her.

 

Ban picked up the reins of Kami, moving him toward the girl as he saw her shack; whether in fury or despair he wasn't sure. He slid off Kami's back once they had closed the distance to Jade. Carefully Ban moved toward the upset girl, pulling her into a warm embrace as the sobbing overtook her body. Turning into his shoulder, Jade wrapped her arms around his strong chest, holding onto him as if her life depended on it.

 

Ban rubbed her back soothingly as he spoke, “I'm sorry for causing you so much pain, Jade. This is my entire fault and I didn't even realize it.”

 

Jade pulled back from his embrace, straining against his arms that held her to him as she replied, “The one time that you're not straight with me resulted in a lot more than pain, Bankotsu. It took me a while to get to the point where I wasn't crying myself to sleep because of your betrayal. I thought that my heart was mended, but seeing you now… it's like I've broken it all over again. I'm not sure that I can go through this any more. Just leave me alone.”

 

Slipping from his grasp, Jade moved as lightning the remaining distance to the ranch, tears streaming down her face as her braid came loose from its ties, allowing the mane of crimson gold to flow behind her. As she ran from him, the knots of regret and despair tore Ban up, causing him to strike a nearby tree with his bare fist, effectively scrapping up his knuckles. Cursing his own stupidity, yet again, Ban swung aboard Kami once more, following the running girl as she blindly ran the remainder to the barn and beyond to the ranch house.

 

“I royally screwed up this time,” he thought, his hand throbbing as if a few bones had been broken, or at least greatly bruised. He pulled Kami into an open corral, and removed the bridle. Once he made sure that the horse had been cared for, he moved toward Suikotsu's office, hoping to get some ice for his wounded hand and some booze for his pride.

 

 

 

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