Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Pushing those thoughts away at a time like this, she got back to focusing on the matter at hand. “I bet they won’t even notice. He gave me so many things to wear.” She shrugged like it was nothing before trying her best to make light of the situation to cheer the poor girl up. “You know how men are.”
Yuri sniffled. “And if they do?”
Her silence was deafening, as Eira came up empty for what they could do.
“I’ll be gone!” Yuri’s waterworks began again. “I might as well pack my bags now.”
Eira didn’t think so at all, as it seemed Tatsu much preferred Yuri over her, which was understandable since he barely knew her. Then again, it was a belonging of his late wife’s, and if Yuri believed him to do something that cruel, then she didn’t want to risk it. Losing her only girlfriend on this island would hurt Eira too much.
“I—” Eira struggled for her brave words to announce themselves. “I will tell them I broke it.”
Her friend looked at her in disbelief. “You … would do that for me?”
“Of course, I would,” Eira confirmed with finality. “And I will.”
All the tears on Yuri’s face suddenly dried up as she grabbed her friend to hold her dearly. “Oh, Eira, thank you!”
“No problem. It’s not like they’d kick me out …” she said, patting her back, gulping nervously. It seemed her bravery wavered to her nerve. “Right?”
29
Bound
Tensely waiting for the marriage ceremony to begin, Eira twisted her hands together to prevent herself from smoothing them over the front of her solid white kimono. Not wanting handprints to mar the beauty of the garment she had been gifted only made it more difficult to resist.
“Why are you so nervous?” Her grandmother took her hands, stopping the twisting movements. “If you don’t want to marry Ryu, I will have your grandfather steal a boat, and we will return home.”
Eira thought her grandmother looked excited—more excited about her possibly running away from the marriage than her going through with the ceremony. But she had to burst her bubble that she would have to see Tatsu again and try her best to get along. Hopefully.
“I want to marry Ryu, Grandmother.”
Shoulders slumped in disappointment, Grandmother said, “Perhaps it will be better if your grandfather and I leave after the ceremo—”
“No.” Eira stopped those blasphemous thoughts. She was about to have everything the girl before her accident, and the girl she had become after, ever wanted, and she wasn’t about to lose it. “I want you and Grandfather to stay … Ryu and Tatsu will grow on you.” Again, hopefully.
“Ryu, sure. Tatsu, not so much.” Her grandmother sniffed, as if holding back tears. “I believe in the old ways as well, but he is prehistoric.”
Eira didn’t think she was necessarily wrong, but she needed to keep the peace and could only hope she sounded surer than she felt.
“We will all learn to live harmoniously together.”
Taking a deep breath, trying to believe her own words, she couldn’t help but wonder if Tatsu was trying to convince Ryu not to marry her like her grandmother was her. Did their marriage stand a chance with so many against their match?
From where they were waiting, she was able to look out at the sacred Sakura tree. Nearly a thousand beautiful streamers of gold, red, and pink adorned the tree, making it look simply magical as they filled the tree to make it full once more. The ones hung on lower branches spiraled down to the ground with only a small opening for them to wed under. Everything was ready, except Tatsu and Ryu had yet to make their appearance so the ceremony could begin.
Releasing her hands, her grandmother removed something from her kimono to place into her hands. “This was my mother’s.”
Eira stared down at the delicately intricate fan. Flipping it open, she had to blink back tears. It was the same heirloom she had seen her mother holding in a picture of her parents’ wedding. “I can’t believe—”
“It is to bring happiness to your marriage, and you’re going to need all the luck you can get.” Her grandmother, as always, brushed off the sentimental moment.
Eira would have been hurt if she had not seen the suspicious glimmer of tears in the wise eyes.
“Thank you.”
With the reminder of luck, she remembered Yuri’s perfume that she had forgotten to wear. “Give me a few minutes. I forgot someth—”
All of a sudden, her grandmother huffed out a sigh of relief, stopping her. “You don’t have time.”
Eira looked to where she was staring, to see Tatsu had taken his place under the tree, as he would be the one to perform the ceremony, making her completely forget about the gift all over again.
“I guess Tatsu couldn’t talk him out of marrying you,” Grandmother noted as Ryu finally took his place as well.