Inferno Part 2

~18~ Music

Ellie's POV

"El, can you help me with this?" Alex yells from the door.

I walk in the foyer, and Alex and Liam are walking in with the most beautiful piano I've ever seen.

"What's this?" I ask, confused.

"An airplane. What does it look like, you weirdo?" Alex grunts, trying to readjust his grip.

"What's it doing here?" I ask, still confused.

"Less talking, mother. This thing is heavy" Liam says, grimacing in agony. I bet this thing weighs a ton.

Taylor rushes over once he seems them and helps lift it. "Damn this is heavy. How the hell did you do this by yourselves?" He asks.

"Zip it and tell us where to put the damn thing" Alex snaps, looking like he's about to have an aneurysm.

"In the foyer, I guess" I say, motioning for him to put it under the beautiful window I have in my foyer.

The men hurry up and put it where I say. Once they do, Alex looks at me and grins sheepishly.

"What the heck is going on?" I ask, annoyed. I haven't played the piano since mom left.

"Don't be mad" Alex says, putting his hands out.

I just glare at him.

"It's for your birthday, El" Alex says, still nervous.

"Why do I want a piano?" I ask with an attitude.

"Don't be mad" he says again, waiting for me to strike.

"Then start talking" I say, annoyed.

He nods. "Josie told Savannah the other day that the thing she misses the most is the piano at her house. I figured that if I bought it under the pretenses of your birthday, she wouldn't find it suspicious" Alex says, carefully.

"So does this mean I'm not getting a real present?" I tease.

The men start chuckling.

"I'll get you something else, ya nut" he says as he pushes me over to the piano and sits me down.

"Please play that fancy piece you used to do. Please, El? I haven't heard it since I was 11. Please, friend?" He asks me seriously.

"I don't remember how. I was only 11 too, remember?" I ask, annoyed.

"Ellie, if you won't play it, Josie will get suspicious. Please?" He asks me again, seriously.

There's a spark in Alex's eye I can't quite figure out. Like he's trying to trick me. I'm suddenly getting suspicious. Did he really buy it for Josie or did he actually buy it for me?

I sigh as I look at the keys. I haven't played since mom left. I don't even know if I remember. The piece he wants me to play is called "The Promise" by Michael Nyman. It's extremely advanced. My mom was an expert pianist.

I start playing, and I fumble on a few chords. Suddenly it all starts coming back to me. Every crescendo, every chord progression, every decrescendo. I am suddenly 11 years old again, playing for my mom and dad. Mom would tap out the beats, and sit next to me, moving my fingers gently when I would hit a wrong note.

I start to relax, letting the music take me to places I haven't been to since I was a kid. When life was easy. When I was free.

I continue playing, remembering how it was when I had my mom sitting next to me, proud of me. How proud I was to make her proud.

When the song ends, I notice that I have tears streaming down. I wipe them away quickly, embarrassed that I had gotten so emotional just then.

When I look up, and see everyone in my family watching me. Everybody had come out of wherever it was that they were, and are watching me. Taylor, Alex, Liam, and Emma are all crying. Luke looks like he's about to cry. Sasha is holding Drew, and her tears are dripping into his hair. Mason has his arms wrapped around Josie, and he's wiping his eyes too.