My Fault

Epilogue

❄ Epilogue ❄

Disclaimer: I don't own the song or lyrics. And this chapter is in Zelia's perspective as I mentioned in the last chapter.

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"Zelia! Come back here, I'm not done doing your makeup!" Bonnie shrieked, getting the maids to pin me down in front of her vanity mirror as she prodded and poked at my face.

"Are you done yet?" I complained, opening my eyes to take a look at the mirror, only for it to be blocked by Bonnie's body.

"Stop talking," she demanded, unscrewing the top of a lipstick tube and applying it on my lips. "Please go take out outfits from my closet and lay them on my bed." She instructed to two maids who were standing idly on the side. Once she finished my makeup and hair, she left me sitting on the stool and picked up the type of clothes the maids picked out.

"There," Bonnie handed me a black sequin top with black leather pants. I quickly placed them on and she looked me over, nodding in approval. She set a pair of dark purple wedges in front of me and I eyed them suspiciously.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I looked between her and the shoes then back at her.

"Just put them on. We're going to be late arguing." She responded and I sighed, jamming them on my feet and stood up unsteadily.

"Let's go," I said and I placed a hand on her shoulder to prevent myself from tripping. After a while, I got used to the height from the shoes and let go.

"We'll see you in the audience. And no making out before your performance," Bonnie walked away to Cavean who was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Aether looked up and smiled at me as I descended down the stairs carefully.

"Ready?" Aether asked when I finally reached him and he offered his arm towards me.

"Yeah," I linked my arm through his and we began walking.

We arrived at school and went to the backstage of the auditorium where Mr. Burningham was instructing and organizing everyone in the concert.

"Zelia, Aether," Mr. Burningham called out and we went to him. "Oh great. You guys will be going right after intermediate band. Once the chairs and music stands are all cleared up, start setting up your mics and the soundtrack would begin when you guys are ready."

We nodded and took a seat on the chairs to wait for the concert to start. I gripped Aether's hand a little tighter as the beginner band finished each song. The intermediate band went on and I was afraid that I was breaking his hand.

"Sorry," I whispered, letting go when I saw that his hand was turning white.

"It's fine. Nervous?" He turned to look at me and I nodded. "Hey, I'm in this with you. Think about it as us two against the world. You could forget everyone exists and just focus on my awesome face and voice." He sent a wink my way and I eased up, laughing a little and shaking my head.

"So humble."

"You know it." He inched closer to my face and I put up my hand to stop him, smiling broadly.

"Bonnie would be mad if I mess up her makeup," I whispered at him. He shrugged.

"Am I really the type of person who follows others' orders?"

"No," I said, leaning close to him as I remembered the incident a few months before. But as his lips came a hairsbreadth away, I swerved next to his ear and whispered, "I'll kiss you after the concert. Maybe." And sat back in my seat, leaving a stunned look on his face. Before he could say anything to object, the intermediate band finished their final song and chairs slid against the wooden floor. Once the group of students went to the backstage, it was our cue to go up.

We quickly set up the mics and stood in front of the stands, waiting for the music to start. When it did, we did the intro singing and I had to start the words immediately after. I was not in the right key and was missing some of the words. My hands were trembling as I held the mic stand tightly. But I barely managed to get through the first verse and the chorus before the instrumental part. During my part, I could hear the whispering in the crowd, no doubt asking one another what was wrong with me.

It was his turn to sing his part:

"I can feel your pain pulsing, through my veins." His voice was suddenly right next to me and I almost jumped up in shock, except it was impossible with the wedges. He was holding onto his mic, having taken it out of the stand and his other hand was outstretched towards me. "Hold on to my hand," I smiled at his corny performance and placed mine on top of his. He was smiling with me as he sang his last line of the verse. "And pray you'll find my heart one day."

He placed our hands on his heart as he finished his line and the world disappeared before my eyes. I relaxed more, and sang like I did when we were alone. I went along with his sudden movements in the beginning and began making a show from the lyrics. As we got closer to the last chorus, we stepped slowly towards each other and closed the gap. We finished off our performance as close to each other as possible, with only about an inch between us.

"Stay with me...Cause without you here, I disappear into infinity, infinity. Stay with me...Cause without you here, I disappear...Stay with me..." When we finished, we were both breathing quite heavily and he held the mic down by his side and mouthing, 'You did it." I shook my head and mouthed back.

'No, we did it.'

Applauses and shouts surrounded our space and I had barely registered that the song ended. Reluctantly we broke apart and stuck the mic back in the stand, bowing before getting off the stage. The concert ended with the orchestra and everybody backstage got up to leave. Before we could exit the building, Aether pulled me back and quickly pecked my lips. He quickly pulled back and walked out the door, leaving me flustered. Tease.

He's the death of me. I thought and ran--or tried to--in my wedges to catch up to him. Outside, Cavean, Bonnie and Elfanse tackled us in a group hug. Their voices sounded around us at the same time, and I couldn't understand anything, but I couldn't care less. Doing anything with them made life that much more enjoyable.

❄ ❄ ❄

After Aether and I finished showering (separately) and changed into more comfortable clothes, we walked hand in hand to our destination. But right as we were going to the secret room, Aether paused and I stopped with him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I wrapped an arm around his waist and looked in his eye.

"Nothing," he sighed and ran his hand through his hair before bending down and nuzzling my neck. "I know it's the right thing to do. But I...I can't get over the fact that I almost put them in the same situation where I almost lost you forever."

I lifted my arm and moved so that we were hugging each other, kissing his beating heart. "It's alright. They'll forgive you once you set them free."

"I know, but it was my faul-" He started and I quickly placed my lips on his to shut him up before hugging him tighter and getting lost in his eyes.

"Stop. Stop being so hard on yourself. You've set me free from my irrational guilt, and you're about to set your parents free. I'm here for you; I want to set you free too." I knew my message got through him because his arms tightened around me and he blew out a sigh in my hair.

"I love you. What would I do without you?" He pulled back and cupped my face with his bare hand.

"I love you too," I leaned into his hand that was holding my face. Once he was calmed down enough, I linked our hands together and turned my head up, towards him. We stepped into the freezing room and walked right in front of the two figures frozen in a thick layer of ice.

"I wish they could've met you," he lifted up our joined hands and kissed my knuckles. "You've done so much for me."

"You did so too, for me. I know they'd be proud of what you grew up as." I returned the smile he sported. We placed our hands on both of the ice blocks and I heard him inhale quickly.

"Ready?" I whispered, giving him a reassuring look. I saw the worry slowly dissipate from his eyes and he trained his focus back at the two blocks.

"As ready as I'll ever be."