BROKEN VOWS

Chapter Fourteen. Love for fools

Rainbow's POV.

"A sing-off? Seriously, are you outta your mind?"

I asked him, and he grinned like the big olf he was before running towards the room with a piano in it. I rushed and called after him, trying to stop him, but he got in before me, unfortunately, and I sighed loudly before saying.

"Fine! Pick a song." He starts doing his chicken victory dance while I roll my eyes.

"Can't help falling in love." He says.

"Elvis Presley? Seriously?" He gives me a once-over look and says...

"You have something against him?" Cheeky bastard.

"No! But I've got a thing against exaggerated love songs." I tell him rolling my eyes.

Elvis Presley is one of my favorite musicians of all time, but I'll never tell him that. He won't let me hear the end of it.

He sits by the piano and runs his fingers through it with his eyes closed and the magnificent beast of a piano produces one of the most melodious sounds I've ever heard.
The way he plays the piano is like when old friends reunite after being apart for so long.

It's more than that. The passion, the tenderness towards it, the way he uses his fingers to communicate with the keys and the piano replies to his touch with sounds. It is like that of old lovers who don't need words to express how they feel anymore.

He increases his pace of playing while winking at me, and I laugh. I couldn't help but twirl to the rhythm as he said... "Come on, sing!" I cleared my throat as I started singing the song I know so well; it's like a second language to me.

"Wise men say only fools rush in.

But I can't help falling in love with you...-''

Shall I stay? Would it be a sin?

If I can't help falling in love with you?"

I finished singing the first verse and he urges me with a nod to continue.

"Like a river flows

surely to the sea

Darling, so it goes

Some things are meant to be

Take my hand, take my whole life too!

For I can't help falling in love with you..."

I'm starting to feel the music run through the very core of my being as I close my eyes and spread my arms as if I wanna fly while twirling; I continued singing...

"Like a river flows

surely to the sea

Darling, so it goes

Some things are meant to be

Take my hand, take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you

For I can't help falling in love with you."

I ended the song on a high note as I stopped twirling; I was taking deep breaths while Hunter stood up and started clapping repeatedly and I held the hem of my blouse and bowed playfully.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're too kind."

Both of us were thrown into fits of laughter and giggles after my comment.

After our laughter finally subsided he said...

 "Elvis has got nothing on you, Bow.  You would have given him a run for his money." I giggled before saying...

"The point of a sign-off is for two people to sing and pick a winner, you know?"

"Yeah! And you won." He says, now fully standing with both hands in his pockets.

I laughed before asking him. "Says who?"

He smiled smugly before replying..."Say me, the judge."

I shook my head saying. "Alright, Judge Riggs. It's time for you to pay up, old man!"  While extending my right arm towards him. He gasped dramatically saying...

"I'm only 37 years old!" As he squeezed a dollar bill in my hand.

"That's a whole decade before I was born, old man!" I said squinting at the dollar bill in my hand.

"Don't I get paid more than this for almost giving Elvis a run for his money?"

Hunter smiled and shook his head fondly while saying. "Don't push it, kid."

Now it's my turn to gasp dramatically while saying...  "Oh?  So you agree you're old?"

"Not in your wildest dreams, kiddo!" And just like that! We were both thrown into fits of laughter.

After calming down, I stood up from the couch, whipping imaginary dust off my clothes while saying. "I better get home and make dinner; thanks for having me again!"

He laughed while saying... "Don't mention it!  I like the company. Plus, you brought me a cheesy casserole."

"Don't worry about that; you're helping me plenty with the leftovers since he who shall not be named doesn't eat leftovers," I reassured him and he laughed.

I'm heading towards the door when I glance at him, but he doesn't look as happy as he sounds anymore.

"Hey! Are you okay?" I asked.

Startled he says. "Yeah! I mean...yes, I'm fine."

Giving him the look that always forces him to spill his guts, I fold my hands on my chest for special effects while tapping my right foot on the floor impatiently. He sighed before saying.

"Tomorrow is Kayla's death anniversary, and I can't visit her grave to pay my respects for the first time since she died because my parole officer said I can't go out of town alone, and he's too busy to take me." He says sadly.

I gasped in shock. "Oh my God! Hunter! Are you okay? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I will be fine, don't worry about me." He said, trying to act tough, but I saw through his acts; before I could stop myself, I blurted. 

"I can take you!"

Realizing how high-pitched I sounded, I bowed my head in embarrassment before trying again.

"I mean, I will go with you there," I said softly this time.

"What? No, no! I can't let you do that for me, besides! Tomorrow is Saturday and your husband will be home." He almost pleaded with me.

With newfound confidence, I said... "He will just have to deal with it! We leave before 9:00 AM tomorrow."

I did not wait for him to talk me out of my decision. I was walking away when I heard him calling out to me to come back, let's talk about this, but I ignored him and walked into my house while thinking...

I'm so screwed!