I - New End: Danielle ✔️

Part 31 - Piano

Dannii/ A table full of food. Yet people keep on bringing more as they step in to the Inn. Somehow eating makes grieving less hard? I have no idea who came up with that. When you are in pain, you don't want to eat. Period!

"If one more person tells me they are sorry, or they feel my pain, I'm going to scream." I whisper at my sister as the thirtieth person condolences me. "They all look at me in pity! I mean who are all of these people?" I sigh as I see the next one heading my way. "I don't know if I can keep this up!"

Music flows through the air, distracting me from the long line of people I still need to greet. Our piano hasn't been played on since... since dad died.

Charlotte freezes up, grabbing my wrist. Well cutting the blood flow to my fingers actually.

"I'll be right back!" She's pretty much boiling.

When I follow her to our living room, I see Charlotte heading for war.

"Hey Asshole! What do you think you're doing." She slams the front of the piano shut. Practically smashing the fingers of a young man into mush. The poor guy is overthrown by her fury.

"Nobody plays this piano! Do you hear me! No one!" She towers over him before turning around. When she notices I caught her in the act she disappears like a lightning bolt.

"I'm so sorry for my sister. That piano was our dad's, he died a few years ago. She can be pretty protective of it." Explaining as I walk closer. His hazelnut brown eyes still filled with fear. "My name is Dannii." I try to smile a bit.

"Oh r r r right, the b b b bride!" He drops a little bomb on my heart. "Nice to meet you, I'm Shawn. W w w where would you like me? I brought my guitar, if I can't use the p p p piano..." he smiles all of his pearly whites at me but the poor guy is still shook.

"Excuse me?" confusion hits me.

Is this guy joking?

"I was hired to sing at the wedding. Are you ok, you look a little pale." I hear him say while I seek some kind of gravity.

"Hey, what's going on in here." I feel two strong arms wrapping around me. When I look up I see Bens features are very distressed.

"Oh God, Shawn. I forgot to... there's no... the wedding turned out to be a funeral. My brother died." I hear Ben mumble.

What?

"Oh God, my apologies !" Shawn directs his voice to me. "I had no idea. I thought this was a black themed wedding party."

Ben walks me over to the couch so I can take a seat.

"I'm so sorry, Danielle. I forgot about hiring Shawn!" Ben takes my hand as he sits down next to me. "I wanted to do something nice for your wedding." His eyes start to glaze over as he cups my cheek. "I never ment to hurt you again!"

"You did that for me?" I wanna kiss him, but that would be very inappropriate. Besides by now the room is starting to crowd up by people who heard the piano and my sister's screaming fit.

"Could you play a few songs?" I turn away from Ben's gaze and point my eyes to Shawn. "Nothing to sad but also not to cheerful?"

Once again his pearly whites greet me, taking his guitar out of it's case. When he hits the first chord, singing the first note, I can't hold back the tears anymore.

Ben did this for me!

Shawn's angelic voice warms up the whole room, no more trembling caused by my sister's assault. I can feel people start to ease up. No longer in mourning mood, but moving on to the next step, reminiscing. The entire time I feel Ben's eyes burning on my skin.

"I need some air." I whisper.

He nods, as he understands I need a moment alone.

Walking outside onto the porch, the snowy air is cold to my lungs, yet I don't feel the need for my coat.

Aching to be alone, I walk over to the three-seater swing. I wanna forget about everything and look at the frozen lake. Think about my last date with Cole down there.

Disappointed to see a woman sitting in my seat, I return on my steps.

"Dannii?" The woman stops me. "Would you like to sit with me?"

"Sure." Damn, there goes my escape plan.

"I'm Josephine Martinez. I was partnered up with Cole in Syria." Her dark brown eyes pierce into me.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. Your speech at the church was beautiful." I bite my lip. "Would you mind if we just sit here and not talk for a few minutes?" I close my eyes. Did I actually say that out loud?

"Off course!"Her calm voice relaxes me.

I bring the bottle of wine, the one I snatched from the table before heading out, to my lips and take a few sips. Taking in the silence and the snowy hills, I feel myself again.

"So I understand you were the last person to see Cole...?" I break the silence. Not wanting to be rude I offer Josephine the bottle. "How was he that day?"

"He was talking about you actually, about how he was going to marry the woman of his dreams." Tears fill her eyes as she declines the bottle, pulling her army coat tightly to her body. Her brown hair is pulled back into a knot. As one tear escapes it leaves a trail on her beautiful flawless chocolate colored skin.

"Thank you, for saying that!" I stare at the lake below. "How was he, as an army brother? I mean how did you two meet? Did you talk about stuff?"

My questions release a flood of words from Josephine's mouth. She's such a nice person. Telling me all about their days in Syria. I can sense she's hurt by his death, just like me. When she talks about him, her eyes light up.

"I should go back inside. My mom is holding the fortress!" I smile as she's said everything there is to say about Cole. "Thank you again for telling me. This means a lot to me!"

"Sure!" She nods.

The house is still packed. I don't know if I talked to everyone, but I don't feel like being social anymore. I retreat upstairs. Inside my room it's quiet enough to hear myself think. But thinking is the last thing I want to do right now. I let my eyes wander around the room, my posters, little figurines on the dresser. A framed picture of me and my dad, riding our bikes.

"I mis you dad. I wish you were here right now!" I say out loud, taking the frame off of the drawer.

I get distracted by a little paper flower in the corner on the back of the frame.

I remember this, Ben gave it to me, the day I gave him the bicycle necklace. I wonder if he still has it. Probably not!

"I'm curious. Why choose Cole when I wrote you those words?" Ben startles me as he leans against the doorpost, pointing at the flower.

"What words?" I look down and start to unfold the flower. The words inside are a bit faded, but still readable.

- You are the most interesting person in the whole world -

Within seconds the flower starts to wrinkle at the drop of my tears.

"My point exactly!" He chuckles.

"I had no idea. In my defense you kind of pushed me away."

He walks over to my bed, kneeling down before me. Gently caressing my ankles as his eyes lock onto mine. Moving his fingers up, massaging my calfs. My breathing gets harder as his thumbs tickle my knee folds.

"Benjamin..." I try to think, but it's difficult with two skilled hands sending fire up my legs.

"Let me in, Peeterson!" I know what he's asking. He wants me to tear my perfected tailor-maid wall down. He wants met to open up. Tell him my every secret. Tell him I love him.

I can't!

"I'm sorry, I know what you want me to say..." I look down at his hands, still stroking my knees.

"I'm not ready!"

Still with me? A lot of things happening here. Hope you guys payed attention. 😘

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