Fire And Ice

35. Piano

"Did you find the name of the drug?" I asked as we got closer to Owen and Victor in the main room. Owen looked at me and opened his mouth to say something but closed it abruptly and took his phone out.

"I'm sorry, but I'll explain it when I come back, Miss. Sorenson." He said as he stood and nodded at everyone and walked out.

"That was short." I said as I sat down on the white couch. Nathan and Luke sat down too.

"Why did you bring me to your house?" I asked, I had asked it before but he didn't answer.

"Mr. Blackborne said we need meeting." Nathan said, the three of them was looking at me assessing my expression.

I nodded, I was happy that they thought to include me. "So what are we going to do now?" I asked.

"Mr. Blackbourne's gone to get the others and then we'll have a meeting." Victor said, "Until he comes back we're free to do anything."

"Well, let's finish our homework then." Nathan said as he grabbed his book bag and sat down infront of the coffee table.

💙🤍❤️

"Can we do something else?" I asked. We've been doing our homework for what seems like eternity.

"I'm bored too." Luke said as he closed his book. I nodded agreeing with him.

"What do you want to do, princess." Victor asked looking at me. I thought for a second and remembered what he asked me before.

"I need to see your bedroom." I said, I wanted to know what's in there. Victor eyes blazed as he stood up and the others followed us.

I didn't know what I expected but it definitely wasn't this. His bedroom was bigger than his office. A white marble fireplace, unlit and clean, took up one edge of the back wall. The large bed and several overstuffed chairs matched white plush rugs.

All the white was a sharp contrast against the dark wood floors. The walls were a mix of a dark gray along three walls, with one wall on the far side being an almost silver matte.

The bathroom door was open. I padded over to take a peek. The stone tiles looked to be hand carved as there wasn't any sort of standardized shape. There was a glass-walled shower, with an overhead showerhead built into the ceiling.

In the far corner of a bathroom was one of the biggest bathtubs I'd ever seen. It was a perfect circle, big enough for at least three people, although I didn't imagine he bathed with anyone else. Even though the tub had three faucets, I imagined it took a lot of time to fill up.

I turned and stopped in my tracks. A baby grand piano took up an entire section of one of the rugs. The key cover was pulled up. My fingers started to twitch at the sight of the piano.

I gravitated to it and I recognized Winter by Vivaldi on top of a pile of other sheet music clustered together on the piano.  It gave me a flashback to that time long ago, when Rick and I played a song together.

"Do you mind?" I asked, my voice coming out whispered and distant.

I looked at Victor, he nodded his eyes burning with an emotion, that I didn't try to decipher, instead I sat down.

I closed my eyes for a second, breathing in and then started to play slowly, singing softly along the keys. Letting myself get lost in the song.

Every moment I spend with Rick came rushing back to me, it didn't help that Nathan had asked about Rick today or that I think about him every second as everything reminds me of him.

Thought I found a way
Thought I found a way out
But you never go away
So I guess I gotta stay now

I know there's no way out of the grief and depression I feel. A blank whole where Rock left. I have to accept the fact that it's a part of my life.

Oh, I hope some day I'll make it out of here
Even if it takes all night or a hundred years
Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near
Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear

I know I can't be like this forever. I need to talk to this to someone. Maybe the guys they are my better option and I can only hope they wouldn't leave me.

Isn't it lovely, all alone
Heart made of glass, my mind of stone
Tear me to pieces, skin to bone
Hello, welcome home

There were many people like Phil who tried to 'help me' by talking to me and whatever, but it doesn’t change anything. The only person that can change the way that I feel is me, and that’s not going to happen.

Walkin' out of town
Lookin' for a better place (lookin' for a better place)
Something's on my mind (mind)
Always in my head space

Only theses guys, all 9 of them, surprisingly is the only ones that can get me out of my head and make me smile.

But I know some day I'll make it out of here
Even if it takes all night or a hundred years
Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near
Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear

Rick wouldn't have wanted me to go through this alone. Heck! He could have taken me with him on that stupid mission. We were happy.

Isn't it lovely, all alone
Heart made of glass, my mind of stone
Tear me to pieces, skin to bone
Hello, welcome home

My heart is fragile couldn't accept the fact that Rick died or that the guys can help me over come this. My mind already thinks that the guys are the only solution to my problem.

Whoa, yeah
Yeah, ah
Whoa, whoa
Hello, welcome home

Home, Rick's place felt like  home and now where ever the guys are I feel like it's home. Even though I only know them for a short while.

As the song ended, a single tear drop fell down my cheek. I took a shaky breath and held my stone mask in place as I stared at the piano at my new revelation.

I need to stop spiralling down. I have my guys, yes my guys. I don't know when but during the song I realised two things.

One, I like them all of them, all 9 of them. I don't know when or where I fell for them but I did and I'm in deep.

Two, that Rick is dead and he's not coming back.

Remembering my guys I looked and was surprised to see that the others had joined us. All of them, looking at me with various emotions. How did I not hear them come? I'm usually aware of the surrounding. Maybe it's because I'm starting to trust them, acknowledging the safe feeling I feel within me whenever they're near.