What If He Didn't Die?

Chapter 51: Waiting and Not Waiting

"Who's it, Anna?" A voice comes from inside the house and soon the door is opened wider by a man looking to be in his sixties. His eyes, were the same striking grey.

"Pops Ben?" I ask in a weak voice and his frown soon turns into a beam of realisation.

"Easter?" He asks I don't need to answer it.

"Easter." Dan's grandmother repeats tilting her head up towards me. Her eyes were still distant and lost.

My confusion dies when she raises both her hands and studies my face slowly. Her hand eventually descends to my shoulders and after touching the leather, she retreats her hand towards her nose. Inhaling Daniel's cologne, she lets out a weak breath and I feel my throat going dry.

They invite us in and the cosy interior makes me feel at home. We walk into a living room with sofas and a T.V., next to which are a few photo frames that I dare not look carefully at. The thought of Daniel having touched each and every part of this house, makes me nervous once again.

"Who is she?" A loud and unfriendly voice makes me lose my breath and i look up towards the door, just moments after I settle comfortably on a sofa.

"Who are these people?" The tall dark haired guy wearing an even darker black shirt on a pair of ripped jeans, asks in a sharp tone.

Robert stands up and I follow automatically. His dark eyes glued on me with disgust making me go weak by the minute.

"I-I'm Easter Br-"

"I know who you are!" He cut me off and for another one long minute, he glares at me in loathe. "What are you doing here?"

"This is not how you talk to guests, Don." Anna, Dan's grandmother reprimands in a firm voice.

"She's not our guest Anna." He seethes back, still glaring at me.

"Donald!" Pops Ben says strongly and the guy turns to him. "Sorry Pops." He mutters.

"This is Donald Rock. Daniel's childhood best friend." Pops Ben tells us and then turns to Donald.

"Sit with them. We'll bring something to eat." Anna adds sweetly and the guy, Donald, sits against me.

The old couple leaves the three of us in awkward silence. Donald keeps glaring at me without a blink as I sit there shaking my foot in anxiety.

This is not right. This is not what I came all the way here to do. I came here to talk. Sitting silently with my eyes on the floor isn't going to do any good.

Clenching tight fists in both my hands, I take in a deep breath to look back into Donald's eyes.

"Can we talk Donald?" I ask in a firm voice.

His eyebrows frown up but he recovers quickly.

"Sure. Why did you force dan to go on that trip?" He adds before I'm prepared for answering any question at all.

I open my lips but nothing is ready to come out. And before I can think of an answer he decides to torment me more.

"No, let me rephrase. Why did you force him to go on that trip alone to die?" His words each sting at different places in my heart.

I gulp hard as his dark eyes keep digging holes in mine, trying to find the answers.

I didn't force him to go on that trip to die. I forced him to go on that trip so he can live. That was what I was doing.

"What the hell man-" I place a hand on Robert's knee to stop him. He takes the hint and doesn't speak further.

"D-donald, I love him. I-I can never do anything to hurt him." I stuttered in a weak voice.