Stick To the Script // Danny O'Donoghue

Chapter 35-As Long As You're Ready

Bryna

I open the door using the key under the mat and grin as the smell of my house welcomes me.

I find the note left by my landlord and quickly read it as Danny wanders around.

Bryna,
I am so happy you've found someone that makes you happy! Thank you for being such a great renter and I hope if you ever decide to move back to London that you consider one of my homes. I am more than willing to let you go now, as long as you take care of one last thing. The wall in your art studio seems to have a lovely masterpiece on it. I am gonna have to ask you to paint over it. I don't know what happened, but I understand sometimes the creativeness gets the best of you. Just make sure it's covered before you go and you are free! You've kept up on your rent so I'd be pleased to let you go. If you leave anything behind I'll send it to you at your new address. Keep in touch. Thanks for being so great!
-Zoey

What she said about the painting doesn't register until after I finish reading the letter.

"Oh shit!" I exclaim.

"What's wrong?" Danny asks as he looks around at everything in my house.

"Nothing," I say quickly as I realize what he is doing. He's got his hands on the double doors to my art studio and he's about to go in.

"Just....you can't go in there." I say quickly walking over to him and squeezing myself between him and the door.

"Why not?"

"Because...it's...really messy..."

"You? Messy? Okay...seriously what are you trying to hide Bryna? Do you have a pet monkey in there or something?" he says as he reaches behind me to open the door.

"No!" I shout leaving him with an alarmed look on his face. "I'm serious Danny!"

"What's up with you?" he snaps.

"It's just there's some art I made..."

His eyes widen, "Art you've made? You started painting again? Bryna that's awesome! Let me see."

"No, it's not awesome...you can't see it Danny. I did it before we got back together, when you left me. It's really embarrassing..."

"Bryna, I'm sure it's fine." he says.

"No seriously. It's not."

He sighs, "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yea."

I sigh, "Fine."

"Fine what?"

"Fine you can see."

He raises his eyebrows, "Are you sure? I mean I respect you. if you don't want me to see it Bryna I don't have to." he lies. He wants to see it. I know he does.

I shake my head, "Go on."

He scoots me out of the way and opens the door, not saying anything.

I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for a reaction but I don't hear anything.

I walk into the room and see him staring at all of the canvases in awe.

"So?" I ask hesitantly, needing to know what he thinks.

"Bryna, these are amazing." he says as he walks around the room looking at every single canvas covered in identical paintings.

"Um....they are?"

"Are you kidding me? Yes!" he says, approaching the wall once empty now covered in gentle black brush strokes.
He gasps and steps onto the white sheet that still lays at the base of the wall, covering the hardwood floor. He approaches the wall and reaches out, taking his hand and running it along the thick, black paint. He traces the outlines of my face, the tears running down my cheeks, and I step forward, leaning against the cold, metal step stool and running my fingers around the outline of his hair and his sharp features that were hard for me to master.