On one fine late evening, Erin was sitting on the couch, idly turning the pages of the book.
Dan came down from his room to see Erin lost somewhere.
"What are you thinking??" Asked Dan.
"Nothing" said Erin.
"Come on there is something" said Dan.
"It's been a month since we are together and not once you called me baby" said Erin.
"Days passed. We started living a normal life but still It's not as normal Dan." Said Erin sitting up, "I am not pushing you. I know even you went through a pain but at least try".
"What are you saying?? Just because I didn't call you baby that doesn't mean things are not normal. I am trying my best. I didn't mention Bonnie once, nor did I talk to her after the zoom call" said Dan in protest.
"Dan I didn't mean to hurt you" said Erin sighing.
Dan reached her cupped her face, looked into her eyes and said, "Trust me. I am trying. I am happy with you. Don't let the insecurity rule your mind".
Erin nodded her head smiling. She kissed him on his lips which Dan reciprocated and then hugged him.
"Let's watch a movie Dan" suggested Erin.
"Uh..You watch. I am very tired. I need to sleep" said Dan yawning.
"Mmmm..." Erin pursed her lips.
"I was here to call you, because I am going to bed" said Dan rubbing his eyes.
"Oh you really look tired" said Erin.
"No problem you watch a movie. I am going to bed." Said Dan shrugging.
"Okay. I'll watch one episode of Ubreakable Kimmy Schmidt and then I'll be up. I am not at all sleepy" said Erin pursing her lips.
"Okay.. I'll try to stay awake till you come" said Dan and he yawned again.
"No need to. You seem very tired" said Erin caressing him lightly.
"Good night. Baby" Dan managed to say after a pause.
"Uh.." Erin chuckled in happiness, "Good night" and she gave him a good night kiss.
Dan left up to his room. He layed on his bed, put on the earphones and started hearing the audiobook.
Erin after about an hour reached to their room. "Oh Gosh I am late" she whispered to herself.
"He slept" Erin sighed and took the empty space of the bed. She looked at him, "how peacefull he looks when he sleeps" said Erin to herself in awe.
She kissed his forehead and removed his earphones slowly.
"What is he listening to??" She asked herself in mind.
She then put one of the bulb of the earphone into her ear and her smile faded.
He was hearing the book "Tales of beedle and bard" by JK Rowling whose voice over was also given by Bonnie Wright.
She looked at him and his words ringed in her head. "Trust me. I am trying. I am trying".
"Yes he is trying. He is trying" said Erin's inner voice.
She removed his earphones and placed aside the device and layed beside him. Her eyes were stuck on him. The back of her mind still working, thus preventing the sleep to come.
Next morning, Dan got up to see Erin sleeping. He kissed her hair and then woke her up.
"I am going for cycling. Be up. It's already Morning" he said and left.
Erin got up and all the things appeared in her head again. Not just from the last night but everything that happened all these days.
She got up, did her chores, did the laundry and after taking a bath went down for breakfast.
She cooked herself some breakfast and ate it saving some for Dan. He was not back yet from cycling.
Erin's face was expressionless. Her face just couldn't be read. Whether she was angry or sad, irritated or hurt. It was difficult to understand.
After doing everything she sat on the couch taking a book, but she was not reading, just idly turning the pages.
After about half an hour, Dan entered the house. "Hey" he said.
"Hi. Freshen up. Breakfast is ready" said Erin.
"Okay" he said and moved up to their room.
While Dan was having breakfast, Erin called "Dan??"
"Yeah??"
"I booked a beach for us" she said not looking at him.
"Why??" Asked Dan.
"We just can't go to any normal beach right?? So I booked the beach" said Erin finally looking up.
"Yeah.. but why??" Asked Dan.
"Let me experience the beach calmness too" said Erin.
"Okay.." he responded and started eating.
"Hmm... be ready. Today evening" Erin sort of commanded.
Dan showed a thumbs up and continued eating.
*******
In the evening, they both arrived to the beach with masks on. They were greeted by the beach manager and then went on to the beach.
They took off their masks.
"Beautiful" commented Dan looking at the view.
"I know" said Erin.
They both sat on the beach, taking off their shoes, enjoying the light warm breeze.
"Dan??"
"Hmm??" Responded Dan.
"Do you still love Bonnie??" Asked Erin.
"Why such a question now??" Asked Dan return.
"Just answer it" said Erin.
"Don't worry. Everything is fine" said Dan.
"Exactly. Everything is fine. Not good" said Erin.
Dan frowned at her words and looked at her.
The day we were playing Scrabble, You tried to connect your and Bonnie's name. Or you could say, it got connected all be itself. Though by a "N" " Erin chuckled.
Dan looked at her intently. The frowned face became as plain as a new sheet of paper.
She looked at Dan and gave a little smile, "I noticed" said Erin.
"Your listening to her voice overs during sleep, Your taking her name while chasing me" said Erin thoughtfully.
Dan looked down towards his feet and then back at the horizon.
"The smile on your face, after you talked to her..." she looked up to hold the tears in her eyes, "..... Dan I could see the things have changed and also I can see your efforts to bring back things like before..." said Erin looking at him.
She looked at him, maybe expecting a response, but then she looked away...
"Do you still remember Those days of ours..." said Erin thoughtfully and a bright smile appeared on her face complementing her tear filled eyes.
"Those days of ours" repeated Dan with same amount of softness. Though Erin had a confusion whether he was talking about Them or Him and Bonnie. But, for the moment, she chose to believe about Them.
"Remember" Erin started, "how desperate we would be to meet each other after long gaps".
"You were so busy with shoots and..."
"And you used to end up crying in my arms" completed Dan and Erin shrugged.
They red-orange sun was about to enter the sea and the warm breeze started getting cooler, bit by bit.
"Our hours of spending time together..." Erin said trying to keep her voice steady.
"You were the only one with whom I would sit idly or sleep" said Dan with a chuckle and Erin closed her eyes to prevent it from flowing, but a tear drop did fall.
"We always had each other's back" said Erin.
"And the day when you proposed me, you literally made me the happiest person" said Erin smiling. She rubbed her nose and eyes with a piece of cloth, pretending that something went inside, "Uh.. sorry" said Erin.
Dan didn't need to look at her to understand she was crying. He could feel the pain in her words.
"Remember...." said Erin after a moment of trying to keep her voice steady, "how you..." she gulped, "how you destroyed your own surprise...
"....Because you were upset" completed Dan and Erin burst into tears.
"Yeah" she let out nodding her head. She cried covering her face with her hands.
"Your so much care for me made me fall in love with you all the very more. I could feel your love for me Dan" said Erin. With each words her heart was wrenching.
Dan looked at her and then again looked straight. He could feel a stab in his heart. His eyes started becoming red due to the inner pain.
"I am sorry" said Erin after a while. She wiped her face while controlling her emotions.
"Such beautiful days they were, Amazing Years. Everything thing was smooth, happy light. We were so happy with each other" said Erin.
Dan was quiet now. He didn't say anything. He should say a yes, that would assure that he was trying to bring back things like before. But as if his tounge was locked.
No he doesn't deny that those were the best days of his life, best years of his life. Erin was a great girlfriend, as well as she is a great friend. "Come on Dan. You have to just say a yes and things will be sorted. " he gulped again. His mouth getting dry, "Why is it getting so much difficult" thought Dan to himself.
Meanwhile Erin looked at Dan intently. She had a her lips quirked up, but then she looked away.
"Everything was going great, when, Bonnie stepped in our life" said Erin and Dan jerked his head towards her, with slight wide eyes.
Oh my goodness can't you all just feel Erin's pain?? 😔😢
Where is the story going. What's happening?!?! I don't know. I don't know how are things going to end?!?!
I don't know. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Let's see what happens...
So this is for this chapter. Hope you all like it.
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........