Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 605

Why was it on the ground?

He rubbed his eyes, but it didn't get back up.

That wasn't right. He'd seen the moon countless times, and it had never been like this.

Landon struggled to reach out and set it upright, but his arm fell limply, his knuckles rapping against the floor. The sharp pain cleared his head for a moment.

Oh. He had drunkenly fallen to the ground.

Landon gave a weak, embarrassed smile and pulled himself back into the chair.

The moon was as bright and clear as it had always been.

The clarity from the pain lasted only a moment before his vision started to blur again, everything doubling and overlapping.

And with it, his thoughts began to drift.

"Grandpa, why do I have to learn piano?"

He didn't want to. He looked at the old man standing by the piano with a ruler, feeling scared and wronged.

All the other kids were outside playing, but he was stuck inside, forced to practice.

"You have a gift."

…

"Grandpa, I won the gold medal at the Youth Cup!"

He came home, overjoyed, trophy in hand, only to find the little old man collapsed on the floor.

He dropped the gold trophy and scrambled to his side.

The old man seemed so small then, no longer the tall, imposing, and strict figure he had always known.

Wrinkles filled the corners of his eyes, but there was something else there too.

He tried to wipe it away, but you couldn't wipe away wrinkles. All he could brush off was a bit of moisture.

"Grandpa, I don't want to be alone…"

He cried.

In that moment, he finally understood something.

But the little old man smiled. He was so weak the curve of his lips was barely perceptible, almost an illusion.

"How could you be alone? Ruby is waiting for you."

…

"I'm the top pianist in the world now."

He stood before a small headstone and placed a handful of grass in front of it.

He stood shyly to the side, his gaze stealing glances at Ruby.

She was curiously asking her grandmother how to make clothes, while he quietly sat down beside his grandfather to play a duet.

…

The next day.

*Bang, bang—*

After several unanswered knocks, Hayley hacked into the hotel's system and unlocked the door.

She pushed it open and was immediately hit by the thick stench of alcohol.

She waved a hand in front of her face and walked further in, finding Landon passed out on the bedroom floor.

Hayley knelt beside Landon and, without hesitation, delivered three hard slaps to his face.

Landon, startled from his sleep, opened his eyes to see Hayley's furious, disappointed expression.

"You…"

"Looking to die? Go back to your own country to do it!"

Hayley slapped him again.