It had been a month since Jack and I had started to court. I was painting in the art studio. There was a knock and the door opened. A pair of arms wrapped around me and Jack rested his head on my shoulder, kissing my neck just below my jaw. I smiled and put my brush down.
"You work so hard for an artist." Jack told me. I laughed a little and turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck loosely. He rocked us gently. I smiled.
"What do you want?" I asked him, he never acted so fluffy. He frowned slightly, pressing gentle kiss to my lips.
"I have to leave, my mother is sick, and my family isn't sure if she is going to live." Jack told me. I frowned.
"I'm sorry. I hope your mother makes it. When are you leaving?" I asked him. Jack smiled a bit, kissing me again.
"I came to work today to say bye. I'll write you." He told me. I nodded and kissed him, Jack hugged me and started to leave.
"I don't want to leave." He said. I smiled.
"I appreciate it, but your family needs you more, go." I told him, this time Jack frowned and nodded.
"Alright." He said, kissing my forehead, he left and I went back to work, praying for his safe trip and his mother's health. The trap door opened and Erik came in.
"Your lover gone?" He asked bitterly, he looked as bad as he sounded. His arms crossed over his chest, he was in his Phantom attire and he wore a scowl on his face. I gave him a look, heaving a sigh.
"Erik, don't take your anger out on me or the rest of the Opera House for other peoples' mistakes." I hissed at him.
"And yes, Jack is gone, why?" A spark of hope in my heart was inspired by his possible jealousy. He heaved a sigh.
"Because you have been busy with him lately, we don't talk that often anymore." Erik told me, I frowned.
"I'm sorry, Erik. Would you like to do something?" I asked him. He leaned against the wall, giving me a look.
"I wanted to ask you about one of the pictures you gave me to look over." I looked at him worriedly.
"Why?" I asked. He remained emotionless.
"I'm just curious of the origins. But you're working and you'll be done in a few hours." I sighed.
"Why don't you dine with me tonight?" Erik asked me. I mentally did a backflip of joy, but I scowled myself, I was courting Jack! Erik was in love with Christine, why would he bother with me. We were friends.
"Sure, what time do I need to come down?" I asked him, Erik heaved a sigh, seeming to calming down. I wanted to kiss him SO BAD! I was lying to myself! I loved Erik! I wanted to save him from Christine's selfishness! I had to! I just didn't know how, though, how do I get him off of someone so beautiful. Someone so seemingly perfect!
"You can come down when you're down with your shift; we can keep each other company for a few hours." He told me. I nodded.
"I'll have to tell Elena that I was invited to dinner, I don't want her to worry in her state." I told him. Erik shook his head.
"You could pay a stable boy to take a message." I looked at him oddly. He was hurting on the inside; he had been since the night of Il Muto. He had told me that the murder of Joseph Buquet was out of self-defense. He was acting weird since then. I wanted to cry for him, he seemed, broken.
"Erik, are you alright?" I asked him, put my stuff down and approached him. Erik took a step back.
"I'll tell you at dinner." He told me. I gave him a hurt look. Erik returned to me an equally hurt look. I turned my face back to the backdrop and picked my brush up and went back to work.
"I'll see you at dinner." He told me almost coldly. I frowned, tears welling in my eyes. They eventually fell and I sat down against the wall.
"Oh, Erik, why do you have to be so blind? I love you with everything I have, and you constantly chase after Christine. Can't you see?" I muttered quietly, burying my face in my hands. I gave a quiet moan. The angst that had been building up since I fell in love with Erik finally became overbearing.
How did I fall in love with a man who attacked me when we first met, tried my patients and threatened me? Who was chasing after a stupid little selfish, scared soprano who was constantly hiding behind a eighteen year old boy who believed he could protect his precious Christine from an all seeing Opera Ghost in HIS Opera House? Who did they think they were, it was their fault all this was happening! If Christine and Raoul were never here, Erik and I could be together! And he wouldn't be hurting! Erik wouldn't be taking his frustration out on me and the things that are close to his heart if Christine weren't acting like such A LITTLE BRAT! She owed Erik EVERYTHING SHE NOW HAD! Rage began to build up inside me and I gave an outraged scream and grabbed the small table that was at my side and sent it flying across the room and it splintered.
My rage still wasn't subsided I turned and struck the wall. A sharp pain shot up my hand and I felt a crack in my wrist. I gave a cry and clutched my hand. The door opened and Mme. Giry came in, she was in pure shock.
"Constance, what on Earth are you doing?" She asked, walking across the room to me. I was collapsed on the ground, clutching my hand to my chest. I looked up to her.
"It isn't fair what is happening to him, and I have to sit here and watch him suffer because of her and it's tearing me apart. Madame Giry, I can't take it!" I told her. Madame Giry took my shoulder.
"Come with me child." I stood up and walked with her. Eyes watched us as we walked across the stage and towards Mme. Giry's quarters. She sat me down and took my hand, gently bending it this way and that.
"Your hand is merely sprained. I take it by what you said in the art studio that you have met Erik?" Mme. Giry asked. I looked at her with tearful eyes and nodded.
"I love him, I am hopelessly in love with him. I'm tired of standing by and watching him hurt because Christine can't realize that she owes Erik everything she has. Christine and Raoul wouldn't even be together if she weren't on that stage that night! She wouldn't be on that stage if he hadn't scared Carlotta off and if he hadn't taught her to sing! I wouldn't be so torn up if she just loved him back, or just give him what she owed him! I can't stand to sit here and watch her run around with Raoul and pretend like SHE IS DOING NOTHING WRONG!" I couldn't contain my rage, I hated to say it, but I realized later that I loved the rush that the rage gave me as it roared through my veins.
"CONSTANCE! CALM DOWN! You are acting like Erik! I hate to use such a metaphor, but it's true! You see how he is! He is alone and miserable, it's because of how angry the man is!" She stood up, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"He has a right!" I cried, standing up. "Do you know the misery he had to endure?" I asked her.
"Yes! Constance, I saved him from that Freak Show! And yes he has a right, but he can't just take his rage out on everything around him!" Mme. Giry yelled at me. I stopped, sitting back down, feeling like a small child.
"I understand your stress." Mme. Giry told me, taking my good hand. She tucked my disheveled hair behind my ear.
"We just have to work something out. I know you are a clever girl. You can think of something." Mme. Giry told me. I looked at her from my lap.
"Are you sure?" I asked, Mme. Giry smiled in a maternal way and nodded. I heaved a heavy, shaky sigh and closed my eyes, tears still spilling from my eyes. Mme. Giry wiped my tears away.
"Just calm down, we'll be fine. We can work things out." Mme. Giry told me. I nodded. Once I was under control, I went back to the art studio and worked until the end of my shift.