Under The Spell Of A Phantom.
Fourteen: Time To Let Go?
Awaking in Erik's arms gave Ruby a warm and contented smile across her face.
She slowly turned her head to see him, peacefully asleep with no masks hiding his true idenity.
His eyelashes fluttered, a moan escaped from his mouth. Ruby went to claim his lips with her own.
Seeing those beautiful and soul capturing orbs before her sent shivers up and down her spine, he would never fail to make her heart beat so fast.
"Good morning, Ruby." He said with a sigh. "Mmm, good morning Erik." She replied, snuggling deeper in his embrace while he stroked her hair.
"Slept well?" He asked. "Yes, so many dreams I had that lost count." She answered, curling the fine hairs on his broad chest which he enjoyed.
After a few moments of silence, Erik began to move from Ruby to get out of bed and walk towards the window where the sun was shining.
She studied him with such awe, though his face held such horrors it didn't matter that he had a manly body and a talented brain.
"Come watch life with me." He said, turning to her offering his hand. A smile appeared in her face so she pushed away the covers and dashed to his side.
Those warm, strong arms wrapped across her waist while she laid her head against his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his heartbeat.
"Everything seems so beautiful now that I'm with you, Ruby." He said. She looked up at him, his eyes filled her with warmth and desire all over her body.
"Do you miss Christine?" She asked, bitting her lip in regret of even saying that. He turned away, swallowing a large lump forming in the back of his throat.
"There was a time where I thought she would return and be with me forever. But since I was a marked man and discovered the news that she married Raoul in a small cremony in Rome by Madame Giry, I knew then that I had to let her go for good. Now she is dead, her body rotting in a coffin while her beautiful soul enters heaven like she should do. Death captured her too quickly but I do not curse God for taking her. She is free from pain and old age to roam along with the angels, perhaps she will be reunited with her father at long last. To answer your question, yes I do miss Christine. I can never forget her, not even when I'm with you. It will take me time to mourn but I know that I won't be alone because I have you." He explained, taking her hands into his.
Ruby lowered her gaze to the floor, why couldn't she shake the feeling that no matter how many years she would have with Erik it will always be Christine that has his heart?
She let go of his embrace to turn towards the door when all the sudden he grabbed ahold of her arm and twirled her around to face his angry, burning stare.
"Where are you going, Ruby?" He asked, gruffly with added menence. "I can never be her, Erik." She replied, starting to cry. "I can never replace her or what you had for Christine."
His eyes searched her tearful ones, for a moment she was dead wrong but he soon realised that she was right. He will be forever haunted by her, even to his dying day.
"What are you trying to say, my love?" With a heavy sigh, she answered. "Maybe you should let go of one of us, me or Christine." The horror written across his face was enough.
"NEVER! YOU CAN NOT LET ME CHOOSE!" He roared, shaking her so violently that she fell on her knees sobbing in pure agony. "I knew I should've never left my bedroom." Ruby wailed.
Erik picked her up roughly, his nails digging in her skin drawing a slow trail of blood down her arms. "How dare you force me to make such a cruel descion?" He shouted.
The tears flowing her face were running even faster now, her lips trembled so badly that she had to bit them down to control it. But Erik didn't care of how he scared her.
He was in a rage, a firey and dangerous anger that has arisen. The desire to kill sedcued his mind, she would be dead within his hands on her long and beautiful neck.
"Let me go!" Ruby pleaded. "No, I won't." He said, in a unsettling tone of voice. "Please let me go!" She repeated, shutting her eyes. "DON'T YOU SHUT YOUR EYES AT ME!"
Suddenly, a loud smack went across her face. It was so harsh that Erik released Ruby so quickly that she landed with a bump on the floor, her shaking fingers touching her throbbing cheek.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" He cried, bending down to reach out for her but she pushed his help away. "Don't you dare touch me again." Ruby said, sternly but her voice was breaking.
Erik stood back up, horror in his face and bile rising against his throat. What had he done? He just hurt the woman that he professed his love at all because of Christine.
Ruby got to her knees while avoiding all eye contact on him, she used the bed for support as she rose back up and went towards the door but stopped as her hand hovered at the handle.
"I hope to God you didn't use that kind of violence to Christine, no-one deserves that especially me." She looked at him with such a icy and cold stare that it made Erik very uncomfortable.
"You really need to think what you have just done, Erik. Within seconds, you have shattered my heart for the final time. I will never see you again. I may not be invited in my home, disowned by my mother and left to be forever single and barren all because of you. It's time to let go but you released the wrong woman, forever remain in the dark pondering of your mad obession over her. Goodbye Erik."
With that, Ruby stepped out and slammed the door behind her. She jogged down the staircase and ran out of the house, igorning the ache in her heart.
As for Erik, he just stood there like a lost man. She was right, he had freed someone he loved but it was the wrong woman and there was nothing he could do to bring her back.
Author's Note: Sorry If This Chapter Is A Little Angry Of What Erik Did To Ruby But Never Fear, It Will End Well.