Chapter Treize

          Satine stared at the doorway long after Christian had left. His words didn't register until Richard laughed, repeating Christian's words. Richard left, then, without a word.

          She sunk back into the chair and let the painful tears explode down her cheeks. This was her fault. If she had never been at the Moulin Rouge, then none of this would have happened.

No Pain.

No Richard.

No…Christian.

The last thought shocked her. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her, but she didn't deserve him. He was better off without her so it was for the best that he was angry. He most likely would never want to speak to her again.

The thought of having to live life without him was horrible. Her tears became uncontrollable.

She needed him.

"Satine, what's the matter?"

She turned around and saw Ryan. She almost smiled; he and she had become good friends since she arrived. He knew what had happened to her, though he didn't know it had been with his very own older brother.

"I…I," She couldn't get the words out. She had betrayed Christian and she couldn't tell Ryan. The pain of loosing her first love was enough; she couldn't loose her friend.

Ryan smiled sadly at her and pulled her out of the chair. She fell into his arms, sobbing into the shoulder of his tuxedo coat.

When she was calm enough to speak, she pulled away from Ryan.

"What happened?" He repeated softly. She sniffled and fell back into her chair.

"He…he told me to meet him here…I came and…it was Richard. He…um…he kissed me…and Christian saw…HE SAW!" Her tears came back and she sobbed into her hands. She soon felt Ryan's hand on her shoulder.

"Shh…it's alright. My brother is madly in love with you, Satine. You just need to get the truth through his thick, naïve skull."

She looked up from her hands, her vision blurred with tears. The corners of Ryan's eyes were crinkled…he was laughing.

She smiled, wiping away the tears that seemed like acid burning through her cheeks.

"My stupid, little brother is at the creek that lies past the gardens.

"How do you know?" She asked, standing from the chair.

"The idiot always goes there when he thinks about you."

He knew she was coming before he actually heard her footsteps. He sighed and threw another rock into the stream. It skipped twice and then sunk. It reminded him of the relationship between he and Satine. Things were great for a while, but then everything just sunk.

He sighed again.

"Christian?" Her voice, shaky and tearful, broke the silence that had fallen over the stream.

He didn't turn around. If he looked at her, he'd forgive her, and she didn't deserve to be forgiven.

"Christian…I…"

"What?? Are you going to ask me to pay for your services? Pay my whore?"

He heard Satine suck in a painful breath of air. His words had stung her.

"Christian, let me explain!" She screamed.

He turned around, glaring at her with blind hatred.

"Explain what? Explain how you screwed with my brother? Do you really thing I want to hear that???"

"That's NOT what happened!!" Satine screamed, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Really?? Fine, then enlighten me!!" He said, clenching his fists at his sides.

"I was waiting in your study for you! Richard came in and I froze up. You know why I'm afraid of him! Before I could get my defenses back up, he kissed me. I pulled away but you had already seen! You jumped to conclusions!" She was glaring back at him, but he could still see tears in her eyes.

"Why should I believe you?" He asked slowly, sharply. He turned his gaze back to the stream, refusing to look at Satine. If he did, he'd forgive her.

"Because I LOVE YOU!!!" Satine screamed, the words echoing through the forest.

He turned back around and saw that she wasn't glaring anymore; she was simply crying.

"Come what may," She sang softly, her tears flowing quickly.

He closed his eyes, trying to put some order to his thoughts.

He was an idiot for jumping to conclusions. He needed to forgive her. He loved her.

"Come what may," He said under his breath.

Satine took a step forward and he sighed, taking the final steps so the two were face to face.

"I love you," Satine whispered, her tears falling on his shirt.

"I love you, too."

She laughed through her tears and he quickly took her lips.

"I love you," He whispered again when the kiss ended.

"I'm sorry," Satine said, looking into his eyes. He stared back, loving those blue-green oceans.

"I called you a…" She cut him off.

"Shh…forget about that."

He nodded and took her hands in his. He pulled the box out of his pocket and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Satine, I love you and…"

"Christian, what is it?" She asked.

"Will you do me the honor of…becoming my wife?"