I stroked her hair and tried to calm her down. "Shhh Christine,
what's wrong? Can you tell me what's wrong?" I asked.
She calmed down a bit and looked up at me, her face streaked with tears. "Erik." she reached up and touched my face, "oh Erik I love you. I love you so much and I don't want to hurt you."
I took her hand and kissed it. "I love you too Christine," I whispered. She wrapped her arms around me and I couldn't help but think, despite my attempt to convince her that she could learn to love me enough to stay, she would leave me again. "What do you need Christine? Tell me what you need and I'll make sure you have it."
"I don't need anything Erik. I just don't know what to do," she said. "Tell me what to do."
"You should st-" I stopped myself from saying what I wanted and started over. "You should do what you think is right for you. I just want you to be happy my love. I cannot tell you what to do."
She stood up and walked a little ways away from me. Although she was facing away from me, I could tell she had her arms wrapped around herself as a sign that she was unsure. I rested my head on my knee and sighed. I wanted so much for her to stay. At the same time tough, I knew if I made her stay, she would learn to hate me, not love me. I stood up and moved to stand behind Christine. I buried my head between her neck and her shoulder and kissed her neck.
"Erik." she moaned despairingly. She wanted me to tell her what she should do. I knew what I wanted her to do, but I also knew I couldn't tell her that. I turned her to face me and took her hands.
"Christine you- you may leave if you wish. If you marry the viscount, all I ask is that you bring me an invitation to the wedding. If you do however decide you wish to stay with me, you may come back whenever you like," I told her.
She sighed. "I suppose- I suppose I'll leave then," she stated.
That simple sentence hit me like a slap in the face. "Alright," I replied though I could feel my throat tightening. "Alright.I'll be awaiting your return no matter what you decide."
"Goodbye Erik," she whispered and kissed me gently on the lips. She walked towards the door and, just as she was about to open it, I called out to her.
"Christine!" she turned to look at me. "You promise you will come back?"
"Yes of course Erik," she said softly. I nodded and she smiled before walking out the door.
Two weeks later
I ran back into my lair, having just caused a disturbance upstairs, to find a rose lying in the middle of my divan. I picked it up gently so as not to get pricked by a thorn and found a small card attached to it. I took the card off and read it.
"Erik," it read, "I'm sorry I missed you. I'll come back tomorrow. Love Always, Christine." I let the card drop to the ground and looked at the rose again. I walked over to my organ and gently placed the rose on top of it.
Tomorrow, I thought to myself, tomorrow I will see my Angel.
She calmed down a bit and looked up at me, her face streaked with tears. "Erik." she reached up and touched my face, "oh Erik I love you. I love you so much and I don't want to hurt you."
I took her hand and kissed it. "I love you too Christine," I whispered. She wrapped her arms around me and I couldn't help but think, despite my attempt to convince her that she could learn to love me enough to stay, she would leave me again. "What do you need Christine? Tell me what you need and I'll make sure you have it."
"I don't need anything Erik. I just don't know what to do," she said. "Tell me what to do."
"You should st-" I stopped myself from saying what I wanted and started over. "You should do what you think is right for you. I just want you to be happy my love. I cannot tell you what to do."
She stood up and walked a little ways away from me. Although she was facing away from me, I could tell she had her arms wrapped around herself as a sign that she was unsure. I rested my head on my knee and sighed. I wanted so much for her to stay. At the same time tough, I knew if I made her stay, she would learn to hate me, not love me. I stood up and moved to stand behind Christine. I buried my head between her neck and her shoulder and kissed her neck.
"Erik." she moaned despairingly. She wanted me to tell her what she should do. I knew what I wanted her to do, but I also knew I couldn't tell her that. I turned her to face me and took her hands.
"Christine you- you may leave if you wish. If you marry the viscount, all I ask is that you bring me an invitation to the wedding. If you do however decide you wish to stay with me, you may come back whenever you like," I told her.
She sighed. "I suppose- I suppose I'll leave then," she stated.
That simple sentence hit me like a slap in the face. "Alright," I replied though I could feel my throat tightening. "Alright.I'll be awaiting your return no matter what you decide."
"Goodbye Erik," she whispered and kissed me gently on the lips. She walked towards the door and, just as she was about to open it, I called out to her.
"Christine!" she turned to look at me. "You promise you will come back?"
"Yes of course Erik," she said softly. I nodded and she smiled before walking out the door.
Two weeks later
I ran back into my lair, having just caused a disturbance upstairs, to find a rose lying in the middle of my divan. I picked it up gently so as not to get pricked by a thorn and found a small card attached to it. I took the card off and read it.
"Erik," it read, "I'm sorry I missed you. I'll come back tomorrow. Love Always, Christine." I let the card drop to the ground and looked at the rose again. I walked over to my organ and gently placed the rose on top of it.
Tomorrow, I thought to myself, tomorrow I will see my Angel.