Chapter 14

Erik froze and drew back, sharply. I looked at him blankly.

"What did you say?" He demanded.

"I said Raoul. He's outside." I said, angry at my ex-boyfriend. I pointed towards the television screen and it suddenly dawned on me what I must have sounded like to Erik. I clapped my hand to my mouth in horror.

"Oh god… Erik… I didn't- I mean-"

Erik crossed to the intercom and pressed the button.

"Can I help you, Mr de Chagny?" Raoul started and then replied.

"I want to talk to Christine."

"I don't believe that she has anything to say to you." Erik said smoothly.

"Let her tell me that." Raoul said harshly. Erik looked at me. I hesitantly spoke into the intercom.

"Raoul, just leave."

"Christine, I want to talk to you."

"We're talking. What do you want to say?"

"…Is he there?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Erik is here. Probably because it's his house."

"I don't want him listening."

"Well, that's hard luck. Say what you have to say, or leave, Raoul."

Erik stood a little way behind me, listening. Raoul sighed.

"Fine. I just… Christine, I don't want to lose you."

"Little late for that, Raoul." I began, but he interrupted.

"Please, Christine! Two years… does none of that mean anything to you? Everything we shared. I was with you after your mother died. I've been faithful and honest with you, and I've never hidden behind a mask. What can he offer you that I can't? How can he love you like I can?"

I stared at the intercom, unable to speak. I couldn't see him but I knew that Erik was trembling with rage somewhere behind me. I licked my dry lips and leaned forward to press the intercom button to reply. But Erik pushed past and spat into the intercom.

"Get of my property now!"

"Christine, answer me!" Raoul insisted. I looked at Erik. His eyes were narrowed dangerously and fixed on the image of Raoul. I pressed the button and said,

"Raoul… just go."

"But Christine-"

"GO!" I shouted. He didn't move for a moment and then turned away.

I turned slowly and looked at Erik. He was sat on the stairs, holding his head in his hands. God, I wanted to go to him, to hold him.

"Erik?" I asked hesitantly. He didn't look up. "Erik, please don't." I begged in barely more than a whisper. Erik didn't look up but spoke in a slow, angry voice,

"You know he's right."

"Erik…"

"He is! Everything he's said is true. I can't give you half of what he can. You have a history together, he has known you for far longer than I have. He doesn't have to wear a mask."

He was on his feet, shouting these words. Not at me, but at the thought of Raoul. I looked at him without replying. He stared down at me. Eventually I said in a calm voice,

"I chose you. Why can't you remember that?"

He didn't answer and I started to shout at him, furious with him for not understanding, furious at Raoul for interrupting and furious at myself for being so unreasonable.

"For god's sake, Erik! Why can't you understand that I love you? Why do you think that I was lying when I said that I loved you? Why can't you just be happy?"

"Because I'm afraid, Christine! I can't be happy because I'm afraid!" Erik bellowed.

"Afraid of what?" I demanded

"Afraid that one day you will see me and react like everyone else! That this… what we have… will turn out not to be real and you'll run, you'll spurn me like everyone else has, like my own mother did!"

I stared at him. He ripped the mask from his face threw it down on the floor, revealing the full deformity of his face. I didn't move. He looked at me, breathing harshly.

"Tell me, Christine… tell me that this doesn't fill you with horror whenever you see it, that you didn't shiver at the thought of touching it…"

I didn't reply. He looked at me and then shouted,

"Tell me!"

I breathed deeply and said in the calmest voice I could muster,

"I already have, Erik. I have told you so many times that your face holds no horror for me. But I don't want to have to keep assuring you of that, of my love for you. If you can ever accept that then come and find me, without the mask. If you can't, then put your mask back on and go and play your music. Go and learnt to be lonely all over again. I'll be waiting."

I walked past the mask on the floor, past the still figure of my lover and up the stairs. It was getting dark. I didn't go to Erik's room. I went to the room I had been using before that night. I went inside, shut the door behind me and sat down on the edge of my bed. I wanted to cry. No, I didn't. I wanted to go and find him.

What had happened to this man, to make him believe that love was so far out of his reach? How did he see himself? As a monster, a thing beyond the reach of light. And I couldn't understand why.

But I would not go and find him. This was his choice. If he believed that I loved him he would come to me. I would not go to him. Not until he realised that I loved him for what he was, not what he thought I imagined him to be.

It was getting late. I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. As I stepped into the steaming water, my mind replayed the scene that had unfolded downstairs. When I emerged dripping from the shower I heard piano music. I felt numb. Instead of thinking about what it meant I dressed in my nightclothes and climbed into bed, drawing the sheets up over my head so I wouldn't have to hear that haunting music of the night.

It was sometime later when I awoke. At first I thought I was dreaming, but then I realised that there was someone in my room. I froze and held my breath, terrified. I looked over the sheets towards the silent figure. I relaxed as I realised who it was. He didn't realise I was awake and headed slowly for the door.

I sat up quickly.

"Don't go." I whispered. He stopped and turned to me. There was no mask over his face. Neither of us dared to move in case this moment ended. He looked at me sorrowfully. I decided to ask.

"Did you come to me or were you saying goodbye?" His eyes searched my face and then he said,

"I came to see if what you said was true. To see if you would let me come to you."

I didn't reply. Instead I held out my hand. He crossed to the bed and placed his own hand in mine. I touched his cheek.

"Erik, please believe me. Don't make me keep telling you. I want to know that you need me in the same way that I need you. That what we have isn't just me comforting you."

He looked me in the eye and to my surprise I saw tears leaking from his eyes.

"Christine, I love you. I want to love you for as long as I live."

"Then let me lead you from your solitude. Don't hold back. Don't be afraid for the rest of your life." I told him. He took my hands and pressed them to his lips. I felt a lump in my throat and said,

"Erik, I am never going to run from you. Your face is no reason for me to not love you. I love you because you're an incredible man, who has lived in the shadows for his whole life, unknown to the world. I fell in love with you long before I saw behind the mask and I'm still here, aren't I?"

He kissed me then, long and hard. We said no more words that night. We had no need for them anymore.

I went to see Dad the next day. He was sat in bed, chatting with another man from the ward. He smiled when he saw me and I hugged him tightly.

"How are you feeling today?"

"I feel good. Christine, this is Joseph Buqet. Joseph, this is my daughter, Christine."

I shook hands with the man. He didn't look particularly ill.

"I'm in for manic depression, apparently. Don't feel too depressed though!" He joked. I smiled and sat down on the end of Dad's bed.

"So, you're in for the long run?" I asked him.

"It's looking that way. I hate leaving you alone." He said concernedly. I smiled.

"I'm hardly alone, Dad. I've Mr Lavonne and Meg, and I'm kept busy with work and my music and school."

"And Raoul." He said with a wink. My smile faded and I looked down.

"Actually Dad… Raoul and I aren't seeing each other anymore."

"What? Why not?" He said, surprised. I cleared my throat and looked up.

"It just… it sort of fell apart. But it's better this way. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you. Do you think you'll be allowed to come out for Christmas?"

"I expect so."

"Because Mr Lavonne said that you can come and stay at the Manor. There's plenty of room."

"I'm not sure about invading his privacy…"

"Don't worry about. He's fine with it. He suggested it!"

Dad smiled.

"That sounds good. I'll have to thank him when I see him."

"Great." I smiled.

We spent a few hours together, playing cards with Joseph. He turned out to be very good, until we discovered a secret supply stuffed up his sleeve.

I went back to class the next day. Erik was pleased.

"You can't be stuck in this house all day. It's not good for you." He told me. I smiled as I sat in class, listening to Professor Oldfield's lecture about Mary Shelley. Frankenstein. Now that was a good book.

I knew most of the people in my class. We had been at school together, mostly. Everyone came from the town, although a couple travelled over from the next town. As the lecture ended someone tapped my shoulder. I turned and saw Becca and Amy, two girls from school. I had never really spoken to them. They seemed rather superficial and immature. Amy asked in a whisper clearly designed for everyone to hear,

"Christine, I was talking to Raoul yesterday."

"That must have been nice for you." I said, slightly sarcastically, as I put my books into my bag.

"Is it true that you dumped Raoul for the guy who owns the Manor?"

"Is he really deformed?" Becca asked eagerly. The few people who were still there all stopped to listen, intrigued. Everyone listened when there was gossip about the Manor.

I looked at them coldly and said,

"What did Raoul tell you?"

"Oh my god, is it true?" Amy squealed.

"Are you really going to take the word of someone who just broke up with his girlfriend and is probably mightily annoyed?" I asked calmly. Amy seemed to deflate slightly. A guy called James asked,

"Who does own the Manor?"

"What's his name?"

"What does he look like?"

"God, this town needs to get a life." I muttered.

"Just tell us his name!" Becca pleaded. I rolled my eyes.

"His name is Erik Lavonne. I work at the Manor. I'm a cleaner."

"So you're not involved with him?" James asked, somewhat disappointedly. I looked around at the little crowd and sighed, leaving without another word

Bloody Raoul.

I found Meg waiting outside the building for me.

"Got time for a coffee?"

"Of course. Come on." I pulled her away as I saw the group of gossipers emerging from the building.

"Wow. He's sunk really low." Meg said when I told her what had happened. I sipped my coffee and sighed.

"I should have just given him the 'I hope we can still be friends' speech, with a healthy dose of 'It's not you, it's me'."

"I guess so. Still, he's being kinda petty about it." Meg said. I swallowed the last of my coffee and said,

"I'm going to do some shopping and then get back. I wanted to clean the entrance hall. It's getting a bit dirty."

"OK. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Erik was playing the piano when I went into the house. I opened the door to the music room and listened peacefully. Erik was facing away from me but he asked,

"How was class?"

"It was good. How did you know I was there?" I asked, smiling. He didn't stop playing but glanced over his shoulder at me.

"I just knew."

I crossed to him and hugged him from behind, pressing my cheek against his. He continued playing.

"All I Ask of You." I murmured, recognising the tune.

"Indeed." He replied. He caught my eye and said, "Sing?"

I straightened and walked around to the side of the piano so I could see him as I sang. The tune changed smoothly to Think of Me.

"Think of me

Think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye…" I sang for him. He didn't need to look at the music anymore than I did. So we watched each other.

The song ended and I asked,

"Play The Music of the Night. I've never heard it all the way through, with the words. Just the tune." Erik hesitated and then crossed, closing the curtains.

"I can't sing it in daylight."

"Fair enough." I replied, smiling. I could see the white outline of his mask. He began to sing, in that voice that sent shivers down my spine, as the soft piano music played.

Night time sharpens

Heightens each sensation

Darkness stirs and

Wakes imagination

Silently the senses

Abandon the defences

I felt breathless and gazed at the mask in the darkness. My heart was going at about a thousand miles an hour.

Slowly, gently

Night unfurls its splendour

Grasp it, sense it

Tremulous and tender

I closed my eyes, drowning in that sound. One of the windows must have been open, as a cool breeze shifted my hair slightly, flowing across my face.

Turn your face away

From the garish light of day

Turn your thoughts away

From cold unfeeling light

And listen to the music of the night

That song was beautiful. Of course, he could make any music sound beautiful. He played the piano for most of the song and then walked around the piano to join me. He stood behind me, his cheek resting against my hair.

Let your soul take you where you long to be

Only then can you belong to me

His hands brushed over my face, stroking the skin. Then he put one arm around my waist, holding me tightly to him.

You alone can make my song take flight

Help me make the music of the night

Silence. I leant against him, my eyes closed. He held me tightly, as he always did. Deep down, I knew he was still afraid. I didn't comment on it though. Instead I said,

"I wish we could just stay like this forever."

"Forever? That's a very long time."

"Not long enough."

Reluctantly I looked up at him.

"I should go and clean. And make dinner."

"Very well. I'll come to down to help you with dinner."

"OK."

I walked to the door as he drew the curtains. I paused at the door to look back and found him looking at me. We exchanged a smile and I went to clean the entrance hall.

A/N: Well this is all filler, filler, filler ain't it. I promise a plot for the next chapter! And, may I just say, I saw Beyonce perform Learn to be Lonely and was disgusted. She massacred it. She was so busy posing for the cameras. They should just have gotten Minnie Driver to do it. (shakes head) never mind. Please review!