Chapter 3: Christine's Decision
"Christine! Christine!" Was she hearing right? Was someone calling her in the middle of the night? Oddly enough, that voice reminded her of something. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it definitely sounded familiar. As she hurried out of bed to see who it was, she found herself very anxious. Even though Christine would never admit it, she was hoping that it was the Phantom because she was still unsure as to whether she wanted to be with Raoul or not. Christine ran down the stairs and stopped short as the familiarity of the figure standing in the front hall frightened her. As the figure, clothed in black suit with a black cloak, turned, Christine stopped breathing altogether and stood dumbfounded on the stairs, staring at the handsome figure of the Phantom.
Eric had never been so nervous in his life as he stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited for Christine. Then, as he slowly turned around to face her, he found himself awestruck at the sheer beauty of Christine's silhouette in the moonlight. "Hello Christine," said Eric as he slowly walked up the remainder of the stairs to meet her. "Hello," she said with a look of sheer amazement in her eyes and every line of her body. Oh, how he wanted to grab and passionately kiss her right then and there. He managed to contain himself long enough to say, "I miss you. I need you to come away and live with me. I'm nothing without you and I need you in my life." There, he had finally done it, he had bared his soul to the woman he loved. Waiting for her response was the longest minute of his life. He was terrified that Christine would reject him and force him to live in misery for the rest of his life. Christine paused to consider her decision, then finally said, "I…" "Christine! No!"
