Hi again :)
Calibeachbum,Pertie, Regina, phantomforever and darklady Thank you all very very much:) I can't believe my story is getting so many reviews, it's so awesome. Pertie, yes, he's going to "wake up" at some point.
I won't say anymore.Just enjoy chapters 43-46 ;)
Lovephantom83
She had not seen him in the few hours she had been around, and sincerely she did not feel like seeing him either. She did not want him to notice neither the cuts or her looks, that betrayed her lack of sleep.
She continued her chores, for she still had to make some coffee and buy some fresh bread.She leant her forehead against the kitchen wall. She was exhausted...terribly exhausted.
When she turned, she realized that Christine was frozen at the kitchen threshold. Her long hair was dishevelled and her face looked sleepy. The dressing gown he had ordered her to pick up suited her quite nicely.
Perhaps if she were like her…
Even like her in the slightest thing...perhaps that would be enough to get him back...
She smiled kindly. 'Madame, do me the favour of returning to your room. I was about to carry your breakfast myself'.
She rised a hand, shaking her head, trying to show that it was not necessary. She took a seat in one of the chairs in the small living-room and when she noticed the wounds in Angie's hands, her expression turned to a frown of worry. She pointed at them with one finger questioningly.
'Oh', she feigned indifference. 'Do not worry. It was…a little accident, that's all. Erik will come back in a few hours, I guess... I suppose you don't know but he's found a more than adequate job through all these months'.
Erik?
She knew his name, and that was something that someone like him did not give away so easily. There had to be… some level of trust between them for him to reveal his real name. She felt absurdly jealous once more. Why? In moments like that one, like when she had handed him the note, frustration became unbearable.
Her expression relaxed. She should not take things out of their own context. She was being absolutely silly. Thinking that...
Or not?
Christine rested her arms upon the table and the other woman, seeing that the tension on her silent companion had diminished, reassumed her chores. A few minutes afterwards, she served Christine her breakfast and came out of the the room as soon as possible.
However, she was not quick enough to avoid him at all, for he was there, outside the kitchen, leaning against the door frame.
'Good morning, Angeline…'.
It was useless speaking to him. In fact, the mere fact of seeing him, pained her greatly at the moment. Only a murmur came out of her throat.
'Good morning'.
She forced herself to start walking again, as if that kind of treatment was routine for them and they had never exchanged more than the short greetings dictated by courtesy and good manners.
If only that was so simple...
Before she could walk past him with the only purpose of leaving the apartment, she felt his strong grasp around her wrists. Strong yet delicate, not brusque.
'How did you get this?'.
She found his gaze. Was he worried for her wounds? Possibly not. It was probably one of his many lies, another of the games in which he played with her feelings. Nothing else.
'It's nothing, Erik. It'll heal soon. It was just a domestic accident…'.
She tried to shake off his touch but he just did not want to release her. Instead, he brushed her hand slowly. How could she turn away in moments of bliss like that?
'Those cuts might become infected. Come with me, we must clean those wounds properly'.
She conceded and disappeared alter him in the toilet where she knew he had a cupboard where he kept gauze and other medical supplies. He cleaned her wounds and efficiently bandaged her hands.
He smiled. 'You tended my wounds once before, did you not?'.
She kept looking away, avoiding his eyes. Certainly, she had healed his wounds in one occassion. She had been beside him in one of his hardest moments. He seemed to remember clearly but not valued that at all. Coldness returned to her heart in a cool blow.
'You are right. I thank you for your concern and appreciate your attention but I have lots of things to do'.
Before he could react, she had already came out of his sight.
In front of the Giry's apartment, Maurice and Jacques were giving a preliminary scan to the area and the house they were keeping an eye on.
'Maurice, do you still believe that that poor girl lied to us?', he stared doubtfully at his partner.
'I don't know but instinct tells me that this apartment should be watched very closely, as often as possible...'.
'Have you noticed something that might be of our concern?', Jacques kept gazing him with curious eyes.
'Yes, the girl did not mention anything about an older lady living with her… a lady she bears a great resemblance to'. A smirk of triumph formed in the corner of his mouth.
She found herself again in the town centre. Angie's legs were already used to walking long distances up to the downtown area. She was crossing the park in quick strides, expecting to meet the man who had become a friend to her sitting in one of the benches.
'I did not doubt in the slightest that I would see you today, dear', he moved to make her room so that she could sit down next to him, still leaving a decent distance between them. 'Come, sit down for a while. I'm sure that you need a break'.
She smiled at him. He was one of the few people that still offered her some kindness now. 'Thank you, Édmond. The truth is that I do really need it'.
His attention turned immediately to her bandaged hands.
'You must have hurt those hands pretty badly. They weren't bandaged when we had breakfast the other day...'.
She sighed. 'I know. I… well, I'd lie to you if I told you it was an accident. It was not exactly like that...'.
He frowned. 'What do you mean, Angeline?'.
She looked at another bench, where a couple was sitting down, smiling to each other. 'Have you… Have you ever done any crazy things, things you would have never dared to do because of...a person you love with all your might seems to be lost to you forever?'. Her eyes became a deep shade of grey as she made her confession.
A thoughtful expression crossed his features.
Had he ever done that? Was that feeling close to the desire to protect the most wanted person while co-operating with the people who are after her?
No, those stupid digressions were useless. He did not love her! How was that possible when she represented a part of the family that had turned their back on him, which had refused to concede his only desire?
His subconscious must have been playing a bad joke on him for something like that to cross his mind.
'Well', a small smile was drawn on his lips. 'Love makes us do thousands of things'. In some way he was impressed to see that someone so young as that small woman would consider something like that. 'But…I thought you were too young to be longing for another man?' he chuckled, trying to cheer her up. 'I'm pulling your leg. Tell me, Angie, what's eating you?'
She laughed. 'It's…odd, don't you think? Sometimes, even I pose myself that very question. I also reckon I might be too young to be feeling so much. But, truth is, a heart in love can't be fooled. I think I fell unexplainably in love with someone but then she came and...'
She…
Things were turning more and more interesting by the minute again.
'Falling in love with someone is not a sin, dear. It just…happens. It comes suddenly and it's something you can't control or change. And you are not guilty of loving someone, not in the least. But, tell me, I guess there's a third part interfering with your relationship?'
'More or less… though he's the only one to blame, really. He focuses all his attention on her since she came because they used to know each other, and now I've become little Miss Nobody again. It all changed so fast… It seems that her long curls, her charming manners and her beauty have him totally out of his mind, even though he won't admit it'.
She sighed. All of a sudden, she was feeling much lighter, as if she had dropped the heavy weight that had been oppresing her chest. Talking to that man who offered so freely a listening ear, so caring and selfless was like chatting with her best childhood friend.
Long curls, charming manners, beauty...
Was that really a description of the woman he was interested in or was his eagerness deceiving him once more?
'Well…', he was watching her, a bit saddened. 'To tell you the truth and to give you my most objective view on the subject, and I wish I were wrong, if that woman's so beautiful and lovely as you say and they were acquaintances before...', he lent a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. 'I'm afraid that whatever feelings they had for each other in the past, they may be resurfacing. Just, out of simple curiosity, what's the name of the charming lady we're talking about? I might have heard of her'
She hesitated for a moment but decided to come out with it. 'Christine...'
Bingo. He had won the Big prize from the beginning and he had been told just by chance.
Fear started to curl up inside her, right after she revealed the name of their guest. Was she betraying Erik's trust by telling someone, almost a stranger, about her? Well, he had betrayed her, used her and stepped over her own trust in him, over her heart in the way one treated something which was not useful anymore. It was fair play.
'It's been nice talking to you, Édmond, but I believe it's time for me to go...'.
' I understand', he nodded gently 'I hope we meet again soon and… do not hurt yourself again. I wouldn't like to start scolding you'. His lips curled in an amused smirk.
She gave a short nod in response and, as she stood up, she saw something in his long blue coat she had never noticed before.
She knew the small embroidered symbol but could not remember where she had seen it before.
Her day had been most peaceful. Too peaceful, to be honest. And she could not prevent her thoughts from drifting to him and how much she missed him. He had not returned in two hours and she was growing really tired of pacing in circles in every room of that house, fixing little things here and there. She had even tried to follow her reading, which only reminded her of his kind gesture. Those were the occassions when hope started burning again in her chest. Hope that everything would come back to normal some day, that he would stop hating her and speaking to her in that terrible way that sent shivers of fear and remorse through her.
She heard the door opening and turned her head towards the sound to find Erik in front of her.
'Have you enjoyed a good day?', his eyes were fixed on hers. Devoid of emotion.
She smiled and nodded slightly. She had to conceal that she could not cope with that situation anymore.
'I'm glad to know that. I understand that things are not exactly entertaining around here but I...I am too busy to keep you occupied. I'll tell Angeline to come with you for a walk later'
She walked to where he was and reached for his arm.
Good Heavens, she was begging with her eyes that he were the one to go with her...
'I'm sorry but I fear I have too many things to do. I…can't escort you'.
With that, he shrugged off her arm and retired to his working area.
Édmond's wise words were true. Really true. She had nothing to do. Somehow, he would always be feeling the same for Christine. In spite of whatever it was she had done in the past, he was still in love with her.
And what could she do, apart from resigning?
No. No. Perhaps it was not too late for her...
Her steps carried her to the toilet and she stood before the mirror, observing her reflection. She untied her hair.
She would make him notice her again... Yes, she would.