Hello all again :)
I want to thank the new reviewer! Glad to know you're enjoying missing.
As for Christine, darklady, I guess you'll just have to go on reading:p
Hugs, and enjoy chapters 50-51
Lovephantom83
She had been guided to that place by her instinct. She just had. A knot was forming in the pit of her stomach…
Now it was too late to come back.
The sound of the door opening distracted her.
Édmond smiled, inviting her to come inside. 'I'm glad you finally decided to pay me a visit, dear. I was already getting worried about you, as I haven't seen you around lately'.
She nodded as she crossed the threshold, although her gaze lingered for a moment in the hallway, darting from the outside world to the apartment indoors. God, she could not allow herself to hesitate now…
'I know. I…I have been very confused. I did not know what to do concerning...all of this'.
'I understand...but I reckon we'd rather talk about this more comfortably if we were sitting down, don't you think?'.
They took a seat in the living-room. Angie watched the apartment's décor with curiosity. It was not only that they were in a fine area of the city but the house itself looked grand.
A small laugh escaped his lips when he noticed her amazed expression. 'This is the result of much effort and hard work. Don't believe it's been easy to get me this life…'.
She gave him a sceptic half-smile. What was he talking about? He was always dressed in impeccable clothing. There was no doubt that he had a profitable job and a perfectly organized life. At least their mother had had the decency of leaving him with a good family that would protect him.
'I assure you that it must have been easier than to be abandoned in the streets and live in hiding, poor and alone, since you were ten'
Sorrow and pity for the girl darkened his expression. Knowing that your parents had given you away to another family before disappearing was hard enough but that other thing...
'I'm sorry to hear that, believe me, I'm telling you in all sincerity', he rested a hand on hers. 'But you have a job now and even a place to live'.
It was impossible to describe the sound that came out of the girl's throat...
It was neither a sigh nor a supressed sob.
It was as if she felt like screaming but lacked the voice.
'This is not the topic I would want to discuss with you, please…'. Her eyes reflected on the plea she had just stated.
Why had it been so difficult for her giving another answer? She was transparent, carrying her heart on her sleeves but still kept a pinch of the pride and rebelliousness that characterized her. Those feelings she could not conceal…came now freely in waves out of her eyes and lips...
'Okay', he eyed her sympathetically, realizing that it had been quite hard for her coming there. 'So…have you thought of what we discussed last time?'.
She lowered her eyes for a moment. She was shivering and anxiety was beginning to give her away little by little.
His hands did not caress her skin anymore but lovingly idolized Hers.
Those lips she had once believed were hers to devour eagerly, now dreamt of another's skin.
That was more, far more, of what she was prepared to watch and handle..
She looked him in the eyes. Her gaze had turned a darker shade because of the rage she was trying to conceal, but in the end she nodded. 'I give you my word, Édmond. I'll help you out'.
As she finished the sentence she held out a piece of written paper.
The rythm of her breathing quickened. So that was what Judas must have been feeling…
The shadows projected by that misty day had fallen on the dark thoughtful figure that was sitting in a corner of the room.
Wrapped up in shadows and darkness, as he had been destined to be since he was born.
There was something in what she had told him before she left, in her last sentence... that made fear grow inside him. Maybe because he felt vulnerable for the first time in his life...
He could not face a person that was so psychologically similar to him. The mere thought sent shivers down his spine…
And it was precisely because of what he knew that, when she really faced the truth, nothing good would come out of her apparently calm frame of mind.
He was aware that Christine would be involved in whatever plans she had in store for him...
No, he would not allow anyone to hurt her. If there was something he had always done was protect her.
All of a sudden, he noticed the two pale hands, that had barely been touching his leg, ascending up to where his own hands were, palms facing down against his knees. The smaller hands tried to cover his.
He lifted his gaze to the front.
Christine was crouching down in front of him. Her eyes looked glassy.
She needed to know now. Living in ignorance for so long would do her no good either. There were so many things going on around her, right under her nose, that she couldn't let go another day without finding out the truth.
Erik inhaled a long deep breath of air, almost crashing down when he saw and felt her painful despair. He looked down, for he could not stand looking in those sad yet demanding eyes of hers anymore.
'I can only hope you understand…', his eyes locked with hers again. 'There's something regarding Angeline that concerns us both, and I…I must figure that out', he stood up and, this time, it was him who took hold of her hands. 'That's why I was debating whether or not to go search the answers I need right now'.
She stopped dead in her tracks, small tears coming out of the corner of her eyes. What was he thinking of doing? What high risks was he trying to avoid? Even if he insisted in leaving her out, she had noticed from the moment she arrived in that house how emotionally unsteady that girl really was...
It frightened her… and, on the other side, she felt that she did not deserve that he would put anything else at stake for her sake. Not after everything she had put him through...
It was in that very moment, when his finger traced the moist match of a lonely tear down her cheek when she knew for certain...
He would not risk anything. She had seen that expression in his eyes before.
He was determined to fight for her. And that, being who he was, would not be nothing good for Angie.
She let go of his hands so that he could put on his cloack and leave the apartment.
He had finally made it… At last, he had the exact location of Christine Daaé's whereabouts in his power.
'Great...', he smiled in satisfaction. 'You know that you must not worry about anything. There's nothing to fear, dear. Just... I have only one more question for you'.
Really? Could she really be certain that there was nothing to fear? No, he was wrong. She had too much to fear, such as looking into Erik's eyes again after that.
She nodded in resignation. 'Anything…just ask'.
'Calm down, Angie, the worst has passed, hasn't it?', he smiled half-heartedly. 'Anyway, I just need to know… is there anyone in charge of her, some protector of sorts? Someone that might interfere in our plans?'.
No…No, please. Anything but delivering his head on a silver plate.
She closed her eyes briefly. She prayed that a simple reply would suffice. 'Yes…', the tone of her voice was low, almost a whisper, as if she wouldn't want to tell him at all.
His demand came out slowly, reassuringly. 'His name?'.
Good Heavens, no… She did not want any of this… She did not want to be forced to…
'It's…Erik'.
The word sounded more like a cry of pain than a name. Her eyes were drowning in tears and her whole body was shaking...
All doubt was cleared for him. That man was the person she had fallen in love with.
She was not at her place.
He looked around, frustrated.
Well, she wasn't at home, but he had already something in mind for her.
And this time she would not get out before he knew absolutely everything, whatever it was she was up to. He had got tired of daintiness…