You Were All That Mattered
Chapter II
Christine blinked. No, it couldn't be...
"Ah, Madame Vicomtesse," Christine flinched as he spat out her title in obvious disgust, "so you have finally decided to grace me with your presence."
"Angel, I-"
He lunged at her, stopping a mere three inches from her frightened face. His intense blue-green eyes bore a hole into her very soul.
"I, Madame, am no angel! Surely you remember at least that when you left me for your precious Vicomte!"
"Well then, what shall I call you?" she replied evenly.
"Madame Giry once called me Erik. You may call me that if you wish". He turned away from her, his face clouded with some memory of the past.
She wet her dry lips before testing the name of her beloved. "Erik... Erik, why are you here?"
He turned around and she couldn't help but stare. He was incredibly handsome. Dressed in a black overcoat and black slacks, with a white ruffled shirt. He had on a dark green waistcoat and a black cravat. He wore his usual spotless white mask and his skin look as if it had been kissed by the sun. Her heart beat faster.
She had remembered him as being quite handsome; that was no lie, for the deformity had never been a problem for her. Even when she had ripped the mask off in his lair all those months ago, she had not been frightened or disgusted by it. It was Erik's sudden mood change, not to mention him shoving her to the cold stone floor that caused her to shed tears. For even though she had only just discovered he was indeed a man and not an angel, he was still a very important part of her life. And she did not want to lose him, as she had in the end.
"Why am I here? Mais bien sûr, it should be obvious".
She searched his eyes, obviously not understanding what he was saying.
"I've come to claim what is mine, Madame Vicomtesse. You are mine; you do not belong here with the Vicomte. You are my muse; without you I cannot compose. You should never have left me. And now I will whisk you away and we shall spend the rest of our lives with music. Tell me, Madame, how long has it been since you were allowed the small liberty of music?"
Her mouth was dry again. Music, oh how she missed it! It was true; she had not sung even a scale since that fateful night. Raoul had simply not permitted it, for fear of reminding her of the monster he had apparently worked hard to save her from. Not that she hadn't already been thinking of him; for he had always been inside her mind. That had never changed.
"A year," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.
Erik's face filled with rage. "The Vicomte's orders, I presume? Of course, he wouldn't want you to sing. Idiot boy, does he not know that your very soul burns with music?"
Christine shuddered at his choice of words. Erik noticed and once again, his face hardened.
"Well, Madame. It was your choice after all; a life without music, a life without your soul... all for the prize of a Vicomte on your arm and in your bed," he spat at her.
His unmasked cheek was met with her hand.
"How dare you! How dare you talk to me like that! Do you not know the pain I've suffered everyday for a year? Expected to be the perfect lady, not allowed the small liberties of singing or even dressing myself! Expected to bear male heirs as soon as possible, for nothing else is acceptable! Music was my life, Erik! Without it, I can't eat, I can't sleep. I've barely been alive for an entire year! Do you know why, Erik? Because I gave you my heart. I gave you my soul. That night, standing in the lake. I didn't kiss you because I pitied you. Pity is one thing you've never had from me. I didn't even do it to free Raoul. I did it because I realized that I was meant to be with you for the rest of my life! I never wanted to leave that night! I didn't leave, you made me go! You yelled at me to leave you! God knows why, but you did. And being the naïve girl I was, I listened. Believe me, Erik. I would have never left had you not told me to. I love you! Yes, it's true, don't give me that look. I love you with all of my heart, since the moment I first heard you sing! My heart is your's, along with my soul. Mon Dieu, how I love you!"
She rushed forward, her arms locking around his neck, her face buried in his chest. Erik stood completely rigid, still in shock from her blatant confession.
It only took a few seconds before his arms made their way around her waist, his mouth crushing to her's.