Erik stared at the organ, suddenly jealous of the imamate object.
(Jealous? No! I will not make the same mistake twice!) He shouted at himself. Then the voice rose up. Ugly as ever. ah, but she knows what you look like. Remember the pictures? And she was not afraid of you. She's down here-(No! I will not listen to you. Shut up and go away!) The voice only laughed.
"Hey, Earth to Erik, helloooo you in there?"
"What? I was just thinking."
"Hmm. Looked to me like to you were to blow a fuse."
Erik looked down at her. She was wearing a pair of black pants and one of the rose colored shirts. Cat's short black hair was smoothed down. He reached out a hand and curled a long finger around a silky black lock.
"Why is it so short?"
"Practicality."
Erik smiled it was so great talking to someone.
"Would you like something to eat? I know you must be hungry."
Cat nodded, "Uh huh. When I was working yesterday I forgot to eat," she raised a finger to her lips and winked," Shh. Don't tell my doctor. He bitched at me when I was doing karate. He'll have a hernia if he knew if don't eat as much as he wants me to."
Erik laid out some bread and cheese and water. With her heart it would do no good to give her wine. As she ate, Erik sat at the table. As he watched her he saw her get tired.
"I believe you need to go to bed as you are still weak and tired," Erik said.
Cat's head shoot up. She glared at him, and then shook her head. "Because I am really tired, Ill let you get by with trying too boss me. But just for tonight."
Erik shook his head. Her temper and biting remarks amused him. He found out to make up for her weakness and smallness, she joked and snapped.
He followed her to the door.
"Good night, Erik. Thank you for putting up with my sparkling personality," she said while batting her eyes at him.
Erik laughed," It's no problem. I have nothing to do."
Again Cat glared at him." Erik are you trying to make me mad? Because it's working."
Erik was confused, "What do you mean?" he asked.
Her face soften, "Ok you didn't mean what you implied. So I forgive you. Good Night." With that she did something unexpected. She reached out and hugged him. Erik stiffened, his instincts told him to fight her, but he held still. "Goodnight" He said softly, and walked off. He watched her from his seat at the organ as she crossed his room to hers, and he felt a little sorry. He had wanted hug her bake, but no one had ever willingly touched him, not Christine, not even Nadir. Now here was this young, lithe female reaching out to hug a troubled soul and he just stood there. What was he going to do? It might have been easier to have left her alone and go about his business; yet, if he'd had she would have died or caught, raped, and killed.
Erik had saved her life but now he couldn't figure out what to do with that life. He slipped into his coffin, never removing his mask or dress clothes. He didn't want her to wake up and find him there, a corpse in a coffin. She hadn't asked about the mask, but he had noticed her looking at it every so often. That was fine as long as she didn't ask to see his face. He could not bring himself to admit that she knows all about him. It was easyier to believe that she didn't know that minute she knew the truth she would run from him in fear. It was easy to do this, so he could be on guard .He remembered Julianna; annoying, sweet, curious Julianna. He could not have that same mistake happen again.