Chapter TwentyFour
DISCLAIMER: OK; I don't own phantom of the opera. Plain and simple
Erik and Karen had decided to go onto the rooftop. She and Meg had some errands to run and she promised to meet him there.Erik waited patiently near the horse statue where he had been hiding when he heard Christine and Raoul declare their love for each other. The same rooftop were Erik had told Karen he loved her. The rooftop was now covered in a blanket of snow; some still falling from the sky.
Karen had gotten better the day after they had gone to the cemetery. He had woken up and she wasn't sleeping next to him; nor was she stairing at him. She was already awake; she had gotten a shower in; and gotten dressed by the time he even noticed she got up.She was brushing her hair when he realized she wasn't sleeping; and when he saw she had gotten up and ready for the day; he knew she got better. She was still a long way from fully recovering; but they were only going to take it one day at a time.
He loved seeing her smile. Her smile was like an illness; contagious. But not as unpleasant. She had decided to stay with him during the night so she would not have to sleep in the dormitories. She still felt insecure in the populaire without Meg walking with her; or Erik watching over her. She never again went into the back room where the ballet girls were not allowed; and the story had died when Karen got back to the populaire. Almost as quickly as Iris left; the story lost it's ability to draw in readers; and the story was dead. Seeing Karen; aroused a few questions; like where she was, or how she was handling it. But not any questions like how she felt when she saw it; or how she remembered it. Erik was glad to hear they weren't pressuring her to hear her side of the story. That would have sent her one square back.
"Erik." He turned his head to the door; thinking it would be Karen ready to spend the rest of the day with him. Playing in the snow on the rooftop. But who he saw; he never expected.
"Christine?" He stopped leaning on the statue; and faced her completely. "Why aren't you with Raoul? Your Countess De Changy aren't you?" She shook her head.
"Not anymore. Raoul and I aren't married; I mean, we were; but then, somehow; the love died." Erik listened; wishing Karen would hurry so he could have an excuse to leave Christine without being rude. "Erik; I've been thinking it over; and I see now I made the wrong choice. It was you I loved the whole time." She grabbed his arm and kissed him. She put his arm around her waist and kept the kiss going.
Karen had opened the door and seen it. She was speechless; she took off running. Leaving Erik and Christine De Changy together; feeling betrayed. But after she was gone; Erik pushed Christine off of him; and crossed his arms.
"What was that for?"
"You loved me three years ago." She was trying to sound seductive. "What has changed?"
"Now I'm engaged." He told her; keeping as far away as possible. "I'm not in love with you anymore Christine.If this were two years ago; or three; I would have been happy. God; How I'd have been happy to have you back." he started shaking his head. "Not anymore."
"Lucky woman." Christine spoke softly. "What's her name?"
"Karen Edalene." Erik spoke.
"Edalene? Oh! She must be the sister of that poor little girl!" He nodded.
"She was pretty broken up about it. I had to bring her a doctor; but she's working towards getting over it." Erik found himself explaining too much to her. She stood there awkwardly; and then asked if he ever considered leaving her. He was so angry at that suggestion he almost pushed her over the side. "Hell no! I'd never leave her." Christine gave him a soft smile; trying to win him back with what brought him to her in the first place; her voice.
"I see now which I should have chosen." Christine made her voice was seductive as possible; but he wouldn't buy it.
"If you even had to consider; I see I wasted that year." He snapped coldly. He realized Karen was not yet there; so he started out; to see if she had gone back to his home before meeting him.
Sure enough; there she was. She was trying to paint; but it wasn't working well. He came to her from behind; gently taking her right arm and painting for her. Using his abilities. She smiled at him; but at the same time she hated him. She did not want to let him in on what she saw; she figured he knew better than anyone. He kissed her neck; showing that he loved her and only her. But; her misunderstanding caused her not to believe that was what the kiss meant. Her father gave the same treatment to her mother during the first year of his cheating. It made her wonder how long he's been cheating. Has he been secretly hooking up with Christine De Changy and making love to her like had with Karen? That day when he was two hours late; causing Karen to worry and go after him; was he with Christine? He moved her hand so the brush would drop; and he picked her up. Kissing her and taking her into the bedroom.
Extremely early the next morning; Karen woke. She and Erik had made love that night; which made her hurt more. She loved him; while at the same time she hated him. She got up and quickly got dressed. She walked into the main room and took some stationary and a pen.
My dearest Erik She wrote in script. When I first saw your face; I didn't think it was horrible. It wasn't as bad as people have made it out to be; and I have accepted you for that. I've accepted you for your faults and strengths; and I love you for not letting me go to a mental hospital. You had cared so much when I needed you to; even when I didn't. Tear drops fell from her eyes onto the paper. when you asked me to marry you; I couldn't tell you how it felt. I loved it; I was glad someone cared for me enough to want to make me his wife. I have had offers like that in the past; Raphael asked me to marry him as a child; but left. I had hoped and prayed this would be different. I wanted to be happy with you; to have a family with you; to die with you. But the man I loved; the one with the face of a monster, but the heart of an angel; is also a liar. You said you would never leave me, you promised you would stay. You would not make me stupid; that promise you did keep however. It is for the best that I leave now before I've got children to care for. I will not turn out like my mother; I will not be a stupid woman and sit idly by while you sleep around with Christine De Changy; Previously Christine Daae. I had accepted your past with her; that was something that I cannot change; and if I could; it would have been me you were kissing; instead of her. I would have stuck around; instead of leaving. I'm sorry to say that I can not stay with a man that can't let go of past relationships when he's got a fiancee who loves him so deeply. I will be leaving for another opera house; I hopefully will find another phantom who is more loyal than you.This is goodbye Erik; The Phantom of the Opera.
No matter what happens, you will always be my only companion.
Karen Edalene.
Karen folded up the tear-stained paper; put it in an envelope; took a forget-me-not out of the vase; remembering when they had been collected; and placed them all on the end table, under Erik's mask. Her bags were packed; and she was ready to leave; but before she did. She knelt down by Erik; whom was still fast asleep; and gave him a good-bye kiss. She started crying as she pulled apart from him; knowing there would never be a phantom she could love as much as Erik; there would never be anyone she could love as much as him.
Ok;christine was OOC; and Karen's letter was a bit harsh. But if you had a past with bad relationships; and a father that did what Karen's dad did; then you wouldn't take it so lightly if the man you loved was "Cheating" on u. :D I hope you enjoyed!
