At first she thought it was the prop ring, but looking at it now, she noticed a slight floral design around the outside, it wasn't noticeable at first glance. She pulled it off. It had an inscription on the inner band.
All I refuse & thee I chuse.
She put the ring on her nightstand and got up to change. She would have to take the dress back to the auditorium before the costume department missed it. Luckily tonight there was no performance, she felt like a damned zombie. And she was so confused. That man had said he was Erik. Apparently he doesn't know the story to well, sure in the movie he was hot…seriously, Gerard Butler is so far from hideous,… but the real Erik looked like a corpse. She laughed to herself. It had to be a dream. Ashley probably took her out and got her wasted, and she probably changed back into the dress for Ryan… Oh GOD! What could she have done while in the dress!
She panicked. She picked up the phone and called Ryan. Of course, the bastard wasn't home. Which just caused Rebekah to wallow in her confusion.
She went down stairs for breakfast and found nobody home. She checked the garage, but it was empty. Back in the kitchen she reached for a box of cereal and turned to get a bowl. The cereal box fell to the floor.
Julian was leaning against the wall watching her with those eyes.
"How…how…." Rebekah stuttered.
Julian only smirked. "I brought you home, don't I get a chance to explain?"
Rebekah couldn't help but realize how incredibly good looking he was, she noticed it last night, but was too afraid to dwell on it. But now, in the day light…. Her heart skipped a beat.
He didn't wait very long to se if she replied. He stood up straight, he was tall, he wouldn't have to lean over too far if he were to kiss her. She felt herself blush. The man was psychotic, and she is daydreaming about making out with him. Well, he was gorgeous.
He strode over to her, and took the cereal box out of her hands and placed it on the counter. He was so close t her now. Se could feel his breath, warm am heavy. She couldn't force herself to look him in the eyes. If she did…she could do something stupid. And then what would she tell Ryan? Oh God, Ryan! She hadn't even thought about him since she seen Julian that morning.
The spell was broken. She tried to inch out of his reach, but his hand clamped around her wrist. "Let m go." Rebekah tried to pull away but he pulled her towards him.
"I'm sorry, I… can't. I can't lose you a third time." He sounded like a little boy.
That did it. Rebekah screamed for help. She almost expected his other hand t clamp onto her mouth, but it didn't happen. Instead she felt his lips trembling against hers. They were warm and soft, and desperate. It was as though he was trying to pull all of her anguish out of her through the kiss, and with out meaning to she was kissing him back. It felt as though her lips were made o be kissed by his. His other hand slipped around her waist , drawing her to him. Her free hand found it's way to the back of his neck. The kiss was quickly turning into a greedy, famished, hunger. As though they had both waited lifetimes for that kiss. She tried to pull away.
He let go of her wrist and wrapped that arm around her to. His kisses leaving her mouth and tracing the outline of her neck. Despite her mind's protest, she groaned. His kisses came faster as though it had been an invite. When he returned to her mouth, she thought she was going to sob with the need to let him take her, all of her right there.
Then the doorbell rang. There were frantic knocks on the door and the bell rang again. She heard Ryan calling her name.
Julian looked annoyed. Rebekah initially felt the same way before realizing what had just happened. Then she shoved him away from her.
Julian stopped her from passing him to whisper to her, "You know you felt it. The sense of belonging, of knowing. We were meant to be together. Get rid of the boy and I will tell you al I can for now."
She felt uneasy, but she just nodded.
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Ryan banged three more times and rang twice more. She had to be home, she just had to. If something had happened to her because her stubborn ass had been so dead set on walking home herself last night…
The door opened. Rebekah looked like had just had the worst night's sleep ever. Her lips looked like she had been licking them all morning. She must have ran out of chapstick. "Ryan," she sounded almost surprised, "What are you doing here so early?"
Ryan stared blankly at her. "Early?… Rebekah, it's two in the afternoon."
Rebekah's face fell. "What? No, that's impos…." She looked at her watch, which read two ten, "..Impossible… I, wow, I could have sworn I was only ten just five minutes ago." Her thoughts were spinning. How long had she been kissing Julian just now…it seemed like only a minute or two, it wasn't possible.
Ryan tried to wedge himself into the house. "Are you feeling okay? Want me to drive you to the doctor?"
Rebekah just blocked his way. If he found Julian he would surely flip his fucking lid, he could be so jealous. And she could feel her swollen lips flashing like a great big billboard for his suspicions.
"No, uh, Ryan now is probably a bad time. I was just so wrapped up in studying for my English test tomorrow I just lost track of time is all. Thank you for stopping by, I really gotta finish…"
"Oh, wait, Uh, Rebekah. The reason I came by, really, was because the costume department called looking for you. They are missing the dress you wear in the last act, and they tried calling and got no answer…"
"Oh. Silly me." Rebekah laughed nervously. "I was so tired last night I completely forgot to change. Could you drop it by there for me?"
Ryan smiled at her warmly. "Sure."
She told him to stay put and that she would go get it. She came back with the dress only to find he was not in the doorway. He was in the kitchen.
Her heart thumped. Where was Julian?
Ryan was in the kitchen munching on the cereal she Julian took and placed on the counter. "Sorry," he said after chewing a piece of dried cereal, "I was hungry."
She tried to keep a straight face and smiled at him warmly. Ryan closed the cereal and walked over to her. He hugged her. "I was so scared that you were stolen away from me and I'd never see you again."
Rebekah didn't know what to say. She was to nervous that Julian would walk in and break Ryan's heart. He was so sensitive and all.
Ryan took the dress, and left. She promised she'd call when she couldn't study any longer.
When she closed the front door and turned around she ran straight into Julian. She yelped.
Julian suppressed a snicker, and took her hand. He led her back to the dining room.
Rebekah sat down and stared at him. What could he possibly to say to sound less crazy?
Julian took a breath, " I know that telling you about what happened in 1870 probably won't make you believe me. But, I can show you."
Rebekah tried not to laugh at him, well she was right. He sounded even more crazy. "And what are you going to do, take me to your magical time machine and show me the Paris Opera House?"
Julian looked hurt. "No, but, I can pull out the memories hidden so deep in your subconscious that you can't remember them while fully awake."
Rebekah didn't know what to say.
Julian explained, "look, I'm not exactly human…"
"What are you a vampire?" Rebekah retorted.
"A Shadow Man." Julian said.
"A what?" Rebekah said trying her damnedest not to crack up.
"To put it bluntly," he paused, " A demon, from the ancient world. A dark elf. The bogey man. I live in the world of Shadows, the youngest of an all male race. In the nineteenth century I found a way to leave my world, in doing so the Gods punished me making my face deformed for defying their rule of restraint. I took on the name Erik, tried to live amongst the humans. But they were to appalled by the face that the Gods forced me to wear, that instead of living amongst the humans, I was forced to remain amongst the Shadows."
Rebekah couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed. She was hysterical.
Julian grabbed her arm and made her sit up straight "I am not joking with you. You need to listen." His face changed before her eyes. His features sank in and his hair darkened to a dreary tawny color. He looked like he was lacing a nose and his eyes were sunken in like a skulls. He smelt of decay.
Rebekah gasped. She was looking at Leroux's description of Erik!
"Do you believe me now?" Julian's voice boomed at her.
Rebekah shut her mouth and nodded. What she had just seen made no since.
"Good." Julian's face returned to the flawless, gorgeous face he was used to. "Now, back in 1870."