Hello everybody!

Sorry again for the long update but I still have to learn for my exam:(((

Hollie, you're still the best!

Chapter eighteen

"I've never guessed that I have this much stuff" Christine sighed as she was filling the seventh box with her clothes.

She was preparing to move her things to Erik's flat. She and Meg spent the whole day packing and checking every place so that Christine didn't leave anything behind. Erik promised to come over and carry Christine's things with his car.

"Chris, I'll really miss you" Meg said hugging her friend when they were ready with the packing.

"Hey, you're talking as if I was moving to another planet" Christine laughed. "I can assure you, you're gonna see me every day just as before."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

They still had an hour before Erik's arrival so they decided to go through some photos that Christine was taking away. At first they silently watched the pictured since Christine's parents were on them but as they went on they got into a very cheerful mood recalling old stories from their friendship.

"Oh my God!" Christine cried finding a photo. "I didn't know I still have this."

On the picture there were two guys dressed as women and Christine between them.

"Jesus!" Meg was cracking up. "As long as I live I won't forget that night."

"Honestly I can't even remember how did we end up there" Christine laughed.

"Neither do I" Meg said. "But hey who cares about it? Actually that was one of the best nights of my life. That was the best party I ever went to."

"Yeah" Christine agreed. "Those drag queens knew how to have fun."

"Ewwww, I thought I have already thrown this away" Christine said holding up another photo.

"What's that?" Meg asked.

"It was taken at our engagement party" Christine replied disgusted.

"You know" Meg said looking at the picture "I never understood what you ever saw in him. All right, he wasn't ugly but come on! How could a guy had a hair like that? Bah, long and girlish."

Christine suddenly started to giggle.

"What?"

"Meg" Christine started but she was laughing so hard she could barely finish her sentence. "He used the same shampoo as me."

They were rolling on the floor from their laughter when the doorbell rang.

"It's open, come in" Christine managed to yell.

Erik was greeted with an interesting sight when he entered the house and went to the living room. Christine and Meg were laying on the floor laughing amongst a sea of photos.

Christine sat up and seemed to calm down but when she saw Erik she started to crack up again.

"He asked me what kind of shampoo did I use while he played with one of my locks" Christine said pointing at Erik. "Just imagine doing that with Raoul."

With extreme force laughter lashed out from Meg and Christine again. Erik just stood there not understanding the joke but knowing it was something bad if it contained Raoul.

"Are you all right?" Erik asked after some minutes. The girls were still laughing.

"Yes" Christine answered calming down. "Sorry we just went through some photos and recalled a few stories. If you want I'll tell them to you once I'm settled."

"Umm…" Erik said unsteadily watching a photo where Christine stood between two drag queens. "I'm not sure I want to know them."

"Well" Christine said looking around watching the photos. The one with the drag queens, another where she was laughing holding a bottle of tequila and several others which were taken on different parties. Yes, she had a life after her parent's death and before Raoul. "Yeah, maybe later."

"Let's go then. Where are your things Honey?" Erik asked.

"Right there" Christine replied pointing towards an enormous tower of boxes.

Erik's eyes widened when he saw them. "Huh… I didn't know you have this much to move." Erik said scratching his head. He wasn't sure that they will be able to put everything into his car. Moreover he couldn't even imagine where will they put them in his flat.

"What's up?" Christine asked pouting. "Don't you want me to live with you anymore?"

"My love, don't even say such a thing" Erik said embracing her. "We'll manage to carry everything to my place somehow."

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"Okay, this was the last one" Erik said happily.

He was carrying Christine's things into the flat while she started to unpack and Erik watched surprised that she found a place to everything. Her clothes were right next to his in the closet, women's cosmetics appeared in the bathroom and she placed some framed photos in the rooms. It was officially their place now.

"Ready" Christine announced. "I'm happy to be here" she said hugging Erik.

"I'm happy that you're here too."

Erik watched Christine as she admired her surroundings. He was glad that she was finally with him. But there was one thing left and he knew that sooner or later he had to show it. He took Nadir's advice and just waited for the right moment. He felt that it was then.

"Christine" Erik started awkwardly.

"Hmm?" Christine asked but she was still so busy with being happy that she didn't realized that Erik wanted to say something important.

"Honey" Erik said again now a bit more firmly.

"What?" Christine asked turning towards him.

"Come, let's sit down" Erik said taking her hand and leading towards the sofa.

"What's the matter?" Christine asked concerned.

"Christine, we have been together for months, now you are going to live with me and still there is one thing you don't know about me yet."

Christine sighed. She knew what was coming and saw that it was very hard for Erik so she decided to spare him from it.

"Erik, I know it" she admitted softly looking away from him.

"What?" Erik asked confused.

"Do you remember the night when we went to that disco? To Cuba Libre." Christine started looking into his eyes. "And the next morning I wasn't here because you slept so cutely that I didn't want to wake you up. But before I went home I… I took your mask off while you slept and saw your face."

Erik didn't want to believe his ears and Christine misread his confusion as anger and disappointment.

"Erik, I didn't want to hurt you, I was just so damn curious. But it changed nothing. I still love you as much as I loved you before I saw your face."

"You…" Erik's voice cracked and tears formed in his eyes.

"No Erik, please don't cry" Christine said panicking. "I love you."

Christine embraced him and started to cry too when Erik didn't move.

"Erik, please say something" Christine begged.

But Erik didn't say anything, instead he kissed her deeply. Christine happily returned it and calmed down feeling Erik's love in the kiss.

"I love you" Erik whispered. "You can't imagine how much."

They stayed sitting on the sofa in each other's arms for some time. Erik still could hardly believe that Christine loved him despite his face.

"Doesn't it matter? Truly?" Erik asked breaking their hug and looking into Christine's eyes.

Christine lifted her hand to his mask and took it off. "Truly" she said before she kissed him again.

Erik didn't know how did he deserve this angel that was holding and kissing him but he thanked God for sending her to him.

So there it goes:)

Review and you'll get Erik for a whole week to do what you want with him. Don't and you'll get punjabbed.

Your loving authoress