The ring Erik had designed for his sweet Gabrielle sat on his desk, mocking him for his stupidity. He was surely a fool for thinking any woman would choose to marry him. He had far too many sins on his soul to deserve anyone like Gabrielle.
With his hands steepled in front of him, his eyes flickered between the ring…and the key. The key to the villa he'd designed and was under construction this very moment. It would either be his sanctuary to recover from his heartbreak or the home he would share with Gabrielle as her husband. He had chosen a spot outside of Rome. He still had many projects going on in the city, but he craved the solitude of the country. It has 6 bedrooms, a decent sized work room for him and a large salon for Gabrielle to do what she pleased.
The piece de resistance was the full garden in the rear, he'd seen how Gabrielle had lovingly tended the garden at her estate. It was for her and her alone.
He hoped to god she accepted his proposal, he knew in the logical part of his mind that she'd already told him that she wanted to marry him…but the survival instinct that had served him so well was screaming at him not to leave himself so vulnerable.
Many times Erik had thought back to the moment he met Gabrielle…those few days that she was in his life was one of the happiest and the saddest. He still couldn't understand why she did what she did. But he was grateful she had. The gypsies had hated and feared him, though not as much as he hated himself.
Crouched in the corner of his filthy cage, wearing nothing but scraps of clothing…he remember how sweet she smelled, how clean she was. He still cringed to this day when he thought of how he'd flinched away from her when he'd felt her hand on his shoulder. He'd kept that ribbon she'd given to him, a single reminder of her astonishing act of kindness…kindness that he'd tried to use to sustain himself during his many years after that. Every night her sweet face had haunted him…he'd become so deranged during his time under the opera house that he had convinced himself that he had imagined the entire thing.
When he saw those blue eyes that he would never forget as long as he lived walk into the opera house last year he felt as though he was doomed. His fantasy had crashed into his reality. He never wanted Gabrielle to know the depths of the depravity he'd succumbed to. He didn't want her to see him like that. Still locked in a cage of his own making this time.
Even at his worst Gabrielle…his sweet Gabrielle accepted him, nursed him back to health even…taken him in when he had no where else to go.
Their one night of passion had been burned into his mind, he would be cursed to remember it forever. The feeling of her warmth surrounding him, her body moving under him, her gasping into his ear…his hands clenched into fists as he remembered.
She was heaven…pure and simple. She was his salvation…his Gabrielle.
On that thought he plucked the ring box and put it into his pocket, tossing the key into his desk drawer.
Tonight was the night…
His ride over to her home the next day seemed to take forever, the ring box feeling as though it weighed a ton in his pocket. He was greeted with a smile and soft kiss by Gabrielle who looked lovely as always; she knew that he had gone to Philippe to speak about their marriage but he was driving her mad by not asking her the question she was dying to hear.
They ate their dinner in silence, Gabrielle could see that he was in one of his moods and that she needed to tread lightly. Perhaps she had put too much pressure on him and he simply wasn't ready to marry her…perhaps he would never be ready.
She knew that she would take him any way she could…even if that meant living in sin. So long as she was with him she wouldn't care.
Raoul had been stopping by every other day, mostly to get out of his own house and away from his increasingly unstable wife. Gabrielle hated that he was so miserable but was always happy to visit with him.
After eating an entire meal in silence with Erik somewhere far away Gabrielle knew she had to say something…ease his mind that she didn't need a ring or a piece of paper to tell the world what they already knew in their hearts.
"Erik" she started out as she grasped his hand "I feel as though I put too much pressure on you to marry-"
Erik heard ringing in his ears as she started, he couldn't hear any more…her words were just a jumble. He pushed himself away from the table and hurried into the foyer leaving Gabrielle to scramble behind him.
She grabbed his hand as he was about to rush out of the door; "Erik! Stop!" she exclaimed slightly out of breath "Stop, please" she continued as she pulled him around to face her, placing herself between him and the door. His eyes were panicked and looking desperately for a way to escape.
Very slowly Gabrielle pressed herself to him, her hand inching to cup his face her heart constricting when he flinched away from her.
"Erik" she started out carefully "I'm not saying I don't want to marry you" she looked up to see his eyes shut, his lips trembling as he tried to control himself "I do want to marry you Erik…but not if you're not ready"
At those words his eyes opened to meet hers, his bright with unshed tears. Her fingers stroked his exposed cheek gently "Erik, I love you…I think I've loved you from the moment I saw you. But I know you've been through more things that I could possibly imagine that would kill a lesser man. But you've survived. I would be proud to call you my husband…but not at your expense. If you're not ready to be wed I understand"
His body relaxed at her words, no longer taut as a bow string Erik bowed his head to his chest as her words washed over him like a cleansing rain.
With trembling hands he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he'd so lovingly designed for her and slid it on her finger.
"I wasn't sure you truly wanted to marry me" he rasped out, his voice weak and unsure.
The ring was beautiful and simple in it's design; a single sapphire in the middle with diamonds flanking it. It was perfect.
"I want you any way I can get you Erik" she responded with a smile before pressing a kiss to his lips, his arms wrapped around her and held her tight to him.
She'd actually said yes! He kept replaying that moment in his mind. Her tears mingled with his as she kissed him again and again.
Her kisses were becoming more and more heated, her hands roaming his back and clutching at him as she pressed herself to him. How he found the will to disentangle himself from her kisses he would never know but he did know that if he continued they would end up in her room…again and he wouldn't be able to stop himself. And while he'd done many heinous things in the past, including taking advantage of her once already…he wanted to wait until they were legally bound before he made love to her again.
With one last kiss Erik stepped away from her with a rueful smile that made her laugh at her own foolishness.
"So how long have you been holding onto this ring, second guessing yourself?" she asked with a knowing grin.
"I don't believe I'll answer that right now" he replied.
After the adrenaline rush from his fear of rejection died down he was able to process that she'd said yes…she'd agreed to be his wife. It was nearly unthinkable!
Not too much later Erik took his leave and returned home, though returning to his empty flat was getting harder and harder every night. Still in disbelief that she'd actually said yes. She'd agreed to a small, private ceremony in one month's time. In one month he would have a wife…unbelievable!
The only cloud hanging over them was Christine's continued determination to speak with Erik. Gabrielle had no doubts about his feelings for her or his devotion to her. She just didn't want to subject Erik to any more pain, he'd suffered enough.
Christine continued to send letters to Gabrielle's home begging for Erik to speak to her. Finally Gabrielle could take no more so she summoned her brother.
The man who entered her house was not the carefree happy young man he'd been a year ago. They fixed themselves some tea and sat back in their chairs, sipping at it before speaking. She saw Raoul's eyes focus on her ring for a moment before she asked "What's going on? Christine has been rather persistent in her attempt to contact Erik"
He fiddled with his tea cup "Does he know that?"
"Yes, I've shown him every letter…he's burned every single one." She paused for a moment "Raoul, Christine needs closure. I don't think any of us were aware just how much her parents death affected her. She was always fragile, always living in a fairytale. As much as I don't want Erik to suffer, I think they both need to have an honest discussion about what happened…so they can close the door on the past."
"I agree, if something doesn't change…our marriage is over"
Stunned Gabrielle sat forward and set her cup down "Over? But..what would happen to-"
Raoul cut her off "I wouldn't leave Christine destitute Gabrielle. I would of course purchase a home for her, provide her with adequate funds to live her life. The child would remain with me"
He silenced her protest with a hand "I'm not the type of man to take a mistress Pigeon. I wouldn't put Christine through that. She does not want to be a wife to me or a mother to our child. She wants to sing, to live the dream Erik promised her. I won't hold her back…but we are both miserable."
Even more shocking was the tears in her brother's eyes. "I can't make her happy Gabrielle. I…I've done everything she's asked and more and she is still unhappy. We…we were happy, I-I don't know what changed. It all started when she sang in that damned Don Juan." He sat forward and sunk his head into his hands.
"I'll never understand the connection they have. I wish I could hate him…but I can't. How can I hate someone who loves my sister so deeply? I certainly can't blame him, I'm sure his life hasn't been easy…lord knows I wanted to kill him"
He looked up to see his sister sink down onto the sofa next to him and rest her head against his shoulder as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I just don't know what else to do. I can't stay married to someone who loves another! It's not fair to either of us" he concluded as he wiped Gabrielle's tears away.
"Bring her here tonight. I think we all need to talk" she said finally.