My Love, My Future, My Life

Chapter 20

Bonus Secrets

As Melanie and Sophie exchanged their dancer stories, Erik took his place in the darkness under Melanie's dressing table. It was his plan to be another set of ears so to speak for any revealing of dirty little secrets. As you can imagine, what he learned was quite different.

"So that's it," he muttered picking up Ayesha who crawled and jumped around at his feet. Boy that cat was smart, how she managed to make it over he wouldn't even think about.

"I don't get it" he continued, "Melanie was such a..a rude.. Person to her and she's pronging about wanting to be her friend? She certainly is a strange girl."

Without warning, it came floating back to him; a conversation that had taken place on her first real day with him

"You would become friends with the 'Devil's Child?'"

"Mmm, the Devil's Child I would have to think about… but I want to be friends with Erik."

After all he had done in his life, after all the pain and suffering and fright he ever caused, she still wanted to be his friend as well. And that was weeks ago. Before they knew the other.

Now Erik was not only sure, he was positive. Yes, he did love her. If he was honest with himself, he supposed he always had. Yes she had come up with this evil scheme but apparently she was unable to follow though if it meant hurting another person and well, that just earned her bonus points in the book of Erik Destler.

Though he had to admit, part of him was sorry at not seeing Melanie get her comeuppance, at least for the other girls she bossed about over the years. For the first time in years, Erik genuinely smiled and settled back to listen to the girls.

XxXxX

"Was your family proud? For getting into the school I mean" Melanie asked getting up and grabbing a water cup.

Thrilled.

"They couldn't have been happier. Of course by this time it was just my mom, my brother and myself."

"What about your papa?"

Gone.

"He.. He was traveling a lot by this time.. Job." Sophie lied through her teeth. She knew this wasn't common in the 1800s, she was different enough. The last thing she wanted was to create a brand new barrier. "My brother teased me for weeks on end, saying dancing was wussy and apes could do the exact same thing but he was proud.. I know, I guess boys just have trouble showing it."

"Wussy?"

Sophie kicked herself mentally. "Um, prissy. You know for spoiled little princesses who only care about themselves. But it's more then that I think, it's that we have to take care of ourselves and look out for ourselves. Isn't that different then only caring about us and only us?"

"Oh don't ask me,' Melanie shrugged, "If things were perfect for me I'd be the star ten times over."

Erik snorted.

"So, are you betrothed to anyone?" Melanie asked, "Or are you already spoken for?"

"Me married? Nah, it never got that far."

"Oh so you were with someone"

Erik listened intently.

"I was, yes. But once again it wasn't to be. This isn't much of a story I'm afraid.. He wasn't who I thought he was basically. Started out wonderful but then slowly I figured things weren't normal. He would never see me, he'd go out with his friends over me, heck he didn't even want to tell me where he lived."

Erik balled his fists.

"For a long while after I wanted to be a nun. I said forget boys, forget love, forget the hurt but then something happened."

"What? What?"

"I met someone else. I don't know exactly how, or gosh even why.. But I did."

"Does he feel the same?"

Sophie sighed and gave a little shrug, "I'm not sure. But he knows how I feel. That's step one I think. See, when you've been hurt beyond belief, and you think you lost all humanity, to even think you can possibly care for someone else is just- wow. It's just amazing"

"Does he live here? In Paris?"

Sophie shifted her eyes towards Melanie and smiled, a little too dreamily. "As a matter of fact… Yes. He does."

"Oooh who is he?" Melanie sat upright against her pillows and giggled, "Is he a regular? What does he look like?"

Uh oh Sophie thought. Now I did it, what do I do now?

"Well his name is uh, Monsieur Destler. Yes, you could say he's a regular. Oh he's tall, about 6'2, black hair.. Beautiful blue eyes, oh and the best part is he sings!"

"No!"

"Yes!'

"You should invite him to open auditions one day, I'm sure he is wonderful."

"Ohh he's been around more than you think.. Much more."

Erik's ears had already stopped working. She loved him? She was serious about her affection? He couldn't remember a time in his entire life that made him feel as good, or as happy. His whole body felt warm and fuzzy which was a brand new sensation for him and would have normally turned him uncomfortable but he didn't care.

His angel, his Future Angel loved him.

Of course, there was one problem. He was not supposed to have heard this deep secret. How was he ever going to behave the same around her? Of course he could always use the excuse he read her mind, but that seemed kind of weak did it not? How could he know some things, AKA her newly formed friendship with the current diva, but not others. No, that wouldn't do. Either he needed the excuse of all excuses, or he would simply have to control himself; an idea which seemed much easier said then done.

"God," he prayed, reverting to his Catholic upbringing. "You made her love me, now please help me to keep it."