A/N: And this is for all the Phantom fans out there! :D I know I'm one.

Chapter 32

(Evangeline POV)

Walking around New York City was an experience of its own. I was both transfixed and awed by everything I saw—the multitude of people, the shining lights, all the advertisements and tall buildings… It was so profoundly different from my childhood home, but I nonetheless enjoyed strolling around with Simon. One thing I liked about him was that he did take me sightseeing around NYC on our dates. No one else had given me a tour of the city.

And when we got to Broadway, I was even more excited. I loved drama and going to the theater with Mama, even though we usually saw operas. Simon had told me that Phantom of the Opera even takes place in France, so that made it still better for me. This was going to be wonderful!

As we were approaching the theater, Simon and I animatedly locked eyes, and I knew that he was just as happy as I was. That was another great thing about Simon: we were almost always on the same page.

"Ready?" he asked me over the hubbub of the crowd as we entered the theater, his arm still linked with mine as we walked.

I nodded, smiling from ear to ear. "Yes!"

Thankfully, Simon had already bought our tickets, so we could go directly to our centrally-located seats. On the way, we saw a well-dressed pair of young men talking energetically to each other, one leaning against a wall. And as we drew closer to them, I realized that I recognized them.

Simon did, too, and called out, "Alec! Magnus! Fancy seeing you here!"

The one leisurely leaning against the wall, Magnus, straightened up and gave us a bright smile. "Well, if it isn't you two!"

I noticed that Magnus and Alec were both wearing very nice, fashionable clothes. Were they also on a date? And they both looked incredibly happy to be together… "Are you two on a date, too?" asked Alec, who was standing up straight for once. He also had his hair combed, so I could see his face. There really was a family resemblance… But either way, Alec looked more confident than I'd ever seen him before, and kept sneaking adoring looks at Magnus. They were so adorable.

"Yep," said Simon, while I said, "Yes." Then we exchanged a small laugh and locked eyes for an instant at the fact that we said it at the same time. Simon's eyes were a lovely shade of dark brown, something like black coffee, and framed with long eyelashes. For a young man, he was beautiful. The thought made me blush, and I found myself looking at my shoes.

Then I caught Magnus giving me a very knowing grin. Did he know that I was falling for Simon? Probably. He addressed Alec. "Careful, Alec. These two together are almost as cute as you." He turned back to us, leering in that typical Magnus way as Simon and I blushed. "Enjoy the show, lovebirds."

"Yeah," Simon choked out while rubbing the back of his neck, "you too." He reached for my hand and took it in his. I waved a goodbye at Magnus and Alec, and we went the rest of the way to our seats.

A little while later, the show began. I was engrossed from the opening scene… Something about Phantom of the Opera just resonated with me. I was mesmerized with the rest of the audience during "Music of the Night" while the Phantom had Christine under his spell. It was darkly romantic, and I was just as entranced as Christine. And when Christine and Raoul were singing "All I Ask of You" together, I found myself sighing happily at Raoul's sweetness. It was then that it occurred to me why I could relate to the show… Just like Christine, I was drawn to two men who were ironically similar to the Phantom and Raoul. There was Jace, the darkly romantic and dangerous man who enveloped me in passion whenever we were together. And then I had Simon, the sweet and wonderful boy who made me melt with happiness.

Like Christine, I found myself facing a dilemma. I loved both boys for different reasons, and I couldn't tell who I was drawn to more. My instinct told me to choose Simon, but I couldn't deny my surprising passion for Jace. I kept watching the wonderful musical and saw the plot unfold. All the while, I found myself wondering who Christine would choose in the end.

When she left the Phantom behind and set off for a wonderful life with Raoul, I recognized that it could be applied to my situation. I could be with Simon and try to forget about Jace—that would be rational, and we could have a pleasant life together. Yet, even so… I could never leave Jace behind like that. Something about him was calling to me… Could I deny it for much longer? And then there was Clary, who I was just confused about at this point because I had actually enjoyed kissing her. We also had a strange connection…

Even after the show ended and Simon and I went to Trasola Tearoom again for early dinner, I was mulling things over and trying to work through my confusion.

But at one point, I looked across the table and saw Simon staring at me with such deep emotion and admiration in his eyes that I was left breathless. He was holding my hand on the tabletop, and suddenly his expression turned faintly concerned. He asked me, "Are you alright? You seem to have a lot on your mind."

"I do," I acknowledged with a sigh. Simon's thumb stroked the back of my palm understandingly, and I felt a pang in my heart. How could I not be satisfied with the wonderful boy before me? "But I'm happy to be here with you."

His concern turned into a relieved smile. "Good. Did you enjoy the play?"

"Definitely," I gushed, unable to contain myself with all the swirling emotions. "You know, Raoul reminded me of you."

That made his smile grow. "Really? I was about to tell you that Christine reminded me of you."

I laughed. "That's funny!" Then our gazes locked again across the small table, and I could feel something passing in the air between us like electricity. I was captivated, and I saw that Simon was too. Wordlessly, we both leaned in, bridging the distance between our faces, and met in a soft kiss. And for the first time with Simon, I sensed potent desire building up inside me.

We leaned back at the same time, still keeping close to one another. "Evangeline," Simon breathed, stroking my cheek with the hand not in mine. He started whispering very quickly. "I know that we haven't known each other for very long and that confusing things have been happening lately, but… I think I'm falling in love with you."

It was like something had knocked into me; I was so shocked (but in a good way). I had always dreamed of this day, when a man would tell me he loved me… Happy tears welled in my eyes. "Me too," I murmured to him. It felt liberating to acknowledge it, like I was soaring in the sky.

We kissed again, but this time it grew more passionate than any of our previous ones.

Simon and I finished our dinner with rapt anticipation, and I was surprised to find that my desire for him didn't dissipate at all. As soon as we were outside, he kissed me again and I officially decided what I was going to do for now. Just like Christine chose Raoul, I was going to choose Simon and try to forget about everything else by pushing it to the back of my mind.

The two of us got in a cab and sat very close together, Simon's arm draped around my shoulders and holding me to him. "Do you want to go back to the Institute, or...?"

I didn't give him a chance to finish. "Can I see your house?" I knew that I was entering into a situation with more temptation than anything I had ever done before, but I wasn't afraid. I was alive with my burgeoning love for Simon, and knew instinctively that I was making the right decision. I tried to convey some of my certainty and excitement to him through my deep blue eyes.

I think Simon got the picture, as his lips were parted and his eyes wide. "Okay. Yeah, sure. Of course." He told the cab driver his address and squeezed my hand tightly.

The cab speeding off toward the Lewis household, I relaxed back into the seat and closed my eyes for a minute. Simon is falling in love with me, I thought. I was so happy…

Memories of Jace and Clary flew to the forefront of my mind, unwanted and unbidden. I frowned and pushed them back. I couldn't be thinking about those two in a situation like this.

To dispel them completely, I turned my head and pulled Simon into another lingering kiss.

A/N: Does anyone like where this is going? If so, please tell me! xoxoxo