Erik's POV

Sleeping was never something that I found easy. All throughout the night, I tossed and turned with images of my mother rushing through my mind. She was a horrible person, one who beat me on a daily basis. If there was one person I hated, it was her. Nightmare, after nightmare I woke and slipped back to sleep, only to wake again. Though, when I was finally pulled out of my final nightmare, I heard Christine calling for me. I jolted awake, sweat pouring down my face. I ran my fingers through my scalp, rain pouring from outside my window.

"Erik,"

I glanced over at Christine to see her dressed in her robe. I wasn't sure if she had spent the night in my bed after she and I had made love to one another, for I had passed out. Either way, she was standing in my doorway now.

"Erik, I'm sorry for waking you," she began. "I know how much you hate being disturbed when you're sleeping."

"On with it, woman," I groaned. "What's wrong?"

"Madame Giry is here…"

Madame Giry? Oh, what could she possibly want and at this time in the morning?

"What should I tell her?"

"You can tell Madame Giry that I will be down in a few moments."

When Christine left, I got out of bed and headed towards my wardrobe to dress. After struggling into a pair of trousers and a white shirt, I rolled up the sleeves and headed downstairs. She was standing there at the stairwell, waiting for me to show up. Oh, what did she want?

"Madame? What do I owe this visit?"

"Erik, I came to have a word with you in private…"

I looked towards the kitchen to find Christine standing there. Knowing that Madame Giry wasn't going to speak to me this way, I led her into my private office. Once inside, I offered her a seat on the sofa.

"So, Madame, what is it that you want to speak about?"

"Erik, Meg has fallen ill these past few days, but she wanted to make sure this got into your very hands."

From out of nowhere, Madame Giry produced a piece of paper. But I knew this paper anywhere… This was a job application to my park.

"I'll look it over," I said. "I have a lot of applications to go over within the next few weeks. I will make an acceptation for your daughter though. She can operate the rides or a candy stand… Something…"

"Did you even see what she has written down?"

I looked down at the application, taking notice that she had requested to be the leading diva. I could only chuckle and place the application aside.

"Madame, you're jesting. I already told your wanton of a daughter that Christine will be taking the lead role in my park. There is no fighting that, Madame…Christine is going to be the star…Therefore, I suggest that you stop arguing with me about it."

"And what is it about Meg, Erik? What makes you loath her so much? Why is she not good enough to be the leading role? You haven't even seen what she is capable of doing."

"I have, Madame. I've been watching her for years, and believe me when I tell you that your daughter is going nowhere with her so called talent. She is about as talented as a beetle circus."

Madame Giry's hand came so fast across my face, that my mask flew across the room.

"You take that back, Erik! You take that cruelty back!"

"I will not, because what I have said is true. Your daughter can't sing, and her dancing is horrible. No, Madame, your daughter will not be performing in my park."

Before I could say another word, Madame Giry pinned me up against the wall, her face filled with anger.

"This is your last chance, Erik… You will give my daughter a leading role, or else."

I pinned Madame Giry up against the wall, my arm against her neck.

"You will not threaten me, Madame. Oh, you will not threaten me. I am your worst nightmare, and you know this. Christine will be taking the leading role, and that is that. Now, if you still wish for your daughter to have a job in my park, I suggest that you leave right now."

"You will give my daughter the job she desires. Do you truly believe that Christine loves you? She is simply using you for fame. My daughter could give you all the love you could ever need. Just think of that, Erik… Love in return for a leading act. How does that sound?"

"You know, Madame, I like the idea of Christine being in my bed… Sort of like last night. Now, out of here!"

I shoved the woman towards the door. She gave me one last evil glance, before heading out without even bidding Christine goodbye. When the door slammed closed, I groaned and headed back inside my office, taking a seat at my desk.

"Erik, are you all right?"

A few moments later, Christine entered with a tray of tea cups and a kettle in hand. She placed the tray down on my desk and I glanced up at her.

"I brought tea," she said. "I know that you're still recovering from your illness."

"Just leave it," I groaned, running my hands through my hair.

"Erik, is something wrong?"

"No, everything is fine."

Christine picked up the application and looked it over.

"I sense that this is the reason why Madame Giry left without saying goodbye?"

"Yes, so it may seem."

"You know, Erik, if I'm causing problems between you and Madame Giry…"

"It's not you," I growled. "It's not you… Madame Giry just believes that she can have control over matters that have nothing to do with her. She wants her daughter to be a star, and yet, she is hardly that. You, on the other hand are far more talented. You will be the star of Phantasma, and that is all there is to it."

I poured myself a cup of tea and took a sip, savoring its minty taste.

"I'm going to sit here for a while and look over some of the job applications, Christine. Perhaps later on you and I could have another voice lesson?"

Christine nodded and caressed my achy shoulders.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't beside you when you woke this morning."

"I wouldn't have expected you to be there, Christine. You know how I feel about such things… Especially beneath this roof. Our relationship is business, I've told you nearly a thousand times. Business is business."

"I did sleep beside you last night," she confessed. "I found it comforting. I was thinking that perhaps we could…"

"Christine, enough!" I growled. "Whatever you have conjuring in that brain of yours, you best stop it now. You shouldn't have slept beside me last night. We shouldn't have even slept together in such a way. Oh, what you do to me, woman. I'm weak against your very touch, which is the only reason why last night happened. I don't love you!"

That was the last words that needed to be said, for I had upset her. The room fell silent, Christine's eyes filling with tears. I hated being cruel to her, but being me, sometimes they just came out. I didn't hate the woman, but my heart told me otherwise, especially when I was angry.

"Enjoy your tea," she stiffly replied, grabbing hold of the empty tray and heading towards the door with a quickened and uneven pace.

"Christine," I ran my fingers through my wig and spun around in my chair, but the door was already slamming shut. Oh, it was a wonder why anyone would want to spend time with me. Here she was, only trying to speak sweetly about last evening, and here I was, turning it into a living hell. I groaned and slammed my pen down on the desktop, pressing my eyes closed and praying to God that he grant me death. When I couldn't bear to sit at my desk, I switched to sitting on the windowsill with my stack of applications in hand. I flipped through everyone as the cool rain pelted my window. It was things such as that, that always brought me comfort. Knowing that I had to right the wrong that I had done, I gathered up the empty tea kettle and cup and walked out into the kitchen, placing the dishes into the sink. I found Christine in the family room, sitting in front of the fireplace, her face buried in one of my boring books. Gustave was also there, sitting on the floor and playing with the circus animals I had carved him.

I cleared my throat and stood there with my hands behind my back. Gustave immediately glanced my way, but Christine didn't move a muscle.

"Mr. Erik, where have you been?" Gustave cried. "I've been waiting for you to come out of your office all day."

"I was working, Gustave," I kindly replied. "But I'm done my work now and was thinking that we could all do something?"

"Like what?" the child curiously asked. "It's still raining outside."

"Well, in the rain, there are plenty of things to do."

"I'm hungry," the child whined. "I haven't eaten anything since breakfast."

"Well, it is getting close to dinner, so, I was thinking that the three of us could go out…"

Gustave immediately stood to his feet and ran to my side, already filled with excitement.

"Reall, Mr. Erik?"

"Of course, go and get ready and I'll order my carriage to come and pick us up."

When the boy was gone, I approached Christine and stood infront of the armchair she was sitting in.

"Christine, do you want to go and get something to eat? I'm sure that you're as famished as I am."

"And what is this for?" Christine scoffed. "For the ignorance you have shown me this morning?"

"Christine, please done argue with me. You know that I can be cruel at times. But I also know that you understand that most times I don't mean the things that I say."

"So which is it?" she growled.

"Which is what?" I questioned.

"This morning you told me that you didn't love me. And just now, you said that sometimes you say things that you don't mean. So, is that one of them?"

"Christine, why is it that you're asking me this? I've told you before how I feel about you. You and I have a strict business relationship."

Christine threw her book aside and stood up, her chest almost crushed against my own.

"Business… You make it seem as though I mean nothing to you. Why, Erik? Why is it so hard for you to be kind to me?"

Christine had tears forming in her eyes once again, tears that I simply had no control over.

"And yet, you stand here and tell me that we have a business relationship. So why is it that you and I find pleasure in one another's bodies? If there was no love to be found, surely we wouldn't feel the way we do after making love."

Christine grabbed a hold of my shoulders, but I stopped her.

"Christine, even when you're with a whore, pleasure is pleasure."

"So is that what I am to you?!" she angrily snapped.

"What? Of course not…Oh, Christine, why would you even think that?"

Before I could say another word, her hand slapped me in the face. It stung, and yes, I would have said something, but Gustave's voice interrupted us.

"Mama? What's wrong? Why are you hitting Mr. Erik?"

Christine wiped her eyes and ran towards the hallway.

"I'm going to get ready for dinner."

When the room was silent once again, I sunk down into the armchair, my hand nursing the strike I had received. Though, Gustave came walking in, dressed in his best attire and crawled into my lap.

"Mr. Erik, what's wrong with mama?"

"Nothing," I scoffed. "She's perfectly fine."

"No she's not, Mr. Erik… She's sad. I think she's sad because of you."

"No, she's not," I argued. "It has nothing to do with me. Oh, Gustave, what am I going to do?"

I ran my fingers through my hair and groaned, looking down at my feet.

"Mama admires you," Gustave said, wrapping his arms around me. "She told me that she does. Why couldn't you love mama the way she loves you, Mr. Erik?"

"Because I can't," I cried. "You don't understand. Your mama and I had a terrible past. It's not right, boy…Do you understand me?"

"Have you ever kissed her for yourself?"

"And what does a boy of five know about kissing?"

Gustave smiled. "Nothing really, but mama always says you can tell when you love someone by the way that they kiss."

"Wonderful parenting," I scoffed. "But no, I don't enjoy kissing, Gustave."

"And why is that, Mr. Erik?"

"Because, kissing is an intimate thing."

"What does that mean?"

I pressed my eyes closed. "Gustave, enough… I shouldn't even be taking to you about this."

"And why not, Mr. Erik? You can trust me… I would never tell anyone. Pirate Island, remember? Whatever we talk about stays between you and I."

"Intimate, means that it's very personal…"

Just then, Gustave pressed a kiss to my cheek. Why? Why was this child kissing me? Oh, he would break my heart before the day was out.

"There," he said. "I just kissed you, Mr. Erik. And I liked it…I kiss mama all the time too. So, why can't you kiss mama?"

"Because it isn't that easy, Gustave. Kissing your mother means more. When you're not related to the person, kissing them is different."

"But I just kissed you, and I'm not related."

"You don't understand."

Before I could say another word, Gustave pressed another kiss to my cheek.

"There, I did it again."

Knowing what I had to do, I lifted Gustave up and placed him in the armchair.

"Stay here," I warned. "I'm going to go see if your mother is ready to go."

After walking down the hall, I stood in front of Christine's door and lightly knocked. When I didn't get a reply, I knocked again and called her name this time.

"Christine, are you almost ready to go?"

"Yes," she cried, fighting back tears. "I'll be out in a minute."

Knowing that she was most likely crying, I opened her door and stood there, looking at Christine, who was standing in front of her mirror, her eyes filled with tears.

"Christine,"

The woman spun around and wiped her eyes.

"What do you want? I told you that I would be out in a minute…"

I approached her and wiped away her tears with my thumb.

"I'm sorry, all right…I apologize for the things I have said."

And to make things right again, I pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. This instantly made her tears fade away, for she smiled. Oh, and that smile warmed my heart.