Chapter Thirty-Nine

Alison sat there staring at the program. She couldn't believe her eyes. Only Erik would manage to get himself to Boston and end up first chair violin in one month, she reflected, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.

Kylie hit her on the arm to get her attention. "Alison? Alison! What's wrong with you? You're staring at that program like it's the Bible."

Alison stared at her for a moment, then looked back at the program, flipping through the pages to find the biographies.

Erik Taylor

Erik Taylor is pleased to participate in his first season with the orchestra. He is self-taught. He dedicates his performance to A. and É.

A. and É. Angelique and Étienne. Now there was no doubt.

"Alison, what are you doing? What in the program is so important?"

Alison looked at Kylie. "I know the first-chair violinist," she told her quietly.

"Oh, really? That's so great! Maybe we can go surprise him after the performance."

Alison frowned. "How?"

"Sneak around the back to the stage door after the show is over and wait for him to come out," Kylie said matter-of-factly.

Alison thought about it. There was a high probability that was illegal, but for the moment, she didn't really care. She needed to see Erik again. Their relationship had to be fixed, and that wouldn't happen if they just sat there. "Okay, let's do it."

Kylie was about to say something, but then the lights flickered, signaling that intermission was over. "We'll do it when the show is done," Kylie whispered.

As the orchestra began to play again, both Kylie and Alison watched Erik play. Kylie was curious to see exactly why Alison had reacted so strangely to his name in the program. Does it have anything to do with the things that happened this summer that she won't tell me? Has she actually managed to get herself another boyfriend to replace the one who killed Patrick?

Alison just drank him in with her eyes. It had been a month since she had last seen him. It wasn't much compared to the former three years, but she had believed that he was gone forever. Just seeing him again was almost enough. Now she knew that he was alive and all right: she had been concerned for his safety in the modern world. He felt so close she could touch him, and yet tantalizingly far away.

The rest of the concert dragged on for both of them. Alison was on the edge of her seat, tapping one finger furiously against the arm of her seat until Kylie grew impatient too.

And at last the concert was over. Half of the music hadn't even registered for Alison or Kylie. They had just been waiting for the end. But they both gave the orchestra a standing ovation, along with everyone else. And as soon as the orchestra began filing out, they pushed their way through the crowds of people to the front entrance, then walked quickly and quietly towards the back. There was a small alleyway with a stage door, and they stood outside and waited.

After about fifteen minutes, the door opened. They both held their breath, but it wasn't Erik. It was another man, who was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. He walked out and saw the two girls.

"What in God's name are you doing here skulking around like this?" he asked angrily.

"I'm here to see Erik Taylor," Alison replied.

The man seemed taken aback. "Erik? What do you want him for?"

"I just need to see him."

"Can't you just call him on his–oh never mind, he doesn't have a cell phone. Um, what about visiting him at his house?"

"I don't have his address."

"Then how did you find him here?"

"Completely by chance. Please, I need to see him," Alison reiterated.

"Why? Who are you, anyway?"

Kylie listened curiously to the conversation, hoping that she would catch some hint of what this man meant to Alison.

"I'm his–"

"What is holding everything up?" a musical man's voice asked from behind the door.

Alison drew in a quick breath. "It's him," she whispered to Kylie.

Kylie looked up, interested.

The man looked behind the door. "There's some woman out back who says she wants to see you and she won't tell me why."

"All right, I suppose I will go out and talk to her."

The door opened more and he stepped out, looking around in confusion. His eyes lighted on Alison and he froze. "Angelique," he whispered, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

She looked at him, saying nothing, relief flooding through her veins. The tension of his disappearance was released. But the absence of tension allowed her anger to flow through. Without warning, she walked over to him and slapped him across the face.

Both Kylie and the man at the door looked very confused.

"How could you just leave like that?" Alison shouted at him, the frustration of the last month spilling free. "You make one mistake and then you just abandon us without even attempting to fix anything. I've been waiting for you for three goddamn years and you screw one thing up and you're out. I didn't much appreciate being slapped, but that was no reason at all to just up and leave. What were you thinking?"

He was shocked under the onslaught, but recovered quickly, anger filling his eyes.

"You know what I am, Angelique. I have been a murderer for most of my life. I broke my promise not to kill many times in the five years we were apart, simply because I was angry. You are small and fragile, it would have been the easiest thing in the world to snap your neck and not even think about it. Do you think that is what I wanted? I would have died myself rather than let any harm come to you–"

"But leaving was not the right answer," Alison countered. "That's just running away."

"What else was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to stay and talk it through with me because that's what couples do. Everyone makes mistakes in relationships and lets their temper get the better of them. Don't get me wrong, I was very upset with you, and I understand your concerns, but we should have talked about it, not just had you run away. You hurt me far more by leaving than the slap ever could have done."

That got to him. Remorse showed clearly in his eyes. "I believed…I thought that you would not wish to continue being in a relationship with me."

Alison opened her mouth to interrupt but he held up a hand. "Please allow me to finish. You have tried admirably to teach me that I am better than I think I am: that I am not a monster and deserve to be loved. You have persevered in loving me despite the many mistakes I have made and the many times I have hurt you. You waited for me for all those years and you have even borne my child. You have done so much and yet I still cannot believe that you would be willing to stay with me. As you know, I am not accustomed to being in relationships like the one I have with you. I have no idea how I am expected to behave. I thought I had, to use your term, screwed things up with you. But you did not see it that way. If such a situation arises again–"

"Which it won't," Alison replied confidently. "I have faith in your ability to control yourself."

"I am not speaking of physical violence, but of an argument between us."

Alison nodded in understanding. Her anger was draining away.

"If we are to get in such an argument again, I am not to run away, correct? I need to stay and speak with you to resolve the conflict."

"Yes," Alison confirmed. "You don't need to go to such extremes. Just explain your side and I'll explain mine and we can fix the problem without pain. Arguments happen, and if we're going to be together for a long time, I think we need to understand that."

Erik nodded slowly. "I will try my utmost to make that a reality."

Alison smiled at him. Erik smiled back. They looked at each other, happiness turning to hesitance, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Kylie and the man looked at each other in confusion, each trying to understand what was going on between the two of them.

Finally, Erik broke the silence. "Oh hell." He crossed the few steps to a surprised Alison, jerked her into his arms, and kissed her passionately, resolving the argument and communicating how much he had missed her at the same time.

Both Kylie's and the man's eyebrows shot straight up. "Alison doesn't kiss anyone. She hasn't dated in three years," Kylie whispered.

"Erik hasn't seemed the type. Every time the guys ask him if he has a girlfriend, he just walks away. Who knew, huh?"

"Who knew," Kylie agreed. They felt awkward watching the couple, so they walked down the alley towards the front entrance, talking in whispers.

For both Alison and Erik, the rest of the world had ceased to exist. They held each other and kissed until they both had to stop for air. Even then, they couldn't bear to let go of each other for an instant. "Please don't do that again. I missed you so much," Alison said softly.

"I will not, I promise." Erik sighed and looked into her eyes. "How could I ever deserve a woman like you?"

"You've been asking me that for years, and every time I think the same thing about you."

"Then I suppose we will continue not to deserve each other."

They smiled softly at each other and their mouths fell together again, kissing away the absence and the pain. They stood together in that alleyway for a long time, and when they finally broke apart they realized something had changed.

"Want to come back to my place?" Erik offered hesitantly.

Alison grinned. "Yes."

They walked together down the alleyway to the street, hand very much in hand.