Hello everyone! Hope you all enjoy the chapter! Won't bother you with a long author's note because I frankly don't have much to say lol. Thank you for the continued support of this fic!

Chapter XI: Harsh Words

"He must have taken twenty baths already and yet he hadn't gotten that paint off of him still," Theresa told Meg with a chuckle, taking a seat across from her. It was rough getting the paint off the tiny spot she had gotten from helping him, it was practically stuck to her skin. Theresa visited him before leaving, feeling bad for him, but she was rushed out since he didn't want to see anyone. "Now that I think about it, it was quite funny," afterwards it was funny, she would admit. She only wished that it was Alaina who got painted and feathered. That would've been more enjoyable.

Meg shook her head disagreeing with Theresa. It seemed she had enough of Jean and Theresa being amused of Henri with paint and feathers all over him. "It wasn't amusing at all."

"Well, be happy that it didn't hit you then. You were right there," Theresa stated, looking over her menu. It was all in French. She was still not good at reading French, she could speak it well, she just had a hard time reading it. Chef Dupant was actually teaching her how to read French. Meg sighed exasperated and gave her friend a careful glare, but there was a smile on her face while doing so. Theresa saw a glimpse of it and flashed a crooked grin.

She wasn't that much familiar with traditional French dishes either. So she looked at the thing that was recognizable and then up at Meg, "How is their Moules Marinière? Is it big?"

Meg looked up from her menu and took a sigh, "It's good, but big. We would need to share that. I'm actually in the mood for it also, so what do you say?"

"Perfect and to start with we could get..." Theresa trailed off looking at the starter dishes. When she found it, she spoke slower than usual and strained her eyes to read it right, her pronunciation slightly off, "Lottay a L'Impertrice."

Meg giggled to herself, "You mean, Lotte a L'impératrice?" Theresa couldn't help but roll her eyes as she nodded to her. Meg shook her head, "You're in a fish mood, aren't you? I don't like that kind."

"Okay, well, what do you want then, Meg?" Theresa asked her, looking over the salads and soups.

Meg hummed to herself before actually stating, "Boudin Noir aux Pommes?"

Theresa raised her eyebrow, "And what is that?"

"Black pudding with apples."

Theresa made a face, apples. She never liked them and if she did, she would like only the red, delicious kind. Plus not many people in Italy actually ate apples, or maybe that was just her family. "I'm not sure about that. What kind of apples are they?"

Meg shrugged, she never really knew. When she went out with her mother to this restaurant she would actually get this all the time, they made it extremely well here. Plus black pudding with apples was a major dish in the French community, in fact, they were always competitions between chefs that theirs would enter to win the title of the best each year. Chef Dupant never really had won before, but he always came close. And everywhere this was made different. "It's good," she assured, "I've always enjoyed it."

"All right then," Theresa said with a smile, "I would love to try it." She closed her menu and the waiter came with a bottle of wine ready, Theresa eyed it with so much desire. No, she shouldn't drink that now. But it was tempting. Meg settled with water and Theresa settled with the wine, but she swore to herself (and Meg, who knew about her small problem with wine) that she would have only one. Then they put their orders in, getting that aside.

Theresa took a small sip of her wine while looking around her carefully. She said to Meg, "Well other than that interesting paint and feather show, I can see who stole away the auditions."

Meg sighed and then inquired, "Will you stop?"

Theresa looked up at her taken aback and shrugged innocently before looking down at the table cloth. "Stop what? I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Alaina is nothing to worry about," Meg said to her reassuringly, but it was hardly reassuring. She was there, she heard that voice just like Theresa had. "You'll get the part you want, not to worry. You'll just have to work harder like I have told you to do, practice harder. You have a week left to do it."

Theresa stated to her, "Well, I work hard enough already. What do you want me to do? Lock myself in my room and practice until then?"

Meg smiled warmly, "You will do fine, Theresa, I know you will. She is just a girl trying to intimidate you, and you are letting her, too. Just show her that you are not intimidated and she might back out of her audition." Theresa thought for a moment, taking in what Meg had just said to her and she soon sighed. She nodded, understanding. "Besides you're not trying out for the leading lady part. Isn't that Despina?"

Theresa pursed her lips before giving her a curt nod and taking a sip out of her wine. But that wasn't the part that she wanted to try out for because... Theresa just didn't want to. Even though she had the most arias, she just didn't... she just didn't want to. She said shortly to Meg, "Yes."

"You should try out for her rather than Fiordiligi. Let Alaina do that part, you're the Prima Donna, you should do the better role, shouldn't you?" Meg stated, taking a sip out of her water. Theresa looked to the side and there was a reason that she wasn't telling Meg. Meg could sense that there was a reason that Theresa didn't want to tell her. Theresa didn't know what she would say to said reason since it had something to do with her mother.

Theresa shook herself and looked up back at Meg with a fake smile, "I've always wanted to play her since I was younger, Meg. She is the most like me and I thought that she would be perfect." Meg pursed her lips not believing a word, thinking that this was much more deeper than that. Theresa felt that she knew by looking at her, so she hid herself behind her glass of wine, taking a longer sip. She decided that her being the topic of conversation and she changed to something more... interesting and exactly what she wanted to talk about with Meg.

"Well... whoever this Phantom is," Meg froze at the word 'Phantom' and Theresa took notice of that before she continued, "he put on quite the show during auditions..."

"He's back, Theresa," Meg said to her rather grimly. "The Phantom of the Opera," she started hushed and leaning over the table, "I... I thought he was gone. Not dead, but I thought he was gone, at the least, you see, after the fire he wasn't there, all I found was his white mask."

Theresa sighed, it was strange. Everyone that she talked to about the Phantom they said that he was either a rumour or dead, Meg was the only one that thought he was just gone, still alive, but gone. Theresa asked her, "So, what happened six years ago, actually happened? He was in the opera with Miss Daae?" Meg nodded her head slowly. Theresa already knew that the managers had lied to her before, so she decided to act like she just figured it out. What would Meg say to her if she found out that she was familiar with the Phantom—Erik? "So, the managers did lie to me to have me stay."

Theresa looked toward the Opera Populaire that was across the street from them, standing tall and proud, though inside Theresa could tell that many were horrified by hearing the Phantom's voice. Meg asked her curiously, "What did the managers say to you?"

Theresa looked side to side and then told Meg what had happened with the first note that she received from the rafters the day André and Firmin came back to the theatre for the first time after reconstruction. "Well, after the note fell from the rafters, I didn't go right to the managers because of my fitting, but after I gave the note to them, their faces were of fear, but they didn't tell me why. The note talked of his salary and to welcome them back, keep Box 5 empty for him, and there was something about me in there as well."

"Was that why you looked so dismayed by it?" Meg asked her curiously.

"Oh, yes. He was critiquing on how I sung, saying that there was too much raw emotion while I sang, that was all that I really remember, but I was outraged because I didn't know who would say that. It was signed—."

"O.G." Meg said quickly, remembering what he used to sign his notes as.

Theresa nodded, "Yes, that. Thank you. They told me that he was a rumour to get me to stay. A story that they tell performers to have them sleep at night," Meg looked at her dismayed from what she was telling her, "they said the fire was an accident, not at all caused by... the Phantom." It was strange for Theresa, she found, to call him Phantom, but she was trying to get used to it for she couldn't at all call him by name around others. "That... people were only imagining him there."

Meg shook her head, taking her glass of water in her hand. "They are still thick, the managers," she said to Theresa. Meg straightened her back, going to her regular posture. "I've a feeling that maybe that they will follow his orders this time, but last time maman and I both warned them to and they didn't at all believe us. For them to say that to you, is not right. You deserve to know what truly happened."

"I think they barely know what happened themselves," Theresa said to her.

"Why haven't you told me this?" Meg took her napkin that was folded nicely on top of her plate. Theresa did the same, seeing that their food was on their way to the table. The smell of apples filled the air as it came and the waiter centred it on their table. Theresa didn't answer her right away, which earned a look still from across the table.

Theresa shrugged as she looked down at her plate, "I'm sorry, Meg. I just didn't think to at the time, and believe it or not, but you're the first person I told about it since then and that was a while ago."

"Oh, yes, that was the day before the ball, wasn't it?" Theresa nodded to her before taking a black covered apple off the plate in the middle and into hers. But she didn't eat yet at all. Meg sighed , "Well, you should have came to me or someone after they told you that. The managers, they are fools and they seem to have never changed, I wouldn't be surprised if they are packing up their things now. Their faces during auditions made them look like they were going to run straight away after soiling themselves if you haven't said anything."

Theresa looked over at the Opera Populaire, the managers would just pack up their stuff and leave like that? No, they wouldn't do that! Though, Meg was right that they did look as if they would soil themselves the moment they heard Erik's voice. She pursed her lips and leaned over the table slightly while asking Meg, "Do you really think that they are that cowardly to just up and go? I mean, the Opera Populaire only just opened. I highly doubt that they—."

"Theresa," Meg started, taking some food into her own plate with her fork. "I wouldn't be surprised that when we get back there that they would be writing an advertisement for someone to buy. They don't know much about opera, Theresa, you know that. I think they'll just be happy with having the burden off their hands."

"Why would they even buy a theatre without knowing a thing about the arts though? It's just so strange," Theresa took a bite of her apples and found that Meg was right. This was delicious!

Meg shrugged, taking a bite of her own, "I have no idea. I know that the manager before them sold it for his retirement, and his retirement was quite early, too. For his health, I think he said? But, I think it was the Phantom," her words dropped down to a whisper and she looked around in case someone was an earshot to hear her, "the Phantom is famous for messing with the rehearsals and dropping notes that my mother would usually give. I think that he got tired of it, he retired very early, Theresa, it wasn't like he was ageing into his elderly age."

"How would he mess the rehearsals?"

"Usually it would be with the... Prima Dona," Theresa eyes slightly widened at that, but she had a feeling that Erik wouldn't do... that. Would he? She would ask him later on... later on. She was going to meet him later on. She had almost forgotten about that, but how could she forget about that? Theresa found her eyes going back to the Opera Populaire once again like she was being drawn to it. He had such a fearful effect on everyone that inhabited there, why didn't she feel the same way? Theresa felt as if she cou0ld actually... trust him.

Theresa looked back at her, that reminded her. She asked Meg cautiously, "Meg, do you mind me asking about... Christine?" Meg furrowed her eyes to her water and there was an uncertain look to them. Her shoulders stiffened and the rest of her body tensed at the mention of her old friend. Theresa cast her eyes downward, suddenly thinking that she shouldn't have even asked. Too late now. She gulped and looked back at Meg, "You don't have to tell me, Meg. I know that's personal."

"No," quickly said Meg in nothing but a soft whisper. Theresa pursed her lips and shrunk back in her seat. "It's not that, Theresa. It's just... I don't know what exactly to tell you. You see," Meg started to explain and she put a hand through her hair unconsciously, "she never really told me herself what had happened. So, I'm not entirely sure what had happened between her and..." she trailed off, looking down again.

Theresa found herself gulping again as she nodded, "It's okay, but she hadn't told you the tiniest bit of what happened? Anything at all? You two were close friends."

Meg closed her eyes for a moment and there was a short, anxious period of silence exchanged between them. Silence between them wasn't usual, it was particularly out of the norm and the silence between them was a bit unbearable for Theresa. Meg did know something, she knew. It seemed a long time of contemplation until Meg finally opened her eyes, her brown eyes searched Theresa's with a certain reluctance. She definitely is holding back something, Theresa thought to herself.

Meg opened her mouth almost as if she was about to tell Theresa something, but soon abruptly, she asked, "Can we talk about something else, please?"

Theresa's mouth parted dismayed and she looked for her fork, so she could finish eating the food that was on her plate. She found that she was fidgeting with it suddenly, but she was oblivious still to it. She nodded quickly, "Yes, sì, of course we can." Theresa stabbed the apple hard with her fork without meaning to, and the apple broke in half instead of going right on it. She made a face and then gently she pushed the fork into the cut in half apple and she brought to her mouth, chewing it awkwardly. Meg looked at her uncomfortably.

Theresa gulped down the food that was in her mouth before informing Meg, "This is very good, you were right before."

It took Meg a moment to realize that Theresa was talking about the food and Meg flashed her a smile, "See? I told you." Meg took an apple onto her fork and ate it. But there was a visible frown that came on her face soon afterwards and Theresa noticed it as well. She frowned as well seeing it. Meg asked her curiously, "What did you mean when telling Jean something about his funeral before he left?"

Theresa pursed her lips and her frown deepened. From the first time Jean started to be the patron, Meg had developed feelings for him. Jean had the same feelings, Theresa knew. He practically told her during auditions. Meg only just came to her about her feelings about him, she wasn't very thorough in explaining them, but she was thorough enough for Theresa to understand them. Theresa drew in a breath, she wasn't not going to tell her good friend the truth about Jean. That would be wrong, wouldn't it? Theresa didn't realize how long of a pause she was taking before Meg had said something to her.

"Well, he isn't going to die, is he? He seems in good health like was in before," Meg stated with a soft chuckle.

Theresa chuckled softly as well, but there was a sad undertone with it, "No, it's not that... it's just..." she trailed off, raising both of her eyebrows for a quick flash. Her jaw tensed for a moment and she found her words were coming dry. But she tried hard to tell her. "He's getting married, Meg, the date is set for two months in the beginning of September."

Meg's mouth parted a bit taking it in as she looked down at her plate of food, suddenly she lost her appetite. Theresa looked at her sympathetically and a bit apologetically for being the one to tell her. Meg tried to smile when she looked back up, but to her dismay it quickly fell. She faked her approval of it, "Oh, I-I'm happy for him."

"Meg," Theresa started, grabbing her friend's hand from across the table. "He doesn't want to, you know that. In fact, he might talk to his father about it," actually Jean told her that idea was ridiculous, but Theresa would just have to talk him into it. He would do it if he really didn't want this marriage. "He's not happy with it, he told me himself and who would want to be marrying that toad?" Theresa chuckled, but to her dismay Meg actually didn't. Her shoulders fell as she took her hand back and sat back on her chair, relaxing her spine.

"Theresa, I just have a question," Meg started, gulping. Theresa suddenly felt her hands start to get clammy for what her question may be, "was he ever going to tell me about when his marriage is?"

Theresa didn't know, he didn't seem like he was even going to tell her before she asked about the monster. Her eyes fell onto her food and she sighed deeply before looking back up again. She said to Meg regrettably, "He didn't look like he was even going to tell me, Meg. Not until I asked about her." Meg pursed her lips and nodded curtly, although it was clear that she was upset to hear about this. Their lunch continued in silence, with an occasional comment here and there.

It was around an hour after midnight when Theresa had gotten up from her short nap on her cot by the window. She looked out of it and saw that the dark night was only lit by a few stars. She sighed, moving her feet off her cot and she slipped on her heels that she had taken off before. Theresa stood up and flattened down her dress that partly wrinkled while she slept and with a pin, she pinned back the fallen hair quickly. The thing that she didn't care about was her appearance. Without looking in the mirror, she put her hair up then into a braid, tying it at the end with a small bow.

Theresa took her cape, knowing well that sometimes the summer air in France at night could be cold from the breeze and tied it at the neck line of her dress. Then she left her room without any word. The halls of the Opera Populaire were silent and dark, her eyes strained to see that there was indeed some light that illuminating the hall, but the light came barely through to guide her up to the roof.

Her steps were quiet as she moved down swiftly, her choice of shoes was obviously a bad one. The soft clatter of her heels didn't help her silence at all, so when she had gotten to the area where the prop makers were usually and the costume makers, she took them off so that her feet were bare. Slippers would have been the smarter choice.

She gripped the railing tightly as she made small steps up them. It was strange walking up them, she kept thinking that she heard laughing up there, but whenever she stopped, the laughing did also. Strange.

When she came closer to the platform where she would have to go on to take the main stairs to the roof, she noticed two pairs of feet dangling off the rafter above. Her eyes almost bulged out of her skull as she stopped, clutching the railing so tightly as she felt her heart stop. What should she do now? There were people up there that would surely see her. When she heard familiar giggles up from that rafter, her face fell completely.

"Henri, it must've been terrible for you today during auditions," Alaina told Henri.

Theresa breathed in sharply and remained there like a frightened deer unsure of what to do. She saw the familiar locks of blonde hair and her shoulder outline was touching Henri's. Henri didn't look so happy that Alaina was there, in fact he seemed distraught almost. Theresa noticed a bottle of gin right next to him that he swiped into his hand and took a long swig out of. He made a face as he had done so and kept looking forward. Alaina laid her head on his shoulder now gripping his arm tightly. Theresa could see them clearly if she tilted her head the right way.

"I'm not in the mood right now, if you can tell I would like to be alone, thank you." Henri grumbled to her, trying to shrug off her head off of his shoulder. Though, she didn't get off easily. Theresa saw Henri glare down at Alaina while gripping the neck of his bottle. "Why do you insist on getting on my nerves now of all times?"

Alaina giggled and her head had gotten off of his shoulder, she fingered his arm seductively up and down and Theresa watched Henri's eyes watch her fingers dance there with a certain hunger. Theresa narrowed her eyes at them, she didn't know if she wanted to stay and watch was happening or to go back to her room, and skip the meeting with Erik. She was late anyway, she felt. But it was almost like she was stuck frozen at this spot.

Should she at least make her presence known? No, she wasn't going to do that. Theresa felt her curiosity pike up and suddenly had no choice but to stay there.

"Am I really bothering you that much, I just thought that after last night that you'll..." she trailed off biting her bottom lip as her eyes gazed up and down Henri's lean body. Henri chuckled at the memory with a small smile. What a fine night that was, he mused. Theresa furrowed her eyebrow at them and felt that if she stayed on the same wooden step for so long that it would creak under her weight. She gulped, she felt that maybe staying would be a horrible idea for where this is going.

Theresa gripped the railing tightly as she began to slowly back down the stairs. "Well, I—." A loud creak interrupted Henri as he began to talk with a smug smirk on his face. Theresa's face fell as she cursed under her breath for being so idiotic and then saw Henri lock eyes with her. Theresa smiled rather sheepishly at Henri's fallen face and waved innocently and rather awkwardly. Alaina was still looking around, not realizing that Theresa was under them. Henri cleared his throat and jumped up from where he was sitting, brushing his clothes up and down. "Theresa," he breathed.

Alaina turned to look down and then she glared spitefully down at Theresa. "Oh... hello, Theresa." Alaina stayed seated and faked a smile at her.

"Hello," Theresa's voice went high pitch as she looked at them sitting there. She didn't know what to do, she was so ill-prepared at the start of this that it didn't help her at all. She looked around, a silence took place that was terribly awkward and Theresa felt awkward just standing there. She looked up at Henri with her innocent smile like she wasn't just listening. "Uh, did I just interrupt something?"

Henri gulped and looked around himself. He answered, "N-No, nothing at all."

"Actually you have," Alaina stated, getting up and grabbing Henri's arm. Henri looked down at her dismayed and even more distraught than before. "You should be getting to bed, Theresa. You have to save your voice for the auditions next week."

"I could say the same to you. It would be wise for you to rest more than me, instead of having your legs wide open like you live in a brothel." Theresa retorted with venom to her voice and with no control at all. Alaina's face spurred insultingly and Theresa only just realized what she had just said to her. Alaina went to stomp down the stairs when Henri grabbed her arm tightly to prevent her from doing so. Henri stared at Theresa in disbelief.

Alaina scowled at him, "Henri, let me go!"

"No," he told her firmly with a tighter grip. "Theresa," he looked over at her and his face soften with his brow furrowed. Theresa stood there uncertain of why he was looking at her like that. "Why are you out so late?"

"I can ask you the same question, monsieur." Theresa said with her eyes narrowed at him, her innocent smile was wiped off immediately. "But if you must know..." she thought of her excuse immediately, but trailed off, casting her eyes downward. Why did she have to lie all the time suddenly? She wasn't even good at it! She looked back up and stated evenly without cracking to a higher tone like she had done before, "I left something on the roof. I was talking to the Vicomte de Fortescue earlier up there and I must have dropped it."

"You want to talk of scandals, Theresa has taken interest in an engaged man," Alaina stated with her arms being crossed over her chest.

Theresa rolled her eyes at the stupid girl. She defended her lie, "You should get your facts right because his fiancé was there with us." Alaina's face had fallen and she pouted her lips, removing her arms off her chest. Henri however saw right through her lie, from the beginning, knowing that Jean actually left shortly after auditions.

"Very well," Henri stated to her, casting his eyes downward guiltily.

"Now," Theresa looked at them both, with her eyes concerned, if she could actually be concerned for the both of them, "for the both of you, I suggest that you go to bed before someone else would find you, someone that you would definitely not want to find you. No telling what they'd tell the managers if you were seen doing something of the scandalous nature, right?"

Henri nodded and loosened his grip on Alaina's arm, "She's right. Let's—." Alaina glared at him angrily, thrashing her arm out of his hold.

"You're actually going to let her get away with saying that to me?" Alaina asked him with her own voice cracking. Henri parted his lips shocked at that and then looked at Theresa. Theresa perked her eyebrows with mild interest at the two of them. Henri didn't know what to say to that, because it wasn't actually hard to bed her like he had last night. Why defend the truth? He took too long of an answer for her liking and before he knew it, Alaina raised up her hand and slapped him hard against the cheek, sending his face sideways.

Henri rubbed his cheek in disbelief as Alaina rushed down the steps and toward Theresa, who was standing straight with her expression not changing. Alaina stopped at the step above Theresa with her eyes in slits. Theresa chuckled tauntingly and inquired, "Why the long face, Mademoiselle Bellerose?"

She scoffed in response and it was almost like she was about to slap her as well. But Theresa grabbed her wrist in mid-air, with her lips forming a scowl. Her eyes narrowed in slits as well and the two ladies stood there like that for a moment. Theresa said to her, "I would save it for the stage if I were you. You are lucky that I don't demand the managers to kick you out of here," she threatened. Theresa never usually let herself use her 'privileges' or threats to leave the stage, she didn't want to come off with her ego getting too big too fast with only one show. Actually, she wouldn't.

But Alaina didn't know that.

Alaina chuckled nervously and shook her head, "No, you wouldn't do that."

"Don't try and test me," Theresa warned evenly through her teeth. She pursed her lips calmly before letting go of Alaina's wrist and stepping sideways so she could pass her. With a final glare, Alaina picked up a part of her skirt and slowly made her way down the steps while holding the railing. Theresa watched her with her eyes narrowed at the woman. Then when she was fading, Theresa went up the stairs to the rafter that Henri was on. He was looking at her with slight disbelief.

Henri said to her, "Terrific lying skills you have there."

"I wasn't lying." Theresa stated shortly while rushing past him while picking up her skirts to make it to the roof. He would have to leave her alone soon if she gave him this sort of behaviour, right? She certainly hope so, now to get onto the roof wasn't to meet Erik any more, it was just to get away from this man. She was practically disgusted. And who wouldn't be?

"You weren't? That's strange because I remember that the Vicomte de Fortescue left after auditions." Henri stated slowly taking his steps over to her. Theresa stopped dismayed at the bottom of the steps of the steep spiral staircase that led to the roof. She cursed under her breath while looking down at the first step.

"For a drunken man, you do have a sober mind."

"I'm not drunk yet, that's why." Henri said to her, putting a hand through his hair. From drinking so much and having a father who was a drinker, he tended to have a high tolerance of alcohol. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why is it that you are up so late, Theresa?"

Theresa turned around on her heel to see that Henri was close to her. Her breath was caught in her throat and her heart felt like it was at the bottom of her throat. His presence, no matter what she had seen earlier, made her at unease like it did any other time. But she tried to not let it phase her, as hard as it was. Theresa stated to him, "I heard you and her talking and I went to check it out. Now if you excuse me—." She went to turn around, but Henri gripped her wrist tightly, turning her back around to face him.

"You heard us," he started not believing her at at all, "all the way from your room, which is far from here."

Theresa nodded to him confidently and said, "Yes. That's exactly what happened. It's not hard to hear that rat squeak loudly as she does."

"I don't believe that," Henri told her, "Like I said, I'm not drunk yet. And even if that's so, then why are you still going up onto the rooftop?"

"I need to clear my head, Monsieur D'Aubigne." She said too quickly.

"Clear your head of what, I wonder? Dressed like that?" Henri looked up and down her body to see that she was dressed like she was going out somewhere. Something in her hazel eyes told him that she was hiding something. Theresa didn't answer and looked down at the ground. Henri shrunk back a moment, realizing of what it might be. Although, Theresa didn't think that he would get that sort of vibe from her looking away from him. "Oh, Theresa," her name escaped him very tenderly and he placed a finger under her chin so that she could look at him.

She raised an eyebrow in response. Henri continued, "Last night... between her... I was drunk." Theresa's face fell, that was what he thought when she said that she needed to clear her head. Was he really that... conceited? "It wasn't supposed to—."

For a second time that night, Henri's cheek was sent to the other side quickly and catching him in mid-sentence. Theresa's breathing was rough and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Is that really what you think that I need to clear my head about?" She inquired, thrashing her hand out of his grip on her wrist. Henri peered over at her while rubbing his cheek. "Bastardo, all you think about is yourself! I don't care about you and her, why would I?" Henri gazed at her before she turned her back on him to go up the steep stairs that led up to the rooftop. It took Henri a moment to sit down on the rafter with his bottle of gin and take several glances up the stairs. Soon he stared forward, suddenly the drink in his hand seemed to be his only way to pass his time.

Theresa opened and slammed the door to the roof, bolting it at the top in case he decided to come and follow her. Then she closed her eyes and pressed her back against it. Now that she walked away from him, it did feel like she needed to clear her head of that image of Henri and... Alaina on the rafters together, but she wouldn't admit that to him or to anyone else. "Fottuto bastardo."

"Harsh words." A voice came to her and she opened her eyes immediately to see that Erik was standing there before her, adorned in his usual black attire. His white mask was the brightest thing that he was wearing and it seemed to brighten up the night around them. His presence there wasn't frightening, but it was lightening. She actually found that she missed seeing him during his absence. "You're late." He said to her before actually turning his back to her and walking toward the other side with his hands clasped behind his back.

I'm evil for ending it at the most anticipated part of the chapter, aren't I? Well, anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even though I am a bit cruel for the cliffhanger. But deep down I think you all love me, right? Leave me some reassuring reviews that you do please, haha. :)

Next update will be quick since I actually don't like leaving it off how I did, so I might update real soon so I won't keep you all waiting. Once again, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

With love,

Tiana xoxo