Chapter 9
Erik noticed Christine coming up to him. Allie came out seeing her approaching Erik. For some reason, she almost in a way felt jealous but understood that maybe this is how things should go. It was fate, and Allie just seemed to be there.
"Erik," Christine walked up to him.
"What brings you down here?" Erik asked her curiously. He would be happy to see her but didn't feel the same way like he thought he would.
"I need your help for this piece, your opera," Christine looked at him.
"This is the way it's supposed to be," Allie came up to them.
"No, I only came up for help," Christine assured her.
"Should I leave you too?" Allie asked them. Erik came up to her, taking her hand.
"Please stay my love," he said, knowing she must have felt a little hurt.
Allie decided to stay listening to Christine, and Erik was helping her with the notes and her voice. He could tell she sounded out of practice or off. After their lesson, she sat down in the chair across from Allie.
"So tell me, how are things with Raoul?" Allie asked her.
"Doing well, we are arranging out engagement," she answered her.
"At least you're happy," Erik said, sitting between them.
Christine didn't stay much longer knowing Raoul would be looking for her. She knew her way out, leaving Erik alone with Allie. He got up from the chair, seeing how awkward that may have been for Allison. She felt him reaching his hand out, and she grabbed it, getting up from the chair. "I'm sorry, but I thought she was coming back for you."
"You have nothing to worry about. You have all of me," Erik kissed her cheek.
"I think that just made me a little bit jealous," Allie said, looking at her.
Her being jealous was new to him. He had never had a woman be jealous of him over another woman. It proved to him that she had strong feelings for him. "Jealous? That is quite surprising to me," he wrapped his arms around her.
"I appreciate you being patient with me."
"You're worth waiting for." He held her a moment before finally letting her go.
"I read this piece from your play they are practicing it is really good," Allie read through the notes.
"It all came from what has been playing through my mind," he stood next to her as she was reading through it.
"You have brought me to that moment where words run dry. To that moment where speech runs dry into silence, silence.," She sang. Erik was impressed that she knew the song practically by heart. Her voice was angelic and beautiful as she sang. Erik almost felt himself being lost in it.
She finished singing her part before they both together would sing. "Simply amazing. Such good control and posture, who taught you?" Erik asked curiously.
"I took voice lessons and did little mini concerts. I knew it was a harder field to get into," Allie explained.
"You should have heard Christine when I first taught her. No feeling or emotion it was very dry and almost unbearable," Erik said, remembering.
He took out another piece that him and Christine once worked on and remembered that she was struggling with this song. He started playing, and Allie read the notes and sang as he kept playing. For not knowing the song, she did really well being able to hit the notes. Erik knew it was a very difficult song to sing but sounded beautiful if done right. He stopped after she finished the chorus, impressed that she was able to get the timing spot on.
"You seemed to be a very skilled singer. I am quite impressed, and you did that very well for your first time," Erik said, being honest.
It was getting late and they went to bed. Erik laid next to her only to sleep and hold her. The next morning, he allowed her to go up and watch rehearsals. They had worked hard enough to be able to premiere the show tonight. The managers walked over to Allie in a bit of a panic, asking her to help with things.
Erik finished his work watching from behind. Everyone had finished up with rehearsal, and Allie made sure everything was clean. She went behind the stage, moving things out of the way, trying to make a walkway. "Looks like they put you to work," Erik spoke from the darkness.
"Hey, it's fine, a little work won't kill me," Allie spoke.
"I admire about you." She felt his hand on her shoulder.
She turned around seeing him in front of her. "There is a rumor that someone is going around killing random people. I've had the guys check into it. You be careful." She looked at him.
"I'll be fine it's you I'm worried about."
"How sweet you worry about me." Erik kind of rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. He leaned in, kissing her lips a moment, slowly breaking away. His love for her was deeper than he had ever felt. The only thing he wanted to do was be by her side and love her with all he had.
"You don't know how much you mean to me. Words can not explain the gratitude of respect you have shown me. It just makes me love you even more," Erik confessed.
Allie held him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. The feeling of being loved was something he had always wished for. It felt like it was coming true.
Andre's voice called out for Allie. She rushed out to the front, talking to him. Raoul had shown up with a gentleman next to him. He was young and very attractive, looking with his greenish eyes and brown hair. Allie could hear the girls giggling and swooning over him.
"Allison, this is my brother Phillip," he introduced.
"Hi," Allie said simply. He took her hand, looking at her with those beautiful green eyes kissing it.
"It is nice to meet you," Phillip said kindly.
Erik watched carefully hating the way he was flirting with her. He watched them all talking about hearing every word. Allie kept it casual talking about her job and the theater. "Tell me, are you going to be attending the performance?" Phillip asked her.
"Yes, but I'll be making sure things run smoothly. I've got a job to excuse me," Allie went to walk away. Phillip caught up to her as she started heading the other way. "I would like to ask you to the opera tonight," he offered.
"Thanks, but no thanks," she said, leaving him. Erik waited for her so they could head down to his place below. It didn't take them too long to get down there.
"I heard him offer to a company to the show," Erik mentioned.
"Yes, and I said no,"
"I know I heard everything."
"He's persistent, I can tell." Her lips met his kissing him deeply. He gladly accepted her kiss as he held her.
Erik pulled away before things went further. "I'm afraid one of these days I won't be able to stop."
"I trust you," Allie said, meaning every word. Erik closed his eyes a moment, fighting back tears of joy. She noticed the tears in his eyes. He could tell that she loved him by the way she looked at him. It was only a matter of time until he could hear those words from her mouth.
They spent their time together holding one another until it was time for the show.
They walked together until it was their time to separate off. Madame Giry led her to her room, putting her the most beautiful dark green dress and getting her ready for the opera. Her hair was pulled to the sides along with her makeup done.
When she finished, Allie felt relieved that she blended in. The show started once everyone took their seats. It was definitely a different type of show, with Erik expressing himself through this play. Christine's part of the play was due to come up soon. She went backstage seeing an issue going on.
"Ok, what's going on?" Allie asked them.
"Christine is not well. We have no one." Allie knew she didn't want to do this but did it for them.
"I know the song, I can do it," she said shyly. They got her changed and explained what she needed to do. Then, when it was time, she felt nervous she pretended no one was there. She looked down at her roses until she heard a voice that she was familiar to her. Allie knew it was Erik's voice behind her.
You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish, which till now has been silent
Silent
She stood up to look at him as he was singing. He saw her surprised to see Christine wasn't there but kept on singing. Madame Giry noticed him up there singing with her, feeling nervous for both of them.
I have brought you
That our passions may fuse and merge
In your mind, you've already succumbed to me
Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me
Now you are here with me, no second thoughts
You've decided, decided
He got closer to her, and Allie noticed him wearing a black mask instead.
Past the point of no return
No backward glances
Our games of make-believe are at an end
Past all thought of if or when
No use resisting
Abandon thought and let the dream descend
He grabs her, holding her as he sings behind her as she closes her eyes a moment. Then let's her go.
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us
Past the point of no return
The final threshold
What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn
Beyond the point of no return?
When he finished, he looked at her, knowing it's her cue to sing, and she sang.
You have brought me
To that moment where words run dry
To that moment where speech disappears into silence
Silence
I have come here
Hardly knowing the reason why
In my mind, I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent
Now I am here with you, no second thoughts
I've decided, decided
Erik's attention is completely on hers as she is singing. Her voice was so Angelic it was like he was hearing an angel sing. They each go to opposite sides of the stage as she sings meeting together at the top.
Past the point of no return
No going back now
Our passion play has now at last begun
Past all thought of right or wrong
One final question
How long should we two wait before we're one?
When will the blood begin to race?
The sleeping bud bursts into bloom?
When will the flames at last consume us?
Then they both sing together as he comes up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waste.
Past the point of no return
The final threshold
The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn
We've passed the point of no return
The song ends, and he moves in front of her, looking into her eyes. She removes his mask to look at him, and he finds a way to get them out of there quickly he cuts a rope with his sword, grabbing her, having her hold on him as went down below. The chandelier falls, causing people to run and panic.
Down below, he leads her to his lair to the entrance. He opens and shuts the door, locking it. There was another room he had for him to hide if someone were to try to find them. It was huge with a large bed and couch. It also had a study and a piano in it. "Was that really necessary to pull the stunt you did?"
"I knew I could do it better," he said, annoyed.
"You killed him, didn't you?" She asked him.
"I did."
"Why?" Allie asked, concerned.
Erik walked up to her, slowly seeing the tears fall from her face. "It's the only thing I've ever known."
"We're you going to kill me or Christine? You can't just go around killing people."
"I could never hurt you." He saw the tears in her eyes, not believing he killed someone. "Please don't cry, my love. It kills me to see you this way."
Allie started to feel like she either had to turn him in or let him be free. It was that moment that she realized that she loved him. "Erik."
He looked at her with guilt in his eyes along with love. She rubbed her hand along his face as he closed his eyes, feeling her hand. "I love you."
Erik looked at her with tears of happiness leaning in kissing her deeply. Her arms wrapped around his neck as they kissed.