My apologies for the delay on this chapter. I hope the slightly longer length of it makes up for the lateness. I wanted to say, I got quite a few reviews concerning Erik's behavior and how he is showing a possessiveness himself, and I just wanted to assure you all that you don't have to worry about him. Sky is definitely the villain of this story, though I still wanted to give Erik some of his usual, flawed character traits, of course. The last thing Christine needs is two men believing themselves entitled to her, and I hope Erik's thoughts in this chapter reassure those who were worried.

Thank you all so much for your support, and please, do not forget to review.

Nothing But A Lie

Chapter 12

Sky went to bed early that night, and Christine was much more than grateful for the privacy. She had asked if she could stay awake a little longer to work on some of her assignments for the week, and he had shocked her by agreeing easily. Strange, because Sky usually made her go to bed with him whenever he decided it was time to sleep, unless she was the one to fall asleep early. Christine welcomed the distraction of homework to keep her from thinking about what she had done that afternoon, and she ended up passing out on the couch with a large textbook in her lap around midnight.

That is how Sky found her when he woke for his morning run early the next day. At first he had wanted to be angry with her for not coming to bed when she was finished with her work, but he just couldn't. She looked much too adorable, too tempting, breathing deeply through parted lips with her light blonde hair strewn about her flushed face. He could barely stand to keep his hands to himself, wanting nothing more than to wake her with kisses and reward her for what she had done for him the day before. But no, she needed her sleep. She had school.

As he pushed through his three-mile run in the stifling morning heat, Sky decided he still would not let Christine's attentions toward him the previous day go unrewarded. No, he would show Christine just how grateful he was for her sweet touch that evening. Maybe she would like a nice evening out with a fancy dinner, some champagne or a sweet wine, and then when they got home and she was nice and comfortable…

He tried not to grin in anticipation as he ran, knowing just how weird he would probably look to any passing drivers who might see. Still, his stomach clenched at the thought of her tipsy giggles, her pink cheeks, startled yet confused yet pleasured moans. Fuck, he could hardly wait.

Dripping with sweat and high from his run—and thoughts of Christine, of course—Sky returned and found that the girl was still passed out on the couch and hadn't budged an inch. He shook his head with fondness as he stopped in the kitchen to brew some coffee before venturing to the bathroom for a shower.

Teeth brushed, clean, dressed and spritzed with his cologne, Sky woke Christine as gently as he could. Which was a challenge, considering the girl was the heaviest sleeper he had ever known in his life and wouldn't wake even if world war three broke out during the night. It was extra difficult this morning, he found, as she kept groaning in displeasure and furrowing her brows, trying to sink further into the couch and not even cracking open her eyes to glare at him. He found himself laughing a little. She could be so entertaining.

"Come on, baby," he coaxed. "Wake up! Jump in the shower, and I'll cook you a nice breakfast."

"Fine," she finally mumbled, at last opening her eyes just a little. "But I want extra bacon."

Christine showered slowly, still half asleep, moaning in misery. She shouldn't have stayed up so late, but it was necessary. She'd gotten a lot of assignments done in advance, and she'd managed to evade the exact thoughts she didn't want to face. Still, a long day of classes did not sound at all appealing at the moment. She was exhausted.

She emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later with damp hair and dressed in white capris and a peach shirt, hoping the bright colors would somehow miraculously make her feel fresh and awake. Sky had a large breakfast and coffee waiting for her—with, surprisingly, the extra bacon she had demanded—and she ate it eagerly if only to evade his conversation, but in turn feeling much more alive by the time she was done.

Before Sky drove her to school, he kissed her deeper than he usually did in the mornings, flustering her and filling her with unease. She thought maybe it was his sick way of 'thanking' her for yesterday. Shuddering, she strode to class after being dropped off, trying to brush all unpleasant thoughts aside and focus on school.

It was easier said than done, she would come to find.

The hours were long and tedious.

That morning, after no more than three fleeting hours of restless sleep, he had woken with a splitting headache, and when he realized exactly the weight of what he had done the previous evening, he was absolutely horrified with himself.

As if he were not creepy enough simply being alive! No, he just had to go and Internet stalk his young student, obsess over her when he barely knew her, having been under the spell of her voice…

Her voice. Oh, her voice, how it had made him feel…it was not something so easily ignored. Still, Erik knew he had to content himself with being her teacher only. It would not do to hope and obsess over her when he knew that it was wrong. He was her teacher, and even if he were not, there was no way she could ever return his affections.

He would always be alone. No woman would ever settle for a corpse of a man, especially not the angel that was Christine Daae.

The decision was agonizingly painful, and he was unsure if his obsessive nature would even allow him to stick to it, but he would try. Damn it all, he would try.

And so he went through his day, trying not to think of her and loathing every moment. The students seemed especially irritating, but that would likely be due to his sour mood. He did his best not to snap too often, though he was sure he made at least one student cry.

Ah, well. They needed thicker skin.

Khan, of course, noticed his irritability at lunch and pestered him, though Erik assured him that he was simply very busy and annoyed with whiny students. When the old man asked how Miss Daae's first lesson had gone, Erik had let out a shuddering breath and muttered a clipped, "Fine."

Khan had shaken his head in annoyance and turned back to his computer. "Alright, Erik. I won't force you to tell me about it."

Erik's fists had clenched, almost wanting to blurt out how the girl was a genius and would become a star under his tutelage. He held back, of course. It was almost painful to do so, but the last thing he needed was Khan pestering him or getting suspicious about his true feelings about the young girl.

God, he was such a monster.

Stopping by his office after he had taught his final class of the day, he stuffed all of the papers he would need to grade into his briefcase. He supposed he could stay and grade everything here, but he would much rather be in his dimly lit home with Sasha at his feet rather than alone and under the obnoxious fluorescents of his office.

It was when he was striding quickly out of the building toward his car when he spotted her, the sight of her a rusty knife that twisted into his stomach and hurt.

She was sitting alone on one of the provided campus benches, shaded by a decorative mesquite tree. Her hair was down today, framing her fair skin like a golden halo that floated in the slight breeze, and her clothing was bright and colorful as always. His heart ached. She looked deep in thought, just sitting there with her backpack on, staring off at nothing. What an odd girl. He could not recall the last time he saw a student without their face buried into a technological device of some sort. He found it refreshing to see that was not the case with her.

Erik walked the path, finding he was getting closer to her and his fists clenching at the realization. When he passed, she would see him. Should he look away? Pretend he had no idea of her existence? Or should he nod in greeting?

Do not be a coward. Speak to her. It is what a normal person would do.

His stomach clenched again as he approached her, and her head turned in his direction when he was about to pass. Her eyes brightened in recognition, and she smiled at him politely. Such a nice girl! He paused, knowing he should greet her… No, he should not speak to her. He was supposed to be avoiding her. Right? Oh, he did not even know what his own head had decided anymore!

"Hi, Dr. Gabriel," she said before he could make up his racing mind, and he cleared his dry throat as quietly as he could manage.

A mumbled, "Hello," was all he could seem to utter.

"Are you headed out for the day?" she asked conversationally, twirling a strand of hair around one small finger.

He nodded once. "And what are you doing out here by yourself?" He was surprised with how calm and even his voice sounded, when on the inside he felt as if he would die at her feet at any given moment.

At his question, her face fell slightly, but she managed to keep a small smile on her plump lips. "Oh, I'm just waiting for my ride." Something in her eyes made him assume she was not looking forward to said ride…

"Is your fiancé picking you up, then?" The words were out of his lips before he could stop them, and he could have ripped his own throat out. Idiot! He kept his expression nonchalant, trying not to show his burning curiosity. Her cheeks tinged a delicate pink at his unexpected question, and he fought from sighing at the insanely lovely sight.

Christ, what was this girl reducing him to?

"Fiancé? Oh, no. Heh," she tried to keep her voice pleasant. Sky was always listening to her… "I'm not engaged. M-my, um, boyfriend is picking me up, though." She forced the words out, hoping her disgust was well hidden and that she was just coming off as shy.

Though finding himself stupidly relieved that the girl was not engaged, Erik did not miss how her mouth tightened around the word "boyfriend", and he wondered what her reasoning was for doing so. Perhaps they were in a fight? Whoever the boy was, he'd better cherish the angel he had. "I see," he said. "Is he a student as well?"

Christine inhaled a shaky breath, willing her shame not to show. "Uh, no. He's…graduated. Um, actually, I think I see his car pulling up." She stood and tried her best to smile brightly at Dr. Gabriel, though she was almost positive it didn't touch her eyes. "I'll see you for lessons tomorrow?"

"Yes, yes. Enjoy your evening."

"You too," she said earnestly, reluctantly turning to make her way to Sky's car.

Erik watched her walk slowly to a silver sedan that was waiting for her at the curb, proceeding to watch the man that stepped out of the parked vehicle, and then walk around to open the passenger door for her. The man was the exact opposite of what Erik had imagined, and he had to fight to refrain from gaping at the sight of him. He had pictured someone young, perhaps in his early-twenties at most, someone very handsome and charming and blonde and boyish. But the man who was guiding an uncomfortable looking Christine into his car was…none of those things.

He was completely ordinary. Average height, lean-muscled, dark hair, dark eyes, and could not be less than thirty-five years old. It baffled Erik. How in the hell was that man Christine's…boyfriend? He inwardly cringed at the word. The man was in no way a boy. The title did not seem at all fitting.

You are one to talk, his mind snappishly told him. Erik grumbled quietly in frustration as he shook the thoughts aside and made his way to his own car, knowing that he had no room to think the man creepy when he had been the one obsessing over the girl since the moment he had heard her sing. Still, Erik's jaw clenched with jealousy and an urge to protect Christine, because the man had looked at her very strangely when he picked her up. Expectant. Excited. His intentions not seeming to be pure…

And yours are? the voice laughed at him.

Ah, it was none of his business what Miss Daae and her boyfriend did, no matter how strange their pairing seemed. But still…Erik knew he would be keeping a close eye on her. Just in case.

Christine was quiet when he picked her up, thoughtful about something as he drove.

Sky knew she had been speaking with her voice teacher when he'd arrived to pick her up, and when his eyes had fallen on the dark figure next to her, he'd nearly laughed in relief. The second he laid eyes on him, Sky immediately knew he had nothing to worry about when it came to Christine's voice teacher. The man was just as Christine had described him: tall, unhealthily thin, and not at all handsome. And very socially awkward despite his attractive voice, Sky realized as he recalled their conversations. The way he spoke to Christine was just…weird. Formal and abrupt and strange, like he was stuck in a different century than where he actually belonged.

It was nice to know he really didn't have anything to worry about, that Christine had told him the truth. A content smile fixed on his lips; Sky reached a hand over and rested it on Christine's leg. She stiffened at first, but relaxed after a few moments, still gazing out at the passing city.

She stared out the window as Sky drove, thinking about her brief conversation with Dr. Gabriel. The man was so strange, abnormal, and yet she wondered why she felt so content to speak to him, felt oddly safe when he was near her. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination running wild or not, but her voice teacher seemed to look at her differently now than he had before their first lesson. He did not seem quite so indifferent as before, looking at her with slight curiosity and asking her…personal questions. She flushed, remembering his question about her 'fiancé', glad that Sky was not making her lie and say that she was engaged… She could have sworn that the look on Dr. Gabriel's face was one of relief…

Blinking back to the present moment, Christine began to take notice that they were not headed back to Sky's apartment as she'd expected. She sat up straighter, wary, glancing at him, and he seemed to notice right away. He chuckled quietly. "I thought you'd enjoy a nice afternoon out. Want to go to the park?"

Christine brightened immediately. "Really? I would love that, Sky! Thank you."

She found when they arrived that he'd even brought some bread for her to feed the ducks with, and thanked him profusely. The fluffy ducks delighted Christine, and feeding them brought her back to a simpler time; a time when she was on her own, but content. Now, everything was different and scary and awful, but she was more than happy to pretend that it was back as it should be, even just for a moment.

When she ran out of bread and the ducks waddled away from her, Sky took her hand and they walked for a little while. Christine didn't seem so reluctant to do so—maybe even content—and he felt very happy and at ease as they just walked hand-in-hand together. She was such a good girl. He couldn't wait to show her how much he appreciated her obedience; he smiled just thinking about it.

On that thought, he asked her if she would like to go out for dinner, and she shrugged and said, "Sure, if you want, Sky." Her answer made him smile wider.

"That's my girl," he murmured, rubbing circles into her hand with his thumb as he turned them back to the direction of his car.

He took them to a relatively fancy restaurant that he'd frequented, and Christine felt underdressed in her capris and shirt. The nicely dressed hostess sat them in a little booth and left them to look through their menus until their server came. Christine was about to order a coke when Sky interrupted her to order them a bottle of some type of alcohol, the look in his eyes holding no room for protests. The pretty waitress agreed easily and left with a bright smile and promise to have it right out.

Christine's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "Sky, I'm not old enough to drink alcohol. You could get in trouble-"

He was already shaking his head with a smirk before she finished. "You're an adult, Christine. Besides, it's not like they're going to check you for ID when you're with me. I'm obviously a grown man, and I've been here plenty of times."

She was disconcerted to find that Sky was right. The waitress had poured them their glasses of what looked to be white wine without any move to card Christine, and after taking their food orders, she was gone again. Christine stared at the glass in front of her, chewing on her lip. Sky watched her, waiting.

"Drink," he eventually ordered, taking his own glass and sipping as if to set an example for her. Like she was some child who needed a demonstration.

Through her anger, Christine's heartbeat quickened. The last time he had made her drink…oh. She should have realized that it would be that kind of night. Her mouth went dry, and her lower lip trembled. She pleaded Sky with her eyes, but he would have none of it.

"I said drink," he said quietly, his calm, gentle voice more terrifying than if he were shouting. "Do not make me say it again."

With shaking hands, she took her glass and drank, thankful that the wine was sweet and easy to get down, like the champagne had been. Sky's eyes darkened as they looked on her, his lips upturning in his pleased little smile.

She dreaded the remainder of the evening.

Christine didn't realize how much the wine had affected her until they stood to leave. She immediately felt dizzy once on her feet, and she lost her footing trying to take a step and fell right into Sky. Luckily, he'd secured her before she could fall, and she'd giggled breathlessly in embarrassment. He didn't seem angry or annoyed with her clumsiness, and he kept his arm firmly around her as he walked them to the car.

She'd barely touched her food, and Sky hadn't the heart to tell her how much more intense alcohol's affects were on an empty stomach. Why order her to eat when it would only make it that much easier to accomplish what he wanted? He'd only had one glass, and she'd finished the rest of the bottle on her own. Her cheeks were thoroughly flushed and her carefree smile was ever present, and he could hardly wait to get them home.

He drove carefully now that the sun had set, and he played the radio for Christine to listen to and maybe help her relax even more. Her head seemed heavy as she leaned it against the headrest, but when a song she recognized came on, she gasped excitedly.

"Oh, I love this song!" And then, she proceeded to sing along, her voice pretty but the lyrics she sang slurred together and funny. He laughed, having to remind himself more than once to focus on the road rather than the entertaining show Christine was.

When they finally made it home, he kept a guiding hand on Christine's lower back as she stumbled inside the apartment, humming and giggling simultaneously. He shed his tie and rolled his sleeves up to the elbows, watching as Christine pulled off her backpack and gracelessly dumped its contents onto the living room floor. She then sunk to the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of it all.

"And just what do you think you are doing?" he asked humorously, cocking a brow upward.

"Homework," she mumbled, her head spinning as she tried to figure out which folder was which, which paper she was looking for… She laughed, the words she read on the papers sounding like gibberish in her brain.

Sky laughed too, quietly, shaking his head. He produced the little gift bag that she hadn't noticed him bring in from the car; something he had purchased for her during his lunch break that day. He wordlessly set it at her feet, watching her glassy violet eyes look up at him in question.

"What's this?"

"You won't be doing any homework in this state, baby," he murmured, patting her head softly from where he stood. "You need to sleep. But first, I want you to go into the bedroom and try on the present I got you."

Biting her lip, she moaned uncomfortably, afraid to look in the bag, Sky's fingers slowly twisted into her hair in warning, not rough or pulling, but enough to make her cautious toward him.

"I could always help you into it-" he began slowly, but she was already pushing herself to her feet and stumbling into the bedroom. He chuckled; shaking his head again as she quickly closed the door behind her.

Her heart thudded fast in her chest as she pulled out the silky fabric from the gift bag, fearing the worst. She gasped, though, as she held out the satin nightgown of silvery pink in front of her, even cooing at it a little. She had been expecting something terrible, like black lacy underwear or…lingerie or something like that, so she was almost eager to put on the fancy garment, much finer than anything she had ever owned. Much, much finer than the ratty old nightgowns she had and worn to bed every night.

Flinging off her shoes and clothes and nearly falling to the floor during the process, she eventually slipped into the thin, cool fabric, dismayed to find that it only went down to her mid-thigh. She wished she had kept her bra on, too, as the little peaks of her breasts were almost visible against the satin. But she didn't want to sleep in her uncomfortable bra…

A knock on the door caused her to jump, and she didn't say anything as Sky entered soon after, immediately gawking at her with a parted mouth. She blushed brightly, folding her hands together behind her back and staring at the floor. Her stomach lurched nervously; the room seeming to spin faster as she realized Sky's present had simply been his way of gift-wrapping her for himself, his dark gaze revealing everything she needed to know.

Something told her it would be a while before he would even allow her to sleep.