A Woman's Devotion (Phantom Of The Opera x Reader)

12. How to Destroy Your Wife's Trust

Y/n's POV:

Erik paced the steamboat cabin.

 "Y/n, listen to me. We don't have enough money to get to Oklahoma. We need to refigure our plan."

 "Well be all right. We can get through this together."

Our cabin wasn't any bigger than our old apartment. In fact, it was smaller. All it boasted was a narrow bed and an easy chair, both confined in a closet-like space. A single porthole was our source of light, as Erik booked us a cheaper room with no electricity. 

 "They saw us get on this damned boat! I swear I saw them on the dock."

 "That's probably your mind playing tricks on you. I doubt they caught us. Besides, what option do we have except to see this through? Swimming?"

 "We have to get on a deck." Erik gazed around the room suspiciously. "They could be watching us..."

 "We're inside. I-"

Erik took my hand, and we walked through the giant white halls of the lower deck.

We arrived at the outside deck of the steamboat, where the July sunshine glared into my eyes. The river breeze, a welcome reprieve from that warmth, ruffled my hair. Richly dressed passengers meandered around, showing off their fine gowns and open parasols.

We snaked through the crowded deck, as Erik brought me to the back of the ship. That area was deserted, not a soul nearby. That was obviously due to the thick, dusty fog, which the ship's smokestack constantly coughed over the sky. As I inhaled, it seemed to coat my lungs in coal dust.

Erik sat on a wooden bench and breathed freshly, unaffected by the tainted air.

I sat next to him, nestling close. Over the white railing, the waterwheels spun steadily, splashing odd drops of water into my face.

A wave of nausea overcame me, as the boat swayed in the greenish waters. I'd been perfectly fine on the first boat to New Orleans, even in the cramped communal deck. Now, my stomach lurched with every bump of the boat, bile stinging my throat.

I leaned over the side of the bench, prepared to hurl.

 "Are you all right, darling?"

Erik placed a warm hand on my back and rubbed it in circles.

 "I'm... sick."

 "Just wait a few hours. You'll get your sea legs in no time."

 "Sea legs?  Erik, I was just fine on our first voyage."

I sat up to face him, dropping his hand from my back. His expression darkened.

He mouthed some numbers, counting backward. Instantly, I knew where his mind had strayed.

 "I skipped my last two cycles..." I muttered.

 "You're not? You know... with child?"

 "I'm not sure. How could I know?"

I looked down at my stomach, suddenly horrified there could've been a delicate baby safe within me for the entirety of this stressful day.

Erik flew up from the bench and whirled towards me accusatorily.

 "You've gone and gotten pregnant! My stars, what a nightmare!"

 "Gone and gotten pregnant? If I am, this is your baby too."

 "I should hope! But, considering how today's gone, I have my doubts." Erik seethed.

He turned away and clutched the railing, his knuckles going white.