Is it fair to keep secrets from your loved one?
Will you do anything to make your loved one happy?
Is love "giving" or "taking, "forgiving" or "acceptance"?
Desiree has always been obsessed with the Phantom of the Opera. On a visit to Paris, she me...
While Erik's hands had a rough edge to their pads, the touch of his lips was soft.
The kiss was soft too, as if a feather was being dragged across her lips, almost non-existent in reality.
However, the feelings that soft touch provoked were violent, as if Desiree was struck by lightning. Heat filled her veins and her eyes which were wide open from shock fluttered closed. Her world tilted on its axis and then righted itself.
Desiree gave a small sigh as if a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. Her hand which was braced on the bed relaxed, her face leaning into that feather-light kiss unconsciously, her senses aware of the smell of candles and leather mixed with whisky. His mask brushed her face, its texture cool and hard in contrast to his lips. Erik's hand curled into her dark hair, which was spilling onto his face like a curtain.
And then he opened his lips.
"Christine...."
That mumble and a strange realization accompanied by a sharp pain in her heart hauled Desiree's mind crashing back to cold, hard reality.
Abruptly, she drew her face back and looked down at him in shock.
Oh gods....
She was in love with the Opera Ghost!! She did not know when or how that happened, but once she acknowledged that piece of information, the emotions slammed into her like a freight train, rendering her breathless.
His eyes were closed again and a tear dripped down into his hair from the side of his unmasked eye. He moaned again without opening his eyes,
"Sing for me, .... please... don't leave..."
Desiree felt both stupid and numb at the same time.
She wanted to leave the room badly. However, her conscience wouldn't let her leave him just like this; alone, restless and in pain. She stood there in the low light of the room, stiff as a statue, contemplating her next move.
After a long while of listening to his drunken murmurs, Desiree made a decision. She sat down on the bed beside him.
Desiree was never the best singer among her friends. In fact, she usually avoided to sing except when she was drunk with Sharon. She could never sing in high notes like Christine, or any other opera singer for that matter. But now, she hummed a tune and started to sing a song almost like a lullaby ...
The song she chose was never her favourite in the musical. She never learned to appreciat the sentiment behind the song. However, this time, the lyrics seemed to be written specially for her in that moment. Each line called out to her, beckoning her to pour her heart out for them.
"Think of me, think of me fondly
When we've said goodbye.
Remember me, once in a while
Please, promise me you'll try.
When you find that
Once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me.
Think of all the things
we've shared and seen -
don't think about the way things
which might have been . . .
Think of me, think of me waking,
silent and resigned.
Imagine me, trying too hard
to put you from my mind.
Recall those days, look back on all those times,
think of the things we'll never do -
there will never be a day, when I won't think of you . ."
A hot tear slid down her cheek and dropped on his porcelain mask. It followed the cheekbone of the mask and dripped onto the covers. Erik stirred and mumbled something like "you sound terrible..." before stilling into a deep slumber.
She smiled tearfully.
"I know I sound terrible, but I'll only ever sing for you and you alone, how's that?" she murmured, pushing back one of his dark locks from the mask. She found out that his dark hair was, indeed, not a wig but his own, and suddenly, she found solace in just sifting her fingers through his hair. One of the candles from his table has gone out, plunging the room further into the darkness.
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************
Desiree's mind was in chaos yet she felt oddly calm when she walked out of his room a while later.
('What should I do?')
A part of her wanted to run away yet another part insisted that she stay. Now that she had calmed down enough for reasoning, Sharon was now back in her mind, pacing madly and scolding her.
('Stupid, stupid girl, Deedee! That's why I could never leave you alone. You always make the worse decisions!!')
Desiree just smiled. ('Well, what can I do, Sharon? I love him. I am surprised myself.')
Sharon just scoffed ('Hmmpfh.. I am not surprised at all.')
Finally, Desiree made up her mind to make yet another one of her stupid decisions. Hopefully, he won't remember this in the morning.
"Good night, Master...", she whispered.
********
Author Note: Hi everyone, as promised, here is another short chapter to get you through the cliffhanger. I hope you won't kill me. Thank you for your patience as it takes a long time for me to write and re-write a scene just to get every emotion right.
And finally, Please comment, vote and share my story with others who might enjoy it too. It would mean a lot to me.
