In My Darkness: La Chatte Noire

Chapter Ten: Realization (Part Two)

Chapter Ten: Realization (Part Two)

Her eyes opened and he was met with the darkest eyes he'd ever seen. Only a slight color permeated the deep brown – that of a light golden color he loved. Granted, he loved everything about her. He had fallen so deeply for her. How it had taken him so long to notice that she was the most amazing creature in the world, he didn't know. Erik smiled at her and her brilliant grin greeted him.

"Your voice is beautiful, Camillé," he told her, but she just scoffed and shook her head.

"Non, it is not, and you know that. Your future opera star has the beautiful voice, not I," she tried to remind him.

His cat stood and walked away from him. Immediately, he missed the closeness of her. He pushed the feeling down and he stood as well, following her to her desk. When she sat down, he placed his hands on her shoulders, wanting to have some connection to her.

Camillé felt his hands on her shoulders and tensed. His touch was so gentle... it was torture on her self-control. She wanted to turn around and kiss him, but that... wasn't appropriate. Nope. Not for Erik. We're just friends, she chanted for herself, while her hormones laughed at her openly. Tingles ran up and down her spine, making very difficult to sit still. Somehow she managed, and looked down at her desk. Oh no... that shouldn't be out.

Her poem about her father's best friend was out in the open. She hadn't meant to leave that out. That wasn't meant for anyone to know. Some pieces of the past were meant to be kept in the past. Erik stalled her hand as she went to put it away, and she froze completely, feeling nothing but his hand running down her arm. Then she realized that he was taking the poem from her. In an instant, she snatched it back from him. He gave her a look that was uniquely Erik, a look of pure... sheepishness? What? Then she realized what that look meant. All of her hormones quieted, replaced by a deadly silence in her mind, broken by one sentence. He read it.

She backed away from him and the desk. "Tu as lit ca (You read this)?"

"Camillé, I didn't know what it was about until it was too late. I did not know that –"

"Erik, you knew enough! Don't use that excuse! You know full well that I don't appreciate you looking through my things!"

He winced visibly and she almost felt bad for yelling at him. "Oui, je sais (Yes, I know). But you must believe me when I say that it was an act that I do regret. I apologize, ma chatte. Je suis désolé (I am sorry). Please, please forgive me."

She gave him a sideways look. He was quite quick to apologize today. Besides, he honestly looked as if he meant it and wanted her to forgive him or he'd punish himself. Finally, she relented to those blue eyes that she found she absolutely could not refuse. Which... was not at all anything to do with her. He simply had a good puppy dog face. His was the most attractive; irresistible; handsome; okay, she did not need to be going down this track with her mind or she'd kiss him. Besides, she was supposed to be angry with him!

"I will forgive you..." she started, and he visibly relaxed, "if," she added, which made his shoulders drop, "you promise to me that you will never do this again. I trust you, Erik, but I can only trust so many times."

"I understand," he agreed, nodding, "and I will do as you ask. But Camillé, please tell me; trust me with the story behind this poem."

She sighed. "I knew you would ask that. Know this; it is harder for me to relate this to you... I have not told this story to anyone before. I do not even know why I am trusting you with this."

Actually... she did know. He was her confidante, she trusted him without ever needing to doubt. And besides, she was beginning to fall for him. No, she wasn't. Yes, she was. She couldn't decide. In her mind, she didn't want to love him, wanted nothing to do with love, but her heart yearned to accept her feelings and accept him. No... she could not do that. Erik was her friend, nothing more. Right?