One Love, One Lifetime

Chapter 24

Maribel turned to face him and placed her hands on his cheeks. Slowly, she inched toward his lips. With a deep breath, her lips met his. His heart fluttered with a joy that he had never felt, and Maribel felt safe in his warm embrace.

"I've been waiting so long for this moment," he spoke softly. "You have no idea what this means to me. Never in my life has anyone loved me. Never has anyone willingly touched me."

Maribel felt tears welling in her eyes, "We love you, Erik. To Anna and I, you are a hero. You saved my life. You saved her life."

Erik embraced Maribel. "Maribel, do you know what you're getting into? I'm not a well man... My mind is... Well, these episodes... I can't control them... Sometimes, they last for days..."

"You would never hurt me or Anna. I know that."

"But I can't control myself when they happen, what if I..."

"You would never hurt us, Erik," Maribel said it with such conviction that he wanted to believe her. However, he was still afraid.

"Just promise me that if they get bad, you will lock yourself in a room or leave. I couldn't live with myself if I ever did anything..."

Maribel took his hand into hers, "You have my word. I love you."

She saw it flash behind his eyes: another episode. "Maribel, leave... Erik will hurt you."

Maribel began to cry, "Erik, no it's okay..." She held his hands.

His hands trembled, "Erik can't love." His whole body began to shake.

"Erik loves me and Anna." Maribel was trying to be calming and soothing, but this episode was worse than usual.

As she stood there trying to help Erik, she realized that he was terrified of being in love. He had been so hurt before that even the word love sent him into a nervous fit.

His episode continued to get worse. Maribel, despite her promise, refused to leave him. And so, when Erik ripped his mask from his face and shattered it against the wall, Maribel was cut by a piece of the porcelain. It was a small cut on her hand, but she hissed when it happened. In that moment, Erik's rage turned into grave sadness.

"Erik's hurt you..." he whimpered seeing the blood.

"No, not at all. I just bumped my hand... I'm fine. Really."

Erik began to cry, "Erik loves you. He can't stay... He loves you and Anna too much."

He began walking toward the door, "Erik loves you," he whispered.

Despite Maribel's sobbing pleas and Anna's cries, a maskless Erik looked back at Maribel only once with tears in his eyes and rode off into the darkness of the night.