Chandelier

Chapter Twenty One

The ball was amazing. I talked with the dancers and stayed with Michelle and Meg. "Pray to god your lover doesn't decide to bombard us again." Sorelli laughed.
"Sorelli I haven't spoken with him in almost a month...I don't think we will see him again." I said looking down. Meg could tell I was uncomfortable and pulled me aside. "You still haven't heard from him have you?" She said rubbing my arm, I looked down contemplating and it all hit me. She pulled me into a hug and I let a few tears out, "oh Meg I don't understand...have I disappointed him, am I not good enough, has he moved on to another." She hugged me tight letting me cry into her shoulder. "Oh Collette, he's just waiting for the right time." She said pulling me away and rubbing my shoulder again. "Here, have a drink." She said picking one off a platter as the waiter walked by. "Thank you." I said, she turned to walk away and I stood off to the side watching everybody dance. It felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders, megs words really helped me maybe he is just waiting. I waited around watching the dazzling lights and dancers. It was amusing but I felt empty. I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned to see what it was, "Dimitri?!?" I said confused as I turned to face him. "Shouldn't you be with Andre and Firmin?" I questioned. "I've been shown off by them all night. I don't think I can be made into any more of an object." He laughed, I joined in with the laughing and we talked some more. "Well I think their star should get back to his pedestal. I can't be holding you back any longer." I said smiling. "I see more than two stars in this room and the brightest one is hidden in the shadows." He said setting his drink down. "Come let's dance." He said smiling and setting out his hand. I set my drink down and took his hand as we whirled and spun around the dance floor, I got lost in the night and the dancing I'd never felt so alive in the past few weeks. We'd been dancing for close to an hour before Dimitri pulled me away and up the golden staircase. He pulled me over to the shadowed area to a golden framed door. "Dimitri where are we going." I said whispering as he opened the door slowly and quietly. "The roof." He said smiling as he pulled me out the door closing it quietly behind him. "Why are we on the roof Dimitri." I said as he walked me up to the top of the roof. "I saw you upset earlier, I wanted to show you this place." He said facing me. "Look I'm not like everybody else here...I'm not rich and I'm just a stand in for Piangi while he's gone, I've been struggling and this has helped me to relax." He said getting excited to show me this section of the Opera House. "Look it may not help you but it's worth it to try." He said smiling. "That's kind of you but I don't see anything that could help you relax here Dimitri." I said almost laughing. "Just look." He placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face the view of the beautiful city of Paris. "It's...its-." I started "beautiful." He finished. The beautiful country on the outskirts of Paris and the bustling city below us were all visible. I had a couple tears trickle down my cheek. He turned to face me and placed his hand on my cheek wiping the tears away. "Are you okay?" He said, pulling my focus back over to him. I didn't have words, I just collapsed into his arms. I bawled like a baby in his embrace, I hadn't been able to do this in so long it felt amazing doing it for once In such a long time. "Co-Collette." He said placing a hand on my back. "Th-thank you...thank you so much." He paused for a second then held me tighter against him. He held me for a while before pulling me away to face me, "Oh Collette-." He started but I cut him off. I didn't even know what I was doing. I just kissed him. It wasn't a long kiss but it wasn't a short kiss, it was enough to show how much I cared and how much this meant to me. He just stared at me for a while before pulling me back into a hug. I melted into his arms. I haven't had affection or love or someone to care for me in the longest time. What felt like century's I just never wanted it to end. "Dimitri!" A voice yelled from the door. "What are you doing? You're the star of the show get down here...Collette get back inside it's freezing out here you'll catch a cold and ruin your voice." Andre yelled as we laughed walking down the steps with him trailing behind me. We returned to the party and Dimitri was ushered away from me with Andre but it didn't matter, I was ecstatic for the rest of the party dancing with strangers and conversing with customers. By the end of the party I was stuck in a daze, I walked back to my room getting changed into a dressing gown and laying down on my bed. I smiled at the ceiling recounting my night, I finally felt loved again, I finally felt like me again.