Chapter 8- Adjustment
After nearly three weeks, Christine was becoming quite used to Erik, and his adoration towards her continued to grow. They had voice lessons daily, which were going exceedingly well. Christine's voice was getting better and better. At night, they would read in the library or simply sit in silence looking into the fire contently. Erik could tell that she didn't fear him as she once had, or so he hoped. Occasionally, he thought he even saw a glimmer of affection appear in her beautiful green eyes when he complimented her after a voice lesson. It was probably his imagination playing tricks on him, though.
Christine also noticed that their relationship was beginning to change. He did not seem to be the monster that she once was so fearful of. She had actually grown to care for him.
Everything seemed to be going really well. In Erik's mind, things were going exactly as planned. Christine was beginning to like her new situation and was forgetting her old one. She was so alone and unhappy in Asheville. Here, she was wanted. She had him, she had Ayesha, she had nourishment, she had a library, and she had music..so much music.
Everything they needed was right in front of them. No more tragedies, no more unfairness. It seemed nothing could go wrong.
But nothing stays perfect forever...
One night while Christine was asleep in her bed and Erik was dozing in the library, a cell phone began buzzing in his pocket. It was the very cell phone he had used to speak to Christine when he kidnapped her. Keeping it in his pants pocket was one of his many habits and it was easy to forget it was there. This being said, Erik was startled out of his dozing position in the library arm chair from the vibrating.
He reached into his pocket with an angry hand. Who in the hell could be calling me? No one knows this number. No one except... He pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. Nadir Kahn.. Damn.. What could he want?
The last thing he wanted was to wake Christine, so his first whispered word into the phone was, "What?"
"Erik, old friend, how are you?" Nadir greeted, as if Erik's rude way of answering was nothing new.
"What do you want?" Erik was agitated, to say the least. He glanced at the Grandfather clock nearby and closed his eyes awaiting a reply.
"Well, I am nearby and would like to stop by for a visit."
Erik instantly sat up a little straighter. He cannot do that! "Daroga, it is two o'clock in the morning and you wish to stop by?"
"Yes. I doubt I have woken you. As I recall, you do not sleep much. I have been driving for quite some time and only hoped-"
Erik interrupted. "As a matter of fact, you did wake me, so do not claim to know me after all these years."
This was not how Nadir had hoped their conversation would go. "Well, I apologize for waking you-"
"Why have you returned?" Erik interrupted again.
"I would like to stop by and talk with you in person, Erik."
"Why won't you tell me now?"
"Because I do not wish to waste the minutes on my cell phone." Nadir, too, could have a temper when put to the test.
Erik had to put a stop to this. "You cannot come by, Kahn," he firmly stated.
"Why in Allah's name not? We haven't seen each other in nearly eight years. I've come to make amends. Please."
"There is no need. What's done is done." Erik was still trying to keep his voice down, although what he really wanted was to scream and curse.
Although they hadn't seen each other in a very long time, Nadir could never forget Erik's behaviors. He was, indeed, the strangest man he had ever known. And one thing that he could always pinpoint was when the masked man was up to something. "What is going on with you? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were whispering on purpose...so that someone nearby could not hear you.. You couldn't have company at this hour, could you?"
Erik glared at the small cell phone, all but ready to destroy the contraption, as well as the man on the other end. He always was too meddlesome.. "My personal affairs are my business, Daroga, not yours."
Boldly, Nadir stated, "From past experience, I know that your 'business' should never be kept private. Think of all the times you could have been in serious trouble if I had not taken the initiative to know your secrets and keep watch over you. If you do not tell me what is going on, I will make it my duty to find out." It was never wise to challenge Erik under any circumstances, but Nadir disregarded the consequences. This, according to Nadir, was probably a serious matter. Allah knows what he has done this time..
He is an idiot to challenge me! I have always referred to him as 'The Daroga', but he is not an authority figure. He is unimportant, he is nothing! With dramatic enunciation so that he could get his point across without being too loud, he said, "You should know better than to meddle in business that has nothing to do with you! If you dare to come here, there will be hell to pay!" With that, he ended the call and threw the phone aside.
Damn him! Curse him! How dare he try to ruin what I have put all of my efforts into accomplishing! He will not take Christine away from me! No one will! She is mine!
Erik's fists clenched while he continued to think about it. Now that I am finally finding my happiness, he wishes to destroy it! I will not allow it to happen. Christine is my world, and I will protect her at any cost. What right does he have to try to reenter my life now? He was the one who left me in this darkness when I was only a teenager! I was left to fend for myself!
Erik recalled memories of nine years ago when Nadir began spending less and less time at the house, and more and more time with a woman. Not that Erik minded being left alone, for it meant more time to devote to music, but the woman turned out to be evil. She manipulated the weak Nadir Khan into thinking he, Erik, was nothing but a criminal and a monster. Nadir eventually moved out of the house they shared, and shortly after that he and the woman married and moved across the country.
His thoughts were interrupted by a piercing scream. Erik jumped to his feet. Christine!
All anger left his system, only to be replaced with intense fear and worry. What if she heard? He hurried to the music room and up the stairs. Opening her bedroom door, he saw that she was sitting up on the bed looking frantically around the room. Upon seeing him, she calmed down a bit.
"Are you alright?" he asked with alarm.
Regaining control, Christine nodded. "I- I'm sorry."
"There's no need to apologize, my dear. I'm only concerned. This seems to be occurring quite frequently." He walked in and sat on the end of her bed.
"I didn't mean to disturb you. I keep having these nightmares." She turned on her bedside lamp. "They involve my dad.. He's been in my dreams so much lately. It's stupid, really." Christine forced herself to laugh. "It's just.. when Mom died.. It was hard.." She found she couldn't continue.
"I don't mean to press a sensitive subject if you do not wish to talk about it, but what exactly happened between you and your father?" This was something he truly did not know the answer to. For all of his watchfulness, there were still periods of time back then that he wasn't around.
His calm and comforting demeanor caused Christine to reveal the first nightmare she'd ever had in his home.
When she finished, he was left in a state of disgust. So it was his fault! Erik looked into her sad eyes with rage in his own. "You do know that his actions were inexcusable, right?"
Christine looked down and shrugged. "Try not to blame him. It was hard for everyone.. I didn't tell you so that you would get angry. I told you because I-.. I feel like I can talk to you. You make me feel comfortable."
His previous anger was forgotten in that moment, only to be replaced with pure shock. What? Is she serious? He softly asked, "I do?"
She looked into his eyes and nodded, but then quickly averted her gaze to her hands.
This does not equal love, but it is a start. "I am grateful for this undeserved gift." He continued to stare at her. "After all that I have done... Forgive me, Christine.."
Christine was surprised by his sudden weakness. He looks like he's about to cry.. She moved forward and was actually about to hug him when in the distance there was the sound of a doorbell ringing. Both froze. Their eyes met as all previous thoughts were thrown from their minds.