After the fire

Chapter 41

Christine came in with a grin, "Hello darling." she greeted. I stood and kissed her lips. "I missed you." I said. She smiled, "I missed you too." She replied. "Why did you want me?" She asked, she seemed impatient. "I just wanted to talk, we haven't seen each other in an hour." I answered, smiling. She nodded. "I was helping Daniel with something." She stated. "Do you want to return to it?" I asked, knowing she did. But what were they doing? "No, not yet." She sat next to me on my bed. "How's your head?" She asked, caressing my cheek. I smiled. "Fine." I said simply. Christine nodded. "Do you know what day it is?" She asked. I shook my head. "It's the anniversary of the fire." She said. I looked down, ashamed of my madness. I could have still had my home. A tear streamed down my face. "Oh Angel." Christine wrapped her arms around my torso and squeezed. "It's okay. Please don't cry." She pleaded. I felt like a child, but I missed my home. "I could have still been there, with you, and Madame." I started to sob. Madame. I hadn't seen her in years. Christine squeezed tighter. "Please don't cry." Someone knocked on the door. "Christine? Erik?" It was Raoul. He walked in and sat next to me. "What's wrong?" He asked. I shook my head and wiped my tears. "Today is the anniversary of the fire." I answered. He lost all emotion in his face. "Erik I'm so sorry. It's my fault, I made you do it." He buried his face in his palms, but didn't start crying. "Oh my god." He muttered. Now that I had thought about it, Raoul was the reason I burnt down the opera house. It partly his fault too. "No, Raoul I could have controlled my anger, it's not your fault-" he cut me off. "No, I ruined your life because I was so focused on getting Christine." He stood. "It's all my fault." "No!" I stood with him. "I will not let you take the blame! I could have stopped myself, but I didn't." I argued. He stared at me, "you've always deserved Christine, I was just too selfish to realize it. If I would have just stayed away, none of that would have happened." He paused. "You always... You always blame yourself!" He stormed out of my room. I didn't know what to do. I always blame myself. Christine stood and placed a hand on my shoulder, "it's okay. He'll get over it." She cooed. "No, I have to go talk to him. If it wasn't for my little break down he wouldn't have left." I said. "Erik! He was right! You always blame it on yourself! It's not your fault, angel! He stormed off because he was mad!" She grabbed my arm so I couldn't leave. "Christine, I don't want to argue. Just let me go and talk to him." I kept my voice calm. "No! I will not let you! He will come back and apologize." She protested. "Why? Because he feels sorry for me?! Christine, it was my fault the entire time! The opera house burnt down because of me! He stormed off because of me! Everything is my fault! I fell down the stairs because I was angry! I got shot because I approached the gun! I am a stupid man and I need to take the blame for the things I have done!" I said pulling away from her grasp."Erik! Don't you ever say you are a stupid man!" She screamed. "I am!" I screamed back. "Really? Who made a house underneath the opera populaire? Who wrote an entire opera?" She started naming things I had done. "Christine anyone could write an opera." I said rolling my eyes. "Who designed their own amusement park? And who taught me how to sing when I used to have a terrible voice?" She softened her voice. "Angel, you are a genius. Don't ever think you are any less." She caressed my masked cheek. "Just like you are beautiful underneath this mask." I gazed into her eyes. I crashed my lips to hers, our lips melting together. I pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms around my neck. She pushed me against the wall. I pulled away, "Christine." I whispered. She smiled widely. "Will you marry me?"