My Forever and Always (The Phantom of The Opera)

Chapter 16

Clarissa's POV

It's 10 in the morning and I'm sitting in my room, breathing in the pleasant fragrance of freshly baked bread. Christine and Meg sat on my bed, gushing about the new dresses that we bought yesterday. I picked up the last pack of bread that Robert left me last night. I passed another piece to Christine while opening a folded note in the basket.

"Hello Clary, I left the receipts of today's materials on your desk. We'll get the supplies sorted tomorrow. Also, the bakery down the street baked fresh stuffed garlic bread, got some for you. It's because you told me you get hungry at 2 a.m. you pig.

Hate,

Robby."

I couldn't help but smile profusely while reading the note. I couldn't thank Robert and Pierre enough for being such good colleagues and friends to me. While I was distraught in a world and time that I knew nothing of. Their love and care made me feel like I belong here. I ate the last bread and finished my tea. Meg and Christine had gotten up. While Meg folded the new gowns in the shopping bag, Christine dusted off the bread crumps and neatly fixed my bed. I pour some tea for the girls while Madame Giry came in to thank me and get Christine and Meg for their ballet practice. While they left, I got ready for my own work. I picked up a book I previously borrowed from Robert along with one of my handmade-perfume as a thank you gift for him. I head down to the Opera House, starting yet another morning with the Stage Direction Department. I meet up with the team and high-fived Robby. He put a hand on his chest and made a 'aww' face while I gifted him the perfume. That made me laugh. I took his hand to show him the new canvas I had painted. I suddenly felt someone was watching me, or us. I looked back to see no one looking our way.

It's evening and the end of my shift, I head down to the Lair to give Erik a visit. This time around, I was no greeted by music like always. It entered to the sound of scratching of pen and charcoal on paper. I slowly walked in and saw Erik deeply focused on his work. I walked up behind him and saw him sketching design layouts. Heck, that made me sigh with relief. Erik looked up at me and I patted him on the shoulder, nudging him to continue. I went on to clean the clutter around the place and do some dusting. I was smiling throughout, not because I love cleaning but because Erik has fully taken up the work of architecture. Despite working under an alias, it's a notable work, that will earn him good money and reputation. People out in the world will finally recognise his talent and qualities. I sent a silent prayer for the way things have worked out. I secretly hoped that this could get him full recognition in the society and he could be himself out there. While it was a very big dream, I had full hopes to get to that point as well. I was hell-bent on getting Erik a better life and not the one that was 'written' for him.

Once Erik was done with his sketches, he made me coffee. We were having coffee together on the couch, and I smiled as Erik curiously played with my rubik's cube. Our conversation drifted to a lot of things in the Opera House, his work as architect and my business. I was talking about stage direction and Robert came up, I saw an immediate shift in Erik's expression. His eyes grew dark and palms were in fists. It was as if he was a completely different person, and not the sweet friend I was talking to a few seconds ago.

"Hey, what happened? Something on your mind?" I asked.

"Haven't I told you before, to stop talking to that man. If you can't listen to me then I can make you." He said bitterly.

"Huh, I hope you're joking because dude no one gets away with talking to me in that tone, not even you."

"I saw the man enter your room last night, your private chambers! I was only tolerating him near you because you insisted. But give that vulgar man an inch and he wants a mile. That English man, enticing you with nicknames and you give in to his advances with no morals."

Damn, that was it. His mouth went running off again with absolute disregard of me.

"What do you mean by no morals? Don't you dare push your 19th century bullshit on me, and don't judge me or the people I care about. What do you even know about Robert to insult him like that? Sure, you think you own this place. But can you run this place alone, without talents like Robert? My relation with Robert or any other person I meet is not open to you for scrutiny. So, mind your business because I never asked for your opinion. Nor do I have to explain myself to you."

"How dare you speak to me like that after everything I've done for you?" Erik walked up to me and grabbed my arms. I looked into his eyes and saw no warmth in them.

"I believe we have certain mutual respect towards each other and it was you who crossed the line first."

"When I say I can get rid of Robert, I mean it." Erik closed up on me. His breath now grazed my cheeks and his hands around me tightened. But I didn't break his gaze.

"Utter another threat about Robert and I'll make sure you never see me again." I said sternly. If he thinks he can threaten me, he's wrong.

"Oh, so you think you can leave me? You dare think about getting away from me because of that fool?" His blue gaze grew darker.

I started shouting. "What do you mean by getting away? Last time I checked you were not my prison warden. I have free will of who to associate myself with. You're delusional if you think you'll pass death threats and I'll sit on my ass and listen to your bullshit."

"CLARISSA EMERSON, YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE ERIK. YOU.WILL.STAY.WITH.ME" he growled.

"Holy fuck Erik you are crazy, I'm out" I cried out loud and ran away.

What is wrong with me? What is wrong with Erik? What in the hell was that?

I walked past through countless girls giggling and going back to their dorms, but not a face or voice registered in my mind. Everything around me was a blur and Erik's words echoed in my head on repeat. For the first time, I felt uncomfortable around him. Erik is friend who was my shelter and safe-space, the only man who knew everything about me. He was the first man in life I was willing to go through lengths, just to make him happy. I didn't know what this feeling was, but I knew that I felt incredibly sad about how things went down. I had no reason to be guilty or sad, honestly. It was Erik who acted crazy and made unreasonable statements. He made bigoted judgements of my character and threatened to murder Robert. He said awfully wrong things and the weirdest of all, the last line that he shouted.

YOU WILL STAY WITH ME

What was that and what did he mean by that. What made him think I'm abandoning him? Why did he act so aggressively? Maybe he was in pain, he was struggling with his emotions. After all, he did go through things that my sheltered and privileged self could never imagine.

I entered my room and saw my reflection. My eyes were watery. I hate this. Why am I crying over Erik? Why do I give a shit about a man who said the worst things to me? Why am I trying to empathise when I should only accuse him?

My trail of thoughts were interrupted when a familiar warmth held me. I looked down and patted a head full of soft brown curls. She looked up to me with worried eyes and I could see how Christine looked like a younger version of me. I was never orphaned like her but I could still see my image in her.

I hugged her back tightly and smiled. Christine asked me in her soft voice, "why are you crying? Don't cry please."

I smiled and looked up, I saw the pendant around my neck glowing.