My Forever and Always (The Phantom of The Opera)

Chapter 39 - The Christmas Eve

Author's Note: Thank you so much everyone, this story has now crossed 10k reads! I am so grateful for the love and enthusiasm you all have shown to this story. It motivates me every day to keep writing. Thank you!! Above is an illustration of Raoul and Erik. I honestly do not understand the hate Raoul gets. Ignoring 'Love Never Dies', this dude is such a green flag. 

Clarissa's POV

I almost sprinted my way out of the Opera Populaire. I could not even bear to stop on my way to greet people. There is no way in hell I'm going to cry in front of these people. You would think this big place with its humungous halls is quite ventilated, but somehow, I felt suffocated here. I simply couldn't stand this place anymore. Once I crossed the threshold of the Opera Populaire, I felt a jolt of shock reverberating from the pendant around my neck. The experience felt quite like how I've felt before at the terrace. Aziel immediately found me at the gate and asked, "Did you feel that?" I simply nodded.

I did not talk much while piling away the last of my luggage. Stagehands from the Opera Populaire offered to help load my things on the carriage. I offered them my gratitude and jumped in the carriage. For some reason Christine and Aziel both remained quiet on the journey back. They kept looking at each other and had hushed conversations. All while I kept my eyes glued to the view outside the window. Within an hour we finally got down at the Chagny Manor. I got off quickly by myself, before the footmen can even reach the carriage door. I sped walk to the manor, desperate for the privacy of my room. Aziel walked beside me and whispered, "What was that vibe? Christine and I totally caught on that. You good?"

I sighed. Keeping my blank expression I said, "Az, once you freshen up join me at the balcony facing the big fountain. We need to talk." Saying that, I walked straight to my room, throwing myself onto the bed. Finally, I let out my pent-up emotions and cried.

I was now sitting leisurely on a balcony, overseeing the view of a beautifully maintained garden with a white fountain in the centre. The sky was slowly taking over a beautiful orange hue, but it was still another thirty minutes for the sun to set. My mind immediately went to that day on the terrace, my first day at The Opera Populaire and also my first sunset with Erik. I often pondered on how it would feel to have someone to watch sunsets with every day. I looked at the wine glass in my hand. The transparent red liquid now glowed and refracted the evening light. I swirled the liquid and saw how beautifully it reflected the many shades of pink, orange and red. Erik loves wine, a lot. He always had stash of expensive wines in his kitchen, and like every French person wine was his quintessential accompaniment in every occasion or a good meal. Now that took me to the day when we first cooked together. The first and the only time I felt comfortable with someone else's presence in the kitchen while I cooked. God, he'll never get out of my head, will he?

I felt like crying, again. Typical Clarissa, always acting tough but will inevitably cry and suffer when left alone.

"Need some tissues?"

I huffed. "God, aren't you too stealthy for your own good? You can give the Opera Ghost a run for his money with that kind of stealth."

"For now the Opera Ghost can go to hell, because from the looks of it that guy clearly did something very unpleasant. Tell me, what happened?" Aziel said while sitting down a chair besides me. He placed a cup of tea on the coffee table, eyes glued on the garden ahead.

"Nothing much. I may have cut-off ties with him forever and I feel completely distraught. On the brighter side, I can fully focus on getting us both out of here because there's clearly nothing left to stay for." I said, my voice raspy from the emotions that I held.

Aziel looked at me slightly shocked. "Oh god, come here Clary!"

With his knees bent on the ground, he is now near the arm of my chair, offering me a hug. I didn't hesitate a second to throw myself in that hug right away. As much as I like to suffer alone, I needed this. Aziel slowly patted my back and said, "Tell me everything, I'm listening."
And so I told him everything, everything that happened on that night and everything that happened today. By the end of it, I felt emotionally exhausted. I'd rather never feel any emotion in my life than ever go through a crisis like this.