CONEY ISLAND

WELL THEN

Erik's first reaction was: "Whose is it then?" but in the moment he said it, it hit him. He stumbled back and fell into the chair, looking completely lost, shocked and helpless.

"Oh god..." he said.

Christine's eyes started filling with tears. "I'm sorry," she said. "I wanted to tell you! But they found your body... They said that you were dead," she told him.

"What've I done?" Erik whispered to himself.

"What?" Christine asked, confused. She literary just told him that she was hiding the fact that Gustave is his son for 10 years and his reply is "What have I done?".  Then she remembered that he was probably regretting making Gustave. She remembered how he denied her love, a few nights ago.

"Erik," she started. "I love Gustave, you can learn to love him too."

Erik looked up and Christine saw that his eyes were tearing up as well. That was unusual. His voice was shaking when he spoke, as he said, "But I already do."

Then he told her a story. About how he spend the day with Gustave and about how he learned to love him even when he thought it was Raoul's. By the time he got to the point where he reveals himself, tears were already streaming down Christine's cheeks.

When he finished she ran to him. She kneeled down and grabbed his hands. "Let's run away, Erik!" she begged. "You, me and Gustave. Please!"  Erik squeezed her hand back, smiling at her and for a moment she thought that he might agree, but then he spoke.

"Christine," he said. "Gustave... He fears me, and shuns me, as you did once," he started. "I may love him, but I cannot say the same for him. Besides, Raoul... He's wealthy and a good father. And I, I don't know anything about parenting. About kids..." By the look on Christine's face, he saw that this wasn't working, so he started a different way. "Christine. Do you love me?"

Christine closed her eyes - making a new set of tears roll down her face - and nodded. "I do! I do! Please believe me! I love you, Erik," she kept repeating.

"And love... Love means that you respect the wishes of the person you love, right? That you do what's best for them?"

As he said that, Christine realized why he left her with Raoul. She started sobbing.

"So?" Erik asked.

"Yes," she whispered in reply. "Yes, it does."

Erik stood up, not letting go of Christine's hands and she followed him up. He looked deep into her eyes. "Leave this wretched place," he said with a firm voice. "Leave me."

Christine started to try to say something but he held up a hand as a sign for her to remain quiet. "I beg you Christine," he said. "Take him and go. And swear this to me; He will never, ever know."

Christine knew she had to do it: for Raoul, for Gustave, for Erik and for her. It was the hardest thing to do, even harder than letting go of the past, but she knew that the fate couldn't keep them apart. She knew that she will have another chance at love. She counted on fate bringing them together once more, as she nodded, saying, "You have my word."

Their fingers entwined *is that a word?* and he brought them up to his face, kissing her hand.

"But," she added. "Under one condition."

"And what condition is that?" he asked curiously.

"I shall leave. And I will never tell Gustave, if you let me sing."

Erik was surprised, for he expected something much more complicated like 'I will if you leave with me,' but he guessed that Christine had grown up and learned to take responsibility. He was a bit sad for her not inviting him, but he literary asked for her to leave him here, so he simply agreed.

Christine hugged him. She burried her crying face into his chest and he hugged her back, breathing in the lovely smell of her hair. "I will never stop loving you," he whispered.

"And I you," she replied. She raised her eyes to meet his and they lips touched softly and gently.

It just happened that that was the exact same moment when Meg walked in.

AHHH IDK WHY BUT I KINDA LIKE THIS CHAPTER WBU