The Man behind the Mask (The Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 25

The whole crowd gasped and broke out in a tone of whispering. I could hardly breathe, I couldn't believe that The Phantom had returned. He said he hasn't killed in years, I thought he changed but I guess I was wrong.

We were shortly released, afterwards the four of us headed straight to our rooms. My friends could all tell I was sad but I didn't want to talk to them right now. We all went to bed and my friends fell asleep really fast after that. I on the other hand tossed and turned all night, I couldn't fall asleep. So I did the only thing I could think of doing, I went to go see The Phantom.

***
After that long journey in the tunnels and the boat ride I finally reached his lair. I could see him across the water lost in thought. He looked like a nervous wreck which made me doubt him even more. I approached him tears already formed in my eyes.

"How could you?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Look Tamara I can explain-"

"I trusted you! How could you kill him? I thought you'd changed!" I said practically yelling.

"I didn't kill him."

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"No I was framed, someone just made it look like me," he answered.

"Oh, tell me what happened then." I demanded.

He gestured for me to sit but I remained standing where I was near the piano. He sighed and then turned toward me and began to speak.

"Yes I don't like Raoul and there was a time I wanted to kill him but that part of me is over. I did talk to him tonight and I got mad but after that I walked away and went to the theatre. And that was were you found me. I promise you that he was still alive when I left him."

"How do I know for sure?" I asked.

The Phantom crept over to me and whispered in my ear. "You don't. It's like what I said when we broke into the opera house, do you trust me?"

I slowly looked up and gazed into his eyes. Before I knew it are faces started to get closer and closer together.

"Yes I trust you."

At that moment I felt The Phantoms lips on mine. It was a soft kiss at first. But then our lips moved together like a symphony. My hands slowly moved up his shirt as I pulled him closer to me. His hands came around my legs as he lifted me up to sit on the piano. My legs wrapped around his as the kiss became more and more heated.

His hands settled at my waist pulling me closer to his body so that there was no space between us. My hands were still running through his hair as he place soft kisses along my jaw. Once his mouth reached my neck he started to suck hard. My hands were on his shoulders pulling him closer to me, urging him to suck harder. He moved his swollen lips to the other side of my neck and he began the process again while I was moaning his name "oh Phantom."

At those words I felt a sudden loss of contact on my neck and The Phantom was staring at me with a look of adoration in his eyes. "Actually my real name is Eric. You are the first person I've told in years."

"Eric, it suits you." I said. The Phantom or Eric chuckled at that remark.

"Eric, can I?" I had my hands cupped around his face with my fingers around the edges of his mask. He backed away at first once he understood that I wanted to take it off.

"Eric, please? I want to fully see and feel you." My legs were still wrapped around his waist pulling him in thought so he couldn't back away.

"Sorry, I didn't back away because of the question. It's just been a while since somebody said my real name and it wasn't because I was in trouble." He said with his hands still holding onto mine.

In one slow movement he brought my fingers up to his mask, allowing me to take it off. His face was beautiful in his own way.My fingers grazed his forehead and then his cheek down to his jaw line.

"Please say something," he said.

I stayed quiet and kissed the cheek that was once covered by his mask. "Does that answer your questions?"

I'm one swift movement he began to attack my lips again. He started sucking on my top lip hard while his hands were snaked tightly around my waist. His tongue made his way way in my mouth which only intensified the already steamy moment. I grabbed the collar of his white shirt and brought him closer to me. There was no empty space between us and for that moment, that kiss, nobody else in the world mattered.