Facade (18 page)

Several minutes later, Christine fell into his arms and kissed him.

“You didn’t even check to make sure I was there.” He kissed her back and relished in having her in his embrace.

“I knew you would be.” She held him tight.

“I’m very proud of you. I will do everything in my power to make sure you win.” He snuck through the back of the theatre, taking care to make it past security. “Tell me whatever you need.”

“There is one thing.” Christine stopped them before they left.

He stared into her eyes. “Anything.”

“I want to see you, really see you. Win or lose I want you to know how much I love you. You without the mask.” She whispered the words, but kept eye contact.

He froze, he would surely lose her, but in a way he had no choice. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

The ride home was spent in silence. A silence that in its own way spoke volumes even though they simply stared at each other, caressed one another, and kissed. Erik knew they’d reached a milestone—one he didn’t want to cross, but one he knew they needed to cross. If he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, he had to show her, but if he showed her, he didn’t know if he would have the rest of his life. She needed to see him, make sure she could live with him, but the risk was great.

Nash pulled up behind the theatre, and before Erik had a chance to open the door Christine leaned in and kissed him. As if in a spell, he picked her up and got out of the car. They gazed into one another’s eyes while he let them inside.

Rather than go to her room, he headed to go to the only place he ever faced his truth, the only place he ever took off his mask, his room. Up until this moment, the space belonged only to him, but if their worlds were to be one, he had to let her in.

He carried her to his bed and sat next to her. “Christine.” After uttering her name, he really didn’t know what to say, only knew that if he shut her out that would be it, and he couldn’t blame her.

She pressed her palm to the good side of his face. “Whatever is there, Erik, no matter what, I can handle it. I just can’t handle not knowing. You need to know I’m here for you.”

His heart sped. No one except the doctors who had been paid quite a lot of money to never break their silence had seen him. Not even Nash. “Once I take off this mask, I’ll never be the same Erik again.”

“Yes, you will. You will always be my Erik.” Though she said the words, her hand trembled against his skin.

“Tell me you love me.” He needed to hear the words one last time.

She brushed her lips against his. “I truly love you.”

With his choice made, he took her other hand and brought it to the masked side of his face. “Take it off, Christine. You need to do it.” Unable to look at her, he closed his eyes.

Her fingers curled under his mask and before he had time to tell her to stop, she lifted the last barrier between them.

Her gasp, along with the cool air of the room, slapped against skin that was rarely exposed. He tensed, needing to get out of there. She couldn’t stand the sight of him. Every night she would have to go to bed with a monster.

Aside from the gasp, she didn’t move, didn’t make a sound, did nothing.

“Christine.” He couldn’t do this to her, couldn’t look at her face overcome with horror, couldn’t see the pity in her eyes, and he went to stand.

She caught his arm and held him fast. “Erik.” Without giving him a chance to protest, she now pressed her hand to the ravaged, destroyed side of his face, allowing her fingers to trace along the uneven ridges, all the irregularities.

At her attention to long ignored nerve endings, he shivered. “You don’t have to…”

She cut him off with a kiss.

Every time she kissed him, he considered it a gift, but this time he knew he could never forget the moment and as her lips traveled over his mouth, over to what he always wanted to keep hidden, he could only hold her tight. At last, he found the courage to look at her, no fear, no disgust, only love and acceptance was in her eyes.

Once more, her mouth found his and he had no choice but to kiss her back with all he had. She had seen him, and she wasn’t running or screaming, or acting strange, she was simply kissing him as always.

Unbelievable, his woman, his love was unbelievable, and just to make sure she was real, he ran his hands over her, down her back, taking in the curves of her waist and then finally he took her gorgeous face between his hands and kissed her deeply.

He leaned back on his bed taking her with him. His control gone, he moved on top of her and they continued their kissing. Instead of a squeal of fright, or groan of disgust, she let out a moan that soon turned into pants of desire as the chemistry they always possessed ignited, but this time the flame seemed to burn with more intensity.

Passion claiming them both, she took it upon herself to practically tear open his shirt. When he leaned up to unbuckle his belt, she pulled her form fitting dress off, leaving her gorgeous and naked underneath him.

After removing the rest of his clothing, he embraced her. Here they were together, nothing between them, and it was erotic and arousing with the most amazing feeling of closeness with someone that he had never had, not even before the accident. Without the worry of his mask, he was free to explore her body, bury his face between her glorious breasts, kiss and touch her as he pleased, and she was able to do the same.

“Erik, make love to me,” she whispered. “No barriers.”

He understood her completely. No better words were ever spoken. As he kissed her, he entered her. While they connected before, now with nothing, absolutely nothing between them, they were truly one.

Her body opened up for him, accepting him in every way, and as if they both needed to be joined in the most primal way possible, they moved together. Their speed increased, he put more power behind his thrusts, he had to be part of her.

“God, Erik!” She wrapped her legs around him. “Erik!”

The passion in her plea edged him on, he thickened and his own climax rushed toward him. “Christine.”

“Ah!” she cried out, dug her nails into his back and tensed, her body pulsing around him.

The strength of her orgasm drew him in, and he let go, exploding inside her as pure pleasure and love consumed every inch of him.

Spent, he lowered himself down upon her and kissed her. “I love you, Christine.”

“I love you. All of you.” She curled her arm around the back of his head and pressed their cheeks, her perfect one against his repulsive one. The act seemed even more intimate than their love making and he couldn’t stop a tear forming in his eye. He never thought he would find love, but it found him.

He moved off to her side and took the pinky ring his one-time manager gave him when Spectre’s first album went platinum. “We can never be apart.” With his words, he slid the ring onto her finger.

Her breath caught, then she wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a deep kiss. “I never want to be apart from you.”

“Never.” Now that she had seen him and accepted him, he could never let her go.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Christine!”

At Erik calling her name, Christine slipped back inside his closet and hid with her treasure clutched to her chest.

“Christine!” His voice came closer, and she bit her lip. Hiding was pointless, she knew this.

The door to the closet shot open and her lover, her manager, her everything, stepped inside. “I think I have a cricket snooping in my clothes.” He rifled through his coats and went to her, kissing her on the forehead.

“I believe it was yesterday you said that everything was ours.” She let out a little laugh, but her stomach twisted, hoping Erik didn’t get upset over what she claimed.

“That it is, so may I see what you lifted, I mean, found?” He plucked her treasure away from her, led her out to the bedroom, and held up the leather jacket.

She straightened up and held her ground. “You wore that jacket on your last tour with Spectre.”

“I am aware.” He took her by the shoulders, turned her, and put the jacket on her. “I take it you want to wear this to the finale?”

“I thought it was fitting.” She dressed in a white leather outfit, and the black coat that had a lot of history would be the perfect complement.

“It’s too big, but on you it works, and now it’s yours.” He bent down and kissed her neck. “No matter what happens tonight, I want you to know that you’re the most beautiful, talented woman I have ever known and I will always love you.”

His words almost sounded like a goodbye. She turned toward him and put her hand to the masked side of his face. He was ready to go take her to the final taping of the
Stage of Stars
wearing his mask, but underneath she knew the flesh was distorted, misshapen, red and angry. That side of his face was a mixture of massive burns and scars from numerous surgeries making it nearly impossible to fix it further. Yes, it was bad, but somehow with his imperfection she only loved him more.

“So what happens tomorrow?” she asked.

With his fingertips, he traced her lips then gave her a light kiss. “We will worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. For now, I just want you to concentrate on what you need to do. No matter the outcome, you are set, the only thing you can do now is your best.” He punctuated his statement with one more kiss and held his arm out to her. “Shall we go?”

She curled her arm in his and followed him outside.

“I recognize that jacket.” Nash waved to her, bowed and opened the car door. “Ready to be a star, Miss Day?”

“She’s already a star.” Erik helped her into the car and sat beside her.

“I just can’t believe I made it this far.” She held on to him.

“From the second I heard you sing in my theatre, I never had a doubt.” As they drove, Erik kissed her hand while he and Nash made a little small talk.

Truth be told, she wanted this night over with and wanted to get on with the rest of her life with Erik. If she won she would be offered a contract, but she knew the runners-up usually received secondary offers as well. Yes, she would be set, but her mind was on the other parts of her life. Erik was right, they needed to worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. At the moment, everything was too much.

They pulled up to the theatre, and Erik kissed her. “Remember, do your best, that’s all anyone can do. No matter what, I am beyond proud and never doubt that I love you.”

“Erik.” Struck with a sudden wave of heat, she grabbed his arm.

“You’re going to be amazing.” He let her out of the car. “Go break a leg.”

“I’ll be there right after.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

“If you win, it may take some time. Don’t rush.” With one last kiss, he motioned for her to go. “Can’t have you being late.”

Nerves getting the best of her, she went inside the cast entrance. The production assistant who had been with them the whole time gathered both her and Chimera’s Dungeon into the green room.

“I want you to remember that you are both winners.” The Production Assistant began spouting off an entire rundown of the show.

Christine wrung her hands, looked down at the ring Erik slipped on her finger only a few nights before, and barely heard a word the man said. All she knew was she had to sing and win or lose, she would get an exit packet at the end explaining the next steps.

“Any questions?” The Production Assistant looked between them.

Both she and the band mates from Chimera’s Dungeon shook their head.

“Then let’s do this.” The Production Assistant clapped. “Chimera’s Dungeon, you are on deck.”

The band left, and she stood in the green room alone. She looked up at the monitor and wished Erik could have figured out a way to be here with her. All she wanted to do at the moment was run and find him.

Her thoughts returned to what happened after this, she never really remembered having a normal life with a home and a family, but no matter what happened on stage tonight, she won Erik and her life, and that was the ultimate prize.

The door opened, and she jumped, putting her hand to her chest. “Oh.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” The Production Assistant laughed. “Time for you to come on deck.”

In a blur, she followed the man to the side of the stage.

Chimera’s Dungeon was finishing up their performance, a heavier alternative rock song. They sounded perfect and on point, this was their genre. They finished, and the crowd roared exactly like they had the week before.

The emcee joined them. “That was incredible.” He shook hands with all the band members. “As you know, we will be reserving the judging for the final elimination.”

Maybe she should have paid attention while the Production Assistant spoke, she never remembered him saying judging would be later.

“Now we’re going to look back on the performances of Christine Day.” The emcee held his arm up to a huge monitor as the band exited the stage.

From the sidelines, she watched the video clips. A bit from her audition, then her hymn and her Broadway tune. When they got to the third show, they showed her wavering at the mic and the explosion of smoke. Her heart swelled when she saw a shadow of Erik rush out on stage and sweep her away. Finally, they showed her singing country and then her last performance. The judges hated her last song—it wasn’t for her. Tonight she had an even more difficult road to travel, because she had to earn back what she lost.

“Go on, your music will start after the commercial break.” The Production Assistant prodded her to go out on stage.

She went to her spot at the microphone and the spotlight shined down upon her.

With the audience applauding, her music started.

Erik had recorded every piece she had performed thus far, but no one knew the music tonight was composed by the original artist. This was his song, the song of her love, the song that made his career. With his music, he was there, standing beside her, guiding her, lifting her up, and nothing mattered except her and Erik and this song.