Broken Promises
By Sande Hamilton
Chapter One
It had been more than a couple of hours since Serena was supposed to be picked up at school. She stood out in same spot her father Scotty always picked her up in the parking lot. She clutched her backpack to her chest and tried not to panic. Maybe his car had broken down or he was tied up with work. But, Serna knew that no matter what her father got into he always managed to find a way to contact her. He never left her stranded. Her teacher Mrs. Ellen was crossing the parking lot to get into her car when she spotted Serena. "Are you still here" she asked in concern. "Yes," admitted Serena in a small voice. "But I am sure my dad will be here any moment," she said not wanting the teacher to think anything bad about her dad. "Well," said Mrs. Ellen, "I'm sure he will be but, maybe I will just wait with you until he arrives."
Across town in a beaten in stink hole known as the Rats Cellar Scotty Baldwin, attorney at law, sat soaking in one of the many drinks he had had that afternoon. Vodka, gin, rum, it didn't matter. What mattered is that they helped him forget. Forget her face. Forget her words. Forget her look of pain as she deflected his love. No matter how many years went by Laura would forever have a hold on him. Why had he thought this time would be different? It was a joke the way she so easily dismissed him and took off once again to Luke. Luke who used her. Luke who cheated on her. Luke who broke her heart time and time again. Luke who committed the worst act a man can commit against a women and then tried to pass it off as uncontrollable love. An act Laura had forgiven him for. Scotty finished off his drink and ordered another.
Morning sunlight crawled behind Scotty's eyes ushering him into a new day but unfortunately not familiar surroundings. He blinked hard a couple of times and tried to get his bearings. So much about last night was locked in a hazy picture that he could not seem to make clear. Suddenly he was aware of something or someone stirring next to him in the bed. Silently as he could he turned to see who was sleeping next to him. It was an attractive blonde who appeared to be in a deep sleep. Hoping not wake her he slid out of bed making as few jarring movements as possible. She remained asleep as he hurriedly found the bathroom and escaped to its cold sanctuary. He felt like a team of horses were riding across his brain and someone had installed instillation on his tongue. The payback of a night spent sucking back glass after glass of poison he supposed. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. A broken down old fool stared back at him. He shook his head and splashed some cold water on his face. It made no sense. After all these years to still be hung up on a women that would never be his. What was his problem, he wondered to himself. He had a good life and two beautiful daughters. His heart sank. Serena. He had forgotten to pick up Serena. His head was filled with nothing more than thoughts of making sure she was okay and the disappointment and concern she must be feeling. A knot was forming in the pit of his stomach. He had to get out of there. He had to get back home. If only he could figure out what had happened to his damn clothes.
Sonny Corinthos stretch out on his bed relishing a few minutes of quiet before he had to begin his day. Today was a meeting with a local building contractor that had been giving him some trouble. He did not look forward t having to straighten him out. Not that Sonny would back down if pushed after all this was business and business was not personal. The man made a promise. The man must own up to his promise. A promise was something that Sonny took more serious than anything in the world. Well, time was not going to wait for him, he thought to himself as he rose from his bed and headed for a hot shower. He also did not want to spend to much time mulling over things for fear that his mind would start to drift towards the promises broken by Carly, the growing feelings he had towards Alexis and the every present emptiness of his penthouse and his bed. He knew he had to stick to his word and leave Carly out in the cold forever. After all, it was the string of broken promises that carved out his young life and he was not going to put himself back in a position to get hurt all over again by forgiving and then getting stabbed in the back once again. The hot water streamed onto his dark smooth back as he washed away all thoughts of forgiveness and of Carly and prepared for the day ahead.
Lucy balanced Christiania on her hip while she waited for the microwave to spit out the morning breakfast. She had received a call from Serena's teacher and had taken Serena to her house anxiously awaiting the call she knew Scotty would make as soon as he was able. Scotty had been a lot of things in her eyes over their years together and even when they were not together but, she had never thought of him in any negative way when it came to his skills as a father. Dedicated, loyal and trustworthy were the only words that could describe his behavior towards his role as parent. That made the fact that he had left Serena to stand around alone after school all the more worrisome especially in the light of all that had happened to poor little Serena so early in her life. Scotty never took any chances with her. He always had his cell phone ready. He always arrived when he said he would and he always made arrangements for the times when he was unable to get to her. She quickly turned her thoughts to more pleasant ones for fear that her negative vibes would carry themselves to Serena and worry her more than she already was. The microwave gave off a pleasant chirp which made Christiania clap and giggle with delight. Lucy hugged her tightly and tried hard to send positive message across the city into wherever Scotty had found himself.
Scotty slammed down the accelerator of his beaten in red pickup truck and swerved around a slow moving car. He had managed to locate most of his clothes (the whereabouts of his underwear would forever remain a mystery) and was rushing to get back to the firehouse. It would have almost seemed comical to him to be rushing to a firehouse instead of to a fire but, the irony was lost among his thoughts of Serena. Guilt blanketed him every time her face danced across his mind. He was sure someone had probably picked her up. After all she had so many people practically standing in line to take care of her, but that did nothing to erase his concern. He knew she would be worried. He knew she would be scared. These thoughts sent his stomach into great flip flops and caused his foot to press down even further on his gas pedal.
Sonny sat comfortably in the back of his limo. Stock reports played quietly in the background as he stared out the window at the passing scenery. Money was hardly a concern in his life now, but he could never relax and assume that it would always be that way. He knew first hand what real poverty was like and what lengths it drove people to. He would never go back to that life. It was a vow he had made to himself when he was very young. A vow he fought hard to achieve. A vow that would never be broken. The car stopped at an intersection. It was in the section of the city that few came who did not have the kind of business that they did not want people to know that they did. These were the people who made up his business. People whose vices took over their lives. Weak people. Needy people. Hungry people. Hungry for a rush, a fix, a rescue from the depths they had slithered into. Sure he would help them. For a price. A very, very high price. A man, if he could be called that, came out of one of the back alleys. He was dressed in rags and walked with a bent over gait barely moving forward with each passing step he took. Sonny watched him go with little interest. So many people, so many stories. Was he a man spit out by society or a man who had been offered much and spit it back in his race for the next sure thing, the ultimate prize? The man started across the busy city street. Cars beeped at him but he paid them little mind. Suddenly a red pickup truck came barreling over the hill bearing down at a fast clip on the crippled old man. The sound of screeching braked filled the air but, it was too little too late. The front grill pounded into the mans withered bones collapsing him into a pile of broken flesh on the pavement.
By Sande Hamilton
Chapter One
It had been more than a couple of hours since Serena was supposed to be picked up at school. She stood out in same spot her father Scotty always picked her up in the parking lot. She clutched her backpack to her chest and tried not to panic. Maybe his car had broken down or he was tied up with work. But, Serna knew that no matter what her father got into he always managed to find a way to contact her. He never left her stranded. Her teacher Mrs. Ellen was crossing the parking lot to get into her car when she spotted Serena. "Are you still here" she asked in concern. "Yes," admitted Serena in a small voice. "But I am sure my dad will be here any moment," she said not wanting the teacher to think anything bad about her dad. "Well," said Mrs. Ellen, "I'm sure he will be but, maybe I will just wait with you until he arrives."
Across town in a beaten in stink hole known as the Rats Cellar Scotty Baldwin, attorney at law, sat soaking in one of the many drinks he had had that afternoon. Vodka, gin, rum, it didn't matter. What mattered is that they helped him forget. Forget her face. Forget her words. Forget her look of pain as she deflected his love. No matter how many years went by Laura would forever have a hold on him. Why had he thought this time would be different? It was a joke the way she so easily dismissed him and took off once again to Luke. Luke who used her. Luke who cheated on her. Luke who broke her heart time and time again. Luke who committed the worst act a man can commit against a women and then tried to pass it off as uncontrollable love. An act Laura had forgiven him for. Scotty finished off his drink and ordered another.
Morning sunlight crawled behind Scotty's eyes ushering him into a new day but unfortunately not familiar surroundings. He blinked hard a couple of times and tried to get his bearings. So much about last night was locked in a hazy picture that he could not seem to make clear. Suddenly he was aware of something or someone stirring next to him in the bed. Silently as he could he turned to see who was sleeping next to him. It was an attractive blonde who appeared to be in a deep sleep. Hoping not wake her he slid out of bed making as few jarring movements as possible. She remained asleep as he hurriedly found the bathroom and escaped to its cold sanctuary. He felt like a team of horses were riding across his brain and someone had installed instillation on his tongue. The payback of a night spent sucking back glass after glass of poison he supposed. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. A broken down old fool stared back at him. He shook his head and splashed some cold water on his face. It made no sense. After all these years to still be hung up on a women that would never be his. What was his problem, he wondered to himself. He had a good life and two beautiful daughters. His heart sank. Serena. He had forgotten to pick up Serena. His head was filled with nothing more than thoughts of making sure she was okay and the disappointment and concern she must be feeling. A knot was forming in the pit of his stomach. He had to get out of there. He had to get back home. If only he could figure out what had happened to his damn clothes.
Sonny Corinthos stretch out on his bed relishing a few minutes of quiet before he had to begin his day. Today was a meeting with a local building contractor that had been giving him some trouble. He did not look forward t having to straighten him out. Not that Sonny would back down if pushed after all this was business and business was not personal. The man made a promise. The man must own up to his promise. A promise was something that Sonny took more serious than anything in the world. Well, time was not going to wait for him, he thought to himself as he rose from his bed and headed for a hot shower. He also did not want to spend to much time mulling over things for fear that his mind would start to drift towards the promises broken by Carly, the growing feelings he had towards Alexis and the every present emptiness of his penthouse and his bed. He knew he had to stick to his word and leave Carly out in the cold forever. After all, it was the string of broken promises that carved out his young life and he was not going to put himself back in a position to get hurt all over again by forgiving and then getting stabbed in the back once again. The hot water streamed onto his dark smooth back as he washed away all thoughts of forgiveness and of Carly and prepared for the day ahead.
Lucy balanced Christiania on her hip while she waited for the microwave to spit out the morning breakfast. She had received a call from Serena's teacher and had taken Serena to her house anxiously awaiting the call she knew Scotty would make as soon as he was able. Scotty had been a lot of things in her eyes over their years together and even when they were not together but, she had never thought of him in any negative way when it came to his skills as a father. Dedicated, loyal and trustworthy were the only words that could describe his behavior towards his role as parent. That made the fact that he had left Serena to stand around alone after school all the more worrisome especially in the light of all that had happened to poor little Serena so early in her life. Scotty never took any chances with her. He always had his cell phone ready. He always arrived when he said he would and he always made arrangements for the times when he was unable to get to her. She quickly turned her thoughts to more pleasant ones for fear that her negative vibes would carry themselves to Serena and worry her more than she already was. The microwave gave off a pleasant chirp which made Christiania clap and giggle with delight. Lucy hugged her tightly and tried hard to send positive message across the city into wherever Scotty had found himself.
Scotty slammed down the accelerator of his beaten in red pickup truck and swerved around a slow moving car. He had managed to locate most of his clothes (the whereabouts of his underwear would forever remain a mystery) and was rushing to get back to the firehouse. It would have almost seemed comical to him to be rushing to a firehouse instead of to a fire but, the irony was lost among his thoughts of Serena. Guilt blanketed him every time her face danced across his mind. He was sure someone had probably picked her up. After all she had so many people practically standing in line to take care of her, but that did nothing to erase his concern. He knew she would be worried. He knew she would be scared. These thoughts sent his stomach into great flip flops and caused his foot to press down even further on his gas pedal.
Sonny sat comfortably in the back of his limo. Stock reports played quietly in the background as he stared out the window at the passing scenery. Money was hardly a concern in his life now, but he could never relax and assume that it would always be that way. He knew first hand what real poverty was like and what lengths it drove people to. He would never go back to that life. It was a vow he had made to himself when he was very young. A vow he fought hard to achieve. A vow that would never be broken. The car stopped at an intersection. It was in the section of the city that few came who did not have the kind of business that they did not want people to know that they did. These were the people who made up his business. People whose vices took over their lives. Weak people. Needy people. Hungry people. Hungry for a rush, a fix, a rescue from the depths they had slithered into. Sure he would help them. For a price. A very, very high price. A man, if he could be called that, came out of one of the back alleys. He was dressed in rags and walked with a bent over gait barely moving forward with each passing step he took. Sonny watched him go with little interest. So many people, so many stories. Was he a man spit out by society or a man who had been offered much and spit it back in his race for the next sure thing, the ultimate prize? The man started across the busy city street. Cars beeped at him but he paid them little mind. Suddenly a red pickup truck came barreling over the hill bearing down at a fast clip on the crippled old man. The sound of screeching braked filled the air but, it was too little too late. The front grill pounded into the mans withered bones collapsing him into a pile of broken flesh on the pavement.
