Marcy walked briskly to a table in the Book Café her hair disheveled. She had misplaced Lucas and she spent the last hour looking for him. She dropped her pen and bent down to pick it up. "Miss is this yours?"
Marcy stood up and came face to face with a fine boy. He had sandy brown hair, dark mysterious eyes, and a wonderful built body. "Thanks."
"No problem." The boy walked away leaving a speechless Marcy staring after him.
*~*~
"So this is your house?" Chasity asked Noah as they arrived at a two-story house. The house looked like a regular house with a welcome mat laid on the doorstep.
"Yeah. But it's nothing like your house," Noah said as he led her to the back door.
"You're right. This place is more loving than my house."
Noah opened the door and walked into the kitchen behind Chasity flicking the light on the way. "My family is out so we will be alone for a while."
"Great. So what are your goals?"
Noah closed the refrigerator and handed Chasity a Coke. "I want to follow in my father's footsteps and be a cop. I love helping people. So what about you?"
"I don't really know. My parents want me to be a socialite like my mother but I want to work in Crane Industries. My grandfather doesn't like the idea of a female running the company."
"I don't know why. From what I've seen you are way more smarter than Ethan."
"I know. But don't worry. He will pay dearly for denying me the position. Trust me."
*~*~
Gia sat up in the bed abruptly when she felt a figure move. She looked to her right and saw Nikolas sleeping peacefully. She stroked his cheek delicately as his chest rose in a steady rhythm. There was no doubt about it. She still loved him. But how could that be? He broke her heart. He said she was just sex to him. He broke his own brother's relationship with Elizabeth. The man lying next to her was not the man she fell in love with. He was an imposter. Gia jumped out the bed and ran to the bathroom. She came back with a glass in her hand. She poured the cold contents on Nikolas's head causing him to thrash wildly.
"What in the hell?"
"Get out," Gia ordered.
"Gia what's wrong? Nikolas reached for Gia's hand.
"I can't believe I almost fell into your trap. Just leave!"
"Gia…"
"Please Nik. If you care you will just leave me alone for the rest of the time I am here."
Nikolas pulled his clothes on and gave Gia a long loving look. He then walked out the room leaving Gia to cry on the floor.
*~*~
"See this place is always deserted." Camilla led Jamal into the Crane Cabin and turned on a lamp. "Oh this is just great," she mumbled as she looked at a mantle adorned with pictures of Julian, Ivy, Ethan, and Sheridan but none of Camilla, Chasity, Anastasia, or Lucas.
"What's wrong?"
"You go away to school for fourteen years, and your family forgets all about you. Some people think that being a Crane is all that, but it's not."
Camilla sat on the couch and laid her head in her hands.
"What is it like?" Jamal asked her.
"They expect you to do things. Like marry somebody you don't love just to make a business merger. I was supposed to go on a date with Bradley Hotchkiss but I paid him so we could go on a date."
"You did that for me? I could have been a rapist for all you know."
Camilla shook her head. "I trust you even though we met today. And then you would think that my mother would help you but she doesn't. She only cares about Ethan. The only person who cares about all of us equally is Aunt Sheridan. But it's not the same. I need my mother. I need the woman who gave birth to me."
"And I thought I had it bad."
"Am I that bad of a person?" Camilla sobbed.
"I don't think so. I think you are a beautiful, intelligent, nice person. And I am glad I didn't walk out earlier."
Camilla raised her head tears still spilling from her eyes. Jamal brushed the tear away as he closed the space between them. His lips parted slightly. Camilla inched closer.
BRRNG!!!!!!!!!
The shrill sound of Camilla's phone caused Jamal to jump to the other end of the couch. "I'll be right back."
Camilla ran into the master bedroom and closed the door. "Hello?"
"I thought I said you were accompanying Bradley instead of this thug."
"Grandfather I do not have time for this." Camilla reached for the end button.
"Don't you dare hang up on me!" Alistair barked. "You will do what I say!"
"Just because Father listens to you doesn't mean I have to. I am finally happy and you don't care. All you care about is the damn Crane name! That is why I hate you!" Camilla hung up the phone and threw it across the room.
*~*~
Anastasia stumbled into her room Jason behind her. She decided to climb in the window so she wouldn't have to face the third degree from her mother. "Thanks for the jacket Jase." She took the jacked off and handed it to him.
"It's the least I could do since you snuck out to come meet me."
Silence followed his sentence and Anastasia took off her platforms. "Well I guess I'll see you later."
Stacy grabbed his arm and kissed Jason passionately. Jason, who was taken aback by her sudden passion, returned the kiss hungrily. As the kiss grew more intense, the door swung open and light from the hallway streamed in Anastasia's room. "Anastasia what in the hell is this?" Ivy screeched.
"Mother!"
Ivy ignored her daughter as she turned to Jason. "You get out before I have security up here."
Jason ran out the room before Ivy could attack him. "Why did you do that?" Anastasia demanded.
"Don't question me Anastasia. You are grounded."
"Grounded? You can't ground me."
Ivy looked at her daughter surprised. "Why not?"
"Because I know your secret about beloved Ethan." Anastasia walked out the room leaving a pensive Ivy alone.
*~*~
Gabriel and Jamal walked into the hotel room and sighed when they saw Gia sitting on floor crying uncontrollably. Gabriel went over and hugged Gia as Jamal cleared off the bed. "So he came here tonight?" Gabriel asked.
Gia nodded her head.
"It's going to be okay I promise."
*~*~
Simone sighed as she listened to Kay ramble on about her schemes for Miguel. After Gabriel had left, Kay came over and dragged her to the wharf so she could help her plot and scheme. "Kay maybe it's time for you to move on," Simone suggested to her friend.
Kay stopped dead in her tracks. Not because of Simone's suggestion but because of the sight before her. "Oh my god Simone look!"
Kay knelt next to an unconscious man lying on the wharf. Simone crouched next to hear and took out the mystery man's wallet. "Simone is you trying to rob him?"
"No! I'm checking for identification," Simone explained as she searched for a driver's license.
"So who is he?" Kay asked.
"Lucas Crane."
"Simone we have to get him to the hospital." Kay swung Lucas's arm around her neck as Simone did the same. The two then struggled off the wharf.
*~*~
Jessica tugged her dress self-consciously as she walked into the Book Café behind Belle and Shawn. They were meeting Phillip, Charity, Miguel, and Reese. Reese. Just thinking of him made Jessica nervous. Who would have known that she fell for her sister's boyfriend? She turned around to leave the Book Café when she heard him call her name. She turned around to see Reese running towards her. His eyes were no longer hiding behind glasses and he let his muscles show more. She counted to ten to calm her nerves.
"Hey Reese."
Reese's heart leapt in his throat at the way Jessica said his name. So loving, soft, and innocent. He looked in awe as she tucked her brown hair behind her ear. Her hazel eyes shone brightly in the Book Café light. When did he actually fall for her? Was it over the summer when they were on Warlock Island? Or did he already have these feelings for her and he just ignored them? Well he couldn't remember when he fell for her. He just knew he did. Hard at that.
"Hey Jess. Aren't you going to join us?"
"I guess I could."
They started for the table and Reese turned to face her. "You look great."
"Thanks. So do you."
*~*~
"Phillip what are you looking at?"
Phillip turned away from the person he was staring at and looked at his friends. "I was looking at her. Isn't she beautiful?"
"Isn't that the girl you met earlier?" Charity asked him.
"Yeah. I should've asked her name."
"Go do it now," Shawn urged.
Phillip stood up and walked over to the table where the girl was sitting at. "Hi. I was wondering if I could buy you something to drink."
"Don't you want to know my name?"
"Only if you want me to."
"Marcy Winthrop."
"Phillip Kiriakis. So how about that drink?"
Marcy smiled. "I would love that."
*~*~
Paloma turned the television off and stretched her arms above her head. After Bradley had bought her a latte, they came to her house and watched a movie on TV. She thought that he would have been a snob but he wasn't. He was somebody she could get along with. Someone to get her through the nightmare of being left alone with Theresa and Ethan.
"I had a great time Paloma Who would have known that having a latte would let me talk to a gorgeous girl?"
Paloma blushed as she subtly moved closer to Bradley. They leaned closer and Paloma closed her eyes instantly.
"Paloma are you here?" Luis and Sheridan stopped abruptly as they saw the compromising position the two teenagers were in.
Paloma jumped up quickly as Bradley followed suit. "Maybe I should go. I'll see you again right?" Bradley asked.
Paloma nodded as she wrote her number on a piece of paper. "Definitely."
Bradley contemplated on hugging Paloma but decided against it as he saw steam come out Luis's ears. He walked out the door hoping not to touch Luis.
Paloma held her hand up as Luis opened his mouth to speak. "Save it Luis. Just save it."
*~*~
Ivy picked up the phone wondering where the maids were. "Hello Ivy Crane speaking."
"Hello Mrs. Crane?"
Ivy's brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to figure out who the caller was. "Who are you? And how did you get this number?"
"I'm Kay Bennett and I just called to say that me and my friend found your son Lucas passed out on the wharf this evening."
Ivy gripped a nearby chair for support. "Where is he now?"
"He's at Harmony Hospital."
"I'll be right there." Ivy hung the phone up and ran to Julian's study.
"What is it now Ice Queen?"
"We have to go to Harmony Hospital. Now"
Ivy grabbed Julian's arm and dragged him out the study.
