Chapter 12
Skye excused herself to go to the restroom so she could cool down. When she came out, Sonny was standing there. She raised one eyebrow mockingly. Sonny ignored her look. "Carly may not be my wife anymore, but I still care a great deal about her, and I will not let her be hurt." Skye rolled her eyes. "What are you babbling about?" A muscle worked in his jaw. "Carly and Jax have barely unpacked from their honeymoon, and you're already scheming to get him back." Skye stared at him thunderstruck for a moment. Then she started laughing. "My mind may be bent, but yours is absolutely twisted. Where the hell did you get the idea that I'm scheming to get Jax?" Sonny glared at her. "I should have figured it out when you went rushing off to Rome to do him a 'favor' that had nothing to do with your company. I guess I was distracted. But seeing you here with him tonight, having that intimate little dinner, everything clicked into place. You want him back, and you don't even care that he's married." Skye folded her arms. "I never had him in the first place. But that's not the point. I don't care what you think of me. I'm sick to death of defending myself to you. But I won't let you denigrate Jax. He never laid a finger on me when he was single, and he damn well won't now. He loves Carly and wouldn't dream of cheating on her."
Sonny cocked his head. "Do you always play Jax's defender?" Skye blinked at the coincidental similarity to Jax's comment. "Why do you care what I do or feel concerning Jax?" He looked away. "I told you, I still care about Carly and don't want to see her hurt." All of a sudden, Skye felt drained. "Look, Sonny. You have business dinners with Alexis all the time, right?" Sonny nodded. "Well that's all this is. Jax was eager to know what happened in Rome, and I didn't want to tell him about it over the phone. He was the one who suggested dinner, but that was only because Carly went to the club to catch up on work. Satisfied?" There was a long pause as they stared at each other. Then Sonny looked away and shook his head. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions." He walked off without saying anything else.
ELQ – office of the CEO
Skye tried to get some work done, and not think about her encounter with Sonny the previous evening. She was interrupted by the arrival of a package. She could tell by the shape that it was the painting she had purchased in Rome. She uncrated it, and stood staring at its beauty. She was glad she hadnt chosen the other painting, it would have been too much of a reminder of their interlude on the picnic blanket. She called in an assistant to help her hang it on the wall. It was perfect. For some reason it triggered a reminder in her head about something she had been meaning to do. She walked over to her desk and scrutinized her calendar. After awhile she decided that if she rearranged her schedule just a tad, she could fit in a visit to Pine Valley in a month. She checked her address book to make sure she had the number right, and picked up the phone to dial Adam's number. When he answered, she said, "Adam, its me, Skye." She took a deep breath. "What are you doing Labor Day weekend?"
Sonny's Penthouse
Sonny walked in the door and immediately noticed the crate sitting by the couch. He looked inquiringly at Johnny. "It came earlier. We checked it over and it seems okay. It came from Rome." Sonny instantly remembered what it was, and closed his eyes. He went over to the couch and sat down, rubbing his face with his hands. He had been delusional when he purchased that painting. Delusional in thinking that it represented the start of something…perhaps wonderful. He looked over at the crate, not having to see the contents to remember what it looked like. The image was etched into his brain. He was convinced that the artist had been to that exact same clearing, the detail was too similar. Skye had chosen the painting of the woman reading, and now he knew why. Their picnic had been meaningless to her. He was glad she didn't know he had purchased this one.
Sonny thought about what he would do with it. He could send it back. He could give it away to some charity auction. He could break it into little pieces for his fireplace. Or he could hang it up and have a constant reminder that he should never let his guard down. Sonny grimly decided that the last option was perhaps the most fitting. He pulled the painting out of its sleeve, and felt a stab of pain. Why the hell had he allowed her to get so close so quickly? Hadnt he learned his lesson by now? Sonny thought about the night before, when he had seen Skye and Jax in such a deep conversation. He remembered how he had jumped to conclusions. He seemed to always be in a red haze around Skye. Except when they were getting along, and then it was…
There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Johnny poked his head in. "Carly and Michael are here to see you." He waved them in, hugging Michael. "Did it come yet? Is that it?" the little boy shouted excitedly, pointing towards the crate. Sonny laughed, and Carly rolled her eyes. "Mikey's been bugging me ever since we got home two days ago. He's dying to find out if his gift from Italy has come yet. He insisted on coming over." Sonny ruffled the boy's head. "Sorry to disappoint you champ, but that ain't it. I think it will probably come tomorrow." Carly took a look at the painting. "That's a beautiful setting. Did you get that in Rome?" Sonny nodded. "Did you have a good time?" Sonny paused, remembering Skye's answer to the question last night. "It's a beautiful city." Carly narrowed her eyes at him. "Hey, Mikey, didn't you say you wanted to get something from your room?" The little boy nodded, and he took off up the stairs.
Carly folded her arms. "You want to tell me what happened with Skye?" Sonny looked at her, his face unreadable. He shrugged. "Well Jax probably told you that we had a run-in with Dawson." Carly shook her head. "I mean after that. Letitia mentioned you were gone a week. Jax said that Skye was there a week. So spill it." Sonny laughed. "I'm not going to confide in you about my love life." Carly's eyes widened. "Love life? Are you telling me that you've got a relationship with her now? Are you out of your mind? She's poison, Sonny. She will hurt you, even worse than I did. You deserve better." Sonny glared at her. "Do I? Do I have a right to demand someone in my life who is completely trustworthy, for the sole reason that if they weren't, I would never forgive them? No. Because like with Lily, I would end up betraying them instead. I'm the one who's poison, Carly, even you could see that. That's why you signed the divorce papers and moved on with your life." Carly was crying now. "Sonny, please. Don't do this to yourself." Sonny spread his hands. "Hey, don't worry about me, Carly. If it makes you feel better, I'm not in a relationship with Skye. She's too smart to get involved with the likes of me." Sonny grinned, but Carly just glared at him, knowing it was a facade.
Skye excused herself to go to the restroom so she could cool down. When she came out, Sonny was standing there. She raised one eyebrow mockingly. Sonny ignored her look. "Carly may not be my wife anymore, but I still care a great deal about her, and I will not let her be hurt." Skye rolled her eyes. "What are you babbling about?" A muscle worked in his jaw. "Carly and Jax have barely unpacked from their honeymoon, and you're already scheming to get him back." Skye stared at him thunderstruck for a moment. Then she started laughing. "My mind may be bent, but yours is absolutely twisted. Where the hell did you get the idea that I'm scheming to get Jax?" Sonny glared at her. "I should have figured it out when you went rushing off to Rome to do him a 'favor' that had nothing to do with your company. I guess I was distracted. But seeing you here with him tonight, having that intimate little dinner, everything clicked into place. You want him back, and you don't even care that he's married." Skye folded her arms. "I never had him in the first place. But that's not the point. I don't care what you think of me. I'm sick to death of defending myself to you. But I won't let you denigrate Jax. He never laid a finger on me when he was single, and he damn well won't now. He loves Carly and wouldn't dream of cheating on her."
Sonny cocked his head. "Do you always play Jax's defender?" Skye blinked at the coincidental similarity to Jax's comment. "Why do you care what I do or feel concerning Jax?" He looked away. "I told you, I still care about Carly and don't want to see her hurt." All of a sudden, Skye felt drained. "Look, Sonny. You have business dinners with Alexis all the time, right?" Sonny nodded. "Well that's all this is. Jax was eager to know what happened in Rome, and I didn't want to tell him about it over the phone. He was the one who suggested dinner, but that was only because Carly went to the club to catch up on work. Satisfied?" There was a long pause as they stared at each other. Then Sonny looked away and shook his head. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions." He walked off without saying anything else.
ELQ – office of the CEO
Skye tried to get some work done, and not think about her encounter with Sonny the previous evening. She was interrupted by the arrival of a package. She could tell by the shape that it was the painting she had purchased in Rome. She uncrated it, and stood staring at its beauty. She was glad she hadnt chosen the other painting, it would have been too much of a reminder of their interlude on the picnic blanket. She called in an assistant to help her hang it on the wall. It was perfect. For some reason it triggered a reminder in her head about something she had been meaning to do. She walked over to her desk and scrutinized her calendar. After awhile she decided that if she rearranged her schedule just a tad, she could fit in a visit to Pine Valley in a month. She checked her address book to make sure she had the number right, and picked up the phone to dial Adam's number. When he answered, she said, "Adam, its me, Skye." She took a deep breath. "What are you doing Labor Day weekend?"
Sonny's Penthouse
Sonny walked in the door and immediately noticed the crate sitting by the couch. He looked inquiringly at Johnny. "It came earlier. We checked it over and it seems okay. It came from Rome." Sonny instantly remembered what it was, and closed his eyes. He went over to the couch and sat down, rubbing his face with his hands. He had been delusional when he purchased that painting. Delusional in thinking that it represented the start of something…perhaps wonderful. He looked over at the crate, not having to see the contents to remember what it looked like. The image was etched into his brain. He was convinced that the artist had been to that exact same clearing, the detail was too similar. Skye had chosen the painting of the woman reading, and now he knew why. Their picnic had been meaningless to her. He was glad she didn't know he had purchased this one.
Sonny thought about what he would do with it. He could send it back. He could give it away to some charity auction. He could break it into little pieces for his fireplace. Or he could hang it up and have a constant reminder that he should never let his guard down. Sonny grimly decided that the last option was perhaps the most fitting. He pulled the painting out of its sleeve, and felt a stab of pain. Why the hell had he allowed her to get so close so quickly? Hadnt he learned his lesson by now? Sonny thought about the night before, when he had seen Skye and Jax in such a deep conversation. He remembered how he had jumped to conclusions. He seemed to always be in a red haze around Skye. Except when they were getting along, and then it was…
There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Johnny poked his head in. "Carly and Michael are here to see you." He waved them in, hugging Michael. "Did it come yet? Is that it?" the little boy shouted excitedly, pointing towards the crate. Sonny laughed, and Carly rolled her eyes. "Mikey's been bugging me ever since we got home two days ago. He's dying to find out if his gift from Italy has come yet. He insisted on coming over." Sonny ruffled the boy's head. "Sorry to disappoint you champ, but that ain't it. I think it will probably come tomorrow." Carly took a look at the painting. "That's a beautiful setting. Did you get that in Rome?" Sonny nodded. "Did you have a good time?" Sonny paused, remembering Skye's answer to the question last night. "It's a beautiful city." Carly narrowed her eyes at him. "Hey, Mikey, didn't you say you wanted to get something from your room?" The little boy nodded, and he took off up the stairs.
Carly folded her arms. "You want to tell me what happened with Skye?" Sonny looked at her, his face unreadable. He shrugged. "Well Jax probably told you that we had a run-in with Dawson." Carly shook her head. "I mean after that. Letitia mentioned you were gone a week. Jax said that Skye was there a week. So spill it." Sonny laughed. "I'm not going to confide in you about my love life." Carly's eyes widened. "Love life? Are you telling me that you've got a relationship with her now? Are you out of your mind? She's poison, Sonny. She will hurt you, even worse than I did. You deserve better." Sonny glared at her. "Do I? Do I have a right to demand someone in my life who is completely trustworthy, for the sole reason that if they weren't, I would never forgive them? No. Because like with Lily, I would end up betraying them instead. I'm the one who's poison, Carly, even you could see that. That's why you signed the divorce papers and moved on with your life." Carly was crying now. "Sonny, please. Don't do this to yourself." Sonny spread his hands. "Hey, don't worry about me, Carly. If it makes you feel better, I'm not in a relationship with Skye. She's too smart to get involved with the likes of me." Sonny grinned, but Carly just glared at him, knowing it was a facade.
