Part Five
Gia turned her room key over in her hand. She was sitting on the bench near the launch waiting for Johnny and Carly to show up. She had just finished booking a room at the Port Charles Hotel promising them she would pay when she returned with her things. She really didn't know what she was going to do with all the stuff she had Wyndermere. She couldn't store it all in her room and still be comfortable. She would have to see if Carly had any ideas.
She leaned against the bench. Her mind was on the events earlier that day. It was on that very bench that Jason held her when she cried. He was such a sweet guy. After the way she had treated his sister he really didn't have to do what he did.
She smiled at the memory of the bike ride. She was to proud to admit to Jason that she was scared to ride the back. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning against his back and held on for dear life. She soon found that she wasn't scared at all. Instead she found it to be exhilarating. The wind was rushing to meet them, and she had leaned closer to Jason. She felt safe.
"Are we late?" Carly and the bodyguard appeared at the top of the stairs.
Gia shook her head. This was the third time that day that Carly was about to help her. She was beginning to think that a beautiful friendship lay ahead of them.
"Gia, this is Johnny. He looks tough, and he is. But he is also a pussycat when he needs to be." Carly said.
Gia laughed a little when she noticed the man blushing. "Well, Johnny, I appreciate the help."
"No problem." He said.
"What did I tell you?" Carly grinned. "He loves to help!"
As the crossed to the island on the launch, Gia explained her problem to Carly. "I really don't know where I am going to put all the stuff."
"Hmmm." Carly pondered for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers. "I've got it. When I expanded Club 101 last year I built a new storage facility for the supplies. The old room next to my office is empty right now. I am going to turn it into a room for Michael and Adella to play in later on this year. I don't see why you can't put your stuff in that room."
"Thank you Carly." Gia was beginning to feel a whole lot better. Everything was falling into place.
The three made their way to the house where Gia explained to the housekeeper that she was moving out.
"Okay, I know all about moving out of a place as fast as possible." Carly announced, remembering when she had left AJ to go live with Sonny. "Gia and I will pack…Johnny; you can take the boxes down to the launch. I say we will take 30 minutes tops."
Mrs. Landsberry returned with a few other servants who were carrying boxes. Gia instructed them to take the boxes upstairs where most of her stuff was located. She looked back at Carly who was standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips.
"You know what this place needs?" Carly asked, looking around. "Some freakin' color! I think this room would look great in shades of purple." She turned back to Gia and began following her upstairs. As she placed her hand on the stone banister she shook her head. "I feel like I am in Count Dracula's Port Charles hideout." She had an even bigger fit when she entered Gia and Nikolas' bedroom. "Oh Good Lord!" She immediately went to the curtains and pulled them open. "This room needs light!"
Gia opened the closest. She felt a lump in her throat and turned back to Carly. The blonde had a horrified look on her face as she took in the black sheets, black furniture, black everything! Gia managed to smile a little. She was glad that she asked Carly here. She couldn't have done it on her own. "Alright, well, these clothes hanging up all need to be neatly stored in the box. They can go the storage room. It's all fancy party clothes…I doubt I'll be needing them."
"Don't count yourself out yet." Carly announced as she hauled open a drawer. She began placing Gia's clothes into a box neatly. When it was full, she took a pen out of her purse and marked the box 'PC HOTEL'.
Within no time, Gia and Carly had gotten all of Gia's things out of the room. Johnny was running back and forth to the launch with the boxes that were carefully labeled.
Gia looked one last time at the room. It looked bare now with both her and Nikolas' stuff gone. She was about to leave when she caught sight of a picture frame poking out from under the bed. She bent down to pick it, already knowing what it would show. She locked eyes with the smiling Nikolas in the picture. He was lifting her over his shoulder and Lucky had taken the picture. She could tell in the picture that he loved her. It was in his eyes. What had changed?
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Carly standing there. The older woman opened her arms and Gia fell into the hug.
"I know it's hard." Carly said as she took the picture and set it on the bedside table. "But it will get easier."
Gia pulled back. "I hope so." She said brushing away a few stray tears. She had enough crying for one day. Looking back down at the picture, she suddenly pulled off the engagement ring from Nikolas and set it in front of the frame. "Let's go. I have a few things I need to get from the downstairs library."
Carly nodded and shut the door behind them as they took the last box downstairs. She watched as Gia moved around the room, throwing in a book every once awhile. She opened the door and pulled out some files regarding Deception that belonged to her.
Carly felt her anger at the Cassadine Prince return. How could he throw away a relationship with someone like Gia? In some ways, the model reminded her of herself when she was younger. Both had come to town with deceit on their mind but both had managed to find a life in Port Charles. Carly leaned against the wall and sighed. She stumbled backwards as the wall seemed to give out behind her. Stepping back she took in the passageway that had opened up in the wall. "So that is how Luke gets in here without being noticed." She nodded her head. "Neat."
Gia laughed. It felt good to laugh.
****
Carly came in the door to find Sonny just hanging up the phone. She tossed her purse carelessly on the couch, not caring that Sonny hated it when she did that. She flopped against the chair and looked back at her husband.
"How did it go?" Sonny asked sitting next to her.
"As well as can be expected." Carly said. "Johnny and I put some of her stuff in the empty room above Club 101. We dropped her off at the PC Hotel. It's probably just as well that she got out of that house. It was the ugliest place I have ever been in."
Sonny rolled his eyes.
"So was that her on the phone?" Carly asked.
"Who? Gia?" He asked.
"No your sister!" Carly said. "Is the baby here yet?"
"Yes, that was Courtney." Sonny grinned at his wife's intuition. "She told me that the baby is due any time now but he or she hasn't made the decision to come in the world yet. After the baby is settled in at home she and Ryan want us to come for a visit."
"I'm so excited." Carly squealed. "I'm going to be an Aunt!"
Sonny shook his head. "Heaven help the kid!"
Carly glared at him before hitting him with a pillow. "I'm not going to spoil the kid too bad. I just want him or her to know that Aunt Carly loves them."
Sonny pulled his wife into his arms. He had to admit, he was just as excited about the possibility of becoming an uncle. He was happy that his sister was in a healthy relationship now. She had finally caught on to AJ and divorced him. She had stayed with Sonny and Carly for a brief period of time. Sonny was glad for that. It had helped two of the women he loved the most learn to get along. When Courtney had announced that she was going to go to a training school to learn how to become a nurse, Carly was sad to see her go. Courtney had taken her dog Rosie and left Port Charles almost two years ago. She had met a doctor named Ryan Young at her new hospital and they were married soon after. Their first child was coming any day now.
"By the way, I talked to Jason. He has agreed to watch the kids when we go visit Courtney and Ryan." Sonny said. He knew that Carly had been trying to ask him for the last few days.
"Great!" Carly cuddled up against him. "It will give Jason something to do besides sit in his penthouse or play pool."
"Lay off him." Sonny teased.
"What?" Carly protested. "We both know Jason needs a life. He needs something…"
"Like what?"
"I don't know. How about a girlfriend?" Carly suggested. "When was the last time he went out on a date?" She made a face. "Oh yeah…Elizabeth."
"That's his business." Sonny reminded her. "Let's talk about something else."
Carly shook her head, the image of Sonny playing with Michael earlier flashing in her mind. She leaned in for a kiss. "Let's not talk at all."
****
Gia woke up the next morning, feeling more rested. After Carly and Johnny had left her at the hotel she slipped off the clothes she had worn for 24 hours straight and pulled on a nightgown. She was too tired to unpack anything. She just collapsed into the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
She sat up in the bed and sighed. She had held one of the pillows against her like it was Nikolas. She knew she was going to have trouble adjusting to the fact that Nikolas wouldn't be in her bed. Gia crawled out of the comfortable bed and headed towards the bathroom to take a bath. She had the dream again. Stavros laughing at her as Nikolas embraced him. Now she was the one who needed to let go of the image of terrifying man.
After her bath, she set her mind on unpacking the things she had decided to bring to the hotel. She hoped that her stay wasn't too long but she knew that she would get frustrated digging through the boxes all the time. What was she going to do? Would she get an apartment somewhere else in Port Charles?
Questions about her new life were flying through her head as she put some clothes in the dresser. She set the empty boxes outside her door, reminding herself to call the front desk after she was finished about having them removed. She was so into her work she didn't notice the figure standing at the door.
"Hey neighbor."
Gia jumped a little before turning around. Standing in her doorway was AJ Quartermaine.
