Part Four
Moments seemed like hours as Gia and Elizabeth just looked at each other. Elizabeth didn't know what to say and Gia was trying her best to hold in her rage. She had wanted to give it to Elizabeth but she didn't want it to be so public.
Bobbie sensed the tension and spoke up. "What did you want to ask me, Elizabeth?"
"I wanted to know if you were still looking for a boarder for that room in the Brownstone." Elizabeth said tearing her eyes away from Gia.
Bobbie was about to answer when Gia cut in. "Sorry, I just took the last room. What did you think? That I wanted to stay in Wyndermere with Nikolas. I'm moving out so you can move in. It doesn't have to be a secret anymore, Elizabeth. You're free to be with him!"
Bobbie's mouth dropped. Nikolas was cheating on Gia with Elizabeth? She never saw that coming. She knew that Elizabeth and Nikolas were friends but that was it. "I'm sorry Elizabeth, but she is right."
Elizabeth just nodded. She wanted the room at the Brownstone because she figured Gia would try to work things out with Nikolas. She wanted to give Nikolas the time to break it off gently. But Gia had dumped him without even trying to work it out. She glanced back at Gia who was still glaring at her. She could see the pain in Gia's eyes. "I'm sorry."
Gia felt herself burst. "No don't! Don't say you're sorry, because you're not. You knew how hard I was working to repair my relationship with Nikolas but you didn't care. You just jumped into bed with him."
"Look, Gia, Nikolas and I couldn't help it…"
"And you or Nikolas couldn't tell me? I think that bothers me more. You let me go on thinking that I still had a chance to regain my relationship with him but all along I didn't have a chance in hell." Gia's voice was rising. "Why did you have to wait until I saw you to come clean?"
"We didn't want anyone to get hurt." Elizabeth stuttered.
"Well I guess that's too damn bad. People did get hurt…me…and Jason. How could you do that to Jason? If you cared so much for his feelings, why didn't you break it off? You two were barely together before you and Nikolas started to sleep together. Why string him along?" Gia asked. She didn't let Elizabeth speak. "Wait…don't answer that. Anything you say will just sound stupid! It's over and done with. You have Nikolas now, be happy and leave me alone. Don't ever try to apologize. I don't want your pity. I want you to let me be!" She felt tears forming in her eyes. She wasn't sure if they were caused by pain, anger or exhaustion. She turned back to Bobbie. "I'll be over later for the key."
Bobbie's heart felt for Gia. She tell Gia was hurting. "Sure." She watched the younger woman walk away trying not to cry and then turned back to Elizabeth. "She's right, you know."
Elizabeth felt numb. Everyone was turning on her…
****
Gia made it around the corner, safely out sight of Elizabeth Webber and then leaned against the wall. She let out a huge sigh and then allowed a few of the tears fall down her cheeks.
"Gia, are you alright?"
She looked up at the sound of the voice to see Sarah Webber standing there dressed in her hospital scrubs. She was tempted to give her usual smart aleck remark but she was in the mood. She really had nothing against Sarah. She just shook her head.
"Is it true?" Sarah asked, slowly. She was coming up the Nurses' Station to inquire about a patient when she heard Gia yelling at her sister. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Elizabeth was sleeping with Nikolas?
Gia nodded. "Hard to believe, huh? First she has a 'permanent lock' with Lucky. Then she tells all that Jason is the one while sleeping with my fiancé at the same time. And she is supposed to be the nice one…"
Sarah was having trouble understanding all this. She and Elizabeth weren't that close since Sarah and Lucky had gotten together but she thought Elizabeth was happy with Jason. "Gia, why don't we sit down?" She asked. The doctor in her could see that Gia was exhausted and hurting.
Gia agreed and the two sat down on the nearby chairs. She was calming down now and realized she was glad that Sarah had come along. If not, she might have cried herself into a mess on the hospital floor. She laughed a little. "You know what is really funny? Well, at least I think it is funny."
"What?" Sarah asked.
"Elizabeth made such a big deal about you and Lucky. They weren't even together and she was always saying that you should leave him alone. Well, she got involved with a TAKEN man. Does that make her a hypocrite or what?" Gia laughed a little.
Sarah bit her lip. Gia was right. Elizabeth had no right to tell her not to see Lucky when she, herself, was going after Nikolas. She didn't see the humor in it as Gia did. Instead, she was angry. "Are you feeling better?" She asked. "Gia, I want you to take it easy. You need to get some rest."
Gia looked over at Sarah and then nodded. "That's right…you're almost a doctor. Okay, I'll take what the doctor ordered. I got one more stop and then I'll go to my hotel room and sleep."
"Good." Sarah stood up. She still had more patients to see. "If you ever need to talk…I can be a good listener."
Gia smiled a little. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
****
Jason finally went back to his penthouse after spending some of the afternoon with Carly. Sonny had shown up and Jason had told him about the breakup with Elizabeth. He left out the part about sleeping with Gia. That he would keep between him and Carly. He opened the door and sighed. He could tell already…the place felt emptier. He noticed little things, like the missing porcelain figurine on the fire mantel. And one of Elizabeth's paintings she had hung on the wall was there no longer. He knew that the bedroom would be harder. She had so many of her things there. Her hairbrush was always on the bedside table. And all the photos were on the dresser…
He had to see that for himself. He made himself walk up the stairs and into their bedroom. He was right. In this room, he could really feel like Elizabeth was gone. All her homey touches were missing. He looked to where she always kept her jewelry box and half expected to see it there. Of course the spot on the dresser was missing. He continued to look around the room until he eyes fell on something he did not expect to see there.
There was a photo of him and Liz. He couldn't remember who took it. They were sitting on the couch in his penthouse. She had a huge smile on her face and he had his arm around her. He looked and the picture closely and felt anger building in him. Was she sleeping with Nikolas when the photo was taken? Is that why she had the smile on her face? Or was she truly happy to be sitting next to him? He really didn't want to know. He glanced to bed and had a flash of Gia beneath him. He still wondered if he had done a very bad thing.
Bringing the picture downstairs with him, he threw it into the bottom draw of his desk to be forgotten about.
He sank down on the couch. Why couldn't he have seen it sooner? Why did he have to let himself trust Elizabeth? Why did he have to start to fall in love with her? He was beginning to think he didn't even know who Elizabeth Webber was.
His thoughts turned to Gia. She was probably the only person that understood him right now. After all, she was in the same position as him. She was hurting like him. He thought of the night before. Would he be able to put that behind him and forge a friendship with Gia? He hoped so…
****
Gia had gotten the key from Bobbie and arranged to have her things moved into the Brownstone the following day. She had one more place she wanted to visit before she got some rest like Sarah advised. She took a deep breath before the elevator doors opened. She spotted Elton sitting at the reception desk and forced a smile.
He, on the other hand, looked horrified. "Miss Campbell, you look terrible!"
Gia laughed in spite of her mood. "Thanks, Elton. Is Laura in?"
He nodded and then buzzed her to let her know Gia was there. "She's waiting for you. Gia, may I suggest you got a good night's sleep?"
"You're not the first." Gia said before she opened the door to Laura's office. She braced herself and then walked in. She didn't know what she expected of the older woman. One look said it all…Laura knew. She knew and it was obvious she felt sorry for Gia.
"I heard from Bobbie." Laura explained. "Oh Gia, I'm really sorry."
"Thanks I guess." Gia said taking a seat. She had expected Laura to be happy that Gia was no longer a part of Nikolas' life.
"I know what you are thinking. I may not have always liked you but I know that you made Nikolas happy. I really wish he would have been honest with you. Maybe saved people some hurt." Laura said. "I swear I didn't know about him and Elizabeth. I would have made him tell you if I did."
Gia was starting to feel relief wash over her. "I came here to talk about my job. With all that has happened I just wanted to see where we stood."
"Gia, you are doing this company a world of good. I have always tried to make my personal and business life separate. I wouldn't dream of firing you." Laura said reassuringly.
"Thank you so much." Gia said. "You don't know how much this means to me."
Laura smiled. "Why don't you come in some time next week and we can discuss a whole new campaign?"
"Sounds great." Gia rose. "I'm going to be at the Brownstone from now on."
"Okay." Laura said. "I'll get in touch you with a time."
Gia left and went back to the PC Hotel. Tomorrow she would move into the Brownstone. She would be starting a new life. One free of Nikolas. She was beginning to see that she could have many possibilities. She had been wrapped up in Nikolas and not noticed that she really had no friends. Her conversation with Sarah had taken her by surprise. And she needed to rebuild her relationship with her brother.
She settled into her bed and sighed. It felt different not having someone sleeping next to her. But she would get used it.
"Look out world, here comes the new and improved Gia." She whispered as she drifted off to sleep.