Chapter Seven
Emily sat on the couch in the Quartermaine mansion, staring off into space. Why things had turned out this way she didn't know. She didn't think she would ever know. Her life had finally come back together. It had all blown up in her face on the very first day she returned to Port Charles. Maybe she was being a bit drastic but it was how she felt. Seeing Zander at the hospital that day had stirred up a lot of emotions that she hadn't expected to ever feel for him again. She had to wonder if AJ had lied to her about exactly what Zander did, but that didn't matter. She knew that Zander had a part in it, no matter how small. When she came back to Port Charles, she thought it would be the best day of her life. Instead, it turned out to be the worst. It was definitely up there with her mother's death, Lucky's "death" and the accident that left her temporarily paralyzed.
The room was so deathly silent that the sound of the clock ticking seemed obnoxiously loud. Emily had no sense of time at the moment. She had been sitting on the couch thinking for hours. Mostly remembering all the good times that she and Nikolas had shared.
Emily looked at the framed picture she held in her hands. It was a picture of her, Nikolas, Elizabeth and Lucky. The picture was long since outdated.
Emily didn't feel as close to any of them anymore, and she knew that was her fault. She wished she could go back and change that, but that was something she could not do.
Emily sighed and put the picture on the coffee table. She glanced up at the clock and realized how late it was. She became aware of how tired she felt and that she should probably go to bed. She took one last look at the picture and gave a half-hearted, small smile and then headed upstairs.
**********
"Is Gia here yet?" Emily asked curiously as she wandered into Kelly's. She took a seat next to Lucky and Elizabeth, who both shook their heads. "Well, I don't feel bad for being late. Geez, I wonder what this is all about."
"I don't know. She sounded pretty cryptic on the phone. And it's weird that she's the one who's late."
Emily and Elizabeth both nodded. "Well, have you guys eaten yet?" Emily asked. Again, Lucky and Elizabeth both shook their heads. "Well, I'll get us some food, since obviously the waitress isn't coming over." Lucky and Elizabeth both looked hesitant. "It's on me." Lucky and Elizabeth reluctantly agreed, gave Emily their orders and Emily went to the counter to order. Elizabeth took Lucky's hand. "I wonder what this is all about."
Lucky shrugged. "We'll just have to wait until she gets here."
"You don't have to wait anymore," Gia announced as she walked into Kelly's. She apologized for being late as Emily came back and took her seat.
"What is going on?"
Gia took a deep breath. "First thing's first. Alexis wants to stay in the penthouse across from Sonny, and Kristina is going to take the yacht, which leaves me with the cottage and Wyndemere."
"Okay.." Emily replied, giving Gia a confused look.
"But I'm.I'm moving back to Brooklyn. With my mom. And so, I was wondering if you guys wanted either of them. If not, fine, I can sell it, I just thought I would offer first. The Cassadines had already paid off Wyndemere and the cottage so it wouldn't be a problem, unless you wanted to buy it from me or whatever."
"Back up," Lucky interrupted. "You're going back to Brooklyn? With your mom? I thought you weren't speaking to her."
"I wasn't. Until yesterday, we talked on the phone, and she offered to take me back to Brooklyn. I have nothing left here, so I'm just going to go."
"Are you going back to Columbia?" Elizabeth asked.
Gia shrugged. "I don't know. I'm going to take a few months probably to think about it, and my mom is cool with that, surprisingly enough. I just. I have no reason to stay."
"Well, I don't really want to move into the cottage or Wyndemere," Emily said. "I think it would just be weird."
"Yeah, and I'm fine living here at Kelly's. But thanks for the offer." Lucky leaned over and whispered something into Elizabeth's ear. She looked a bit surprised, and then looked at Lucky like she was unsure. After a minute, she nodded. She and Lucky turned back to Gia.
"I have an idea," Lucky suggested. "Elizabeth and I will take Wyndemere if you will stay here in Port Charles and live at Wyndemere with us."
Gia stared at Lucky with wide eyes, shocked. "Why.I mean, why would you guys want to live with me again? I was a royal pain, and this time Nikolas won't be there to referee."
"Yeah, but Wyndemere is bigger and we wouldn't be sharing a bathroom," Elizabeth pointed out.
"There's nothing here for me," Gia insisted. "And please, please don't pretend like we're friends, okay? I don't want to add 'hypocrite' to my list of crimes."
"Gia, there is nothing waiting for you in Brooklyn. You have a job here, you have people who DO care. Why do you think the three of us are here? We loved Nikolas, and he loved you. We all got off on a bad foot with you, but I think I can speak for us all when I say that we are willing to put that behind us and start fresh. Besides, Nikolas would NOT want you to abandon Sheba. She's family."
Gia smiled at the mention of Nikolas' horse. A waitress came over with three burgers and asked Gia if she wanted anything to eat. Gia shook her head. As the other three started to dig in to their food, Gia thought through things. "Okay," she said finally. Everyone just looked at her. "Okay! I will move into Wyndemere with the two of you. And you are more than welcome too, Emily. I can't believe I am saying this."
"Okay, so it's official. When do we move in?"
"Um. I'll.call you tonight about it, I guess," Gia responded, a bit flustered. "Talk to you later." Gia abruptly got up and walked out.
Emily looked at Elizabeth and then at Lucky. "Okay, I'm as much for burying the hatchet with Gia as the next person, but moving in with her? Don't you think that's a little extreme? I mean, just because we want to put things in the past and all be friends doesn't mean it will actually happen."
"I just.. I just don't think that she should move back to Brooklyn," Lucky explained. "And that seemed like the only way to keep her here."
"Why don't you think she should go back to Brooklyn?" Elizabeth asked.
Lucky shrugged. "I don't know. It just. it just didn't seem like she should. Call it a gut instinct or something?"
Emily furrowed her eyebrows and chuckled slightly. "Okay, whatever you say."
"Hey, listen, I'm going to go to my studio and paint for a little while."
"Yeah, I have a photoshoot soon. See ya later," Lucky said and he and Elizabeth left. The waitress took the plates from the table. Emily took a seat at the counter and ordered a Coke. She sat lost in thought and didn't hear someone approach her from behind. "Hey," came a gentle but masculine voice. Startled, Emily turned around.
"Oh, hey, Zander."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Emily smiled. "Well at least you didn't run into me this time."
Zander smiled back, reminding Emily of how his smile lit up his eyes, his entire face. Seeing his smile again made her heart flutter. "Hey, listen, I'm really sorry about Nikolas. If there is anything I can do let me know." Zander waited in vain for a response. "Okay, well I guess that's my answer." He turned to walk away, but Emily grabbed his arm to stop him.
"No, Zander, wait." She took a deep breath. "If there is anything you can do, I will let you know. And thanks for the offer."
Emily sat on the couch in the Quartermaine mansion, staring off into space. Why things had turned out this way she didn't know. She didn't think she would ever know. Her life had finally come back together. It had all blown up in her face on the very first day she returned to Port Charles. Maybe she was being a bit drastic but it was how she felt. Seeing Zander at the hospital that day had stirred up a lot of emotions that she hadn't expected to ever feel for him again. She had to wonder if AJ had lied to her about exactly what Zander did, but that didn't matter. She knew that Zander had a part in it, no matter how small. When she came back to Port Charles, she thought it would be the best day of her life. Instead, it turned out to be the worst. It was definitely up there with her mother's death, Lucky's "death" and the accident that left her temporarily paralyzed.
The room was so deathly silent that the sound of the clock ticking seemed obnoxiously loud. Emily had no sense of time at the moment. She had been sitting on the couch thinking for hours. Mostly remembering all the good times that she and Nikolas had shared.
Emily looked at the framed picture she held in her hands. It was a picture of her, Nikolas, Elizabeth and Lucky. The picture was long since outdated.
Emily didn't feel as close to any of them anymore, and she knew that was her fault. She wished she could go back and change that, but that was something she could not do.
Emily sighed and put the picture on the coffee table. She glanced up at the clock and realized how late it was. She became aware of how tired she felt and that she should probably go to bed. She took one last look at the picture and gave a half-hearted, small smile and then headed upstairs.
**********
"Is Gia here yet?" Emily asked curiously as she wandered into Kelly's. She took a seat next to Lucky and Elizabeth, who both shook their heads. "Well, I don't feel bad for being late. Geez, I wonder what this is all about."
"I don't know. She sounded pretty cryptic on the phone. And it's weird that she's the one who's late."
Emily and Elizabeth both nodded. "Well, have you guys eaten yet?" Emily asked. Again, Lucky and Elizabeth both shook their heads. "Well, I'll get us some food, since obviously the waitress isn't coming over." Lucky and Elizabeth both looked hesitant. "It's on me." Lucky and Elizabeth reluctantly agreed, gave Emily their orders and Emily went to the counter to order. Elizabeth took Lucky's hand. "I wonder what this is all about."
Lucky shrugged. "We'll just have to wait until she gets here."
"You don't have to wait anymore," Gia announced as she walked into Kelly's. She apologized for being late as Emily came back and took her seat.
"What is going on?"
Gia took a deep breath. "First thing's first. Alexis wants to stay in the penthouse across from Sonny, and Kristina is going to take the yacht, which leaves me with the cottage and Wyndemere."
"Okay.." Emily replied, giving Gia a confused look.
"But I'm.I'm moving back to Brooklyn. With my mom. And so, I was wondering if you guys wanted either of them. If not, fine, I can sell it, I just thought I would offer first. The Cassadines had already paid off Wyndemere and the cottage so it wouldn't be a problem, unless you wanted to buy it from me or whatever."
"Back up," Lucky interrupted. "You're going back to Brooklyn? With your mom? I thought you weren't speaking to her."
"I wasn't. Until yesterday, we talked on the phone, and she offered to take me back to Brooklyn. I have nothing left here, so I'm just going to go."
"Are you going back to Columbia?" Elizabeth asked.
Gia shrugged. "I don't know. I'm going to take a few months probably to think about it, and my mom is cool with that, surprisingly enough. I just. I have no reason to stay."
"Well, I don't really want to move into the cottage or Wyndemere," Emily said. "I think it would just be weird."
"Yeah, and I'm fine living here at Kelly's. But thanks for the offer." Lucky leaned over and whispered something into Elizabeth's ear. She looked a bit surprised, and then looked at Lucky like she was unsure. After a minute, she nodded. She and Lucky turned back to Gia.
"I have an idea," Lucky suggested. "Elizabeth and I will take Wyndemere if you will stay here in Port Charles and live at Wyndemere with us."
Gia stared at Lucky with wide eyes, shocked. "Why.I mean, why would you guys want to live with me again? I was a royal pain, and this time Nikolas won't be there to referee."
"Yeah, but Wyndemere is bigger and we wouldn't be sharing a bathroom," Elizabeth pointed out.
"There's nothing here for me," Gia insisted. "And please, please don't pretend like we're friends, okay? I don't want to add 'hypocrite' to my list of crimes."
"Gia, there is nothing waiting for you in Brooklyn. You have a job here, you have people who DO care. Why do you think the three of us are here? We loved Nikolas, and he loved you. We all got off on a bad foot with you, but I think I can speak for us all when I say that we are willing to put that behind us and start fresh. Besides, Nikolas would NOT want you to abandon Sheba. She's family."
Gia smiled at the mention of Nikolas' horse. A waitress came over with three burgers and asked Gia if she wanted anything to eat. Gia shook her head. As the other three started to dig in to their food, Gia thought through things. "Okay," she said finally. Everyone just looked at her. "Okay! I will move into Wyndemere with the two of you. And you are more than welcome too, Emily. I can't believe I am saying this."
"Okay, so it's official. When do we move in?"
"Um. I'll.call you tonight about it, I guess," Gia responded, a bit flustered. "Talk to you later." Gia abruptly got up and walked out.
Emily looked at Elizabeth and then at Lucky. "Okay, I'm as much for burying the hatchet with Gia as the next person, but moving in with her? Don't you think that's a little extreme? I mean, just because we want to put things in the past and all be friends doesn't mean it will actually happen."
"I just.. I just don't think that she should move back to Brooklyn," Lucky explained. "And that seemed like the only way to keep her here."
"Why don't you think she should go back to Brooklyn?" Elizabeth asked.
Lucky shrugged. "I don't know. It just. it just didn't seem like she should. Call it a gut instinct or something?"
Emily furrowed her eyebrows and chuckled slightly. "Okay, whatever you say."
"Hey, listen, I'm going to go to my studio and paint for a little while."
"Yeah, I have a photoshoot soon. See ya later," Lucky said and he and Elizabeth left. The waitress took the plates from the table. Emily took a seat at the counter and ordered a Coke. She sat lost in thought and didn't hear someone approach her from behind. "Hey," came a gentle but masculine voice. Startled, Emily turned around.
"Oh, hey, Zander."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Emily smiled. "Well at least you didn't run into me this time."
Zander smiled back, reminding Emily of how his smile lit up his eyes, his entire face. Seeing his smile again made her heart flutter. "Hey, listen, I'm really sorry about Nikolas. If there is anything I can do let me know." Zander waited in vain for a response. "Okay, well I guess that's my answer." He turned to walk away, but Emily grabbed his arm to stop him.
"No, Zander, wait." She took a deep breath. "If there is anything you can do, I will let you know. And thanks for the offer."
