Chapter Ten
Gia walked slowly into the stables with a flashlight and Sheba's food. Dawn was just breaking and Gia had woken up half an hour earlier, to the same dream she'd had every night. She didn't want to return to her nerve- wracking dreams in her lonely bed, so she decided to get up. This would be the first morning since Elizabeth and Lucky had moved into Wyndemere that Gia got to feed Sheba.
Gia said hello to the horse and apologized for being away so long. Gia dumped Sheba's food into the bucket and took a minute to pet Sheba's nose. She smiled softly to herself before turning away to leave Sheba to her feast. Gia walked out of the stables with her eyes on the sky. They sky was changing to magnificent shades of orange and pink, and the colors bounced off the clouds. Gia sat up on the fence and stared out east. She hadn't watched the sun come up since before she'd attended Columbia.
Gia sighed. Staring at the sunrise again gave Gia a sense of calm and peace that she hadn't felt since before the wedding. But it also made her feel that much more lonely. Nikolas should be here with her right now. But he wasn't and Gia had to find some way to live with that. And therein lied a real problem. She didn't think she could ever find a way to live with it.
Gia stepped down from the wooden fence as a slight breeze moved through. "Gia, help me." There were those torturous words again. The words she always in her dreams right before she woke up. Those words tormented her every night and they haunted her now. Gia closed her eyes, knowing it was in her head and not someone really calling out to her. Nikolas had been unconscious since the moment Stefan's car was hit, and he hadn't regained consciousness for a single second before he died. It didn't make any sense.
***************
"So, I heard a rumor that Dad is moving back in," Lucky grinned as his mother set breakfast on the table. Elizabeth smiled at Laura as well. Laura returned the grin and took a seat next to Lulu.
"It's true. He's upstairs, sleeping right now."
Lucky and Elizabeth exchanged a glance. "So," Lucky continued as he helped himself to some pancakes. "When's the big day?"
"Big day? What big day?" Laura asked. Lucky stared at her with a smirk on his face. "Oh, no. We're not planning to get married. At least, not right now we're not."
"Mm-hmm." Lucky chuckled knowingly and he and Elizabeth shared a laugh.
"You two sure are in a good mood," Laura noted. "Any particular reason?"
Lucky leaned over and put his arm around Elizabeth. "We're married." Elizabeth choked on her orange juice.
Laura's smile faded fast. "You're what?" she gasped, nearly breathless.
"He's kidding," Elizabeth explained. Laura let out a sigh of relief. "We're just. appreciating every moment of life we get, you know?"
"How's living at Wyndemere?"
"Oh, it.has its moments," Lucky replied. "It's pretty weird living there."
Laura nodded. "I can imagine."
"Anyway, Gia decided to take horse riding lessons," Elizabeth went on. "She told me before we left. She doesn't want Sheba holed up in the stables every day."
"Can I take riding lessons?" Lulu asked excitedly.
"You sure can," Laura agreed. "Maybe you can take them with Gia."
"I wonder what made her decide to take them," Lucky pondered. "I know Nikolas had promised to give her lessons, but I thought that would make her more antsy about doing it."
"Well at least she has something to do. It should be good for her."
*************
Emily sat down on a park bench in a daze. AJ had lied to her. Zander had been telling the truth! Her head swimmed at all the thoughts racing through. Emily wouldn't deny that she loved Zander. But things were different now. They had both moved on. Hadn't they? Even with the knowledge that AJ had lied about Zander, could they go back to how things were? They were at separate places in their lives, weren't they?
"No, don't do this to yourself," Emily said to herself. "Just because AJ lied doesn't mean anything is different. And just because you MIGHT be ready to get back together with him does NOT mean he is ready, or even willing."
"Emily, are you okay?" Emily's head shot up at Zander's voice. He stood about 20 yards in front of her. She stood up as he stepped closer. "Something wrong?"
"Uh, no," Emily replied, suddenly flustered. "Nothing's wrong."
"Thinking about Nikolas?"
Emily's gaze downshifted. "I miss him," she admitted, not wanting to tell him what she had really been thinking about. But now her thoughts were on Nikolas.
"I'm sorry," he replied softly, resisting the urge to stroke her cheek. She looked up at his face, just inches from hers. She stared into his wide, loving eyes and felt herself getting choked up.
"I have to go," she said, pulling away from him.
"Wait!" he called after her. She stopped and turned to look at him. A long pause left them both flustered.
Without stepping any closer to him, Emily spoke softly. "I know AJ lied about what you did." Before he could respond, Emily walked away. Zander just stared after her.
Gia walked slowly into the stables with a flashlight and Sheba's food. Dawn was just breaking and Gia had woken up half an hour earlier, to the same dream she'd had every night. She didn't want to return to her nerve- wracking dreams in her lonely bed, so she decided to get up. This would be the first morning since Elizabeth and Lucky had moved into Wyndemere that Gia got to feed Sheba.
Gia said hello to the horse and apologized for being away so long. Gia dumped Sheba's food into the bucket and took a minute to pet Sheba's nose. She smiled softly to herself before turning away to leave Sheba to her feast. Gia walked out of the stables with her eyes on the sky. They sky was changing to magnificent shades of orange and pink, and the colors bounced off the clouds. Gia sat up on the fence and stared out east. She hadn't watched the sun come up since before she'd attended Columbia.
Gia sighed. Staring at the sunrise again gave Gia a sense of calm and peace that she hadn't felt since before the wedding. But it also made her feel that much more lonely. Nikolas should be here with her right now. But he wasn't and Gia had to find some way to live with that. And therein lied a real problem. She didn't think she could ever find a way to live with it.
Gia stepped down from the wooden fence as a slight breeze moved through. "Gia, help me." There were those torturous words again. The words she always in her dreams right before she woke up. Those words tormented her every night and they haunted her now. Gia closed her eyes, knowing it was in her head and not someone really calling out to her. Nikolas had been unconscious since the moment Stefan's car was hit, and he hadn't regained consciousness for a single second before he died. It didn't make any sense.
***************
"So, I heard a rumor that Dad is moving back in," Lucky grinned as his mother set breakfast on the table. Elizabeth smiled at Laura as well. Laura returned the grin and took a seat next to Lulu.
"It's true. He's upstairs, sleeping right now."
Lucky and Elizabeth exchanged a glance. "So," Lucky continued as he helped himself to some pancakes. "When's the big day?"
"Big day? What big day?" Laura asked. Lucky stared at her with a smirk on his face. "Oh, no. We're not planning to get married. At least, not right now we're not."
"Mm-hmm." Lucky chuckled knowingly and he and Elizabeth shared a laugh.
"You two sure are in a good mood," Laura noted. "Any particular reason?"
Lucky leaned over and put his arm around Elizabeth. "We're married." Elizabeth choked on her orange juice.
Laura's smile faded fast. "You're what?" she gasped, nearly breathless.
"He's kidding," Elizabeth explained. Laura let out a sigh of relief. "We're just. appreciating every moment of life we get, you know?"
"How's living at Wyndemere?"
"Oh, it.has its moments," Lucky replied. "It's pretty weird living there."
Laura nodded. "I can imagine."
"Anyway, Gia decided to take horse riding lessons," Elizabeth went on. "She told me before we left. She doesn't want Sheba holed up in the stables every day."
"Can I take riding lessons?" Lulu asked excitedly.
"You sure can," Laura agreed. "Maybe you can take them with Gia."
"I wonder what made her decide to take them," Lucky pondered. "I know Nikolas had promised to give her lessons, but I thought that would make her more antsy about doing it."
"Well at least she has something to do. It should be good for her."
*************
Emily sat down on a park bench in a daze. AJ had lied to her. Zander had been telling the truth! Her head swimmed at all the thoughts racing through. Emily wouldn't deny that she loved Zander. But things were different now. They had both moved on. Hadn't they? Even with the knowledge that AJ had lied about Zander, could they go back to how things were? They were at separate places in their lives, weren't they?
"No, don't do this to yourself," Emily said to herself. "Just because AJ lied doesn't mean anything is different. And just because you MIGHT be ready to get back together with him does NOT mean he is ready, or even willing."
"Emily, are you okay?" Emily's head shot up at Zander's voice. He stood about 20 yards in front of her. She stood up as he stepped closer. "Something wrong?"
"Uh, no," Emily replied, suddenly flustered. "Nothing's wrong."
"Thinking about Nikolas?"
Emily's gaze downshifted. "I miss him," she admitted, not wanting to tell him what she had really been thinking about. But now her thoughts were on Nikolas.
"I'm sorry," he replied softly, resisting the urge to stroke her cheek. She looked up at his face, just inches from hers. She stared into his wide, loving eyes and felt herself getting choked up.
"I have to go," she said, pulling away from him.
"Wait!" he called after her. She stopped and turned to look at him. A long pause left them both flustered.
Without stepping any closer to him, Emily spoke softly. "I know AJ lied about what you did." Before he could respond, Emily walked away. Zander just stared after her.
