Two days later, while Jason was out doing something 'business' related, and
Emily, Lucky, and Nikolas, were busy, it happened. Johnny dropped off the
mail per usual; I left it on the coffee table because nothing was ever for
me. I had a brief conversation with my brother on the phone and we agreed
to meet later for lunch.
I carelessly ran into the corner of the coffee table, spilling my drink all over the mail. I hastily tried to brush off the liquid to no avail. But in the process I saw that one letter was addressed to me.
I forgot all about my spill and the other mail lying haphazardly around the coffee table. The moment I picked up the letter I knew it was bad news. My stomach had butterflies, my head started to pound, and I felt as if I might have to run for a wastebasket quickly.
I wanted to wait until Jason got back to open the note. Or maybe I could wait until lunch with Steve. But I was never one to be patient, and I slowly opened the envelope. I pulled out the card and gasped at the sight of it, a large red valentine heart. I had to remind myself to breathe before opening it up.
"Dearest Elizabeth,
I finally know your name. Now that I have found you, it is only a matter of time until we will reunite.
With Love,
Your Happy Valentine"
A knock on the door startled me and I dropped the card on the floor.
"Ms. Webber, Mr. Cassidine is here to see you."
I have no recollection of moving but I found myself in front of the door staring into the brown eyes of Nikolas Cassidine. The second he saw me his normally friendly face began to show signs of worry and concern.
"Elizabeth, what's happened?" He asked as he closed the door behind him.
"HE knows who I am. HE knows where I am."
"What?" He asked, unsure.
His eyes somehow found the letter. He picked it up and read it, fuming with hatred for the man whom had written it.
"You're not safe here. Come with me, I'll take you to Spoon Island." He offered.
"I'm safe here as long as I'm inside. Johnnie is at the door and he'll protect me. Sonny and Marco are across the hall. I'll be fine as long as I am here. This is my safe place." I answered as though I was in the hypnotic trance.
"Okay, if you want to stay, fine. But I'm not leaving you here alone."
We sat down on the couch together and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
"You're shivering." He said simply, and pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around me.
His jacket had a masculine smell, not unlike Jason's leather jacket (which he constantly lets me borrow), but it wasn't the same smell. However, it was slightly comforting.
I started to ramble, "It must've been at Kelly's . . . I'm there all the time with Jason and you and Em and Lucky and . . . he must've seen me there . . . or the mall . . . I'm at the mall with Em a lot . . ."
He pulled me closer as if to reassure me but it didn't help. I tried to close my eyes and pretend that it was Jason there instead but all I saw was HIM and so I kept my eyes open.
"Want me to call Lucky or Emily?" He offered, "Or Jason?"
I knew that he was worried when he offered to call Jason. I knew how much he hated Jason but that was outweighed by how much he cared for me. I considered letting him call but I knew that he might take it the wrong way, feel as if he could not measure up, and I did not want him to feel that way.
"No, if you stay I'll be fine here with you." I offered, and he relaxed next to me.
But I could not fully relax. I just let him hold me, knowing that he would protect me with everything within him.
I almost jumped when his cell phone purred in his pocket. He shot me a guilty and apologetic glance as he got out the phone to turn it off.
"Don't!" I said, hastily.
"Don't what?" He asked, cautiously.
"Don't miss your call, it could be important. Take it."
He looked unsure.
"Please, just take it." I pleaded.
He answered the phone, "Nikolas Cassidine."
He was silent for a moment and then, "Sarah . . . wait a second . . . calm down, what's wrong?"
My interest piqued for only a moment and then I began to feel as though I was a kid again, in competition with my sister. Only this time the stakes were higher. Would the gallant ex-boyfriend run to the rescue of the tall blond or would he stay around to comfort the brunette?
His eyes darted towards mine and then looked away, "Yeah, I'll tell her. It's gonna be okay. She'll be fine."
He turned off his phone and I looked at him with curiosity, and briefly forgot my own situation. I could tell that something was severely wrong.
"Audrey is at the hospital, she was mugged on the docks." He said, bluntly, knowing that I did not like anything sugar-coated.
"Oh my God." I said, and got up and started towards the door.
He said nothing, knowingly, and just followed.
* * * Audrey had been hit from behind on the back of her head. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but the doctors gave her medication to ease the pain and help her sleep. When Elizabeth and Nikolas arrived, Bobbie led them to her room.
Sarah was nowhere around and that worried Nikolas. Why did she call and then take off? It was unlike her. But his thoughts drifted back to Elizabeth, whom now sat beside Audrey in her room. Nikolas could tell the Elizabeth felt guilty that she had 'abandoned' Audrey when she had left to live with Jason. Things between the two women were not in the best condition. He could feel that she felt guilty, as if in some way she could possibly be responsible.
Nikolas sat in the waiting area, feeling like an intruder, but had a gut feeling that if he left then something might happen to Elizabeth. He prayed his gut was wrong.
I carelessly ran into the corner of the coffee table, spilling my drink all over the mail. I hastily tried to brush off the liquid to no avail. But in the process I saw that one letter was addressed to me.
I forgot all about my spill and the other mail lying haphazardly around the coffee table. The moment I picked up the letter I knew it was bad news. My stomach had butterflies, my head started to pound, and I felt as if I might have to run for a wastebasket quickly.
I wanted to wait until Jason got back to open the note. Or maybe I could wait until lunch with Steve. But I was never one to be patient, and I slowly opened the envelope. I pulled out the card and gasped at the sight of it, a large red valentine heart. I had to remind myself to breathe before opening it up.
"Dearest Elizabeth,
I finally know your name. Now that I have found you, it is only a matter of time until we will reunite.
With Love,
Your Happy Valentine"
A knock on the door startled me and I dropped the card on the floor.
"Ms. Webber, Mr. Cassidine is here to see you."
I have no recollection of moving but I found myself in front of the door staring into the brown eyes of Nikolas Cassidine. The second he saw me his normally friendly face began to show signs of worry and concern.
"Elizabeth, what's happened?" He asked as he closed the door behind him.
"HE knows who I am. HE knows where I am."
"What?" He asked, unsure.
His eyes somehow found the letter. He picked it up and read it, fuming with hatred for the man whom had written it.
"You're not safe here. Come with me, I'll take you to Spoon Island." He offered.
"I'm safe here as long as I'm inside. Johnnie is at the door and he'll protect me. Sonny and Marco are across the hall. I'll be fine as long as I am here. This is my safe place." I answered as though I was in the hypnotic trance.
"Okay, if you want to stay, fine. But I'm not leaving you here alone."
We sat down on the couch together and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
"You're shivering." He said simply, and pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around me.
His jacket had a masculine smell, not unlike Jason's leather jacket (which he constantly lets me borrow), but it wasn't the same smell. However, it was slightly comforting.
I started to ramble, "It must've been at Kelly's . . . I'm there all the time with Jason and you and Em and Lucky and . . . he must've seen me there . . . or the mall . . . I'm at the mall with Em a lot . . ."
He pulled me closer as if to reassure me but it didn't help. I tried to close my eyes and pretend that it was Jason there instead but all I saw was HIM and so I kept my eyes open.
"Want me to call Lucky or Emily?" He offered, "Or Jason?"
I knew that he was worried when he offered to call Jason. I knew how much he hated Jason but that was outweighed by how much he cared for me. I considered letting him call but I knew that he might take it the wrong way, feel as if he could not measure up, and I did not want him to feel that way.
"No, if you stay I'll be fine here with you." I offered, and he relaxed next to me.
But I could not fully relax. I just let him hold me, knowing that he would protect me with everything within him.
I almost jumped when his cell phone purred in his pocket. He shot me a guilty and apologetic glance as he got out the phone to turn it off.
"Don't!" I said, hastily.
"Don't what?" He asked, cautiously.
"Don't miss your call, it could be important. Take it."
He looked unsure.
"Please, just take it." I pleaded.
He answered the phone, "Nikolas Cassidine."
He was silent for a moment and then, "Sarah . . . wait a second . . . calm down, what's wrong?"
My interest piqued for only a moment and then I began to feel as though I was a kid again, in competition with my sister. Only this time the stakes were higher. Would the gallant ex-boyfriend run to the rescue of the tall blond or would he stay around to comfort the brunette?
His eyes darted towards mine and then looked away, "Yeah, I'll tell her. It's gonna be okay. She'll be fine."
He turned off his phone and I looked at him with curiosity, and briefly forgot my own situation. I could tell that something was severely wrong.
"Audrey is at the hospital, she was mugged on the docks." He said, bluntly, knowing that I did not like anything sugar-coated.
"Oh my God." I said, and got up and started towards the door.
He said nothing, knowingly, and just followed.
* * * Audrey had been hit from behind on the back of her head. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but the doctors gave her medication to ease the pain and help her sleep. When Elizabeth and Nikolas arrived, Bobbie led them to her room.
Sarah was nowhere around and that worried Nikolas. Why did she call and then take off? It was unlike her. But his thoughts drifted back to Elizabeth, whom now sat beside Audrey in her room. Nikolas could tell the Elizabeth felt guilty that she had 'abandoned' Audrey when she had left to live with Jason. Things between the two women were not in the best condition. He could feel that she felt guilty, as if in some way she could possibly be responsible.
Nikolas sat in the waiting area, feeling like an intruder, but had a gut feeling that if he left then something might happen to Elizabeth. He prayed his gut was wrong.