Chapter 2 - Someday It'll All Be Worth It
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Lorenzo Alcazar was in the living room of his apartment making himself a drink when there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was Marcella, who'd been there only moments ago, he yelled, "I thought I asked you to leave."
"Lorenzo, it's me," Carly called back. Her voice was choked, and even through the door he could tell she'd been crying.
"Come in," he said, surprised. He hadn't expected his plan to work this well, for her to come running to him so fast. He set his drink down, and, making a mental note to reward Marcella for her excellent work, turned all his attention toward comforting Carly.
"Before you say anything, you need to know that I'm not doing this because of you," she said as she entered the apartment. "It has nothing to do with you, or anything you've ever said to me. You have to understand that I will never want anything more from you than friendship, and there is a very small chance at that."
"Yeah, okay, sure," he said quickly, more concerned with finding out why she'd been crying. "Carly, what's wrong?"
"Everything," she sighed, pacing restlessly across the room. She came to a stop in front of his desk, and leaned against it, facing him. "What's wrong is that I can't do this anymore. I'm making Sonny crazy, I'm making Michael terrified of everything... They'd both be better off if I was gone, so I'm leaving. You've got your wish. Sonny and I can't be together anymore."
He shrugged, unsure of what she wanted him to say. "I'm... sorry."
"Don't," she interrupted. "Don't stand here and lie to my face and pretend like this isn't exactly what you wanted. Just save it, Lorenzo, I'm not here for you pity or for your false condolances. I'm here because... Because I need your help."
"I'll help you in any way I can, Carly, you know that," he assured her.
"I know, and that is the only reason I came to you," she replied. "I need to leave the country, and I know you can make all the arrangements for me. I'll pay you back, someday, when I can, but for now I just need to start over."
Lorenzo nodded slowly. "You got it. Where would you like to go? Paris? Venice? Tuscany?"
"Yeah, sure, that sounds good," Carly said, rubbing her forehead. "Just, please, I need to be there as soon as possible."
"Of course," he said, "Of course. Here, sit down, I'll take care of everything right now."
Carly did as she was told, carefully sitting down on the big leather couch, and tried to get her bearings as Lorenzo made the phone calls that would guarantee her a safe passage to wherever it was he'd send her. She watched him, contemplating why he'd do this for her even after she'd made it perfectly clear that there was nothing in it for him. Looking at him, she realized he genuinely cared about her. To Lorenzo, she was more than just a bargaining chip or a piece of property. His feelings for her were quite real, despite what she'd told herself and her husband in the past. She shuddered, and looked away. The thought that Lorenzo Alcazar could be in love with her was too much for her to deal with at the moment. She didn't even want to think about it.
"Okay," Lorenzo said, hanging up the phone after only a few minutes. "Everything's all set. There's a plane waiting at the airport to take you to Italy. From there, I have a car ready to bring you to one of the best hotels in Tuscany. I'll send some of my men to help you get settled; I imagine you wouldn't want me to come along with you."
Carly shook her head. "No. I wouldn't. But thank you."
He nodded, acting the perfect gentleman. "My pleasure. I'll make sure you can contact me at all times, in case you need anything. At least let me escort you to the airport. I'd like to make sure you take off okay."
"Alright," Carly agreed, "Let's go."
Lorenzo helped her off the couch, and steered her toward the door, making sure he was directly behind Carly at all times. That way, she wouldn't see the triumphant smile he was unable to mask as he took her out of the apartment...
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Lorenzo Alcazar was in the living room of his apartment making himself a drink when there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was Marcella, who'd been there only moments ago, he yelled, "I thought I asked you to leave."
"Lorenzo, it's me," Carly called back. Her voice was choked, and even through the door he could tell she'd been crying.
"Come in," he said, surprised. He hadn't expected his plan to work this well, for her to come running to him so fast. He set his drink down, and, making a mental note to reward Marcella for her excellent work, turned all his attention toward comforting Carly.
"Before you say anything, you need to know that I'm not doing this because of you," she said as she entered the apartment. "It has nothing to do with you, or anything you've ever said to me. You have to understand that I will never want anything more from you than friendship, and there is a very small chance at that."
"Yeah, okay, sure," he said quickly, more concerned with finding out why she'd been crying. "Carly, what's wrong?"
"Everything," she sighed, pacing restlessly across the room. She came to a stop in front of his desk, and leaned against it, facing him. "What's wrong is that I can't do this anymore. I'm making Sonny crazy, I'm making Michael terrified of everything... They'd both be better off if I was gone, so I'm leaving. You've got your wish. Sonny and I can't be together anymore."
He shrugged, unsure of what she wanted him to say. "I'm... sorry."
"Don't," she interrupted. "Don't stand here and lie to my face and pretend like this isn't exactly what you wanted. Just save it, Lorenzo, I'm not here for you pity or for your false condolances. I'm here because... Because I need your help."
"I'll help you in any way I can, Carly, you know that," he assured her.
"I know, and that is the only reason I came to you," she replied. "I need to leave the country, and I know you can make all the arrangements for me. I'll pay you back, someday, when I can, but for now I just need to start over."
Lorenzo nodded slowly. "You got it. Where would you like to go? Paris? Venice? Tuscany?"
"Yeah, sure, that sounds good," Carly said, rubbing her forehead. "Just, please, I need to be there as soon as possible."
"Of course," he said, "Of course. Here, sit down, I'll take care of everything right now."
Carly did as she was told, carefully sitting down on the big leather couch, and tried to get her bearings as Lorenzo made the phone calls that would guarantee her a safe passage to wherever it was he'd send her. She watched him, contemplating why he'd do this for her even after she'd made it perfectly clear that there was nothing in it for him. Looking at him, she realized he genuinely cared about her. To Lorenzo, she was more than just a bargaining chip or a piece of property. His feelings for her were quite real, despite what she'd told herself and her husband in the past. She shuddered, and looked away. The thought that Lorenzo Alcazar could be in love with her was too much for her to deal with at the moment. She didn't even want to think about it.
"Okay," Lorenzo said, hanging up the phone after only a few minutes. "Everything's all set. There's a plane waiting at the airport to take you to Italy. From there, I have a car ready to bring you to one of the best hotels in Tuscany. I'll send some of my men to help you get settled; I imagine you wouldn't want me to come along with you."
Carly shook her head. "No. I wouldn't. But thank you."
He nodded, acting the perfect gentleman. "My pleasure. I'll make sure you can contact me at all times, in case you need anything. At least let me escort you to the airport. I'd like to make sure you take off okay."
"Alright," Carly agreed, "Let's go."
Lorenzo helped her off the couch, and steered her toward the door, making sure he was directly behind Carly at all times. That way, she wouldn't see the triumphant smile he was unable to mask as he took her out of the apartment...