As she turned the corner to head down to the water, she stopped in her tracks. Faith Roscoe was standing provocatively between Dillon Quartermaine and Georgie Jones.
" … never forget that night," Carly heard Faith sigh. The blond moll reached out to touch Dillon's hair. Bless little Georgie's heart. Her hand snapped out and grasped the woman's hand before contact was made. Faith turned to the girl in surprise.
"Don't touch him, you skank," she said. Faith's other hand came up and took a menacing hold of Georgie's hair.
"Don't threaten me, little girl. You have no idea what I could do to you … or have done to you, understand?" Faith hissed, shrugging off Dillon's restraining hand. Carly stepped closer to the mini-brawl.
"Tsk, tsk, Faith. Don't you know that you really should pick on people your own size … or age for that matter?" Carly chided. Faith looked up to see the other blond woman approaching. She let go of Georgie's hair and straightened up. The teenager fought back tears as she rubbed her head.
"Well, well. Mrs. Corinthos. It's a surprise to see you without your lapdog. As for people my size … well, that would certainly not include you," she said snottily while pointedly looking at Carly's stomach. Carly scoffed.
"I wouldn't worry. I could take care of you with barely a blink," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Faith's eyes narrowed.
"So, Carly … does Sonny enjoy that little red number on you as much as he did on me?" she taunted. Carly's eyes narrowed, but she kept control of her temper.
"Would it matter to you, Faith?" she asked back. The blond woman smiled.
"Well, if it doesn't matter to you - Oh wait! I forgot, why would it matter to you? Since you've slept with most of Port Charles' male population anyways -" Faith barely finished her thought when Carly's fist met with Faith's face. The woman sprawled to the ground.
"It was half the Port Chuck male population -" Carly corrected sarcastically. She looked over to the wide-eyed teenage couple. Dillon held Georgie close to him as he looked to Faith on the ground.
"Well, at least I found a way to work out my bad moods," Carly said, more to herself, as she rubbed her now-throbbing hand. Faith touched her lip from where she lay on the ground.
"You bitch…" she said as she struggled to her feet. Carly smirked.
"I'm the bitch, Faithy. And if you really want to take a stab at the title round, you won't like where it leaves you. But, I do believe the title 'slut' fits you just fine – no challenge from me," Carly said with the satisfaction of watching Faith's eyes narrow in anger. Dillon was watching the showdown in fascination along with Georgie. As Faith prepared to pounce at Carly, a tall form inserted himself neatly between them. Even though she was staring at the back of his head, Carly would know that figure anywhere.
"Dillon, Dillon, Dillon - hasn't anyone ever told you it's not polite to stare, especially at a damsel in distress," the deep voice chided unexpectedly as he handed of the flailing, screaming blond off to a guard. Carly stood up straighter.
"I was no where near distressed," Carly said while rubbing her sore hand. The figure turned and his blue eyes went immediately to her hand.
"I beg to differ," he said softly. Dillon and Georgie raced to where they stood. Dillon turned to Carly first.
"I'm so sorry, Carly - I should have helped you. I know how dangerous Faith Roscoe is -" he then turned. "Mr. Alcazar, I really am sorry." Lorenzo smiled his usual emotionless smile.
"It's okay, Dillon. But I will suggest that you get your girlfriend home," he said, nodding to a slightly shaking Georgie. Dillon nodded, admiration apparent in his eyes. Carly bit back a smile as she watched the interaction between the two men. The younger man put his arm comfortingly around Georgie. Before they departed, Dillon looked at Carly.
"I should have helped you, but you really gave one to her," he told her, the admiration she'd seen before now being directed at her. She smiled softly at him before the young couple turned and headed home. Carly turned to look at Lorenzo Alcazar. He was an imposing figure in the dark … and she didn't know what to say to him. His eyes watched her closely as she struggled with herself to find something to say.
"Are you okay, Carly?" he asked. The tenderness in his voice almost made Carly laugh at the absurdity of it.
"I'm fine," she said with as much animosity as she could muster. Which wasn't much at this point.
"May I ask what caused this intriguing mood?" he asked, clasping his hands behind his back and looking over the docks.
"Well - it all started when I woke up this morning," Carly started snidely. Lorenzo's eyes snapped back to her, amusement dancing in them. "Pair seeing Ric and finding out my sister-in-law ran over Lizzie Do-Good with - other things - and I think I may be a little justified in my - mood, as you so put it."
"I'm relieved to hear that I'm not responsible," he said. Carly let out a small laugh, surprising even herself.
"You're the least of my troubles," she admitted while using her arms to hug herself. Lorenzo brought a hand up to her arm.
"If there's anything I can do -" he cut off as Carly hissed and turned away from him. Carly closed her eyes as the sting from the new bruise faded. She resisted the urge to rub her arm.
"Carly? Is that from the fall? Do you need to see a doctor?" Lorenzo's concerned voice asked. Carly turned to him with a small smile and a shake of her head.
"Then what -" Lorenzo began to ask. He suddenly stood up straighter and retracted the hand that was reaching for her. "Sonny?" Carly's silence answered for him. Carly watched as his face morphed from one of concern to one of rage - or what Carly was beginning to know as rage. To any other person, the blank, stony expression conveyed disinterest. But Carly knew better. She reached out and grasped his arm. They both looked to where her hand lay. It was the first time she had voluntarily touched him. Knowing that, she retracted her hand as if it had been burned.
"Lorenzo, it was nothing," she said quickly. Lorenzo looked up at her and didn't even pretend to misunderstand her.
"Why do you continue to defend him, Carly? You say you're not afraid of him - and you may not be. But you are afraid of his anger -" he said, making his point when he reached for her and she flinched.
"Leave her alone you son of a bitch," an angry voice called. Lorenzo's eyes didn't leave Carly for a second.
"Good evening, Mr. Morgan," he said. Jason's jaw tightened as he closed in on the pair. As he reached out to take Carly's arm, Lorenzo reached out and stopped him. "I don't think you want to do that." Jason shook his arm from the man's grip.
"Leave Carly alone, Alcazar. You kidnapped her, you kidnapped my girlfriend, and because of that Carly almost lost her child and Courtney did lose ours. So, you need to stay the hell away from them - or you'll be dead," Jason said, his expression as stony as the man he was talking to.
"Mr. Morgan, I have apologized repeatedly for the actions taken that day and I am regretful that your unborn child was compromised," Lorenzo said. Jason's eyes narrowed.
"Your apology means nothing to me. It doesn't change a thing," he said.
"It should, Mr. Morgan. I have expressed to bothMs. Mathewsand to Mrs. Corinthos, and in turn to their respective significant others, that I am no threat to either of them, nor do I wish to be. That being the case, Mr. Morgan, threats will only cause me to take action against those who present them," Lorenzo warned. Silence warred as the two men stared at each other. Carly watched the battle of wills with supreme interest. These two men were a lot alike whether they wanted to admit it or not. Suddenly, Jason turned to her and took her shoulders in his hands.
"Carly, promise me – right now, right here, with him watching – that you will not see him again, that you will avoid him. For me. Promise me and tell him," he said, turning Carly to face Lorenzo.
"Awfully sure of your importance, aren't you, Mr. Morgan. Even when you are causing Mrs. Corinthos distress," he told the man. Jason noticed then that Carly was trying to get her left arm out of his grip. He let go and looked menacingly at Lorenzo.
"If you -" he started, but Carly took his hand, stopping him. He turned to her.
"He didn't do anything - in fact, he saved me from the wrath of our darling Faith. He's saved me a lot -" Carly said, trailing the last thought more to herself. Jason frowned.
"Then who hurt you?" he asked. Carly just looked at him. It took a few seconds, and when the realization dawned in the man's eyes, Carly nodded. Jason looked to Lorenzo and found the truth there as well.
"Jason - I think you'd better go. Find Courtney, okay? She's got to be a mess and she can't do anything stupid. Not now," Carly said. Jason looked to Lorenzo again.
"Mr. Morgan, I assured Mrs. Corinthos that the information I know would stay between us. I make the same assurance to you as well," he said. Jason nodded. With one last look at Carly, he ran off to find his fiancee. Carly turned back to Lorenzo, who was watching her thoughtfully.
"You didn't promise him, Carly," he noted. Carly shook her head.
"Lorenzo - he's right. Me seeing you, me talking to you - It's causing a lot of problems. It - it would be better if you just forgot about all of this. There's nothing for you here. I need my life to go back to normal. Forget about me and leave Port Charles."
I want you to leave me the hell alone.
Lorenzo dispensed with all of his forced good manners and stepped close to Carly. His hand reached up and he ran the back of his fingers over her cheek. A slight smile softened his features as he looked down at her.
What if I can't?
Carly's eyes drifted shut at the contact, her heart racing. When she opened them again and her brown eyes looked up into his blue ones, everything she was feeling at that moment was reflected back to her. And never had two words affected her so much. "I can't."