She felt it. He knew she did. He'd seen it in her eyes as she told him to leave Port Charles. She didn't really want him to go. It was why she kept protecting him from Morgan and her husband, despite her adamant denials. Her walls were beginning to come down and she was allowing herself to feel a fraction of what he felt for her. Lorenzo knew that he wasn't known as a patient man. But he knew he could be patient for her. He had to be patient for her.
"You would be laughing, Luis, if you saw me now," Lorenzo mumbled to his dead brother as he stood in front of his penthouse window swirling a glass of scotch. Luis had been adamant that the right woman was worth everything – even life.
"And you certainly paid that price, brother," Lorenzo said, tipping his glass to the sky before he took a drink. Lorenzo had always told Luis that a woman was a weakness. Looking back at it now, Lorenzo knew it was quite hypocritical of him. So, he'd amend his thinking. Brenda Barrett was a weakness. She'd never deserved Luis' attention. She was weakness where Carly was strength. Brenda Barrett had had Sonny Corinthos and Jasper Jacks. And Carly has Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan. Ignoring the whispers of his mind, Lorenzo turned from the window to go refill his now-empty glass. Luis had wanted revenge. Lorenzo just wanted Carly. That was the difference between these two scenarios. History was not going to repeat itself this time. He could feel it.
She could feel it. She didn't want to feel it, but she could feel it all the same. Her resolve was slowly softening. And it wasn't so much that she couldn't help it… it was more that she wasn't sure if she wanted to help it. She leaned over the counter of the General Hospital nurse's station with a sigh. Leaning on her elbow, in wait of her mother, a vase of roses caught her eye. Carly reached up and fingered one of the delicate petals thinking of the same flowers she had received. Thinking of you, as always. Well, the reverse seemed to be true as well. With a sigh she let her hand drop.
"Carly! I didn't expect to see you," Bobbie Spencer said as she approached where her daughter stood. Carly turned with a warm smile.
"Momma -" she said, embracing the redheaded woman. Bobbie stepped back from Carly, but didn't let her go. A worried look came across her face as she observed her daughter.
"Uh oh. I know that look. What's wrong?" Bobbie asked. Carly smiled again
"I don't know Momma. I wish I did. Do you think you skip out a few minutes early? I need to talk to you," Carly asked, wringing her hands. Bobbie reached out and placed her hands over hers.
"I just finished my rounds. Let's go have our break," she said, taking Carly by the hand, waving to the nurse on duty and heading to the elevator. When they arrived at Kelly's, Bobbie immediately found the most secluded table in order to discuss 'things' with her daughter.
"Okay, daughter of mine. Time to spill," she said, leaning over the table closer to Carly. Carly sighed, not sure how to begin.
"I'm not sure - I can't - oh Momma, I'm so - I think I may be - in love," Carly stammered out with a pained look as she finished. It took Bobbie a few seconds of searching her daughter's face before smiling and taking Carly's hands.
"Okay, Carly. I think you'd better start from the beginning. If this is Sonny we're talking about -" she started. Carly whipped her hands out of her mother's grasp and brought them to her forehead.
"It isn't Sonny, Momma!" she whispered fiercely. "We're not talking about my husband!" Bobbie was shocked for a few seconds before composing herself again.
"Okay - Jason, then. Honey, you've always loved him -" Bobbie started. The look on Carly's face confirmed that she was off. Bobbie racked her brain for another candidate. "If not Jason – then - who?" Carly looked down at her hands, as if she were ashamed.
"Lorenzo Alcazar," she admitted. Bobbie sat back in her chair, thinking over this admission. Carly's worried brown eyes met her mother's. Knowing she needed to understand the Carly logic behind this, Bobbie sat forward again and clasped her hands together on the table.
"Carly, Lorenzo Alcazar kidnapped you. You were locked away from your family for months, albeit more so with Ric, but the man willingly left you there! And then he took you for his own gain when the opportunity arose," Bobbie reminded her. Carly nodded.
"I know, Momma. But you weren't there. He took good care of me. He saved me and the baby when doctors thought it was hopeless. He listened to my wishes - not what he thought was best. He hates Ric for the way he treated me," Carly said.
"Sonny hates Ric for the same reasons, honey," Bobbie interjected. Carly nodded.
"I know - but he's let Ric off the hook, more or less. He's threatened him, yes… but Lorenzo came to the hospital to kill Ric for the way he treated me. Sonny and Faith were the ones that stopped him. I know it sounds crazy and psycho, but it made me feel safe," Carly tried to explain, knowing full well that it wasn't coming out in the way she felt.
"He came to the hospital? How come I didn't hear about that? How did you find out?" Bobbie asked, incredulous. Carly shook her head.
"You weren't on duty that day - and I overhear things -" Carly explained. Bobbie watched her daughter fidget with a napkin. "I love Sonny, Momma." Bobbie was taken aback at the statement for a second before letting out a chuckle.
"I don't think that's relevant right now, Carly," she said. Carly's frown returned in full force.
"How the hell isn't that relevant, Momma? We're sitting here discussing the fact that I could be in love with another man. How is me not being in love with my husband not relevant?" Carly asked. Bobbie chuckled again as she took her angry daughter's hand.
"Carly, I know you love your husband. Hell, all of Port Charles knows you love your husband. We've seen you fight for him day in and day out for a long time now. After everything that's happened, I certainly don't deny that you love Sonny Corinthos. Chances are, even Lorenzo Alcazar knows you love your husband," Bobbie said. Carly sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Not helping, Momma!" she hissed between clenched teeth. Bobbie smiled inwardly. It was moments like this, when Carly reminded her of a pouting adolescent that made Bobbie wish she'd had the chance to be with Carly as a child. But, it made these little heart-to-hearts all the more poignant.
"Sorry, Carly. Sorry. Let's try this a different way. You love Jason, right?" Bobbie asked. Carly's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she nodded slowly.
"You know I do. You know I always will," she confirmed. Bobbie nodded.
"Alright. Why aren't you with Jason?" she asked. Carly sat forward, a slight pain visible in her eyes.
"Because Sonny and I ruined it," she said softly. Bobbie's heart twisted a little for her daughter.
"Carly, you know that's not it. What's the real reason you aren't with Jason?" Bobbie asked. Carly's eyes met her mothers. She sighed as her arms dropped to the table.
"Because at that time, we just weren't right for each other," Carly admitted. Bobbie smiled gently.
"No, you weren't. You have both grown up a lot since then. Things would be different now, but you've both moved on. Anyways, the point I'm trying to make is even though you love someone, you can grow into being right for each other and you can grow out of it, too. It happens to the best of us, baby," Bobbie said, reaching her hand out and grasping Carly's. Carly's eyes softened at the reminder of her mother's failed marriage – and her own part in it.
"I do love Sonny. But he doesn't respect who I am. He's known me since I met Jason. He knows how I handle things, how I operate. I was the exact same way when we got married. How can he expect me to become someone who is not me?" Carly asked, the anguish she's held in for such a long time finally spilling out.
"Carly -" Bobbie began. A tear slipped out of Carly's eye before she could hold it back.
"Momma, when you look at me, is the first thing you see a selfish, lying, manipulating, cheating slut?" Carly asked. Bobbie's eyes widened in shock.
"Carly! I don't ever want to hear you say that about yourself again!" she said. Carly shook her head.
"Sometimes, that's how I feel when Sonny looks at me. I can't help it. I know I was horrible in the past, but I've tried to make things work. I really have," she said, looking down at her hands.
"Carly, when I look at you, I see a beautiful, stubborn, intelligent, loyal, loving woman who only wants to be loved and needed. I'm going to be honest. You and Sonny were having a world full of troubles before your accident. I honestly didn't think things would last. And when you came back, the two of you tried so hard to keep things together, to pretend that everything was okay because you loved each other and almost lost each other. I think, after a while, you both had yourselves convinced," Bobbie said. Carly closed her eyes. Making the best of a bad situation.
"So, in a nutshell, you think that Jason and I could be right for each other but we've both moved on, Sonny and I aren't right for each other even though we love each other, and that I could possibly be in love with another man?" Carly asked. Bobbie nodded with a small smile. Carly let out a large breath as she sat back in her chair.
"Thanks, Momma," she said, still looking troubled. Bobbie grinned as she motioned for the waitress to bring them menus.
"Now, tell me about Lorenzo Alcazar and why you think you could love this murdering, drug-trafficking, arms-dealing kidnapper," she said. Another grin crossed the redhead's face as her daughter groaned.
Carly moaned to herself as she made her way into the penthouse. It had been a long day, and it was about to get longer if Sonny was waiting up for her. She set her purse on the desk and slowly made her way down towards the couch, a hand resting on the small of her back. Her other hand ran over her rounded belly, causing her to smile. A few more months and all of this discomfort and worry would be over. She would be holding her baby. Her smile faded as she heard footsteps descend the stairs.
"You're back," Sonny's voice said. Carly's ears couldn't detect the mood that he was in. He sat down on the couch, but on the opposite side. She turned to him with a small smile.
"I went to see my mother," she said. Sonny nodded. He was silent for a second. When he held out his hand to her, all she could do was look at it. He was offering peace. After an internal battle, she took it hesitantly.
"I'm sorry, Carly. Those things I said before – well, you know how I get when I overreact," he said softly. "I just worry about you and the baby." Carly stood up with a sigh and removed her hand from Sonny's. She looked down at him. His dark hair was a mess, and his dark eyes looked worn. She loved this man, she really did.
"Sonny, you keep bringing up trust as an issue between us. It's always your main argument. And it's obviously a valid one. But trust – it's a two way street. How can I trust the man I love when every time he 'overreacts' he demeans me as a person? How can I trust a man who thinks I shouldn't lie to him when I know he has lied to me as well? How can I trust a man who doesn't trust me because when he looks at me, he sees everything I did in the past? You have exceptionally high standards, Sonny. I don't begrudge you those. But I can have standards, too," Carly said, her eyes meeting her husband's. Carly shook her head as Sonny stayed quiet, unable to refute her words.
"I'm tired, Sonny. I'm going to bed." With that she made her way to the stairs. As she reached them, she took a look over her shoulder. Her husband sat in the same position on the couch, staring straight ahead. She shook her head again. She loved that man, she really did. But now, she was questioning whether or not she could really live with him.