If Tomorrow Never Comes
Chapter 7
"Sorry it took so long. You ready to order?"
Juan looked up from his menu, smiling at the hagard waitress. "Hi, Penny. Busy night, huh?"
"Tell me about it. It wouldn't be so bad, but Elizabeth got the night off since it's so quiet." Penny added, rolling her eyes at the stupidity of the comment. Juan glanced around Kelly's and noted that every table was filled. He looked back to Penny "This is quiet?"
Penny laughed, "Well it was quiet when she took off."
"That's not really fair."
"Eh. I'm used to it. So you ready?"
"Actually, my date had to run out for a few minutes, but you know what Penny I'll just have a Coke and to make it easier, I'll take it at the counter." Penny sent him a grateful smile as she ran to get his Coke. Reaching the counter he sat down on the corner just as Penny brought his drink. "You need any help?" he asked.
"Well, isn't that sweet. No, I'll be okay. Anything else?"
Juan was about to say no when he noticed Emily walk into Kelly's. "How about another one for my friend over here."
"You got it." Penny said over her shoulder as she turned to the kitchen.
"Hey Em." He said walking over to greet her.
"Hi Juan." Emily replied, smiling sadly at her friend as she walked past him towards the counter.
Juan reached out to stop her, turning her to look at him. "Oh no. What happened?"
"I went to see Zander."
Juan closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "Em. You promised." He opened his eyes and noticed Emily staring intently at something behind him. "What?" he asked.
"Okay. Play this easy. Be cool alright?" Juan nodded. "There's this guy at the door that I've noticed a couple of times this week."
"Is he following you?"
"I think so."
Juan stretched his arms out and yawned, turning his head to look behind him at the same time.
"Real subtle, tact boy."
"What? It's working." He replied, looking back at Emily. He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the counter. "Come on." He sat down in the stool that half faced the door. The guy stepped away to let someone enter. Juan realized that person was Shari. He waved at her and she smiled, waving back as she made her way over to them. The mystery man took one last glance at Emily and then disappeared.
"Hey guys." Shari greeted them warmly.
"Okay. He's gone."
Emily turned to look at the door. "Thank God. Oh man. This is bad."
"You think we should tell someone?"
"Are you nuts!?" Emily yelled. The noisy room stilled for a moment as every head turned in their direction. Emily leaned in closer lowering her voice. " If I tell my parents."
Shari watched the exchange quietly, not quite sure what to say. "Is everything alright?"
Emily and Juan jumped at the sound of her voice. They'd both forgotten she was there. Juan smiled warmly at the confused girl. "I'm sorry. It's just we may have a problem."
Shari nodded slowly and turned to Emily. "Anything I can do?"
Emily smiled at her new friend and reached out to squeeze her hand. "Thanks, but I don't think any of us can really do anything about this."
"Em, I really think that we need to tell someone."
"Right, Juan. 'Hey Mom, Dad, there's this guy following me. What should I do?' You know them Juan. Their solution would be to lock me in my room."
"I meant like Carly or Sonny. Hell, maybe even Zander."
"Maybe Zander what?"
Emily, Shari, and Juan all turned their heads to look at Liz and Lucky, now standing behind them.
Lucky let go of Liz's hand. "Maybe Zander what, guys?"
Carly watched Sonny and Sorel's exchange cautiously. Her heart had nearly leapt out of her chest when she spotted them from the steps. Her first instinct had been to run to Sonny, to make him walk away from Sorel. But she knew better. She'd seen the terror in Sonny's eyes when he'd turned and found her standing there.
Sorel brushed Sonny's hand off his chest. He'd caught the look Sonny sent his wife. Smiling, Sorel moved to offer Carly his hand. Carly stared at the outstretched hand and smiled politely, her eyes going cold. "Thank you, but I can walk down." She brushed past Sorel and headed towards Sonny, pausing to kiss his cheek. Pulling back she looked into his eyes and winked for his sake. Leaning in she kissed his lips sweetly. "Be careful" She whispered against them before she pulled back and headed off in the direction of Kelly's.
Sonny followed her progress until she reached the corner. Turning back to look at him, Carly gave a small wave and continued waking. Sonny smiled to himself as he turned his attention back to Sorel. He always knew there was a reason he loved that woman.
"You have a beautiful wife, Corinthos."
Sonny tensed slightly, his eyes meeting Sorel's " Yes. I do."
"She should be more careful walking on the dock alone. This is a dangerous place for a woman."
Sonny closed the distance between himself and Sorel. He stepped in to stand face to face with his enemy, his eyes narrowing to slits as he spoke softly. "Don't push me, Sorel."
Johnny pause at the steps of the docks. He felt a moment of panic when he saw Sonny facing off with Sorel. He'd seen Carly come this way. His panic increased as he scanned the docks looking for any sign of her. Oh please.
"It was just a thought, Corinthos." Sorel added as he took a step back. "Random violence happens everywhere. Everyone needs to be careful." Sorel smirked before nodding at Sonny and turning to walk away.
Johnny watched Sorel walk away, waiting until he was out of sight before he joined Sonny. He walked up to him slowly, calling out to him. "Boss."
Sonny turned at the sound of Johnny's voice. "Hey."
"Hey. You alright?" Johnny asked, concern evident on his face. Sonny nodded, waving away Johnny's worry. "Good. Okay. I know this is a strange question seeing as I'm her guard and all, but."
"She's at Kelly's. I think."
Johnny breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh. Good."
Sonny smiled slightly, "She ditch you again?"
"No, she doesn't ditch me."
"Oh. Really?" Sonny asked, one eyebrow rising as he gave Johnny a look.
"Really!" Johnny snapped, walking past Sonny as he headed to Kelly's. "She's just really fast."
"Yeah. And she ditched you."
"Oh shut up." Johnny mumbled, Sonny's laughter following him as he headed to Kelly's.
Zander sat on the wooden crate in the boxcar. His feet were freezing and he was hungry. He knew Mrs. Corinthos - Carly - had told him to stay, but he really wished she'd hurry up. It was getting darker and colder. He got up, moving around in a futile to get the blood flowing in his legs again. His thoughts drifted to Emily and everything he'd just said to her. He closed his eyes pushing her from his mind as he tried to figure out what he should do.
A gust of wind blew into the boxcar and he shivered involuntarily against the cold. That was it. He made his way to the entrance of the boxcar, intent on finding Emily or Carly or anyone before he froze to death. He climbed down slowly and started walking towards the docks not sure where he was going to start looking. He didn't hear the footsteps until it was too late. He tried to run but the person grabbed him by the neck and held him still.
"Don't move, kid."
Chapter 7
"Sorry it took so long. You ready to order?"
Juan looked up from his menu, smiling at the hagard waitress. "Hi, Penny. Busy night, huh?"
"Tell me about it. It wouldn't be so bad, but Elizabeth got the night off since it's so quiet." Penny added, rolling her eyes at the stupidity of the comment. Juan glanced around Kelly's and noted that every table was filled. He looked back to Penny "This is quiet?"
Penny laughed, "Well it was quiet when she took off."
"That's not really fair."
"Eh. I'm used to it. So you ready?"
"Actually, my date had to run out for a few minutes, but you know what Penny I'll just have a Coke and to make it easier, I'll take it at the counter." Penny sent him a grateful smile as she ran to get his Coke. Reaching the counter he sat down on the corner just as Penny brought his drink. "You need any help?" he asked.
"Well, isn't that sweet. No, I'll be okay. Anything else?"
Juan was about to say no when he noticed Emily walk into Kelly's. "How about another one for my friend over here."
"You got it." Penny said over her shoulder as she turned to the kitchen.
"Hey Em." He said walking over to greet her.
"Hi Juan." Emily replied, smiling sadly at her friend as she walked past him towards the counter.
Juan reached out to stop her, turning her to look at him. "Oh no. What happened?"
"I went to see Zander."
Juan closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "Em. You promised." He opened his eyes and noticed Emily staring intently at something behind him. "What?" he asked.
"Okay. Play this easy. Be cool alright?" Juan nodded. "There's this guy at the door that I've noticed a couple of times this week."
"Is he following you?"
"I think so."
Juan stretched his arms out and yawned, turning his head to look behind him at the same time.
"Real subtle, tact boy."
"What? It's working." He replied, looking back at Emily. He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the counter. "Come on." He sat down in the stool that half faced the door. The guy stepped away to let someone enter. Juan realized that person was Shari. He waved at her and she smiled, waving back as she made her way over to them. The mystery man took one last glance at Emily and then disappeared.
"Hey guys." Shari greeted them warmly.
"Okay. He's gone."
Emily turned to look at the door. "Thank God. Oh man. This is bad."
"You think we should tell someone?"
"Are you nuts!?" Emily yelled. The noisy room stilled for a moment as every head turned in their direction. Emily leaned in closer lowering her voice. " If I tell my parents."
Shari watched the exchange quietly, not quite sure what to say. "Is everything alright?"
Emily and Juan jumped at the sound of her voice. They'd both forgotten she was there. Juan smiled warmly at the confused girl. "I'm sorry. It's just we may have a problem."
Shari nodded slowly and turned to Emily. "Anything I can do?"
Emily smiled at her new friend and reached out to squeeze her hand. "Thanks, but I don't think any of us can really do anything about this."
"Em, I really think that we need to tell someone."
"Right, Juan. 'Hey Mom, Dad, there's this guy following me. What should I do?' You know them Juan. Their solution would be to lock me in my room."
"I meant like Carly or Sonny. Hell, maybe even Zander."
"Maybe Zander what?"
Emily, Shari, and Juan all turned their heads to look at Liz and Lucky, now standing behind them.
Lucky let go of Liz's hand. "Maybe Zander what, guys?"
Carly watched Sonny and Sorel's exchange cautiously. Her heart had nearly leapt out of her chest when she spotted them from the steps. Her first instinct had been to run to Sonny, to make him walk away from Sorel. But she knew better. She'd seen the terror in Sonny's eyes when he'd turned and found her standing there.
Sorel brushed Sonny's hand off his chest. He'd caught the look Sonny sent his wife. Smiling, Sorel moved to offer Carly his hand. Carly stared at the outstretched hand and smiled politely, her eyes going cold. "Thank you, but I can walk down." She brushed past Sorel and headed towards Sonny, pausing to kiss his cheek. Pulling back she looked into his eyes and winked for his sake. Leaning in she kissed his lips sweetly. "Be careful" She whispered against them before she pulled back and headed off in the direction of Kelly's.
Sonny followed her progress until she reached the corner. Turning back to look at him, Carly gave a small wave and continued waking. Sonny smiled to himself as he turned his attention back to Sorel. He always knew there was a reason he loved that woman.
"You have a beautiful wife, Corinthos."
Sonny tensed slightly, his eyes meeting Sorel's " Yes. I do."
"She should be more careful walking on the dock alone. This is a dangerous place for a woman."
Sonny closed the distance between himself and Sorel. He stepped in to stand face to face with his enemy, his eyes narrowing to slits as he spoke softly. "Don't push me, Sorel."
Johnny pause at the steps of the docks. He felt a moment of panic when he saw Sonny facing off with Sorel. He'd seen Carly come this way. His panic increased as he scanned the docks looking for any sign of her. Oh please.
"It was just a thought, Corinthos." Sorel added as he took a step back. "Random violence happens everywhere. Everyone needs to be careful." Sorel smirked before nodding at Sonny and turning to walk away.
Johnny watched Sorel walk away, waiting until he was out of sight before he joined Sonny. He walked up to him slowly, calling out to him. "Boss."
Sonny turned at the sound of Johnny's voice. "Hey."
"Hey. You alright?" Johnny asked, concern evident on his face. Sonny nodded, waving away Johnny's worry. "Good. Okay. I know this is a strange question seeing as I'm her guard and all, but."
"She's at Kelly's. I think."
Johnny breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh. Good."
Sonny smiled slightly, "She ditch you again?"
"No, she doesn't ditch me."
"Oh. Really?" Sonny asked, one eyebrow rising as he gave Johnny a look.
"Really!" Johnny snapped, walking past Sonny as he headed to Kelly's. "She's just really fast."
"Yeah. And she ditched you."
"Oh shut up." Johnny mumbled, Sonny's laughter following him as he headed to Kelly's.
Zander sat on the wooden crate in the boxcar. His feet were freezing and he was hungry. He knew Mrs. Corinthos - Carly - had told him to stay, but he really wished she'd hurry up. It was getting darker and colder. He got up, moving around in a futile to get the blood flowing in his legs again. His thoughts drifted to Emily and everything he'd just said to her. He closed his eyes pushing her from his mind as he tried to figure out what he should do.
A gust of wind blew into the boxcar and he shivered involuntarily against the cold. That was it. He made his way to the entrance of the boxcar, intent on finding Emily or Carly or anyone before he froze to death. He climbed down slowly and started walking towards the docks not sure where he was going to start looking. He didn't hear the footsteps until it was too late. He tried to run but the person grabbed him by the neck and held him still.
"Don't move, kid."