Greta decided that she had to be honest with her fiancé, Nathan Calvant.
The wedding wasn't that far off at this point, and she betrayed him. She
made love to Eric Brady. She hadn't slept right after running off to
Paris, and she needed to talk to him. As she walked down the long hall of
mirrors, reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, she tried to
remember all her excuses that she told herself after she saw Eric standing
outside her castle window.
She was always going to love Eric, and at this point in her life, she understood that her heart was always going to beat for Eric even if they were never going to be together. Eric wasn't the type of man that she could live happily ever after with. He betrayed her. He forced himself into her life, demanding her trust and love, and when she finally returned his feelings, he slept with Nicole Walker. The emotional wound was so fresh again. But when she saw him outside the castle, she told herself that she was going to create memories that she could cherish and it was only one night. If she hadn't created those moments, she'd never have another opportunity. It wasn't until after she betrayed her fiancé that she felt this awful guilt.
The morning sun reminded her that she was engaged to a man who adored her. Nathan was the type of man that a princess should marry. He was sophisticated, charming, brilliant, her social equal, and he adored her. Nathan would do anything that she'd ask him. With his innate sense of grace and charm, she could ask for no finer companion. If it wasn't for her history in Salem, she'd probably have fallen in love with Nathan the old fashioned way. Eric was her past and he should have remained in her past because her future was with Nathan, if he could forgive her.
Finally she reached the end of the hallway and knocked on the door to his study. He called out, "Come in" without looking up.
She closed the door behind her and said, "Nathan, we have to talk."
Nathan looked up from his papers and right into Greta's eyes when he asked her, "Have you come to confess and apologize or are you planning on running away?"
He knew! She answered, "Nathan, I'm so sorry. I betrayed you. It was completely unforgivable. I'd understand if you want me gone from your life."
He stood up from his desk and walked over to her. She couldn't even look him in the eyes. He put his finger underneath her chin to gently force her to look at him before he told her, "I'm not going into this with squeaky clean hands either darling. If you had remained in Europe instead of used to help Stefano, then our marriage would have happened years ago just as our parents had always wanted. As it stands now, Greta I still love you and I want you in my life forever."
She asked him shocked, "You're not going to call off the wedding then?"
He asked her honestly, "Do you want me to call everything off?"
He would leave her this choice. Her life with Nathan would be agreeably and full of friendship and stability. The only thing missing from the equation with Nathan was that toe curling feeling love and romance that she dreamed about at night. Eric made her feel more alive, more aware of herself. But Nathan was the safer choice and she answered, "I still want to marry you, Nathan, if you can forgive me."
He kissed her on her forehead and said, "Then you are forgiven. You have a fitting for your dress soon, don't you mon chéri?"
She shook her head yes and started to walk away. But she came back and pulled him in for a kiss. She desperately wanted Nathan to make her feel like Eric had with his kisses. But she felt what she always felt when kissing Nathan, security and friendship. It was obvious from his kiss that he lusted for her, but no matter how hard she tried to force herself, she couldn't fake her emotional response. She was sadly not in love with Nathan. He asked her, "Feel better?"
She uncharacteristically lied when she answered, "Sure. I'll see you later."
When the door closed behind her, Nathan called his security team. Eric Brady was not going to be allowed within a hundred yards of the estate or his bride again! Eric lost Greta, and he was not getting another try. The wedding was going to go exactly as planned. ~*~
Lucas hung up the phone. Austin was always a jerk, and Lucas never should have called his brother while he was depressed. His need for a stiff drink to calm down started gnawing at him the very second that he heard Austin's oh so superior voice talking down to him. Austin was always self righteous and so self important that he refused to believe anything, and he was going to call Greta to double check what Lucas told him. Lucas naturally only fed Austin just enough about Greta's nervousness, need for a friend, and Eric's disappearance.
Lucas waited by the phone, and sure enough Austin called him back suddenly agreeing that his presence was needed in Paris. Lucas would have taken comfort in knowing that he just manipulated Austin into a situation where he would be uncomfortable, but then Austin had to go and say, "There was no way Sami would marry you for love."
What the hell gave Austin the right to judge him or anyone? Lucas finished the conversation with, "You don't know much about Sami or about me, do you? I wish that she. Greta never made me call you!" He slammed down the phone.
Naturally Sami had listened to the conversation. She heard the phone slam down for the second time, but she wasn't expecting Lucas to open the bedroom door so fast. He almost knocked her down as he was storming out, but he caught her by the waist before she tumbled. She asked him, "What's wrong?"
Lucas told her, "I'm going to the gym to work out."
He started to take his arm off of her waist and head out, but she caught his arm before he could retreat from her to say, "What happened? Is he not going?"
Lucas replied honestly, "He'll be there. Y'know, Carrie deserves better than Austin. And you definitely deserve better than me."
She refused to let go of his arm. She replied, "Don't get all stupid on me now General. Austin and Carrie certainly deserve a chance after everything we did to them. And as for you and me, I know damn well that no man deserves me."
He was the one that deserved to burn in hell, not her. He whispered to her, "Don't say that again. You deserve someone good and honest and truthful and not a murderer."
She whispered back to him, "That's what this was about. God Lucas, am I good and honest and truthful? No, but you don't throw my faults in my face. And as for being a murderer, you aren't."
He answered, "Sami, I am a murderer."
She shook her head and said, "You shot a man as he was about to kill your mother. That's not murder, it's self defense."
He was not going to let go of his self guilt. He said, "I tried to kill you."
She replied, "Do you know who you are talking to here? Lucas Roberts if you want something accomplished, you scheme until you succeed. It's a character trait that I admire. So how am I standing right here then? If you wanted to kill me for real, you would have succeeded."
He tried to pull away. He was not prepared for her defending him, not after everything he did. She held his arm tightly as he tried to leave, but he finally stopped struggling to get away when he said, "Don't make excuses that don't wash."
She replied, "Oh I know that your goal was to punish me. You wanted me out of your life, and you wanted to put the proverbial knife in my back. I had the same motivations. My God, you do realize that when our friendship fell apart, we went to extremes to get back at the other for the abandonment."
He still didn't look at her, but he had to ask, "You see Dr. Troy too huh?"
He finally turned his head to look at her again when she quipped, "She's almost like an empath, and she gets to the heart of an issue that bothers you."
He hesitantly replied, "We should send her a thank you card."
She put her arms around his waist and whispered, "I'm sure she'd love a family appointment."
He needed to get out of her embrace before he forgot all about his plan for her. He couldn't stop his eyes from gazing at her lips, wondering how she'd react.
She knew what he was doing. She parted her lips in response and reached up to kiss him. He closed his eyes and she could feel his breathe on her lips, when there was a knock at the door.
Lucas spun out of Sami's embrace and said, "I'll get it."
She barely had time to catch her breath when he opened the door to John. As Lucas and John were saying hello, Sami asked, "What do you want?!?"
John answered, "Carrie told Marlena and me what was going on with Eric. I came to invite you both to fly to Paris on my plane."
Sami started to yell at John to get out, but she reconsidered. Flying to Paris with her family would force Lucas to act like the adoring husband. If she kept at him for hours on a plane, maybe she could finally seduce him in private. At this point she was even willing to be nice to John in order to win this tug of war with Lucas. She smiled sweetly and replied, "What time do we leave?"
John looked surprised that she hadn't argued with him and told him to go to hell like he had expected. He answered dumbfounded, "We'll leave in about 6 hours. Meet us at the airport."
Lucas wanted to know what was going on. When John left, he asked her, "What are you planning now?"
She smiled and said, "We should arrive with Carrie and keep an eye on her. This way we plan the reunion just right."
Lucas answered, "Austin will arrive before us since NY is closer to the coast."
She replied, "Should we pack or continue where we left off?"
He quickly answered her, "Pack." He followed her into the bedroom, thankful that he'd have time to reformulate his plan. The plane ride should give him plenty of opportunity to think about just how to get to Sami. Sometimes it seemed that they were closer than ever, but he needed to hear her say that she loved him. ~*~
Austin quickly packed his bags and caught the next flight to Paris. Greta said that she needed her friends now more than ever, and he was going to go. Paris should be a good distraction since tomorrow was his anniversary with Carrie. In Paris he wouldn't have to think about how he lost the one person that mattered most to him.
She was always going to love Eric, and at this point in her life, she understood that her heart was always going to beat for Eric even if they were never going to be together. Eric wasn't the type of man that she could live happily ever after with. He betrayed her. He forced himself into her life, demanding her trust and love, and when she finally returned his feelings, he slept with Nicole Walker. The emotional wound was so fresh again. But when she saw him outside the castle, she told herself that she was going to create memories that she could cherish and it was only one night. If she hadn't created those moments, she'd never have another opportunity. It wasn't until after she betrayed her fiancé that she felt this awful guilt.
The morning sun reminded her that she was engaged to a man who adored her. Nathan was the type of man that a princess should marry. He was sophisticated, charming, brilliant, her social equal, and he adored her. Nathan would do anything that she'd ask him. With his innate sense of grace and charm, she could ask for no finer companion. If it wasn't for her history in Salem, she'd probably have fallen in love with Nathan the old fashioned way. Eric was her past and he should have remained in her past because her future was with Nathan, if he could forgive her.
Finally she reached the end of the hallway and knocked on the door to his study. He called out, "Come in" without looking up.
She closed the door behind her and said, "Nathan, we have to talk."
Nathan looked up from his papers and right into Greta's eyes when he asked her, "Have you come to confess and apologize or are you planning on running away?"
He knew! She answered, "Nathan, I'm so sorry. I betrayed you. It was completely unforgivable. I'd understand if you want me gone from your life."
He stood up from his desk and walked over to her. She couldn't even look him in the eyes. He put his finger underneath her chin to gently force her to look at him before he told her, "I'm not going into this with squeaky clean hands either darling. If you had remained in Europe instead of used to help Stefano, then our marriage would have happened years ago just as our parents had always wanted. As it stands now, Greta I still love you and I want you in my life forever."
She asked him shocked, "You're not going to call off the wedding then?"
He asked her honestly, "Do you want me to call everything off?"
He would leave her this choice. Her life with Nathan would be agreeably and full of friendship and stability. The only thing missing from the equation with Nathan was that toe curling feeling love and romance that she dreamed about at night. Eric made her feel more alive, more aware of herself. But Nathan was the safer choice and she answered, "I still want to marry you, Nathan, if you can forgive me."
He kissed her on her forehead and said, "Then you are forgiven. You have a fitting for your dress soon, don't you mon chéri?"
She shook her head yes and started to walk away. But she came back and pulled him in for a kiss. She desperately wanted Nathan to make her feel like Eric had with his kisses. But she felt what she always felt when kissing Nathan, security and friendship. It was obvious from his kiss that he lusted for her, but no matter how hard she tried to force herself, she couldn't fake her emotional response. She was sadly not in love with Nathan. He asked her, "Feel better?"
She uncharacteristically lied when she answered, "Sure. I'll see you later."
When the door closed behind her, Nathan called his security team. Eric Brady was not going to be allowed within a hundred yards of the estate or his bride again! Eric lost Greta, and he was not getting another try. The wedding was going to go exactly as planned. ~*~
Lucas hung up the phone. Austin was always a jerk, and Lucas never should have called his brother while he was depressed. His need for a stiff drink to calm down started gnawing at him the very second that he heard Austin's oh so superior voice talking down to him. Austin was always self righteous and so self important that he refused to believe anything, and he was going to call Greta to double check what Lucas told him. Lucas naturally only fed Austin just enough about Greta's nervousness, need for a friend, and Eric's disappearance.
Lucas waited by the phone, and sure enough Austin called him back suddenly agreeing that his presence was needed in Paris. Lucas would have taken comfort in knowing that he just manipulated Austin into a situation where he would be uncomfortable, but then Austin had to go and say, "There was no way Sami would marry you for love."
What the hell gave Austin the right to judge him or anyone? Lucas finished the conversation with, "You don't know much about Sami or about me, do you? I wish that she. Greta never made me call you!" He slammed down the phone.
Naturally Sami had listened to the conversation. She heard the phone slam down for the second time, but she wasn't expecting Lucas to open the bedroom door so fast. He almost knocked her down as he was storming out, but he caught her by the waist before she tumbled. She asked him, "What's wrong?"
Lucas told her, "I'm going to the gym to work out."
He started to take his arm off of her waist and head out, but she caught his arm before he could retreat from her to say, "What happened? Is he not going?"
Lucas replied honestly, "He'll be there. Y'know, Carrie deserves better than Austin. And you definitely deserve better than me."
She refused to let go of his arm. She replied, "Don't get all stupid on me now General. Austin and Carrie certainly deserve a chance after everything we did to them. And as for you and me, I know damn well that no man deserves me."
He was the one that deserved to burn in hell, not her. He whispered to her, "Don't say that again. You deserve someone good and honest and truthful and not a murderer."
She whispered back to him, "That's what this was about. God Lucas, am I good and honest and truthful? No, but you don't throw my faults in my face. And as for being a murderer, you aren't."
He answered, "Sami, I am a murderer."
She shook her head and said, "You shot a man as he was about to kill your mother. That's not murder, it's self defense."
He was not going to let go of his self guilt. He said, "I tried to kill you."
She replied, "Do you know who you are talking to here? Lucas Roberts if you want something accomplished, you scheme until you succeed. It's a character trait that I admire. So how am I standing right here then? If you wanted to kill me for real, you would have succeeded."
He tried to pull away. He was not prepared for her defending him, not after everything he did. She held his arm tightly as he tried to leave, but he finally stopped struggling to get away when he said, "Don't make excuses that don't wash."
She replied, "Oh I know that your goal was to punish me. You wanted me out of your life, and you wanted to put the proverbial knife in my back. I had the same motivations. My God, you do realize that when our friendship fell apart, we went to extremes to get back at the other for the abandonment."
He still didn't look at her, but he had to ask, "You see Dr. Troy too huh?"
He finally turned his head to look at her again when she quipped, "She's almost like an empath, and she gets to the heart of an issue that bothers you."
He hesitantly replied, "We should send her a thank you card."
She put her arms around his waist and whispered, "I'm sure she'd love a family appointment."
He needed to get out of her embrace before he forgot all about his plan for her. He couldn't stop his eyes from gazing at her lips, wondering how she'd react.
She knew what he was doing. She parted her lips in response and reached up to kiss him. He closed his eyes and she could feel his breathe on her lips, when there was a knock at the door.
Lucas spun out of Sami's embrace and said, "I'll get it."
She barely had time to catch her breath when he opened the door to John. As Lucas and John were saying hello, Sami asked, "What do you want?!?"
John answered, "Carrie told Marlena and me what was going on with Eric. I came to invite you both to fly to Paris on my plane."
Sami started to yell at John to get out, but she reconsidered. Flying to Paris with her family would force Lucas to act like the adoring husband. If she kept at him for hours on a plane, maybe she could finally seduce him in private. At this point she was even willing to be nice to John in order to win this tug of war with Lucas. She smiled sweetly and replied, "What time do we leave?"
John looked surprised that she hadn't argued with him and told him to go to hell like he had expected. He answered dumbfounded, "We'll leave in about 6 hours. Meet us at the airport."
Lucas wanted to know what was going on. When John left, he asked her, "What are you planning now?"
She smiled and said, "We should arrive with Carrie and keep an eye on her. This way we plan the reunion just right."
Lucas answered, "Austin will arrive before us since NY is closer to the coast."
She replied, "Should we pack or continue where we left off?"
He quickly answered her, "Pack." He followed her into the bedroom, thankful that he'd have time to reformulate his plan. The plane ride should give him plenty of opportunity to think about just how to get to Sami. Sometimes it seemed that they were closer than ever, but he needed to hear her say that she loved him. ~*~
Austin quickly packed his bags and caught the next flight to Paris. Greta said that she needed her friends now more than ever, and he was going to go. Paris should be a good distraction since tomorrow was his anniversary with Carrie. In Paris he wouldn't have to think about how he lost the one person that mattered most to him.