Greta looked into Eric's eyes. She was beyond confused. Here he was
telling her that she was the reason that he stayed in Colorado, but she
just couldn't contemplate why he was telling her this. The last time that
she trusted him, Eric made her believe that they had a future together. So
she was blissfully naïve to his cheating with Nicole until she caught them
together. Before trusting Eric, she spent years in the swamp because
Stefano used her to kidnap Hope. Bo taught her not to be afraid of living
with people again. But Eric, Eric made her believe in romance. Then he
took the idea and trampled on it.
She looked deeper into Eric's blue eyes, desperately wanting to see that she could trust him. But it wasn't there, at least she couldn't see it. For all she knew he was playing her for a fool again in order to look like the hero for Nicole. It wouldn't be the first time he did that. She pulled her hand out of his and told him, "Eric, you felt guilty over hurting my feelings. But I'm over that now. You can go back to your life knowing that I'll be fine."
Eric didn't like her retreat from him at all. He tried to argue with her, "You're the strongest person that I ever met. You're strong, kind, sweet, trusting, and beautiful."
She put her arms around herself to try to hold herself together before she retorted, "How can I be trusting when the last time you kept Nicole on the side for a little action. Leave me alone, Eric. I don't need you. I need to be alone."
Eric was desperate. He hadn't planned to say anything, but it just came flying out of his mouth as a last desperate effort, "If you need to be alone so much, why did you let me make love to you?"
She felt like she was slapped; she wasn't ready with an answer to his question either for him or for herself. So she responded with the only answer she had, callous indifference, the kind that he showed her when she caught him with Nicole years ago, "Since when is sex making love with you? Oh wait. that's right. you loved Nicole because she put out!"
Eric asked quietly, "Can we not talk about Nicole? She is nothing when compared to you."
She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh my God. You are the lowest of the low. I heard that one before and it was a lie then! Get out!"
She walked to the door and pointed him out. Eric tried to think of a reason to stay right where he was. He was stunned. He wanted to stay with her and beg her to forgive him. But he had no reason. He came to Paris to make sure that she was safe. His job was done. He walked to the door and told , "Greta, I love you enough to leave you alone if that's what you want."
She refused to say anything. His declaration of love couldn't be trusted.
He sighed when he realized what he said hadn't mattered, and then left her alone.
Greta walked to her couch and sat down trying to sort out what she should do and what she wanted to do. She kept thinking that Eric might come back. After hours of dwelling on what she wanted to do, she decided that she needed to run away. She needed to escape. So she went downstairs and ordered a car to pick her up immediately. She started to walk to the car, when she realized that Eric might worry and follow her wherever she went. So she returned to the front desk and asked for pen and paper to leave him a note.
If she stuck around, she'd start letting herself believe that Eric really might love and desire her. She couldn't handle giving her heart to him again. It took her years to finally find a new life without him and he was not going to rob her of pride. As the car pulled out of the hotel, she felt more alone than she had in the years since living in the bayou. ~*~
The next morning, Austin went back to his room at Greta and Nathan's estate to pack his bags. Greta was not going to marry Nathan, and he now felt like an intruder staying at a strangers home. He packed thinking that he should go back to his home in NY and forget about Carrie. Yesterday's drive with Carrie around Paris felt so easy and beyond right. He could still close his eyes and hear her say that her name was Carrie Reed, being near her brought up so many feelings and memories for him. He desperately wanted to kiss her again which was insane. He caught her red handed with Mike Horton. He should hate her, but just the small lines of worry on her face when she casually mentioned something from their past made him want to grab her and kiss her.
He picked up his bag fully intended to leave Paris immediately. He wanted to get away from her and focus on his new life in New York. New York was supposed to be the most exciting city to live in, but for Austin Reed, New York was the place where he could slow down his personal life and focus on himself. As he walked down the stairs he started to ask himself if Carrie already changed his mind about his life now, because the thought of leaving without seeing her again made him more lonely than he was in years.
As Austin walked down the stairs he heard Nathan's voice telling someone, "Make sure her car is diverted to Château de Chambord."
Austin immediately thought of Greta. So instead of getting into his taxi that was going to take him to his mom's breakfast before heading to the airport, he walked across the street and knocked on the door of Chez Salem. A teary eyed Carrie answered the door.
Carrie just finished talking to Mike on the phone. He apologized to her for what happened, and she thought for a minute of going back to him. Mike was easier to be around than Austin. Austin made her pulse race uncontrollably and in a glance Austin could make her feel guilty for being the adulterer that she was. She was so screwed up, and opening the door to Austin just made her feel guilty all over again.
Austin asked her concerned, "Carrie, what's wrong?"
She was a fool. She couldn't tell Austin that she still had feelings for him. She needed him to leave her alone, forever. So she panicked and did something completely out of character. She lied. She lied to make him leave her alone forever, "I'm pregnant."
Instead of running in the other direction like he was supposed to, Austin took her hand in his and told her, "Carrie, everything is going to be all right. You are going to be a great mother."
Her eyes bugged out of her head. She needed to retract her lie before he said anything else. She quickly said, "Well I might not be. I mean I still need to go to the doctor. Maybe there is something else wrong with me."
Austin walked her into the house and to a sofa in the front parlor before saying, "Carrie, you're going to be fine."
Carrie muttered to herself, "Yeah right. Now all I need is a purple pillow and a baby to buy."
Austin asked her what she said and she told him, "I think I'm just panicking. Austin, there is no way that I'm pregnant. I must be lying."
She said the lying bit like an admission, but Austin told her, "You wouldn't lie to yourself or anyone else. We'll find you a doctor today. Sami and Lucas must have some doctor here in Paris. If not, Greta. Greta! Carrie, is Eric here?"
Carrie shook her head no and said, "He left this morning to make plans now that Greta refused him."
Austin told her, "I think Nathan took Greta out of Paris to Château de Chambord."
Carrie was eager to get out of her lie so she volunteered, "I'll go and find Eric. Lucas should be down in a minute for the family breakfast with Kate!" ~*~
Upstairs Sami and Lucas spent the morning in the same manner that they spent last night, in bed with the do not disturb sign posted on their door. She wanted Lucas forever, and he was finally all hers. But last night Sami felt a little on edge, like she needed to do everything with Lucas now before he was taken away from her. She told herself again and again that she was just being crazy; Lucas was her husband, and they loved each other. However, she couldn't stop feeling the small amount of panic. She used that panic as extra energy.
A little over an hour ago, Lucas tried to get up to get ready for his family breakfast. But Sami found another surge of energy and pulled him back for another round. Although he wondered about her stamina for a moment, he hardly complained. He could give as good as he got even though Sami was surely testing him.
The alarm clock that he set started to beep. He had 5 minutes to shower and drive over to his mom's for breakfast. He kissed his sated wife and ran to the shower. The very second that he left, Sami felt the need to follow him. She just couldn't let him go, at least not yet. ~*~
Downstairs Austin sat with Carrie waiting on Lucas and Sami. When Austin realized that he was going to be late, he told Carrie that he had to go. Carrie promised Austin that she'd tell Eric what he told her. Austin smiled as she said the word, promise.
He then said, "I'll be back to take you to the doctors."
She shook her head no and said, "Austin, I'm perfectly fine. I can take care of myself."
He told her, "I'd still like to be there with you, unless you don't want me around."
She couldn't take the pressure of her lie. She was an honest person! She told him, "That's sweet Austin, but there's no need. I'm not pregnant. I lied."
Austin smiled at her again and sweetly told her, "We'll just go to the doctor's to be sure."
He either didn't listen or he couldn't believe her. What someone else might think of as rather dumb sounding, Carrie felt her pulse quicken. Austin was the sweetest most caring man that she ever knew, and when she was with him, she wanted to be the truthful honest woman that he deserved. She failed miserably being perfect for him before, but when he smiled like he just did, all big and goofy, her heart melted again. This was the man that she fell head over heels in love with; the man who gave her flowers as a token of his love, the man who danced with her on rooftops, the man who thought she was a fairy tale princess.
Carrie heard herself say, "I'll meet you at the restaurant after I find my brother!" She'd tell him again that she lied when she arrived. She couldn't live a lie when he smiled at her.
Austin nodded and walked out the door.
Twenty minutes later, Lucas came flying down the stairs with his hair soaking wet. He didn't even say goodbye to Carrie as he flew out the door. Carrie walked upstairs intending to check on Sami to see if she wanted to hunt for Eric with her. Sami was in the hallway as Carrie climbed the stairs.
Sami asked Carrie, "Do you think anything bad can happen today?"
Carrie looked down the hallway before confidentially telling her sister, "I just lied to Austin. Greta might have been kidnapped. I don't think any other bad thing can happen."
Sami felt her stomach do a somersault. If Carrie and Eric were this miserable, how far off was disaster for her? Sami then tried to clear her head. Unlike her siblings, Sami was happily married. She then focused in on what Carrie said and asked, "You lied? Why would you lie?"
Carrie told Sami, "I wanted Austin to leave. But instead he turned into the sweetest most understanding man that I ever knew and I felt horrible for lying. Having another man's baby would act as a turnoff to any other guy, right?"
Sami looked stunned. Then she felt a fit of laughter rise up at the thought that St. Carrie told one of the same lies that she tried on Austin in her past. Also it was the same lie that Sami told Lucas as a way to confess that she wanted to have his child. Sami then laughingly said, "Lucas would love to tell you how interfering and infuriating Austin was to him in the past."
Carrie wanted to change the subject and told Sami, "Let's go. We have to tell Eric that his girlfriend might be kidnapped."
Sami stopped laughing and asked, "When was I drafted for the crappy assignments? Eric's going to kill us."
Carrie told Sami, "That's why you're coming with me. You could always keep him in line and in focus."
Sami went to her room in search of jeans as she muttered, "Oh joy." ~*~
Lucas ran into the restaurant that his mom told him to go to. He was 20 minutes late, but his family had so far only ordered coffee. Kate waved Lucas to a chair right next to her and Philip. Lucas sat down after greeting everyone. Kate then asked him loudly, "So have you told Sami your big secret yet?"
Philip, Rex, Mimi, Austin, and Billie all stopped talking in order to hear what kind of secret Lucas might have. Lucas looked shocked and said, "I've had other things on my mind. It's not that big of a deal mom. She's not going to mind."
Philip asked Lucas, "Mind what? My sister-in-law doesn't seem to like secrets kept from her."
Lucas looked around the table and said, "It's not a big deal, really. I didn't just run here to talk about me and Sami."
Austin then said, "We're talking about you and a secret Lucas. What's going on?"
Lucas looked at his family like they were accusing him of something. He then said, "This is why I never tell any of you anything anyhow. I'd hate to see your faces if I failed."
Philip wanted to give his brother a hard time. He asked, "Failed what?"
Lucas asked, "So what's on the menu here?"
Kate indulged her son's desire to change the topic. Lucas was keeping a secret from Sami. Granted the secret wasn't that big of a deal in the ordinary sense of secrets, but it was a good place for her plan to start. But she had to work fast on this one. Lucas was bound to tell Sami now that she just reminded him.
She looked deeper into Eric's blue eyes, desperately wanting to see that she could trust him. But it wasn't there, at least she couldn't see it. For all she knew he was playing her for a fool again in order to look like the hero for Nicole. It wouldn't be the first time he did that. She pulled her hand out of his and told him, "Eric, you felt guilty over hurting my feelings. But I'm over that now. You can go back to your life knowing that I'll be fine."
Eric didn't like her retreat from him at all. He tried to argue with her, "You're the strongest person that I ever met. You're strong, kind, sweet, trusting, and beautiful."
She put her arms around herself to try to hold herself together before she retorted, "How can I be trusting when the last time you kept Nicole on the side for a little action. Leave me alone, Eric. I don't need you. I need to be alone."
Eric was desperate. He hadn't planned to say anything, but it just came flying out of his mouth as a last desperate effort, "If you need to be alone so much, why did you let me make love to you?"
She felt like she was slapped; she wasn't ready with an answer to his question either for him or for herself. So she responded with the only answer she had, callous indifference, the kind that he showed her when she caught him with Nicole years ago, "Since when is sex making love with you? Oh wait. that's right. you loved Nicole because she put out!"
Eric asked quietly, "Can we not talk about Nicole? She is nothing when compared to you."
She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh my God. You are the lowest of the low. I heard that one before and it was a lie then! Get out!"
She walked to the door and pointed him out. Eric tried to think of a reason to stay right where he was. He was stunned. He wanted to stay with her and beg her to forgive him. But he had no reason. He came to Paris to make sure that she was safe. His job was done. He walked to the door and told , "Greta, I love you enough to leave you alone if that's what you want."
She refused to say anything. His declaration of love couldn't be trusted.
He sighed when he realized what he said hadn't mattered, and then left her alone.
Greta walked to her couch and sat down trying to sort out what she should do and what she wanted to do. She kept thinking that Eric might come back. After hours of dwelling on what she wanted to do, she decided that she needed to run away. She needed to escape. So she went downstairs and ordered a car to pick her up immediately. She started to walk to the car, when she realized that Eric might worry and follow her wherever she went. So she returned to the front desk and asked for pen and paper to leave him a note.
If she stuck around, she'd start letting herself believe that Eric really might love and desire her. She couldn't handle giving her heart to him again. It took her years to finally find a new life without him and he was not going to rob her of pride. As the car pulled out of the hotel, she felt more alone than she had in the years since living in the bayou. ~*~
The next morning, Austin went back to his room at Greta and Nathan's estate to pack his bags. Greta was not going to marry Nathan, and he now felt like an intruder staying at a strangers home. He packed thinking that he should go back to his home in NY and forget about Carrie. Yesterday's drive with Carrie around Paris felt so easy and beyond right. He could still close his eyes and hear her say that her name was Carrie Reed, being near her brought up so many feelings and memories for him. He desperately wanted to kiss her again which was insane. He caught her red handed with Mike Horton. He should hate her, but just the small lines of worry on her face when she casually mentioned something from their past made him want to grab her and kiss her.
He picked up his bag fully intended to leave Paris immediately. He wanted to get away from her and focus on his new life in New York. New York was supposed to be the most exciting city to live in, but for Austin Reed, New York was the place where he could slow down his personal life and focus on himself. As he walked down the stairs he started to ask himself if Carrie already changed his mind about his life now, because the thought of leaving without seeing her again made him more lonely than he was in years.
As Austin walked down the stairs he heard Nathan's voice telling someone, "Make sure her car is diverted to Château de Chambord."
Austin immediately thought of Greta. So instead of getting into his taxi that was going to take him to his mom's breakfast before heading to the airport, he walked across the street and knocked on the door of Chez Salem. A teary eyed Carrie answered the door.
Carrie just finished talking to Mike on the phone. He apologized to her for what happened, and she thought for a minute of going back to him. Mike was easier to be around than Austin. Austin made her pulse race uncontrollably and in a glance Austin could make her feel guilty for being the adulterer that she was. She was so screwed up, and opening the door to Austin just made her feel guilty all over again.
Austin asked her concerned, "Carrie, what's wrong?"
She was a fool. She couldn't tell Austin that she still had feelings for him. She needed him to leave her alone, forever. So she panicked and did something completely out of character. She lied. She lied to make him leave her alone forever, "I'm pregnant."
Instead of running in the other direction like he was supposed to, Austin took her hand in his and told her, "Carrie, everything is going to be all right. You are going to be a great mother."
Her eyes bugged out of her head. She needed to retract her lie before he said anything else. She quickly said, "Well I might not be. I mean I still need to go to the doctor. Maybe there is something else wrong with me."
Austin walked her into the house and to a sofa in the front parlor before saying, "Carrie, you're going to be fine."
Carrie muttered to herself, "Yeah right. Now all I need is a purple pillow and a baby to buy."
Austin asked her what she said and she told him, "I think I'm just panicking. Austin, there is no way that I'm pregnant. I must be lying."
She said the lying bit like an admission, but Austin told her, "You wouldn't lie to yourself or anyone else. We'll find you a doctor today. Sami and Lucas must have some doctor here in Paris. If not, Greta. Greta! Carrie, is Eric here?"
Carrie shook her head no and said, "He left this morning to make plans now that Greta refused him."
Austin told her, "I think Nathan took Greta out of Paris to Château de Chambord."
Carrie was eager to get out of her lie so she volunteered, "I'll go and find Eric. Lucas should be down in a minute for the family breakfast with Kate!" ~*~
Upstairs Sami and Lucas spent the morning in the same manner that they spent last night, in bed with the do not disturb sign posted on their door. She wanted Lucas forever, and he was finally all hers. But last night Sami felt a little on edge, like she needed to do everything with Lucas now before he was taken away from her. She told herself again and again that she was just being crazy; Lucas was her husband, and they loved each other. However, she couldn't stop feeling the small amount of panic. She used that panic as extra energy.
A little over an hour ago, Lucas tried to get up to get ready for his family breakfast. But Sami found another surge of energy and pulled him back for another round. Although he wondered about her stamina for a moment, he hardly complained. He could give as good as he got even though Sami was surely testing him.
The alarm clock that he set started to beep. He had 5 minutes to shower and drive over to his mom's for breakfast. He kissed his sated wife and ran to the shower. The very second that he left, Sami felt the need to follow him. She just couldn't let him go, at least not yet. ~*~
Downstairs Austin sat with Carrie waiting on Lucas and Sami. When Austin realized that he was going to be late, he told Carrie that he had to go. Carrie promised Austin that she'd tell Eric what he told her. Austin smiled as she said the word, promise.
He then said, "I'll be back to take you to the doctors."
She shook her head no and said, "Austin, I'm perfectly fine. I can take care of myself."
He told her, "I'd still like to be there with you, unless you don't want me around."
She couldn't take the pressure of her lie. She was an honest person! She told him, "That's sweet Austin, but there's no need. I'm not pregnant. I lied."
Austin smiled at her again and sweetly told her, "We'll just go to the doctor's to be sure."
He either didn't listen or he couldn't believe her. What someone else might think of as rather dumb sounding, Carrie felt her pulse quicken. Austin was the sweetest most caring man that she ever knew, and when she was with him, she wanted to be the truthful honest woman that he deserved. She failed miserably being perfect for him before, but when he smiled like he just did, all big and goofy, her heart melted again. This was the man that she fell head over heels in love with; the man who gave her flowers as a token of his love, the man who danced with her on rooftops, the man who thought she was a fairy tale princess.
Carrie heard herself say, "I'll meet you at the restaurant after I find my brother!" She'd tell him again that she lied when she arrived. She couldn't live a lie when he smiled at her.
Austin nodded and walked out the door.
Twenty minutes later, Lucas came flying down the stairs with his hair soaking wet. He didn't even say goodbye to Carrie as he flew out the door. Carrie walked upstairs intending to check on Sami to see if she wanted to hunt for Eric with her. Sami was in the hallway as Carrie climbed the stairs.
Sami asked Carrie, "Do you think anything bad can happen today?"
Carrie looked down the hallway before confidentially telling her sister, "I just lied to Austin. Greta might have been kidnapped. I don't think any other bad thing can happen."
Sami felt her stomach do a somersault. If Carrie and Eric were this miserable, how far off was disaster for her? Sami then tried to clear her head. Unlike her siblings, Sami was happily married. She then focused in on what Carrie said and asked, "You lied? Why would you lie?"
Carrie told Sami, "I wanted Austin to leave. But instead he turned into the sweetest most understanding man that I ever knew and I felt horrible for lying. Having another man's baby would act as a turnoff to any other guy, right?"
Sami looked stunned. Then she felt a fit of laughter rise up at the thought that St. Carrie told one of the same lies that she tried on Austin in her past. Also it was the same lie that Sami told Lucas as a way to confess that she wanted to have his child. Sami then laughingly said, "Lucas would love to tell you how interfering and infuriating Austin was to him in the past."
Carrie wanted to change the subject and told Sami, "Let's go. We have to tell Eric that his girlfriend might be kidnapped."
Sami stopped laughing and asked, "When was I drafted for the crappy assignments? Eric's going to kill us."
Carrie told Sami, "That's why you're coming with me. You could always keep him in line and in focus."
Sami went to her room in search of jeans as she muttered, "Oh joy." ~*~
Lucas ran into the restaurant that his mom told him to go to. He was 20 minutes late, but his family had so far only ordered coffee. Kate waved Lucas to a chair right next to her and Philip. Lucas sat down after greeting everyone. Kate then asked him loudly, "So have you told Sami your big secret yet?"
Philip, Rex, Mimi, Austin, and Billie all stopped talking in order to hear what kind of secret Lucas might have. Lucas looked shocked and said, "I've had other things on my mind. It's not that big of a deal mom. She's not going to mind."
Philip asked Lucas, "Mind what? My sister-in-law doesn't seem to like secrets kept from her."
Lucas looked around the table and said, "It's not a big deal, really. I didn't just run here to talk about me and Sami."
Austin then said, "We're talking about you and a secret Lucas. What's going on?"
Lucas looked at his family like they were accusing him of something. He then said, "This is why I never tell any of you anything anyhow. I'd hate to see your faces if I failed."
Philip wanted to give his brother a hard time. He asked, "Failed what?"
Lucas asked, "So what's on the menu here?"
Kate indulged her son's desire to change the topic. Lucas was keeping a secret from Sami. Granted the secret wasn't that big of a deal in the ordinary sense of secrets, but it was a good place for her plan to start. But she had to work fast on this one. Lucas was bound to tell Sami now that she just reminded him.