Chapter 20

Emily had just finished packing. Sonny hadn't made it home yet and she had wasted no time. She didn't even take the time to pack anything neatly knowing that every minute she lingered was one more minute he had to find her. After taking one last look around her she headed for the door. She turned the knob and opened it to go out and came face to face with him. Unable to look him in the eye but knowing that he wasn't going to let her pass without an explanation she could do nothing but stand there in silence willing herself to stay strong and reminding herself that this was for the best.

He looked down at the piece of luggage in her hand and then back at her. "So this is it? You were going to just leave without saying anything?"

"Sonny I have to go. I can't stay."

He knew her reason as well as he had come to know his own but he had to hear her say it. No he needed her to say it. Sonny walked toward her willing her to look him in the straight in the eyes. "Why?"

She walked backward, her hand gripping tighter to the handle of the suitcase, while feeling the marks from the sewn grooves along it engraving the palm of her hand. Emily refused to look at him though. "Sonny I…"

Max interrupted her before she could finish by knocking on the still open door. "Um Miss Emily?" He gulped when his boss turned to face him and he held out a package to give to her. "This just arrived for you."

Emily smiled at the guard grateful for his thoughtful interference. Before she could take the small box from him though Sonny got it instead and held it up in front of Max.

"Who brought it?"

"Same as before boss. It came by messenger. We just signed for it."

Before Sonny could berate his guard with more questions Emily thanked the man and told him he could go. Even if it meant he would catch it from his employer later he chose to leave at that moment. Whatever was going on between these two was big and he didn't want to be anywhere near the fallout.

Sonny looked at her and shook his head. "What makes you think that you can just order my people around like that?"

"Max doesn't deserve your anger Sonny."

"Oh so now you're going to tell me how to treat the people that work for me?"

"Sonny I don't want to argue with you I just want to leave."

The calming sound of her voice softened him even now. He didn't want to argue with her either. Sonny dropped the package to the floor and placed his hands on each side of her face and tilted her head back so she could look at him. "Emily just talk to me like we always have. Something happened back at the hospital when you looked at me. I know you felt the same thing I did."

"That's just it Sonny. I know what's happening between us and I know that I will only hurt you in the end."

He stroked her cheek with his thumb and closed his eyes as he put his forehead against hers. "Emily?"

She allowed herself that brief respite, knowing that she would never have this chance again willing her senses to take in everything that they could so that she could forever store this memory in her mind forever. Pulling away from him at the sound of Carly's voice entering the room.

"Oh how sweet."

Sonny turned to his ex. "I thought you were going home?"

"No I think I made it clear that I wanted my boys and," she looked at Emily, "since you're otherwise entertained, I'm thinking now more than ever I should have them."

Emily was in no mood to let Carly antagonize her. "It's not what you think. I was just leaving."

"If you say so but you could've fooled me. So what happened? Did you finally realize that you didn't have what it takes to play in a real woman's world after all?"

Sonny tried to intervene. "Lay off Carly."

The other woman turned to look at her former husband. "I can't believe that you have fallen for her poor, pathetic little oh woe is me attitude."

Emily decided that now was her time to leave. She didn't have the strength or the desire to fight with Sonny's ex-wife deciding instead to be as nice as she could be.

"I'm glad you're home Carly. Michael and Morgan have missed you and I know how happy they will be to see you. Now if you'll both excuse me. I need to go."

Sonny reached out to stop her. "Emily wait. What about the boys? Do they know?"

"Not yet. I wasn't sure how to explain it to them. I left their gifts in the spare room. Can you make sure they get them?"

He closed his eyes and nodded.

She reached up the press her lips against his cheek letting them linger longer than she intended before pulling them away. Was he mistaken or did he feel her lips move against his skin as if speaking silently to him.

He watched her leave wanting nothing more that moment than to be left alone. As Carly opened her mouth to speak Sonny silenced her with not only a look but with the threat of calling Lainey as well. She decided it was best to leave well enough alone at least for now and left him to brood in silence.