1Hey Melody/AJ, if you're still reading this you got me on like a writing kick for this story during that chat the other night because I couldn't wait to get to the Shameless chapter, and this is why I'm not really saying much on IM right now.
This Night, Part One
Carly took Sonny's outstretched hand, glad for a reason not to talk to anyone else. The downfall of her having distanced herself from everyone was that upon her return everyone asked her how she was doing, and the answer to the question always hurt. But for some reason she didn't mind telling Sonny about it. She guessed it was because Sonny seemed to actually care. His questions weren't just a formality or curious inquisition.
And now here they were sharing a dance. She remembered their high school homecoming in their freshman year. Sonny hadn't had a date and Jason was out of town with his family, so she had danced with Sonny all night. They had had a good time, but that was it. Nothing came out of that night, and nothing would come out of this night either. Or so she thought.
"Do you remember that high school dance?" Sonny asked smiling.
Carly laughed, and Sonny couldn't help beaming at her perfect face and laugh, and knowing that he was the one who made it happen.
"Yeah. I was just thinking about that," she told him. "Remember how carefree life was back then? No one ever thought of getting married and that kind of shit. Everything was all about which movie we were going to see that night and what song was number one on the charts. Who would have ever thought we would end up like this?"
"Not me," Sonny thought to himself.
"I know," he said to her, "all of us grown up and getting married, and you looking so beautiful tonight."
Carly blushed and Sonny did too. He hadn't meant to say that, it just sort of slipped out. "Sorry," he added. "I mean, if that offended you at all. It's just that I meant it earlier when I said you looked great."
"It's okay," she reassured him. "Seriously, don't worry about it. I should be thanking you right now, for the nice compliment you just paid me."
"Don't," he commanded, just above a whisper.
"Don't what?
"Don't thank me. It shouldn't be a chore for someone to call you beautiful. You deserve to be told you're beautiful every day."
Carly's heart fluttered. She knew it shouldn't. She wasn't even over Jason yet and she knew that any relationship she got into would just be a rebound thing, but Sonny had made her feel so good that night, so special. No one had been able to do that for a long time.
"You're a good man, Sonny," she told him softly.
He leaned down to kiss her, and she lifted his mouth to his. Their lips met, and then she pulled away. "I'm sorry, I just don't feel right doing this. I'm not ready for anything like this and it wouldn't be fair to you to pretend that I was."
Sonny shook his head. "It's okay. I shouldn't be doing this either. I can't do that to Jason. He's still in love with you. I can't just take that away from him. He's my best friend."
Now Carly was enraged. "That's what I hate about men. They can't just be with a woman because of love or passion. She's gotta be just another piece of property. Even you, talking about me like I belong to Jason or something. So what if he still loves me. Jason and I are divorced now. He has no right to prevent me from being with anyone I want. I don't belong to him."
"No, Carly, that's not what I was trying to say. All I was saying that it would hurt him if I did that, so until I know he's over you there could be nothing between us," he apologized.
"Who ever said I wanted there to be?"
"You kissed me too, remember?" he asked, angry as well. He hated to be accused of something he hadn't done. Sonny began to say more but then stopped himself. He knew how Carly could get when she was confronted. He did not want to deal with that.
"Look," he continued, "this was a mistake on both of our parts. Why don't we just forget it ever happened and go on being friends like we always have been?"
Carly thought about the possibilities and decided Sonny's suggestion was the best one there was. "Well, okay."
Lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
This Night, Part Two– three months later
Carly sat across the table from Sonny in his penthouse where they were having dinner. A waiter came in and served them their first course, a small salad dish.
She smiled at Sonny as the waiter walked away. Since James and Courtney's announcement party, the two had been the best of friends, seeing each other at least once a week. And they planned to remain just friends, even though Sonny still would have liked more. He had even taken his chances with Carly a few more times since then, taking his boss's advice to go for it, forget Jason. But Carly had resisted, saying she could only be friends with him, despite the fact that they had come close to kissing on several occasions. Carly and Sonny both knew what was there, but they were afraid of screwing things up.
"What?" Sonny asked upon seeing her smile.
"Nothing. I just had a really great time tonight. Thank you."
"I had a great time too, because you were there."
"Sonny," she said, warning.
"Carly, I know what's there, and I know you feel it too. I wish you would just admit it to yourself so you could admit it to me."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She was lying and everything on her face conveyed it. "Okay, Sonny, I'm sorry. I just can't do that right now. It's too much. I can't get hurt again."
"You can do it. I can't promise that I won't hurt you, but I can promise you that we can go as slow as you want. If you would just give me a chance I would be there for you forever. And when you say it's too much or it's time to stop, I will. I'll do whatever you say. Please, give me a chance. I know you want this just as much as I do. Just because your relationship went bad in the past doesn't mean that all relationships will be the same. You have to trust just a little bit."
Carly thought about what he said. She wanted to be with him so badly, yet she didn't want to ruin what they had. She had already done that with Jason. She did not want to do it again with Sonny. She felt more for him based on the past three months than she ever had with Jason over the course of five or six years.
"Sonny, I care about you, a lot more than I should. You know exactly what I'm talking about. And if we go into this right now we're going to end up arguing, like we always do. You said we would just be friends and that's all I'm ready for. So let's just drop it. Please."
"I can't drop it. I've dropped it too many times already and look where it's gotten me– nowhere. So I am going to fight for you like there's no tomorrow, and if I don't have you there may as well not be a tomorrow. Carly, I want you more than anything in this world, more than I've ever wanted any woman. You are incredible, Carly, you're amazing, beautiful, smart, perfect, everything, you're everything to me. I know you don't want to hurt Jason but you're divorced now, and you shouldn't deny yourself something you want so much just because of him. He's my best friend and I don't want to hurt him either, but I want you even more, and I–"
"Stop," she said, tears in her eyes as he approached her. "It's hard enough wanting you with out you doing this."
"You don't have to want me anymore, you can have me. Hell, you've had me since the minute you walked into James and Courtney's announcement party. Please, if I can't have you, just dance with me again so I can hold you and at least feel like I have you."
Carly stood up surrendering. She could hardly wait to feel his strong, comforting arms around her.
As soon as the music started Sonny knew he couldn't resist her tonight, and Carly knew that she would have trouble resisting him as well. When they were standing there with one another nothing else in the world seemed to matter, and Jason was the furthest thing from both of their minds. Carly looked up at Sonny and she knew that after this there was no turning back. Sonny lowered his mouth to reach hers. He had never imagined that this dream would come true.
Didn't I say
I wasn't ready for a romance
Didn't we promise we would only be friends
And so we danced, though it was only a slow dance
I started breaking my promises
Right there and then
Carly opened her mouth to his and moved her hands so they were around his neck. He undid the zipper to her dress and looked into her eyes, making sure she was ready to do this. He wasn't sure he was even ready, but letting her go now would be impossible.
Didn't I swear
There would be no complications
Didn't you want
some one who's seen it all before
Now that you're here
It's not the same situation
Suddenly I don't remember the rules anymore
Sonny led her to the couch. "Is this what you want?" he asked.
She nodded. "I've never wanted anything so much."
Sonny kissed her again. He didn't care what the consequences would be. They would come when they did but for now the only thing that mattered to him was Carly. He never wanted her away from him again.
This night is mine
It's only you and I
Tomorrow
Is a long time away
This night can last forever
This night...
Tomorrow
Is such a long time away
This night can last forever