Chapter Six
Felicia and Georgie ate dinner in strained silence. Mac was working overtime. Usually Georgie chatted nonstop to fill all the silences left by maxie not being there but tonight she just didn't have the energy.
This is not the life I ever thought I would lead, Georgie thought, But there is no going back now.
Felicia put down her fork and said, "Talk to me, honey. What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing. Why would you ask that?"
"Every since you came home something has been bothering you. Is it Harvard? If you are unhappy..."
"I love it there, " Georgie lied
"Then what is it? Are you missing your sister?"
Georgie hated when the subject of maxie came up. Her parents wore a look in their eye like their daughter had died instead of moved away without leav ing a forwarding address. She plastered on a fake smile and lied some more. "No, it's not that. I have a little headache but everything is great otherwise. Dillon and I have never been happier. In fact, I should go and get changed because we have a date later."
She stood up and took her plate to the sink, rinsed it and set it in the dishwasher. Then she kissed her mother on the cheek and left the room. Once she was alone the smile slid from her face, replaced by a look of exhaustion and misery.
Lulu walked into Kelly's and immediately regretted it. Dillon was sitting at the first table inside the door. She turned to walk back out but he said, "Too late. I've already seen you. You might as well say hi."
She had been in town less than a week and had been mainly keeping out of sight that whole time.
Great, she thought, the first time I venture out and I have to deal with this.
She put on a strained smile and turned around. "Hey, how have you been? Good? Alright. Talk to you later."
She turned to leave again.
"Sit, Lulu." Dillon said
She froze. She had left town last fall to not have to deal with this, with looking at him and seeing all that had happened written on his face. Seeing a reflection that said, whether he wanted it to or not, You messed everything up, girl.
But this was life in a small town. Your past walked by you everyday. Better to just deal with it and move on.
She joined him at the table. And in her mind she heard a baby cry.
He said, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"
Just excruciating, she thought, thanks for asking.
But she said, "Not that bad at all. So you wanted to talk?"
"Well I think we should be able to, don't you?"
"Sure. How was school for you this year?" Lulu asked
"Long. Hard. Business is not the thrill film making was."
"Because you are a natural film maker."
"But it won't pay the bills. Do you know how many failed film makers there are in the world? Go to New York or LA and you trip over them. There's one on every corner."
"So, business is safe. I get that. But you never liked safe before."
Dillon said softly, "I never knew real risk before."
Okay this is getting into dangerous territory, she thought
If he added the three little words Or real loss to his sentence she feared she would break down in tears right here in the middle of the diner.
I want to put this behind me, she thought, but I guess I will never escape what I have done as long as I am in this town.
Dillon said, "And what about you? Was Miami all you hoped it would be? What exactly were you doing there?"
"Living." And she had. Though she was alone with only a pocket ful of cash and a credit card from Nikolas to support herself she had finally felt safe instead of scared.
Because alone she could just feel her feelings. Cry if she wanted. Rage at the world. Try to figure it all out. She didn't have to worry if Luke was going to leave town and her. If Dillon was going to choose Georgie over her again. Because she had left them. She had made the choice.
Dillon was dying for more details but he simply asked, "Did you miss Port Charles?"
Did you miss me? he wanted to ask
He had been glad to see her go. Looking at her hurt. He saw a baby that would never be born in her eyes. But then Georgie left town too and he was without his closest friends. Dillon had time to think. And though he figured he would think about his ex-wife instead he thought of Lulu
Pushing a strand of blond hair out of her eyes, she said "I was too busy to miss it."
"Well, you look good, Lu."
"You too." she stood up and said, "Enjoy your breakfast. I'm going to get some coffee to go."
Dillon smiled and nodded as she walked away. He opened the paper sitting in front of him and saw a picture of a newborn that had been abandoned.
All he could think was, My baby could have looked just like her.