Author's note- Thanks for all the detailed reviews. It feels like a group project when I know how you all feel like about the chapters. It makes it a blast to write this story. So thanks again!
KELLY loved dancing with Nikolas. He moved her around the floor, effortlessly. For the first time in her life she felt more like she was flying than doing a waltz. And when he smiled, his brown eyes meeting hers, her heart melted.
"You dance divinely." Nikolas told her, when the song ended
She smiled, "Only with you."
He led her to the bar and ordered them some champagne. "So, I have to ask." he said "What made you invite me tonight?"
She laughed, "Don't play humble. Like you don't know you are the modern JFK Jr of Port Charles. American Royalty."
"Russian, actually. And I don't think," he smiled "anyone in this town thinks that is very impressive."
"I do." She raised her champagne flute. "What should we toast to?"
Nikolas remembered Emily saying that to him on their wedding night. Whenever he thought of her now, instead of smiling, like he wanted to, his mind started clicking through what went wrong. Trying to find an exact day that made them grow so far apart they couldn't get back.
He pushed that all into his subconscious again, leaving it to mull over later, when he planned to nurse a drink in the dark solitude of Wyndermere, as was his normal nightly routine.
Nikolas told Kelly, "To living in the moment."
"Living in the moment." she repeated, clinking his glass.
EMILY laughed at a joke Milo has just made, leaning toward him, bumping his shoulder. She felt relaxed, confident and like she chose the right guy when the stepped off the elevator. Through the crowd, the couples dancing, the waiters carrying trays, Carly and Jax playing hostess, the four string quartet playing classical music, her eyes zoomed over to the bar. Almost like his energy had pulled her attention straight to him.
There was the back of her ex-husband, his profile as familiar to her as the reflection of her own face in a mirror. His hand was resting on the thigh of Kelly Lee.
Emily's hand covered her stomach. She swayed on her feet.
"Whoa there." Milo whispered, placing a hand on her back to study here. "Em?"
"I have to get out of here."
"Okay."
"Now!"
Milo slid his hand in hers and they ducked into the stairwell.
"Feeling sick?" he asked "Should we head to the roof for some air? Or do you need to go home?"
Her face crumpled. She looked in his eyes. "How do you stop loving someone?"
"Sonny?"
Emily shook her head. "Nikolas."
"Oh, Em." Then she was in his arms, crying on his shoulder. She finally pulled back, sniffled. "I am an idiot."
"A beautiful one, though."
She smiled. "I thought I was past feeling like this. I want to be past this...thanks for even agreeing to be here with me. I wanted this night to be...different. Fun. I messed everything up."
"How? By feeling? You don't have to hide your heart from me. I can handle it. For tonight, I'm here to be whatever you need."
"Why?"
"Because you asked me for a favor, remember?"
Emily didn't know what answer she expected, she knew Milo wasn't secretly in love with her or anything. But his answer made her feel safe, like she just made a best friend for life. Or maybe...maybe, just started something more.
ROBIN told Cruz, who had just caught her talking about Patrick to Epiphany, "Busted. I was checking to make sure my ex was not coming here tonight."
"When did you two break up?"
"A few weeks ago. You could say I am having some separation issues. I'm not so great at getting over losing people." Robin thought of her parents "death", of laying in bed with Stone while his life slipped away, of Jason letting her walk off that bridge and move away. Then Patrick, who could move on to other women so quickly.
Cruz nodded, then walked past her on the patio. He stared off into the night sky.
Robin offered, "We can call this a night right now, if you want. I can only offer friendship... and sometimes I think I suck at that, too. I shouldn't have put you in the middle of this."
She walked next to him. "Cruz?"
He turned, and studied her. Robin felt his appraising eyes, and twitched beneath the attention. Suddenly, heat started to rise in her. Nothing was in her mind but how this man could make her feel alive with just a look.
That was why she asked him here. One day she had been visiting her Uncle Mac at the PCPD when her pager went off. She was so focused on checking the number, while still walking, she ran right into Cruz. When she looked up, the apology she was about to say fell away, and they locked eyes. She lost her breath.
"Want to dance?" Cruz asked now
"Out here?"
He reached out his hand. Robin smiled, shrugged and went into his arms.
God, he smells amazing, she thought
Cruz said, his mouth close to her ear, "Did I mention you look phenomenal in that dress?"
She moved her head back and met his eyes.
The compliment made her skin flush. If she stayed focused just on the way his eyes looked at her, the way his voice dropped, she could forget the world for a second.
"This old thing?" she joked, glancing down at her sliver party gown that skimmed her knees.
He laughed. She was smiling, starting to forget how bad she felt about everything that happened with Patrick, when Cruz said "Too bad I am just your rebound fling. You and me, Robin, we might have been..."
"What?" she asked, her heart beating fast
He twirled her around. She laughed, feeling like she was slipping into a different world, where all her problems lay far behind her.
Then Cruz said, "You know what they say about rebounding, don't you?"
"No. Tell me."
"If you don't do it right," he stilled, pulled her close "it doesn't really count."
Then his head dipped. Robin was sure his lips would touch hers, and she wondered if that would make her forget Patrick, Jason, Stone... could anything do all that?
Cruz pressed a kiss to her cheek, making her whole body shiver.
Her pager went off.