| Leaving The Past Behind by Dani Beth ''You're actually leaving.'' Caught by her voice, Sonny turned around and stared up as Angel walked down the stairs. She paused in mid-stride to stare at him. He had a new look. His face was clean-shaven and instead of the usual T-shirts and pants that he wore around her, he now had on a black pinstripe suit with a crisp white shirt underneath. ''I didn't hear you get in last night.'' Angel hesitated. ''And your bed doesn't look like you slept in it.'' ''That's because I didn't,'' Sonny told her, tone biting. ''Oh.'' She blinked. ''So you did go back to your wife.'' Shaking his head, he told her, ''Never.'' Her face brightened. ''I went to someone else.'' ''Who?'' ''Does it matter?'' Caught by that, she sighed. ''I guess not.'' ''You don't know her.'' ''So you did go to a woman.'' Becoming angry with the questions, Sonny nodded. ''Yes.'' When she brought her hand up to touch his face, he gripped it tightly. ''I have to go.'' ''Why? Is she waiting outside for you?'' Angel freed her hand and tried to control her trembling chin. ''She is, isn't she?'' Going to the door, she flung it open, all the while saying, ''I want to see what she looks like.'' Hearing the door open, Alexis spun her head around. The noise had interrupted her quiet chat with Johnny and she glared up at the younger woman. Angel's eyes narrowed at the sight of the other woman. She was tall, her eyes brown, as was her hair, which was swept away from her face. She, too, wore a suit, but her's was only in one color. A dark blue that molded her every curve. Under the coat, she wore a white shirt. Snapping her eyes back to Sonny, who was shouldering his bag and staring right back at her, Angel hissed, ''That's who you left your wife for? Who you left me for!'' Slipping past the woman, he stopped when she said that. Turning his head slightly, he smirked. ''We were never something.'' Nodding to Johnny who took the bag and put it in the trunk, he said, ''I want to thank you for opening your house to me.'' ''That's it?'' she asked, voice shrill. ''That's all I get for saving your life and...and...'' ''It's all I can give.'' Putting an arm around Alexis, Sonny shielded his eyes from the sun when he looked up at her. ''It's how I do things.'' *~ They never made it inside her penthouse. They must have been too loud, for the next thing that happened was Sonny's penthouse door opened wide and Carly stepped out, a smile on her face. ''I knew it! I really, really did.'' ''Knew what, Carly,'' Sonny asked. ''That you'd come home, Sonny! Oh, everyone doubted it. But...but everything's going to be fine now.'' He cringed and tightened his hold on Alexis, who was tensing in his embrace. Which Carly hadn't noticed. Until now. Facial features turning from happy to angry, she hissed, ''Why are your arms around her?'' ''I wanted to do this in private,'' he groaned. ''I'm just...'' Alexis started. She let out a breath and said, ''I'm just going to go into my own...'' Snidely, Carly stared at the other woman and nodded. ''Yeah, why don't you just go?'' ''That's enough Carly.'' To Alexis, ''I'll be with you in a minute.'' Letting her go, he stood there, hands clasped in the front of him. ''It's over Carly.'' ''No, Sonny,'' she told him adamantly, shaking her head. ''You just think-'' ''I know it is!'' he cried. ''It has been since the beginning.'' ''But I love you, Sonny,'' she screamed, going towards him. ''Can't you see that?'' ''It's only one-sided.'' Her anger bubbled. ''What about Michael, huh? How am I going to explain to him that his Uncle Sonny isn't going to be around anymore?'' ''You'll think of something.'' ''And what about the custody battle? There is no way in Hell that I'm going to have that woman represent me in court.'' ''Then find someone else,'' Sonny snapped. Calmer, he put one hand in his pocket and rubbed his forehead with the other. ''And you have until tomorrow to get all your things out of my house.'' Eyes pleading, Carly reached out for him. ''No, Sonny, please don't leave me! I'll change. I really will this time...'' ''How long will that last? A week? How long Carly until you're back to yourself again?'' She was sobbing now and her shoulders with heaving. ''You're a mess,'' he growled down at her. ''Get away from me.'' Walking to Alexis' penthouse, he turned his back to her and let her stand there, tears streaming down her face. ~* Curling up on the couch next to him, Alexis sighed. ''Maybe you were just a little hard on her.'' ''She acts like a child when she doesn't want anything, Lex, you have to act like that around her.'' Sonny cupped her chin. ''But that's over now. Another part of the past gone. Now all I have is the present and the future with you.'' She smiled softly. ''The future, huh?'' He nodded solemnly. ''Yes.'' Resting her head on his chest and throwing an arm around his middle, she closed her eyes. ''I can live with that.'' The End |
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