“Gia.”
Zander said smiling as he helped her with her bags. Gia couldn’t help but
return his smiled. “How are you?” He asked, handing a few things to her.
“I’m doing good Zander, Nikolas and I are doing good, we’re really happy.
How are you?” Gia asked. She saw a flicker of sadness in Zander’s eyes as
she said she was happy with Nikolas. “I’m doing OK, hey what do you say we
have lunch tomorrow and catch up?” Zander asked. “I don’t think so.” Gia
said shaking her head. “Come on, just lunch and talking, nothing more.
That’s if Nikolas will let you.” Zander said. Gia glared at him, not one to
back down from a dare. “OK, I’ll meet you at Kelly’s tomorrow.” Gia
said. “See you tomorrow then.” Zander smiled and nodded his head before
walking away. “Who was that?” Kristina asked. “He’s my ex boyfriend.”
Gia said. Kristina’s eyes grew wide. “And you’re going to have lunch with
him?” She asked. Gia laughed. “Yeah. Look Nikolas and I have a wonderful
relationship, he trusts me.” Gia said. “OK.” Kristina said before walking
forward towards the food court.
Nikolas
sat at his uncle’s desk and looked over the papers in his hands. It seemed
that Gia’s uncle James was your average guy. He ran a business selling tires
and the only trouble he got into with the law was unpaid parking tickets. But
something still felt off. The change in Gia’s mood made Nik think that
something went on in her childhood that maybe she had blocked out. Nikolas
decided to go to the one person he knew would know the most about Gia’s past,
Sonny. He got up from the desk and walked out.
Pulling up at Sonny’s
penthouse, Nikolas got out of his car and headed up the elevator. After a couple
of knocks, waiting while a man at the door aloud him entry, Nikolas came face to
face with Sonny Corinthos. “What can I do for you Nikolas? Johnny said it was
about Gia?” Sonny asked. Nik nodded his head. “Yeah, I know that you and I
don’t really get along but it’s important.” Nik said. “Sit down.”
Sonny said. Nik nodded his head and fallowed Sonny’s lead to the couch.
“What’s going on? Is something wrong with Gia?” Sonny asked. “Well, Gia
and I were talking about her childhood this morning and there seems to be some
sadness there. When she spoke about her uncle, she became very stressed out. I
don’t know. It just seemed like something was off. I was thinking that since
you knew her when she was a child, that maybe you would tell me if something
happened to her when she was little?” Nik said. He watched Sonny’s face turn
cold, as he slowly nodded his head. Sonny brought his hands up to his face and
ran them over it a few times and then sighed before he began to speak.
Gia ran into Sonny’s
room with a smile on her face. She was 7 years old but she loved to spend time
with Sonny, who was 18. “What are you doing Sonny?” She asked. Sonny made a
face. “Homework, I don’t see why I need to know this stuff.” Sonny said.
He smiled at her clueless face. At first he thought it was strange that this
little girl would fallow him around everywhere he went, but after a while, he
got to where he liked having her around. Gia was very smart for her age and
often times; Sonny felt that he could have a more intellectual conversation with
her then his friends that were his age. As he looked at her on that day, he felt
sorrow for her life. She had to be so grown up. She needed to have the manners
and grace of a princess, all the while trying survive a normal childhood. She
never had the time to play and be a kid. He suddenly thought of something. “Do
you want to play?” He asked, not believing the words that came out of his
mouth. He thought that they could play some kind of game or something; he wanted
to have fun with her. But he saw her body freeze, and her eyes sadden, her
breathing becoming labored as she stood there. She slowly shook her head.
“No.” She whispered. She slowly began to back away from him. When he stood
to go to her, she took off running, but he caught her before she got to his
door. He easily picked up her scrawny 7-year-old body and held her to him.
“No! Please I thought you were my friend.” Gia cried as she kicked and
squirmed in his arms. “I am your friend Gia, what’s wrong?” Sonny asked.
“No, a friend wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t try and touch me.” Gia
said sadly. “Gia, please, what are you talking about?” Sonny said pulling
back, and reaching a hand up to touch her cheek lightly, Gia desperately tried
to back away from his touch. “No! Let me go! Please!” She begged. “Gia
Gia, shhh shh shh. Stop Gia I’m not going to hurt you.” Sonny said in her
ear. After a few more attempts to get free, Gia dropped her head on his
shoulder, giving up her struggle as he held her. “Gia, why would I try to
touch you?” Sonny said walking her over to a chair and sitting her on his lap.
“That’s what uncle Jim does when he wants to play.” Gia said. Sonny’s
heart began to speed as he heard Gia speak. “Where does he touch you Gia?”
He asked, afraid to hear the answer. “He touches me here.” Gia said pointing
to her lap, as tears slipped down her face. Sonny held her to him as she cried
into his chest. “I would never touch you there Gia, and I promise I will make
your uncle stop.” Sonny reassures her as he rocked her little body in his
arms.
“So what did you do
about it?” Nikolas asked as his tears rapidly slipped down his cheeks after
Sonny finished with his story. “Well I went over there and I beat the shit out
of him, and I told him that if he ever touched her again that I would have him
killed. At that point everyone knew that I had connections, so he swore he would
never touch her again. But even after I left, I kept my men on him.” Sonny
said. Nik slowly nodded his head as he wiped the tears from his face. “Thank
you.” He said softly. “I would have done anything to protect that little
girl. She’s so special.” Sonny said. Nik nodded his head again. “I have to
go, thanks Sonny.” Nik said as he stood up and made his way to the door. Just
as he was about to go out, the door opened and he looked up to see Zander coming
in. He tried to step past him but he moved in front of him. “What no hello?”
Zander asked. “Why would I say hello do someone who tried to hurt the woman I
love?” Nik asked. “Well Gia was able to get past it, maybe you should
too.” Zander said. “In your dreams Zander.” Nik said shaking his head as
he moved past him. “Tell Gia I’ll be at Kelly’s around noon for our
lunch.” Zander yelled as Nik walked out.
Gia had been home for an
hour, she had expected Nikolas to be home when she got there but he wasn’t,
and now she was starting to worry. Stefan was at work but when she called him,
he said that he hadn’t heard from Nikolas since he left for work that morning.
She shook her head, realizing that she was being silly. “He’s a grown man,
he can leave and not tell me.” Gia said aloud as she went to the fridge to get
something to drink. But still, it was not like Nikolas to leave and not tell
anyone where he was going. When she heard him come in the front door, she headed
out of the kitchen to great him, but he swung the door to the kitchen open
before she could get very far. Her concern for him quickly faded and turned into
fear as she saw the look on his face, he looked furious. “What the hell is
going on Gia?” He yelled as he walked through the door. “Excuse me?” Gia
asked, confused. “I saw Zander today, he seems to be in the disillusion that
he’s going to have lunch with you tomorrow.” Nik said. “He is.” She said
softly. “Like hell he is!” Nik said looking her dead in the eye. Gia
recoiled slightly at his harsh stare. “Nikolas if you think that you can tell
me who I can talk to, we have a real problem here. You can’t tell me what to
do.” Gia said defiantly. “I thought you were over him.” Nik said. Gia
could see the emotion in his eyes. “It’s lunch Nikolas, that’s all. If you
can’t trust me..” Gia dropped her sentence as she looked away from him.
Nikolas felt guilty as
Gia used the word trust, she was right. He immediately jumped to conclusions at
first and he now felt foolish. He looked at her, the woman he loved, that he
wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and he then remembered everything
that Sonny had told him only minutes ago. “I’m sorry Gia, I don’t know
what came over me. When Zander told me that you were having lunch my mind got
carried away, you’re right, I need to trust you, and I do.” Nik said. He
stepped closed to her and touched her chin, pulling her gaze off of the floor
and onto his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He said softly touching her cheek with his
palm. “Yeah well next time, don’t come yelling at me like a lunatic and
please just talk to me.” Gia said with attitude. Nikolas broke into a smile.
“OK.” He said softly. Gia smiled as she leaned in and placed a tinder kiss
on his lips. “Where were you today? I got home and you weren’t here.” Gia
said, her forehead furrowing with concern. Nik looked down slightly, not sure
where to begin. “I went to see Sonny.” He said. He saw the change in her
eyes when he said this. “Why?” She asked backing away from him slightly.
“I went to ask him about your childhood.” Nik said. “You what?” He
barely heard her say. He stepped closer to her. “He told me everything Gia,
I’m so sorry.” Nikolas said reaching out to touch her, shocked when she
jumped back. “Nikolas, I can’t believe you did that. You went to Sonny after
I told you to drop it, and you asked him about my childhood? How could you to do
that?!” Gia yelled as turned her face away from him with tears in her eyes,
not able to look at him. “Gia please, don’t be mad. I love you and I wanted
to help you, I was concerned.” Nik pleaded, attempting to approach her again
but she shook her head and stepped away from him. “No, stay away from me. I
don’t even want to see you Nikolas. You have no idea what you’ve done. I
need to get out of here and away from you.” Gia said moving to try to leave.
Nikolas began to panic. “Gia please! I can help you. You can get help and talk
to someone about this.” Nik said holding her by the shoulders. Gia pushed his
hands off of her. “No! I don’t need help because nothing happened!
Everything Sonny told you was a lie! I don’t need help so just stay away from
me!!” Gia screamed as she ran out. She ran out of the kitchen and then out the
front door and left Wyndemere.