The panic in her voice cut through the quiet night like a knife. “What is my poor Alison going to do without the two of you to support her? ” she cried, her words trembling with fear. I could hear the desperation in her breath, the way she clung to the hope that things would somehow be okay.
“I hope he’s all right,” someone muttered, but the words felt hollow. We all knew the truth — nothing was all right anymore. “Well, I’m not going to let you do that,” Lucas shot back, his jaw tight. He was always the stubborn one, the one who refused to back down even when the world was crumbling around him.
“I’ll be happy when Sami’s sentence is repealed, all right? Just — just make Sami’s sentence go away, and do it now. ”
Tracey began chanting softly, a mantra she used to calm herself in moments of crisis. It didn’t seem to help this time.
The air was thick with tension, heavy with unspoken fears. Sami’s voice broke through the chaos. “When I first saw your headlights, I thought you were the police. ” She laughed, but it was a bitter, hollow sound.
Vivian smirked, her eyes gleaming with knowing malice. “Oh, you’re still a good liar,” Vivian said, her voice dripping with venom. “He’ll finally remember everything that we meant to each other. ”
Gina tried to soothe the room.
“It’s all right,” she said softly, but her hands were shaking. No one believed her. “And then you turn around and you marry that slime? ” The accusation hung in the air, sharp and wounding.
“You should be dancing in the streets, Lucas. ”
“No,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “In the same sentence. Because if you don’t get a handle on this guilt thing of yours, you’re going to be switching places with Sami.
”
Sami shook her head, exhaustion etched into every line of her face. “The less you know, the better, Tracey, for both of our sakes. But thank you for bringing me these. ” She clutched the items close, as if they were her lifeline.
“The system gave custody of my little boy to Lucas. To hell with the system. ” Her voice cracked, and I felt the weight of her pain pressing down on my chest. “Time and place are a bit of a challenge for me these days,” she added, a weak attempt at humor that fell flat.
Mike stepped forward, trying to mediate. “What else were you supposed to say? ” He paused, then added, “He would never do that. Well, if there’s blame to go around, I think most of it belongs right here.
” He gestured to himself, his eyes clouded with guilt. “What we did was express our love for each other, Carrie, and we did it in a very, very beautiful way,” he said, his voice pleading for understanding. “Tell me the truth now. ”
Billie interrupted, her voice sharp with concern.
“Are your hands still shaking? ” She looked at John, who seemed lost in thought. “Hope didn’t tell you? ”
“No,” John replied, his voice distant.
“Most definitely,” he added, but he wasn’t really there. His mind was elsewhere, trapped in memories that wouldn’t surface. “I still can’t believe my purse is at the bottom of that river,” Billie muttered, shaking her head. “Or was it the first time that we made love?
”
Eric frowned. “Obviously not enough. ”
Nicole shook her head. “No.
I have to stay focused. ”
“I only ask because I want to help you, baby,” he said softly, his eyes searching hers. The tension built as Nancy’s voice rang out, trying to lighten the mood. “I am giving the most fabulous goodbye party.
” But no one smiled. “I mean, how long before… ”
“I do not think we should have a party,” Craig interrupted, his voice firm. Nancy sighed.
“I can understand what you mean. ”
Craig nodded. “Well, no one likes rejection, do they, Claire? ”
Carrie’s voice was filled with disbelief.
“When Nicole walked into that courtroom, I have never seen Austin so shocked. ”
“Carrie Reed — always worried about other people. You see someone else hurting, and you want to make them happy,” someone observed, but Carrie just looked away. Lucas’s voice was bitter.
“You didn’t throw it far enough ’cause I caught it. ”
“Please don’t tell me that’s not why you’re out here,” John said, his eyes fixed on Gina. “I’ll tell you what,” he began, but Gina cut him off. “Good night, then,” she said, turning to leave.
“You guys don’t stay out here too long, okay? ”
John watched her go. “Well, you were about to tell me something, or I was going to talk you into telling me something. ”
Gina hesitated, her mind racing.
*It’s been such a long time since John saw the compact. Oh, my God, what if he doesn’t remember it right away? No, maybe this is the wrong time. * She forced a smile.
“You know what? ”
“Are you in the mood, by any chance, for a cappuccino? ” she asked, her voice too bright. John raised an eyebrow.
“Uh, yeah, I-I guess I may have a cappuccino. ”
“You stay right here,” Gina said, her heart pounding. *Oh, this may be too easy, John. *
“Never,” she whispered to herself.
John looked at her, puzzled. “Check it out. Something that I shall never part with. ”
Gina froze.
“John, are you all right? ”
Nicole’s voice cut through the moment. “No, it’s not what you think. ”
Lucas stepped forward.
“Every single thing in your life —”
“Hey, hey, wait,” John interrupted, holding up a hand. “Now, most young men would have gone to jail for that, but not you,” Lucas continued, his voice hard. “Because I-I saved you. ”
“Lucas thinks that just because he’s Will’s natural father he has the right to risk his life by driving drunk any time he wants to,” Sami spat, her eyes blazing.
“Carrie and Austin should be the ones to raise Will. ”
“I’ll say it for both of us, okay? ” She looked around the room, her voice steady despite the chaos. “All right.
”
Kate shook her head. “I never said —”
Lucas cut her off. “No, you — you didn’t want me to propose to her, and then when I couldn’t find her in Chicago, you wanted me to come home. It was my idea to stay there.
”
“I mean, obviously, the girl married you because of your charm. All I was saying is that if she hadn’t been hired at Titan, you would never have had a chance to work your charm,” Kate replied, her voice sharp. Lucas’s voice softened. “That’s all.
That’s all I want, and if there’s anybody who can figure out how to get Sami off, it’s you. ”
Gina looked at John, her eyes searching. “But do you have any idea why? ”
“Oh, God, but we didn’t even — I mean, I barely even mentioned —” she started, but John shook his head.
“No, no, I’m not blaming you,” he said, though pain flickered in his eyes. Stefano’s voice echoed in Gina’s mind, a sinister warning. *If you continue to trigger John’s memory, his headaches will only get worse. My God, who knows?
They could kill him. You don’t want that to happen, do you, Gina? *
John’s voice brought her back. “I paid good money for these.
”
Mike’s voice was relieved. “Then we’re home free. ”
“We would never work,” someone said, the words heavy with resignation. “Your father’s been telling you we’re totally wrong for each other,” came the reply.
“No change. I have to act quickly before Lucas takes it into his head to do something disastrous,” Sami muttered to herself. “Yeah, we got to stay real quiet,” Lucas agreed. John nodded.
“Any time. ”
The night stretched on, filled with secrets, lies, and the desperate hope that somehow, everything would work out. But deep down, we all knew the truth — nothing would ever be the same again.
The compact was out, the memories were stirring, and there was no going back.
