The Hot Zone
Chapter
28
After
trashing the bedroom at the Club, Zander returned to Sonny's. He said nothing
to anyone. He simply climbed the stairs, went into his room and locked the
door behind him. No one bothered him for a while. But later the next day,
Carly knocked on the door.
"Zander...can
I come in?"
He
thought about telling her no. But then he made himself get up and open the
door. He even managed to thank her for the tray of food she brought him.
Zander wasn't hungry though, and watched her set it on the dresser top.
"I'm not good company," Zander told her.
Carly
nodded. "Yeah...I know. But...I thought maybe you'd want to talk."
"I don't."
"Is
there anything I can do?" As she asked, Carly pressed one hand to his
face.
Zander didn't think, he simply reacted. He buried his fingers in Carly's hair
and kissed her. He felt her respond and then they were tearing each other's
clothes off. Zander lifted Carly onto the bed once she was naked. He laid her
out then moved between her legs, opening her slick folds with his fingers then
licking her before nipping at her nub of nerves. He brought her to a screaming
orgasm then positioned himself to enter her. As he thrust into her wet heat,
Zander bent his head to kiss Carly. He didn't want to think about this. This
wasn't even about his own pleasure. It was all about giving pleasure to Carly
because *he* wanted to. Because *she* would appreciate it for what it was. It
was sex but it wasn't paid for. When Carly exploded again, Zander followed her
over the abyss, then they came together in a tangle of arms and legs. Zander
felt Carly combing her fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry," he
whispered.
Carly
kissed away his tears. "Don't be. I'm not. You're good for me,
Zander."
"That's
pretty funny." He got his emotions under control and managed a smile.
"Thank you, for being my friend." Zander kissed her then slid out of
bed. "I'm gonna go shower. I'm going out."
"Want
some company?"
Zander shook his head, then went in search of clothes. He found jeans,
boxer-briefs, socks and a tee shirt then headed into the bathroom. He stood
beneath the shower spray until the water ran cold. Then he finished getting
ready and when he opened the bathroom door, Carly was gone. Zander was
relieved. He grabbed his wallet and his keys and headed for the door.
*
* * * *
Zander
went to Jake’s and made a hundred dollars playing pool. He kissed a pretty
blonde and almost had sex with her but changed his mind. When she went to the
ladies' room, Zander slipped out the door. He made his way to the docks and
stood looking out at the water. A part of him was tempted to jump in and start
swimming. Footsteps sounded behind him and Zander stiffened. He didn't have to
turn around to know who was standing there. He could feel him.
"Zander?"
"Hey,
Nikolas." Zander
responded, without turning around.
Nikolas
moved to stand beside him. "How are you?"
Zander felt compelled to be honest. "I don't know." He didn't miss
the pain that glimmered in Nikolas' eyes. Pain he had put there.
"You
look beautiful," Nikolas whispered.
"Only
you would say that," Zander replied, choking on a bitter laugh.
Nikolas
shook his head. "You are beautiful, Zander. God...do you have any idea
how much I miss you?"
Zander
felt himself start shaking. "D-don't...don't do that," he begged.
"I
can't help loving you, Zander," Nikolas replied. "And I won't
apologize for it."
"You
shouldn't love me. You shouldn't.." Zander broke off as tears slid down
his face.
Nikolas
closed the distance between them, reaching out to brush the pad of his thumb
over Zander's cheek, then he let his palm press against his face. "We
love who we love," he breathed.
Zander said nothing, he couldn't speak. He could feel Nikolas' love wrapping
around him like a warm blanket. But he didn't deserve it. He just stood there,
watching Nikolas watching him. He stiffened as Nikolas pulled him into a hug,
fighting him. But only for a moment. Zander didn't have any fight left in him.
He found himself clinging to Nikolas, letting him support his weight as his
knees buckled. He felt Nikolas rocking him and whispering softly in his ear to
soothe him as tears rolled endlessly down his face.
*
* * * *
Sonny
was going over some business papers with Jason, when Alexis was announced. He
gestured for Jason to let her in, then focused his attention back on his work
until the thump of her briefcase on the table startled him. Sonny looked up at
Alexis and he was a little put out to see that she was in full Cassadine mode
again. "Something I can do for you?" he asked.
Alexis
smirked. "No. You've done more than enough, Sonny. I just came here to
inform you that I know what you did to Zander. I know everything. How you
blackmailed him into dancing for you and then into whoring himself out, by
terrifying him with death threats against me and my baby."
"I never threatened to hurt you, Alexis."
"No...you used Sorel's threats and then Roscoe's threats. Nice
work." Alexis' tone could have frozen lava. "What really amazes me
is how you sold him to that sonofabitch, Arroyo. That...that I'm still having
trouble wrapping my mind around. And the stuff with his father.."
Sonny
shook his head. "I had no control over that."
Alexis snorted. "But you did have control over Zander and when he was
finally free of it all, you pulled him back here with more threats. Is he a
good fuck, by the way?"
"What
the hell!" Sonny was stunned. There was no way in hell that Alexis could
know any of this unless someone had told her. Sonny knew Zander wouldn't have
said a word, which left only one other person who knew everything. Sonny shook
his head as he turned to glare at Jason. "You told her." It was a
statement, not a question.
"Everything,"
Jason conceded.
Sonny
couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why? Why would you do that? You
betrayed me."
Jason didn't blink as he held Sonny's gaze. "It's not about betrayal. You
forced me to make a choice, so I did."
"You chose
Zander?"
"Yes."
Rising to his feet, Sonny confronted the one man he thought he could trust,
without question, in all things. "Why?" He had to know. He had to
understand this.
Jason
almost smiled. "Because it was the right thing to do," he said
softly, then he turned and walked away.
Sonny
watched him walk out the door then turned back to Alexis. "So you know.
It changes nothing."
"It
changes everything," Alexis drawled. "You have no idea how much this
cost you, Sonny. And you never will. But know this. If you ever come anywhere
near Zander again...I will destroy you. And you won't see it coming."
With that she picked up her briefcase, turned on her heel, and strode out the
door.
"Fuck!"
Sonny hissed, as he sat back down. And for the first time in a long time, he
felt truly alone.
*
* * * *
Nikolas
watched Zander sleep. After letting Zander cry himself into exhaustion on the
docks, Nikolas had brought him home, to Wyndemere, where he belonged. Zander
hadn't said a word. He had simply done whatever Nikolas asked him to do. That
frightened him a little. It was as if the fire in Zander, his passion in all
things, had burned out. Nikolas wanted the fire back. He had put Zander to
bed, not bothering to do anything but pull his boots off before letting him
stretch out on the covers. Then Nikolas had covered him with a blanket before
stretching out beside him. That had been almost two hours ago and Nikolas was
content to simply look at him. He had meant it when he called Zander
beautiful. And in sleep he possessed a heartbreaking innocence that Nikolas
felt compelled to protect. "I love you, Zander," he whispered, as he
smoothed the dark hair back then leaned in to brush a kiss to his lips. Zander
didn't stir. Nikolas smiled then finally let his own eyes drift closed. Zander
was home again, and now Nikolas could finally sleep.
