I’m a Zacchara. I am the dark side.
Claudia: Morning.
Nikolas: Morning. Coffee?
Claudia: Thank you. So how do you feel?
Nikolas: Better, thank you.
Claudia: That’s great.
Nikolas: Yeah. So listen — oh, thank you. We need to discuss what happened last night.
Claudia: What’s there to talk about? I mean, it was just one of those nights.
Nikolas: No –
Claudia: Don’t have to worry about it too much.
Nikolas: I — I just don’t want there to be any misunderstandings, that’s all.
Claudia: You were in pain. I was just trying to help.
Nikolas: I know. I just shouldn’t have allowed it to go that far.
Claudia: If I made things worse for you, Nikolas, I’m — I’m really sorry.
Nikolas: No — no, I mean, there’s no — there’s no reason to apologize, I’m just –
Claudia: Well, I don’t think you have a reason to apologize either, bu– do you feel like you were unfaithful to Emily?
Claudia: You were having a bad night, Nicky. God, you fell off your horse. You bruised your ribs and i didn’t want you going back out there and I — I, you know, i just — I was trying to help. I was trying to keep you –
Nikolas: It’s ok. I know, it’s ok. I appreciate it. It’s just –
Claudia: I really was just trying to help.
Nikolas: I know. It’s just too soon for me.
Claudia: Obviously, if you’re going to beat yourself up like this over one little kiss.
Nikolas: You know, look. It’s just — it’s just ironic, you know? I — I mean, I was unfaithful to emily when we were married before, which was completely selfish and unfair. And I felt guilty then, I did, just not like this.
Claudia: I don’t know, maybe it’s a delayed reaction.
Nikolas: I don’t know. She — she would be glad that you came out there to find me. She would.
Claudia: Really?
Nikolas: Yeah. She always used to get so worried about me when I would ride at night. You know, she’d say to me, “oh, you know you’re going to break your neck someday.”
Claudia: Ok, well — look, we got through a really difficult night together, and we can just leave it at that.
Claudia: I can’t even imagine a love like what you had with Emily. I truly can’t, but, Nikolas, she is gone and maybe it’s time for you to focus on the things that you do have. You have a son. You have a brother. You have a sister. You have family. You have friends. Nikolas, you have a butler. Who has a butler? You have more money than you could ever spend and you — you live your life on your own terms.
Nikolas: I know — I know that it appears that way to you.
Claudia: Families are complicated, but you’re doing ok with yours right now, right? Nobody’s trying to kill you that you know of at the moment?
Nikolas: No. Look, I — I appreciate everything you did for me last night. Really, I do.
Claudia: Hey, it’s the least i can do considering what you are doing for me.
Nikolas: Oh, right, yes, what I’m doing for you. Your secret, that’s right. I forgot. Is that why you came on to me last night, because you don’t want me to tell anyone about your part in Michael Corinthos’ shooting?
Claudia: Hey, last night had nothing to do with Michael.
Nikolas: But you could how i might be suspicious though, right?
Claudia: Right, because I made you go riding last night, and then I worked out a side deal with your horse so that he would throw you?
Nikolas: What –
Claudia: It was all part of the master plan?
Nikolas: Did you or did you not kiss me because I’m the one who knows that you sent the gunman who ended up shooting Michael, hmm?
Claudia: I have used sex to get what I want. I have set men up before to protect myself, to manipulate, but last night may be the one time in my whole life I was just trying to be kind. And you want to turn it into me having some kind of ulterior motive.
Nikolas: Listen, listen, if I’m — if I’m wrong, i apologize, ok? I’m a Cassadine. I tend to see the dark side right away.
Claudia: Fine. I’m a Zacchara. I am the dark side. But you know what, Nikolas? Not last night. And even though we both got all noble and pulled back, I think that you wanted to be with me, too.
Nikolas: It’s just too soon for me to be — to be with anyone, ok? And I was wrong to take it out on you. I was wrong to twist your kindness into something that it wasn’t and I’m sorry.
Claudia: Apology accepted.
Nikolas: Thank you.
Claudia: Thank you.
Nikolas: You know, you’re a better person than you realize –
Claudia: I’m actually not.
Nikolas: No?
Claudia: Mm-mmm. But thank you for saying that. That sounds nice coming out of your mouth. And I’ve got to tell you something. I’m always going to wonder what might have been. So for what might have been.
