Marry Go Round
The last we saw of Sharon and Nick, he confessed that he wants to be with her and pulled her into a sizzling hot kiss. This week, Sharon gives him an answer -- and fans may be surprised to learn that she turns him down! Say what?
After months of wishing for a reconciliation and tucking the pain away every time Nick chose Phyllis, why is Sharon shying away? "Sharon loves Nick, but she only wants him back because he has decided that he's not in love with Phyllis and not because he feels a sense of duty to the baby," explains Case. "Sharon doesn't want to feel like she forced Nick's hand in any way to be with her. So she is not entirely convinced that he wants to be with her because he loves her. After all, every time before he has always chosen to be with Phyllis, so why would she trust what he's saying now?"
Nick is surprised by Sharon's response. "He's surprised and disappointed," comments Joshua Morrow. "He didn't really anticipate that reaction, whether it's out of ego or being stupid. I think he felt he could go back to her when he wanted, which is a pretty stupid thing to assume. But this knucklehead can't keep stringing two women along while he's trying to make up his mind. Granted, it's unintentional and he's not being malicious. He's genuinely in love with these two woman. It's not like he wants to keep everyone in limbo. Now he wants to be with Sharon, but she thinks it's too late."
Sharon insists that she won't allow Nick to break up his family for her, but he begs her to reconsider. "He's trying to make Sharon see that this time it's real and he's going to commit to her full on," says Morrow. "Of course, she doesn't know what to believe."
Continues Case, "That's because she thinks this is just his knee-jerk reaction to her pregnancy. Sharon doesn't want to have a man in her life who isn't fully committed to her. That's what Phyllis is going through now and Sharon doesn't need that."
Panicked, Phyllis finds out that Sharon has gone to see Nick, so she pops in at Restless Style and interrupts their heart-to-heart. Immediately, Phyllis's presence causes tension. "Nick doesn't want to be secretive and hide this," points out Morrow. "He wants to be up-front and honest. He isn't a bad guy, he's just in a very difficult situation. He doesn't want to play games anymore. He wants everyone to know where his head is."
However, Sharon stops Nick from telling Phyllis what's on his mind. "Sharon has fully decided to reconcile with Jack and raise this baby with him, so she emphasizes that to Phyllis," reveals Case. "That seems to make Phyllis hopeful."
Sharon quickly exits, and Phyllis asks Nick where their marriage stands. "Before Nick can answer that, something happens with Summer, so Phyllis has to go home," groans Morrow. "Before she leaves, she makes a cryptic remark that she knows what Nick and Sharon were talking about. Phyllis is sharp. She feels Nick slipping away."
Meanwhile, Jack returns home to find a shook up Sharon. "She has to many conflicting feelings about this and she's still not sure what to do," notes Case. "Nick has confused her once again and has gotten her hopes up. It's like everything is back up in the air."
Jack tells Sharon that everything will be okay with them, even though she had sex with his brother, Billy. "If there was not a baby involved here, I'm not sure Jack would be as forgiving, but I think he's protecting his fatherhood rights," explains Peter Bergman. "Plus, he's still in love with Sharon. This is as understanding as I've ever played Jack."
Sharon thanks Jack for his unfailing support. "Jack has really stepped up," acknowledges Case. "It's made up for the way he behaved in their marriage. What's interesting is it would've been a far better outcome for Sharon and Jack if he acted like that when they were married. She wouldn't be having this trouble now."
Jack surprises Sharon by asking her to marry him -- again. "It's very quiet and simple," notes Bergman. "Jack simply says, 'If this baby is going to be raised by us, I'm thrilled. The only thing that would make me happier is us being married.' He feels they ought to give it another shot. This is a guy who's in love."
While Sharon considers Jack's proposal, Phyllis confronts Nick. "He tells Phyllis that they lost something in their relationship and it doesn't have to do with Sharon," winces Morrow. "Phyllis gets really upset and doesn't believe that last part, so Nick finally admits for the first time that it's all because of how he feels about Sharon. He tells Phyllis that it's time they moved on."
By the end of the week, a devastated Phyllis does just that when she finds herself in a passionate situation with another man -- Jack Abbott!
Why would they make Ashley pregnant just to have her lose the baby again!
