Elizabeth curled up on the couch at her studio. This was her sanctuary. The past few months had taken a toll on her, physically and mentally. This was the one place she can go where she could find some semblance of peace.
She was determined to keep Lucky out of her and her children's lives. Even though the drugs she found in his desk were planted, she couldn't deny the fact that, if she really wanted to work things out with him, she would have had the patience to listen when he tried to tell her. The trust was gone and she didn't think she could ever get that back.
Not that she had any right to judge anyone. She was struggling with her own lies. She desperately wanted it all to come out. She wanted to tell Lucky that this baby wasn't his, and he needed to move on without her. She hoped that this wouldn't send him back to the pills. Maxie's miscarriage was devastating enough as it was, this would certainly send him right back over the edge.
Then there was Jason. This would tear his world apart. The look in his eyes when he came to her that day to ask her if she would have let him be apart of their child's life "if" the baby was his, tore at her heart like a sharp knife. She wanted to scream at him that this baby was most certainly his, and she, in no way, would keep it from him. That's the whole reason she went to the police station in the first place that day; to set things right.
She took in a deep breathe and smoothed her hand over her small, ever growing stomach.
"Oh sweet baby of mine, Mommy has sure made a mess of things, didn't she? I have to tell your daddy soon, as well as Lucky. I can't keep going like this. He deserves to know about you. He deserves the world. I just don't want to mess up his chance with Sam."
Her eyes filled with unshed tears as she thought about Jason and his girlfriend.
"I saw them the other day. They were together, and they seemed happy. How can I blow that up? How can I risk destroying his happiness?"
Her conversation with the baby was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Wondering who could possibly have known she was there, she went to the door, leaning into it.
"Who is it?"
"It's Jason. Open up Elizabeth."
She could hear anger in his voice. She hurriedly opened the locks and swung open the door, only to have him fly past her into the room, like a man on a mission. She closed the door and turned to face him, only to find him mere inches away from her, holding up a white envelope.
"Jason, what's wrong? What's happened?"
He flicked the envelope in the air.
"This happened."
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he handed her the envelope. Looking up at him for permission to look inside, he jerked his head in a nod, his hands resting on his hips.
She looked down as she pulled the paper out of the envelope. She opened the paper slowly, looking up for a moment to see the pained expression all over his face.
"I don't understand. What is thi---"
What she read stopped her dead in her tracks. It was the paternity test. The one she knew she burned.
She gasped and froze. Her eyes grew huge. She slowly looked up at him, swallowing nervously.
"Jason-"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She looked nervously around, anywhere but directly at him, trying to make herself speak, but words failed her. She felt like her throat had closed.
He took the letter from her hands and waved it at her.
"Why did I have to find out this way?!"
She moved to touch his arm and he flinched away. The movement cut her down to her core. This was not the way she wanted him to find out. Not by some cold piece of paper. She wanted to tell him.
"Jason, I-"
"You had so many opportunities, Elizabeth! I was here for days, and you never said a word!"
She immediately went on the defensive.
"I did! I told you in the chapel! I told you to hang on because the baby needed you. I told you the baby was ours!"
Jason's eyebrows scrunched together in concentration.
"I—I don't remember that."
Elizabeth crossed her arms over her stomach.
"Of course you didn't. You were probably too busy worrying about Sam," She muttered under her breathe.
Apparently it wasn't quiet enough, because Jason had heard her.
"What? I was barely conscience! I wasn't really thinking about anything! You could have told me again!"
"No, Jason! No, I couldn't! Because the minute you woke up, all you kept talking about was helping Sam. You needed to get to Sam! It was all about Sam, dammit!!!"
She hadn't meant to scream. She hadn't meant to blurt that out. She deserved anything he was giving her, and she didn't really have any right, but she couldn't help it.
He looked at her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Her heart broke at the look in his eyes, the pain she saw staring back at her.
"You still could've told me." His voice was strained, and full of anguish.
She shook her head, a tear falling down her cheek.
"No, I couldn't. You love her, Jason. YOU love HER. Who the hell am I to come between that? Like everyone has told me time and time again, this baby would have been a major roadblock in your reconciliation."
"So, what? You are saying this is my fault?"
She looked down, squeezing her eyes shut.
"No. This is all my doing. I should have told you when I came to your place that day."
He was quiet for a moment.
"Why didn't you?"
She shrugged.
"You seemed so relieved when Carly told you it was Lucky's. I guess I took that as everyone was right. This baby would be better off as Lucky's so you can move on with your life with Sam."
"That wasn't your call, Elizabeth." He said it softly, but there was anger clearly present in his words.
She looked up at him, anger rising to the surface.
"Well, I didn't see much of a choice! I had people on all sides of me telling me what "the right thing to do" was! I had Sonny telling me it's better that it would be Lucky's, I had Carly, oh yes Carly, telling me how much I would screw your life up if the baby was yours! I had Lucky who was hanging by a thread, holding on to this baby as his road to recovery! Then there was you. You didn't need a constant reminder of what happened between us. As much as you said you didn't regret it, I knew. I knew it was all a mistake to you! Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so damned relieved!!!"
He was near her in a flash, his hands on her arms, bringing her flush against him. He looked her straight in the eyes, knowing she could see the honesty in his.
"That night meant more to me than anyone will ever know. Never, NEVER say it was a mistake." He ground out the words through his teeth.
She got lost in the depth of honestly she saw in his eyes.
She held on to his arms as his hold on her softened.
"It meant the world to me Jason. It meant everything."
She was sobbing softly, her head bowed down. He released her and stepped back.
He paced around the room, his hand gliding through his hair. His breathing was ragged.
She walked over to the couch and sat down, her arms crossed over each other, trying to warm herself from the emptiness she was feeling. She was going to lose him from her life. She knew how he dealt with betrayal. She was already feeling the void.
"I wasn't going to keep this from you forever. When you came to me that day, asking if you would make a good father, I knew I couldn't keep quiet anymore. I went to the police station. I wanted to set Lucky straight. That's when I found the pills."
He was behind the couch, his back to it. He turned his head slightly as she was speaking.
"Lucky was swearing up and down that he wasn't using, that he was set up, and I couldn't allow myself to believe him. I told him to stay away from me and my children, and he said he would fight me for custody. I couldn't let that happen. I was trying to find a way to tell everyone the truth-"
"You could have told me from the beginning." The statement held so much emotion, it broke Elizabeth's heart all over again.
"I didn't want to mess up your happy ending with Sam. You've always cut anyone who has betrayed you out of your life. You were willing to try with Sam. How could I tell you when I knew Sam was the one you wanted to be with?"
He turned around to face the couch, her back to him.
"I offered to marry you. I told you we could get married!"
She stood up then, anger suddenly creeping in. She turned and faced him.
"Oh yeah. A marriage of convenience, for the baby's sake. What about me, Jason? I don't want you to be obligated to me when your heart is somewhere else! It's not fair to you, it's not fair to this baby or Cameron, and it's not fair to me!"
He walked around to her, their bodies inches from each other.
"We could have tried. We could have found a way to make it work-"
She snickered and shook her head. "I won't be tied down to someone who doesn't want me."
He swallowed hard and looked at her. "How can you say that?"
She looked at him incredulously.
"Jason, it was one night. You were drinking. I know how you say you don't regret it, but deep down, I also know that you wish it never happened. You don't think of me that way. You never did! It's all about Sam for you, and I'm sorry, but for once in my life, I'm not going to come second to anyone or anything!" She was screaming at him then. Her anger outweighed her guilt at that moment.
"Don't tell me how I feel!"
"Why? It's obvious I was just a warm body. A poor substitute for the woman you really wanted-"
He pulled her flush against his chest, his arm wrapped tight around her waist and looked her dead in the eyes. Their faces dangerously close.
"I wanted you. It might not have started out that way, but after a while, all I saw was you."
Tears streamed down her face one after the other. She saw the truth of his words in his eyes, the heat of his gaze that shook her down to her core.
"Don't you know what you are to me?" He whispered the words to her that he said so long ago, bringing her back to that day in the park.
She shook her head, her eyes never leaving his. "I never really did."
His gaze moved slowly from her eyes to her mouth, where she was unceremoniously gnawing on her bottom lip. Suddenly he felt his body grow hot with need. He felt all the blood in his body quickly traveling south. Her body was tucked against his tightly, her hands splayed out across his chest. It was then he knew. He knew exactly what she was to him.
"You're everything." With that last thought, his mouth plundered hers. She gasped at the fierceness of his lips. He took advantage of that and invaded her mouth with his tongue grazing it along hers, sliding it along the roof of her mouth, drinking her in, as if he was dying of thirst.
All thoughts escaped her as soon as his mouth touched hers, and she was lost. Lost in the feel of his hard body against hers. Lost in the way his mouth was devouring her. Her hands slid up around his neck, combing into his hair. She pulled herself tighter against him, trying to get even closer.
He moved them slowly to the couch, her knees hitting the end as she sat back, her lips never leaving his. She lay back, bringing him on top of her, her hands spread across his back, digging her nails in. The kiss broke for just a moment as they both gasped for air, then their lips crashed together again, neither one able to get enough of the other.
Her hands moved in front of him, pulling his jacket away from his shoulders. He wiggled out of his jacket, throwing it over the couch as his lips moved from her lips down her jaw, along her neck, nipping and suckling on her pale flesh, reveling in the taste of her. Their hands were everywhere, constantly touching each other, remembering every curve of the bodies they explored that one hot August night. Her hands found the hem of his shirt and pulled it up his back, bunching up at his shoulders, he pulled back to pull the offending clothing off of him, only to plunder her mouth again once it was off and across the room.
Her body arched against him, one leg wrapped around his, her hips grinding provocatively against his thigh, causing a low groan to escape his lips.
Wanting to feel her smooth skin again, his hand snaked inside her shirt, running his calloused fingers along her ribcage. The sensation was overwhelming. She groaned and arched roughly against him. The sound of her moans encouraging him, he moved his hand between their bodies, plucking each button out of it's hole, until it was splayed out on each side of her.
He pulled back a moment to look down at her, his gaze landing on her protruding stomach. He swallowed hard, his hand moving shakily over the growing bulge. As if he was in a trance, He felt her hand caress his face and he looked up at her with awe. She slid her hand over his on her stomach, and squeezed.
What he saw in her eyes at that moment shook him to the core. He saw trust, he saw compassion, he saw longing, he saw passion. All of it for him. Just for him. With a choked sob, he pulled her up to sitting position and kissed her, his hands holding her head as he plundered her mouth.
She held on to his shoulders for dear life, overwhelmed with sensations he was evoking in her. She was tingling everywhere. The last time they were together, it was soft touches and whispering moans and tender caresses. She knew that this was different. There was raw need, intense feeling, and she couldn't deny herself this moment for anything in the world.
She pulled her lips away from his, taking his cheeks in her hand. Their breathing mingling between each other. She looked deep into his eyes, speaking clearly, from her heart.
"I'm yours, Jason. I've always been yours."
"Elizabeth.." he choked out, his hands still on each side of her head. "I'm yours."
As they kissed again, he pulled her to standing position, pulling her shirt down her arms and threw them toward the wall. Her hands were busily working on the buttons of his jeans. Leave it to him to wear button-flies when she was this impatient to feel his skin. Her other hand moved down to cup his manhood, gently squeezing, eliciting moans from him, feeling it twitch under her fingers. His head fell onto her shoulders, nipping and sucking on her tender flesh as the last button was opened. He let out a disappointed whimper as she released his denim-covered erection to pull his jeans down, along with his boxers. He felt them pool at his ankles. Pulling her against him so he can attack her ear and neck with his mouth, he pushed his boots and socks off with each foot, then kicking out of the offending garments. Her hands slid up his hips and around his waist and grabbing his bare ass, squeezing it against her, her own hips grinding against his.
He reached around her back, unclasping her white lace bra, then slipped his fingers through the straps, pulling them roughly off of her, throwing it over her shoulder. His hands immediately cupped her swollen breasts, kneading them. His fingers found her nipples, pinching them lightly as his mouth moved down her throat to the valley between her breasts. Her head fell back as his mouth left a trail of fire down her body, her hands holding his head against her as he plundered her breasts with his mouth. He took one nipple in his mouth and she grunted his name, pulling his hair, as his other hand teased and pulled on the other one.
She pulled him away from her chest and brought his lips back up to hers, kissing and nipping his bottom lip. His tongue slid deeply into her mouth and she trapped it between her lips, suckling on it, as her hand slid down and wrapped around his naked member, stroking it softly.
He growled as he felt her tiny hand grasp him. He pulled his lip away from hers and rested his forehead against hers, looking at her.
"Elizabeth," he groaned as she stroked him slowly. His hand eagerly found the top of her pants, thankful she had taken to wearing maternity jeans. They slid easily off her hips, him taking her panties along with them. He pulled away from her stroking hand and bent down in front of her, guiding her pants and panties down to her feet, where she lifted each leg so he can take them off completely. He kissed his way back up her legs, loving every inch of flesh he'd just exposed and stood up. He took in the sight before him. Her hair was mussed, framing her face. Her lips were red and swollen from his kisses. Her skin was flushed, with a twinge of pink that went from her cheeks all the way down between her pert breasts, which were larger than he remembered them being. His gaze moved down over her shapely hips down one leg and back up the other, then at the center of her. Every part of her was georgeous and he thanked his lucky stars he was able to have this again. This time, however, he knew it wouldn't be the last time.
She watched as he gazed at her, her own eyes drinking him in. From his chisled face to his broad shoulders, his muscular chest and legs. Even his feet were sexy. Her gaze settled between his legs, and she bit down on her bottom lip. The proof of his arousal and standing straight and tall. He was perfect.
Their eyes finally met and they stood there for just a moment before coming together again, each one touching the other with a fevered quickness. Hands were everywhere. Tongues, teeth, lips were all used. Finally she pulled away from him, giving him a sexy smirk.
Raising an eyebrow, he was about to ask her what she was thinking when she pushed him roughly to sit down on the couch, then crawling on top of him, straddling his lap. She ground her pelvis roughly against him, his erection twitching against her. The friction was driving him insane. He had to be inside her soon. She continued her torturous grinding, her lips leaving small kisses on his forhead, closing both his eyes to kiss his lids, his cheeks, and finally his mouth. She looked deep into his eyes then, showing everything in them that she felt for this man, as she suddenly raised up and impaled herself on him, causing him to arch up.
Home. This was home to her. With him. Nothing ever felt as right as that moment, with him deep within her. She could feel him throbbing against her inner walls. She watched his face as it contorted in pleasure. The way his head fell back. She savored the feeling for a moment, not moving.
His eyes rolled back into his head as he felt himself sliding into her moist heat. This is right where he belonged. With her. He felt her inner muscles clamping and unclamping around him and groaned, grabbing her hips, not wanting that precise moment to end just yet.
Unable to keep still any longer, he began to pull her up by her hips, only to slam her back down again, slowly at first. He watched in awe as she arched on top of him, her head thrown back as she moaned his name, sweat glistening off her body. He pulled her against him and suckled on her breast as she continued to ride him, her pace quickening on top of him.
She held his head against her as she slammed her hips into his, bringing him deeper and deeper inside her. He was the only one who can touch her so deeply, like he was made for her.
Their bodies were slick as they continued to move. In one swift move, he flipped her onto her back, plunging deep into her. She screamed and arched as he slammed in and out of her, her nails digging into his arms. Their pace was frenzied now. She felt her coil wind tightly. She was ready to explode.
He felt her tense and knew that he wasn't that far from the edge himself. He slid a hand between them and found her center and squeezed the bundle of nerves, sending her straight over the edge.
She screamed and convulsed around him, her inner muscles clamping around his shaft, milking him. His own release came seconds later, with him howling her name.
He slid out of her, hearing her whimper from the loss of him and slid with his back against the couch, pulling her to him, holding her so her breasts were nestled against his chest, their legs entertwined. He pulled a sweat soaked piece of hair away from her cheek, softly caressing her.
She looked at him and smiled. This was where she belonged; in his arms. She laid her head down on his arm as he pulled a blanket over their sweat soaked, naked forms.
Neither one spoke for a while, each enjoying the aftermath of their coupling. It was both intense and tender, raw yet sweet. So much emotion, yet neither one needed to say anything. They both knew what the other was feeling.
Finally breaking the silence, he slid his finger under her chin to look at him. He smiled softly.
"I meant what I said, Elizabeth. I am yours. I always was. It might have been buried for a while, but I know it now. I feel it. This baby and Cameron will have a family, in us. You and me together. Not out of convenience. Out of love."
Elizabeth looked at him with unshed tears.
"I was so scared to accept your offer of marriage. I thought that it was just because of the baby, and that eventually you would come to resent me for having to give up your future with Sam. I didn't want to be your obligation."
He kissed her nose softly.
"You are not my obligation. You are my world." He slid his hand down and rubbed her stomach softly.
"I just found out today that I am the father of your baby, and already I'm in love with it."
He then took his other hand and caressed her cheek softly.
"I have been in love with you for seven years, and it's never stopped. It might have been buried for a while, but it's always been there."
A tear escaped her eye as she smiled.
"I love you too."
They lay there, on that couch for the rest of the night, holding each other. They fell asleep after hours of talking about their future and soft kisses and caresses. They knew there would be things to work through, and complications that needed to be taken care of, but for that night, they left it alone. That night was for them.
The End
