Walls Will Crumble

Carly and Jason

Chapter Two

Early March 2007

He was being a fucking coward and it had to stop.

Jason Morgan was getting sick of himself. Minute by minute he was getting to the point where he wanted to ram his first through the wall just to feel some physical pain and get out of his damn head for a second. He had been in the gym everyday, in the ring going round after round with guys who worked for him, and still he couldn't get out all the pent up emotion in him.

It started when the hotel was taken hostage. He promised Michael he would bring his parents home safe. Not going into that hotel hadn't been an option. He had to get to them and help him. Sonny and Carly needed him and he'd walk through fire for his family. He found his sister and father in there too.

That had been the last night of his father's life.

Alan had a heart attack. He made it to the hospital and asked for Jason- the son that turned his back on the family so very long ago- but Jason was busy trying to track down the guy who took the hotel hostage. He did that instead of spending a few more moments with his father.

Even when he realized his mistaken priorities and had raced to the hospital it had been too late. Alan was gone. Emily was there outside the hospital room, a mess of tears, and as Jason held her he knew true regret and grief down to his bones. It made him question his whole life and the foolish choices he had made in his youth. Back when he was full of more pride than good sense.

Getting through the week between his father's death and the funeral was torturous. It didn't seem real. Jason had went to visit his mother and grandfather. He tried to explain how very sorry he was and how he knew he had let them all down but the words were just words.

What he needed was more time with his father but that was something he could never get now.

Carly got him through that week. Her hand rubbing his back. Her words about forgiveness and letting go. Her way of understanding him and saying nothing sometimes or distracting him with silly stories. She came through for him.

Especially the day of the funeral. On that day her hand had stayed in his at the church and cemetery. She pulled him through the blackness with her sheer force of will, like only Carly could, and by the time he was saying goodbye to her that day Jason didn't know how he could cope without his hand being in hers.

He didn't want to let her go.

They said their goodbyes at her door that afternoon, one minute turning into two, caught up in this emotional moment and then it hit him. What he wanted. What he needed. What would make him feel alive.

And he did it. He kissed her, soft and gentle and long. He got lost in that kiss.

Then he ran out the door like a scared kid, jumped in his SUV, sped away, went home, got drunk, and spent the next ten days talking to her by phone, email or text but not seeing her. Saying he was busy with work and couldn't see her unless it was an emergency.

She knew he wanted space and though it was probably driving her a little crazy, since they hadn't said a word about the kiss after it happened, Carly was giving Jason his room to breathe and think. But he was sick of thinking.

She was so stuck in his head. He couldn't shake that kiss. It made heat bust loose in his system, his gut flare with hunger and his veins course with fire. Nothing on earth felt as good as kissing Carly. As right and real.

He was afraid if he saw her again he wouldn't be able to resist kissing her another time. No matter where they were or who was around.

A long time ago he had closed down a part of his heart and soul to her. To protect himself, their child and their friendship. For the sake of all that and his sanity, he had drawn a line. He had sworn he could never again let her in that part of him. For years it had stayed raw from the first time she was there.

Now if he kissed her again it wouldn't be just a physical want taking control of his head. It would be his heart aching for her.

And he had to figure out if he wanted that. Before he could ask her what she wanted. He had to have an answer before he saw her again.

Yet staying away from her was making his skin itch. He felt more and more fed up with himself for just not going to her and letting the damn chips fall where they may. Just getting her in a room and seeing what the hell happened.

Could he resist her? Did he really want to?

The thing was he was pretty sure he knew those answers already. And the answers meant his life had just gotten really complicated, really fast. But he had to face that. Only a coward would hide from the truth like he was.

And Carly never believed him to a coward. It was time to step up and be the man she thought he was years ago.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Its good to get a chance to see so much of you and the boys," Bobbie said, as she put dishes in her dishwasher "but I think if you don't confront Jason soon you're going to go stark raving mad and, daughter, I really don't want to see that happen. I know Jason doesn't either."

Carly had been having a lot of dinners with her mother that week to while away the hours. The Metro Court was under construction so Carly couldn't work. That left her with a lot of time on her hands. She didn't want to see her ex-lover Jax who had dumped her a few weeks back, and didn't want to bug Jason with all her questions about if their kiss meant anything.

It was driving her nuts not to know if he was thinking about their kiss, if it got to him like it had her, and if he wanted another kiss from her or could he go the rest of his life with that being their last. Though she was aching for an answer her instincts said to hold back and not go to him demanding one.

And Carly always followed her instincts.

"Mama, I wanna confront him. Believe me I thought about handcuffing him to me and conveniently losing the key but Jason just lost his father and if I push him for an explanation of why we kissed he will probably give me about a thousand reasons why it can't happen again. If I just wait and play it cool maybe it will happen on its own another time."

"You play it cool?"

"What? I can do that!"

Bobbie smirked. "I think you'd better just ask him how he feels about the kiss. This plan of yours is bound to leave too much unsaid and too much confusion in your heart and mind."

"I'm not confused. The kiss was amazing and Jason knows it. He just needs time to wrap his head around it. Trust me. He'll come around when he's ready."

A little while later Carly got her sons and took them home. She found Jason pacing her living room like a caged animal.

Concerned for him she immediately asked "Everything okay?"

When he lifted his head she saw a look that hadn't been in his eyes when he looked at her for years and years. A lust so hot it could peel paint off walls.

As she stood there with her mouth a little agape, her body rapidly heating up under his stare, her boys ran over and hugged him, chattering at him happily.

"Boys," she said "I need to talk to Jason alone. Upstairs please. Get your homework done, Michael, and, Morgan, you get in your pajamas. I'll be up in a bit."

"I want Uncle Jason," Morgan, who was only five, pouted.

Jason cleared his throat. "Sure, buddy, I'll read you a story in a while. Just let me talk to your Mom alone first, okay?"

Michael took Morgan's hand and led him upstairs.

Carly's tongue darted out and licked her lips, nervously, as she watched her sons ascend the stairs. Her eyes darted to Jason's. He was already halfway across the room by then.

When he reached her he took her upper arms in his hands, gently, and rasped out "It wasn't right to avoid you like I have been."

"You wanted time to think. I get it."

"It wasn't right, Carly. I'm sorry. You deserved better."

"Jase." Her voice was low and husky with her growing need for another kiss from him. "Its cool. You're here now. That's all that matters."

"Everything matters. What we do, don't do, say and don't say." He ran his hands over her cheeks in soft strokes, down her neck and then he ran his thumb over her lips. Back and forth his thumb went, getting slightly wet as it made contact with her tongue.

Shivers racked her body and her knees went weak. Her mind was spinning over this happening. For over a week she had fought her emotions- fought hoping too hard- and now all she tried to psyche herself up to believe was really true was being proven right.

Jason was aching for another kiss just as bad as she was. She could feel it in the way he touched her, with so much reverence and longing. It was a touch she hadn't felt from him in ten days.

And before that it had been years. A touch she hadn't felt from him since they were almost burned alive in a fire. A touch she had needed desperately that night and wanted so many other nights before and after. A touch she needed just as much right now.

Just like Jason needed her.