Chapter 3: The Mustard

They got the mustard out!

"What?" Elizabeth asked as her sister prattled on.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "They got the mustard out of my new blouse. Lucky is such a klutz sometimes. I mean, who needs to wave their hotdog around to make a point?"

Sarah continued along the same lines but Elizabeth wasn't really listening. It was so easy for Sarah to gripe about Lucky's fairly minor mistakes. She had the man she wanted and she didn't appreciate him at all.

Elizabeth cherished every memory she had of Jason Morgan. She had been volunteering at the hospital after his car accident and was delivering flowers from his high school basketball coach when he awakened. He always said that she was the first and only woman he ever saw. It was true. He was gorgeous and women like the late Sam often tried to get his attention. He never noticed.

He might now. He was a guy and he had needs. He could meet some slut at Jake's and take her upstairs for the night. One day, maybe even one day soon, he might fall in love again. Elizabeth would have to stand by while he pledged his life to another woman.

Her stomach knotted. Jason didn't know the reason they were apart and she couldn't hold it against him when he moved on. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she hoped he would. He should be happy, even if she never was.

-gh-

Jason tried to focus on his meeting with Sonny. His work was all he had and he couldn't let anything distract him.

Not even his beautiful Elizabeth. She had been walking through the park and laughing at something Emily said earlier today. It was the first time he had seen her genuinely happy since they broke up. She was moving on. He felt like his feet were firmly planted in cement.

He loved her and he couldn't, wouldn't change that. If it meant being alone, he would be alone. If it meant a lifetime of cold showers, he'd take them. If it meant watching from afar with a broken heart while she was happy, he would endure.

She would start dating again soon. Men were drawn to her and she'd say yes to one of them someday. He had fought as hard as he could but she rejected him at every turn. The future they planned would never come.

"Jason? You listening to me?"

He blinked at his friend. "Yeah, Sonny, I'm listening."

-gh-

Elizabeth and Emily's friendship had been restored with Elizabeth's confession. They hadn't yet come up with a solution but they were back on track. While they spent time crying together in private, they found they could joke around some too. The balloon guy in the park was the latest subject. Seriously, that long one sticking straight up from his wig? Talk about Captain Obvious. He had to be compensating.

Emily steered them toward Kelly's. "So, I'm thinking it's about time the four musketeers hung out. There's a new kung fu movie out on DVD that's just begging to be made fun of. How about Friday night?"

"Okay," Liz hesitated. "First you should know that Lucky came to see me the other day. He thinks I have a thing for him or at least he did. My laughter probably straightened him but he can be pretty clueless."

Emily chuckled. "Like the time he thought Brenda Barrett was flirting with him?"

"Or when he tried to be a songwriter?"

"Photographer!"

"What about when he made that play for his dad's girlfriend? What was her name?"

"Summer," Emily replied. "Dear Lord, she really laid into him and then his dad made fun of him for weeks."

"Months," Elizabeth corrected. "Okay, musketeer movie night is fine with me."

Emily grabbed her phone. "I'll call the boys!"

-gh-

Wyndemere was the traditional locale for the gang and they took up their usual spots before the TV. Lucky was on the floor with the largest cushion, Liz was in the chair with a cashmere throw, and the couple curled up on the couch.

The Japanese import movie was comically bad and they laughed through the whole thing. Elizabeth hadn't realized how much she needed her friends and regretted ignoring them over the last two months. There was still a hole only Jason fit but this was good.

The credits ran and Lucky stood up to stretch. "Ribs or pizza?"

Nik voted for ribs and the girls didn't care so Lucky made a run to the mainland. While he was gone, the girls made brownies. Nik stood in the kitchen door, debating whether or not to call them out on their secret. Whatever was going on with Liz, he was certain Em was now in on it too. The last time they kept something big from him he ended up at a rave looking for a drug dealer. Jason had threatened to lock them both away for their own good but he handled it. Nik could only imagine how bad this might get before they asked for help.

Emily shot a few worried glances at her boyfriend. The gig was up and it was time Elizabeth told him. "Elizabeth."

Liz looked at them both and thought things over. She nodded to Emily and took Nik by the hand back to the den. "This goes no further, okay? I need your promise or I'm not telling you anything. Emily won't either."

Nikolas studied her before answering. "All right. I won't tell."

"I mean it, Nikolas. Your mouth stays shut no matter what."

"Okay, I promise." He thought he knew all about anger and disgust. He was a Cassadine and his life had often been nightmarish. The more Elizabeth talked, the more he understood. His nightmares had been child's play.

-gh-

Lucky returned to find his friends subdued. "Okay, so I'm the odd one out now?"

Em grinned. "You said it."

Elizabeth bit her lip. Lucky was a loose cannon and wouldn't need any vodka at all to spill everything. He would tell Sarah, who would run to Gram. "That Spencer paranoia is going to give you an ulcer. Hand over the ribs and help Nik pick the next movie."

Lucky wasn't buying it but gave in. He was beginning to think he was better off in the dark. That rave thing had gotten out of hand fast and Sarah still hadn't completely forgiven him.