Chapter Three

Liz was having a terrible day. First her alarm didn't go off and she was nearly late for her class. Her day then went from bad to worse when Carly showed up at Kelly's and started running her mouth about Jason. What was wrong with her? She acted like she owned him or something. The worst part for Liz was getting into a fight with Lucky. She couldn't get over what he wanted her to do! Why would he even suggest that she be with Nikolas? He acted like his suggestion was the most natural thing in the world. Like she should be grateful for his permission! The thought just made her sick. Liz knew she could never see Nikolas that way. It had been so awkward between them last year after he had kissed her. They were just getting back to being friends. At least he wasn't encouraging Lucky in any way.

She was so frustrated by the time she took her break that when she heard a bike she ran out the back, hoping it was Jason. When she saw that it was, her day instantly got better. Elizabeth knew Jason was the one person who would just listen to her. She knew he wouldn't judge her or tell her how to feel. Jason would do what it seemed only he could. He would truly listen to her. It didn't seem like much…but to her, especially now, it was everything. "Hey, I heard a bike I was hoping it was you."

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"It seems like everything."

"I don't understand."

"Ask me what I hate more than anything in this world."

"Ok. What do you hate more than anything in this world?" Jason asked confused. He had no idea where this conversation was going.

"When Lucky tells me to be with Nikolas."

"That happen tonight?" Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing. What was Lucky thinking?

"Yeah. For the ten thousandth time."

"Why would he say it?"

Liz tried to explain how Lucky came into Kelly's trying to get her to listen. She told Jason that when she looked in Lucky's eyes she could see that he loved her. So she finally listened to him. "Guess what he says?"

"Be with Nikolas?"

She nodded her head slightly, "Why do I keep falling for this? Why do I keep just diving right in? And why won't Lucky stop hurting me?"

Jason could hear the defeat in her voice. It hurt him to know that she in pain. After a moment's thought he spoke. "Why would Lucky want you to be with Nikolas?"

"Who knows? Ever since Lucky got back he just decided that I should be in love with Nikolas and that we should just be friends. It's driving my crazy! It's like his brain is stuck there. And… and then he… he starts acting like he loves me again and then the whole thing starts all over again."

Jason didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure anything he had to say would help. So he did the only thing he could think of. "You… you wanna ride?"

"I thought you were never going to ask." she said before heading over to his bike and grabbing the helmet he always kept there for her. Jason started his bike and when he felt her arms around him he took off.

Jason drove out of town toward the cliff roads. He always loved that she got excited when he went fast. The first time he took her out he worried she'd be scared but she hadn't been not even for a moment. She seemed to enjoy it as much as he did. Maybe more. Jason was trying to figure where to take her. He wanted it to be someplace quiet where they could talk. Someplace she could think. Just then he saw a road he knew well. It led to a bridge that extended across the gorge. He knew few people were aware of its existence. They would probably be alone. He hadn't been there in a long time, not since he had said good bye to Robin. He hesitated for a moment, not sure how it would feel to bring Elizabeth there. As he turned down the road he realized it was just a place to him now. All the feeling and memories associated with Robin were gone. He stopped the bike near the bridge. As he leaned against the rail he began to tell Elizabeth about the bridge and how he found it. That led, of course, to them talking about Robin. It was something they hadn't done very often. "Emily told me you loved Robin more than your life and when it was over you just let go. How'd you do it? Can you teach me? Because Lucky doesn't want me to love him anymore. But I don't know how to stop. When did you stop hurting over Robin, how long did it take?"

"I wasn't really keeping track." he told her honestly. "I had so many other things to think about. When Robin was gone that helped."

"I see Lucky almost everyday. And he says he wants to be my friend so I put on that fake, perfect friend smile and tell him everything's fine with me. I can't show how I really feel cause somebody will tell me not to give up hope. That I'm right for loving Lucky. That he just needs more time. Time won't fix it. He doesn't love me. I just have to move on and accept it."

He didn't want to spend the night talking about Lucky. Especially not when the boy was clearly causing her pain. But if this was the only way he could help, he was just going to have to suffer through it. [i"Yeah but you say it like you did something wrong. I mean you love Lucky. It's not your fault that... that he changed his mind."

"Yeah but why did he Jason? I mean that's the thing. You know why you and Robin broke up. You had a reason why your feelings changed. I mean if Lucky has a reason for not loving me he won't say it. If he'd just give me some sort of an explanation, maybe I could do what he wants and let go."

"What does he say to you besides he doesn't love you?"

"To be with Nikolas. To be happy. Don't ask me how he's convinced himself that Nikolas could make me happy."

"He shouldn't be jerking you around." Jason told her. He was sick of listening to her blame herself for something she had no control over.

"Well he does." She admitted. v"And I keep letting him that's the part I should be able to change. And I don't know why I can't."

"Maybe… maybe you're scared what will happen if you don't love Lucky." Jason said hesitantly. Elizabeth gave him a confused look before he continued. "You see I didn't... I didn't know who I was if I didn't love Robin. I thought there would be this emptiness inside me forever. I was wrong. It hurt. It hurt worse than anything for awhile. It fades and you remember there are other things to live for. Other people. You remember there's stuff you do, things you want to feel. Eventually, you just realize the pain is gone. At least that's... that's how it happened for me." It hurt a little to talk about Robin like this. But if it helped her even for a moment it was worth it. He studied her profile for a moment before asking "What do you like?"

"I don't understand." She said curious as to what he meant.

"Painting? Ice cream? Going fast?"

"Going fast."

"Why? Why fast?"

"I don't know it makes me laugh. And I feel alive. It makes my heart pound."

"Yeah. I used to fight."

"With who?" Elizabeth asked, Shocked at the thought.

"Oh, anyone...I don't know."

Elizabeth began to laugh at his admission. It sounded so good to Jason. "You don't strike me as the fight picking type."

"You know, I'm not really but there must be something about me that irritates people. Or they just knew it was what I wanted. Because I'd go to Jake's and I wouldn't even be paying attention then some guy would insult one of the waitresses and I'd try to stop him and then all hell would break loose."

Jason wasn't totally sure how she'd react but he never expected what she said to him. "So, you wanna go to Jake's and pick a fight?"

She was still leaning against the railing giggling at her idea. Jason gently turned her so she was facing him. Then he just as gently pushed her shoulder. Seeing caught her off guard he asked, "You ever been in a bar fight?"

"Well… um… I guess the first night that we met. Remember you got that creep away from me. And I wasn't very grateful."

"So you wanna go dance with some jerk you don't know?"

"No. No… I um... I assumed you'd go pick the fight and I'd just be your back up."

"Really?" He asked pushing shoulder slightly harder this time. "See first I need to know you can handle yourself."

"Oh."

"How hard can you hit?"

For some reason this made Elizabeth laugh again. "I don't know I don't go around hitting people everyday. This whole bar fighting thing is gonna kind of be new for me."

Jason held his hands up for her to hit. [i"Alright, come on try it."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Go on." He encouraged. He knew she was reluctant to so. She punched him softly. "Awe. You can do better than that."

"Well I don't want to hurt you."

"See, if you can't hurt me it's not a good idea we go bar fighting at Jake's. So you need to show me you can defend yourself." So Elizabeth hit him again harder this time. Jason began to give her instructions. After several more punches he grabbed by the arm. Pulling her towards him. He did it to teach her something about fighting. But he also just wanted to feel her next to him. She was laughing again by the time he spoke "See? You've gotta move. Otherwise you're too easy to catch."

"Okay. Okay I'll keep moving."

"So do you want to rest? Or do you want to try it again?"

"What do you think?"

They kept at it for awhile. Elizabeth was a quick learner. She was no where near ready for fighting at Jake's but Jason was surprised at how well she did. "So, how does it feel?" He asked sensing she needed a break.

"Like my arms are about to fall off."

"Yeah. Fighting is different. So, you ready to go to Jake's?" He asked motioning towards his bike.