Sorry for my absence, but things here are a little...hairy and hectic and chaotic. My posting schedule will have to be adjusted for awhile, Sadly, dad's having issues with the new feeding tube they replaced yesterday and needs a lot more one on one care, plus extended family issues... I'll post as I am able, but won't promise to anything right now. Hope everyone understands. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter and will let me know what you think. It is fairly short but I didn't have a lot of time.

Chapter Nine

The entire drive home, she berated herself. How stupid could she have been? She once again had sex with Jason Quartermaine, well, at least this time she knew his full name. But the Pièce de résistance…she'd told him she loved him!

It was sad when she couldn't even find her biggest mistake was in sleeping with a man she barely knew, but telling said man that she loved him. 'I'm sure there is a ring of hell designated completely for idiot people and moves like me.' She thought to herself.

It wasn't like she had meant to do any of those things. She had simply wanted to let loose, to feel as free…well, almost as free as she had the night she met him, but, seeing those leeches practically hanging off of him…

As she pulled into her driveway and parked the car, she gave herself a cursory glance and looked in horror at the fact that her wig, which she had painstakingly secured, had come slightly loose and a tendril of her chestnut locks had escaped.

"Well…that doesn't bode well." She said to the empty space.

When she reached back with her right arm, to grab her purse off the backseat, she nearly screamed. The pain was excruciating. If she didn't know better, she'd swear she dislocated her shoulder and possibly cracked her breastbone.

Unlocking the door and stepping into the deep shadows, Elizabeth whispered, "Please be bruised." She couldn't afford to be out of commission.

Without bothering to turn on any lights, she made a walk of shame to her bedroom and then on to her ensuite.

Normal people would turn on a light, but her shame and guilt were too much and the last thing she wanted to do was see herself, the moon's silvery glow would have to be enough.

Unsure how long she soaked, but sure her shoulder wasn't hurting quite as much, she quickly dried off, being extra careful of her shoulder. She had just slipped on her pajamas, when she heard her cell phone ring.

Cursing that she left the blasted contraption in her purse, she dashed down the stairs and almost did a re-enactment of her fall in the motel room.

"Yes?" Elizabeth breathed out harshly.

"Umm…hello…"

"Jason?! What do you want?"

She heard him clear his throat and wondered how he had gotten her phone number and the big one, why the hell he was calling her. Her traitorous inner voice chose that moment to speak up. 'He knows, he's going to take everything you love and you'll be left with nothing.'

With great effort she ignored the voice, NOW was not the time to be panicking.

"I…Sorry to bother you, but grandmother said I should get to know you, you know since you are around often, as well as your son and since my plans for the evening fell through, I was wondering if I could stop by and talk to you."

Deciding she'd been in the dark long enough, she flicked on a light and made her way towards the envelope that was left earlier.

"I don't know if that is a good idea tonight. I'm awfully tired."

When only silence greeted her, she ripped open the envelope, figuring now was as good a time as any.

Her previous thoughts about not panicking came back with a vengeance.

My Sweetest Elizabeth,

I've missed you greatly. Our time together…was all too brief.

I think it is time we meet again.

Until then, remember me with fondness.

Always yours,

Lucky

She had no sooner finished reading the letter, than her mind cast her back to the bar and fixated on what one of the tramps had said. Something about Spencer and low standards, but was it Sr. or Jr.? That's what she needed to know, and if it was Jr. why wasn't she told when he was released?

Her gasp of breath must have been heard because she heard Jason nearly shouting into her ear.

"What?"

"Elizabeth, are you alright?"

"Yes, sorry. I forgot to turn the light on leading to the kitchen and tripped and hit my shoulder."

"Why didn't I hear anything bang?"

Well, that was a good question but she wasn't on the witness stand, in this instance, she didn't have anything to admit.

"Listen Jason, it was nice talking to you, but I am exhausted and I need to pick my son up early. I haven't slept in 36 hours, so…goodnight."

"Sweet dreams."

She heard it, but didn't understand it. So she simply ended the call and shoved her phone back in her purse.

Grabbing three Tylenol, Elizabeth swallowed them quickly and then made her way back upstairs.

She was terrified and in pain, which only added to the other mixture of feelings she was experiencing, altogether, it was a volatile concoction and left her feeling worse than the day she went into labor on the street and was ignored.

Hopefully tomorrow she'd have a clearer head, her conscience was screwed so there was no hope there but tomorrow, she could try to find out answers to her biggest concern, Lucky Spencer and whether or not he was out.

XxXxX

Jason realized he had been standing naked in the doorway of the bathroom for so long, his body had Goosebumps everywhere. Luck was the only thing he could say was on his side, since the main door was open and at any minute one of the crazies could find him and see him naked.

With that thought, his dick turned chicken – which he couldn't blame it – and tried to burrow back inside his body.

Quickly he shut the door but didn't bother to dress. His mind was going over every moment since he saw 'HER' again and something wasn't adding up.

The professing of love was…shocking but he found it wasn't horrifying. Her adamant refusal to answer questions was…baffling. However, the one thing he kept coming back to was the one tendril of dark hair.

His mind was a mass of sticking gears, each thought arising new questions. He'd no sooner deem one thought pointless than another would take its place. He might have been stuck in that for hours if his phone hadn't rung.

"Hello?"

"Jason, did you take my advice and meet up with Elizabeth?"

"Grandmother? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I'm old Jason, not dead!"

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "No, I haven't. I suppose if you have her number…"

"Wonderful, you are a good boy Jason."

He listened as she rattled off the number, committing it to memory before he said his goodnight.

'What is so special about this woman?' His mind asked, but sadly didn't have any answers either.

Sexually sated, yet completely frustrated as well, Jason dialed her number.

"Yes!"

Well that wasn't the greeting he was expecting.

For maybe the first time in his life, he was in new waters. Unsure of himself and the real reasons he bothered to phone.

"Umm…hello…"

"Jason?! What do you want?"

Wasn't that the question, more importantly, did he want anything?

Clearing his throat to buy a moment or two to think of something to say, he finally said, "I…Sorry to bother you, but grandmother said I should get to know you, you know since you are around often, as well as your son and since my plans for the evening fell through, I was wondering if I could stop by and talk to you."

"I don't know if that is a good idea tonight. I'm awfully tired."

Her response seemed odd, yes, she did sound tired but he'd swear it was something more. If he didn't know any better, he'd think her 'I'm tired' was a direct slur against him. As if being in his presence was unsavory.

Hearing a quick intake of breath, followed by a gasp, had him oddly concerned, he shouted her name a few times, but didn't get a response. He had already hastily thrown his clothes on and was reaching for the doorknob, when he heard her speak.

"What?"

"Elizabeth, are you alright?"

"Yes, sorry. I forgot to turn the light on leading to the kitchen and tripped and hit my shoulder."

That may be true, but his spidey senses were screaming bullshit.

"Why didn't I hear anything bang?"

"Listen Jason, it was nice talking to you, but I am exhausted and I need to pick my son up early. I haven't slept in 36 hours, so…goodnight."

If ever there was a deflection. He couldn't explain it, but there was something about this woman that both fascinated him and annoyed him.

"Sweet dreams." He all but whispered before he heard the telltale sound of the call being disconnected. "Carressa"

Great, not one but two women in my life are driving me to the brink of madness and then he realized he'd said Carressa and not Elizabeth…what was his mind doing to him. Was he going to be forever haunted by amazing blue eyes and blonde hair? Was he doomed to seek a woman who continually ran away from him? This was new territory and he didn't have a clue how to deal with it.

Two women, a fountain of secrets, he was sure of it. Wrong or right, he intended to find them all out.

XxXxX