A/N – Glad you're enjoying the story!

Chapter 14

Liz stared Patrick down. "You didn't know I was here?"

His eyes raked up and down her body. "No."

"So, what's her name?"

"Who?"

"The person you are involved with now that you didn't cheat on me with."

His gaze dropped to the floor as her sarcastic slashed his heart. "I haven't slept with anyone since you left. I kept hoping you'd come back."

She is totally taken aback. "That has got to be some kind of record for you."

He smirked. "Very funny, but now that you're here, there is something I need to ask you." Slowly, he lowered down to one knee.

"Are you proposing?" She asked before smacking her hand across her mouth, knowing she was loud.

In the hallway, on the way to Zander's room, Jason closed his eyes, wondering if after he finally found someone he could see a future with, if he'll have to watch her walk away. It was too much. It had been a very long time since he had let someone in and frankly, it took being attracted to Elizabeth to make him realize that he was lonely and needs to make some serious changes.

"Whatever you are thinking, stop."

His gaze went to Epiphany who looks very serious.

"She won't say yes." She pulled him past the room.

"How do you know that?"

"Because he hurt her and—Elizabeth is tired of not being able to trust men. Even if Patrick didn't cheat, he's a flirt and women always came on to him and he encouraged it. He's like an overgrown child. She wants someone who respects her and that she feels safe with. You might be handsome, and I'm sure that girls come on to you all the time, but I can't ever see you being that arrogant, especially if you know it will hurt her."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Seeing Patrick threw her off guard, but trust me, that fire in her eyes was not passion by any means. It was anger."

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In the room, Patrick grabbed Liz's hand.

"Take the ring back and marry me."

"You have the ring with you?"

"No. It's at home. Please Elizabeth, I'll change my ways—"

She shook her head quickly like she was trying to wake up from a bad dream. "No."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I said no. Does your over-inflated brain not comprehend that? I can't be with you and if you would be honest with yourself, you'd realize I'm not the right girl for you."

"How can you say that? I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She rolled her eyes. "I think you thought you could get over on poor, dumb, Elizabeth. Were you just going to cheat on me here and there, thinking that I'd forgive you? I'm not a doormat."

He stood in a huff. "I didn't cheat!"

"In my book, having eye sex with someone who is not your fiancé and undressing another woman with your eyes is cheating! Besides, I don't believe you and I don't have time for this. Get back into the room and help Zander. He has lost his roommate and God knows who else. Can you focus on something other than a woman for once in your pathetic life?"

Now, he is pissed. "Don't ever insinuate that I am not professional. You're the one yelling in a hospital sick ward. Wait. You're deflecting. Are you dating someone?"

"My personal life is none of your business."

"I'll take that as a yes." He turned on his heel and walked out of the room and Elizabeth took a minute to compose herself before going to Zander's room.

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Patrick finished examining Zander as Jason observed with cold eyes. He swore if looks could kill, he'd be six feet under. He isn't sure what the other man's problem is, but it's starting to unnerve him. After taking the breathing tube out, Zander is awake, staring at him. "You got lucky. You have a moderate concussion and will be in a lot of pain for quite a while, but there is no hemorrhaging and your body is responding favorably to the surgery. You're not going to be able to take deep breaths for a while, but by doing certain exercises, that will get better for you."

Liz slowly entered the room, surprised to see Jason.

"I guess I'm stuck in here for a while?"

Patrick nodded. "For at least a week, so we can monitor you."

"Will I be able to get some things from my apartment?" His chest hurts and it is painful to talk or inhale deeply.

Jason moved forward. "Hi. Do you remember me?"

"Yeah. You saved me."

"I'm sorry, but the building ended up collapsing completely."

Zander groaned.

"Son, things can be replaced, but we almost lost you. I'm just thankful that Jason and his colleagues risked their lives to bring you back to me," Cameron said.

"Thank you, Jason."

Zander is exhausted, so everyone steps into the hallway.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Liz said to Jason.

"I wanted to check on him."

"Me too…"

After observing them for a minute, and the way she is staring at Jason, Patrick can tell there are deep feelings there. "He's the one, isn't he?"

Liz turned to face him. "Yes."

"This isn't over."

"Yes, it is."

They stare for a long moment before Patrick walks away.

Jason shifts from side to side. "You turned him down?"

She gasped. "You heard us?"

"You were pretty loud."

She groans. "I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be. You weren't expecting him, but Elizabeth, he meant something to you. Suppose he didn't cheat, does that really not make a difference to you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Patrick isn't my future anymore. I admit that it took me awhile to get over the idea of him and what I thought we had, but even before you, I was letting him go. Sometimes the idea is bigger than the reality, but what I feel with you is freedom and is so natural. I don't have to worry about you judging me or censoring myself. We have a comfort level between us that amazes me since we haven't been together for that long. God Jason…it would hurt me badly to lose you."

"Elizabeth…"

"Yeah?"

He grinned. "You're rambling."

She blushed and then playfully shoved him.

"Thank you for everything you said. I feel the same way, but I just don't always know how to say it."

She reached out and touched his face. "So can we forget about Patrick?"

"Okay."

He tugged her against him and gave her a blistering kiss. Everything faded away as they melted into each other. And at the end of the hallway, Patrick sags against the wall when he realizes that she truly has moved on, but he's not quite ready to give up because no matter what Liz said, they loved each other. After blowing out a deep breath, he pushed away from it and continued on, thinking about how he can get her back.

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When Jason finally made it home later that night, he is surprised to find Elizabeth nodding off on his couch wearing what appears to be a sexy dress.

"Elizabeth?"

She jumped up. "You're back."

"Sorry, they needed some extra men. Are you okay?" After the smoldering kiss at the hospital, they had to part and he had worked on and off for the rest of the day.

"Yes."

He dropped a bag on the floor and sat next to her. "I'm glad you're here."

"There's something I want to say."

He pauses for a moment to search her eyes, hoping that there isn't anything wrong.

Sensing that he had tensed, she grabs his hand. "It's nothing bad."

"Okay."

"I don't want to wait."

"For what?"

"To be with you…"

His eyes squeeze shut as he silently thanks God. "Are you sure? I mean—is this about Patrick?"

"What? No! I just don't want to waste another minute. We almost died and I'm crazy about you. Don't you want to—you know?"

He cleared his throat, garnering his courage to be forthcoming and voice how he feels. "Yes—more than anything, but I just want you to know that it isn't just about sex for me. You just came out of nowhere and I'm falling in love with you."

Her jaw slightly drops and she's left to wonder how she ever got so lucky and then his mouth fuses with hers and she doesn't want to think about anything—just feel. Their bodies are pressed together as they wantonly kiss. Then his lips leave her and skim down her neck as his hands cup her breasts, squeezing before he tweaks her nipples.

"Jason!" she yells as her body eagerly responds to his machinations and then she feels her dress slip open and his hands are on her sides and she's being lifted and she wraps her legs around his hips as they buck against her center, making her see stars. They moan and then he pulls back.

"I want you so badly."

"Then take me…"

He growls and his mouth is on hers again as he carries her to the bedroom, where he presses her against the door and removes her dress. "Jesus." She has garters on and he feels himself getting ten times harder and she feels it too, snapping her hips forward. "You're trying to kill me." He jerks her body against his and then stumbles in the dark room and turns on a lamp before laying on her on the bed. Slowly, he removes his clothes until he's down to his boxers, his erection jutting out proudly in front him. Her teeth trap her bottom lip as she realizes how enormous he is and wonders if it will hurt. In two strides, he's on her and they struggle for control which Jason wins as he unhooks her bra and tosses it aside before feasting on her breasts. When he reached the final destination, and sucked on her clit, Elizabeth practically howled as her hips rose, trying to get him closer. "Jason!" she screamed as he sucked hard and then hummed. Her body froze and then pleasure hit her like a train as her vagina seized and she trembled uncontrollably. He puts on a condom and then slowly eases into her as she starts to come back to life and her legs tightened around him. When he was finally buried to the hilt, she couldn't believe how unbelievably good he felt as he held himself still so he wouldn't come. Her hips bucked and he groaned. "Elizabeth, you feel so damn good."

He started to move, slowly at first, letting her get used to his size and then it quickly got out of control as he moves faster as she mewls and most against him. His finger finds her clit, knowing he can't hold on for much longer because it feels so incredible. Her body begins to tremble as she moans his name and he groans as he spurts wildly within her. Vaguely, she heard Jason breathe out her name before falling against her chest. As their spent energy merged, she realizes that she's home and happiness spreads throughout her body.

Feeling the change, he pushes up onto his elbows. "Are you okay?"

"Yes—better than okay."

A sexy smile graces his face. "Me too…"

Feeling him harden again, her eyes grow big.

"Too soon?"

She shakes her head. "No. I think I might just be the luckiest girl on the planet."

Two climaxes later, she knows that she is. Jason Morgan is everything that she will ever need.

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The next morning, Jason's phone raises them from their contented sleep.

"Hello?"

"It's your mom."

"Is everything okay?"

"I just wanted you to know that Zander took a turn for the worse overnight."

"What happened?" He sat up and threw the covers to the side as Elizabeth stirred.

"I'm sorry, Jason, but a bleed started in his brain and it's in a place that would be hard to operate on. They don't think he'll survive through today."

His shoulders sagged. "Is he awake?"

Monica sighed. "He's in a coma."

"Thank you for telling me."

"There's one more thing. Cook didn't make it. The police said that it looks like he lost control of his car and crashed into a tree." She had gone to Mercy to check and see if the man had been admitted and ended up finding out his fate.

Jason sighed. "How is Lila?"

"She's very upset, but I finally convinced her to lie down."

"Good." Cook was a part of the family and will be greatly missed. "Give her my love."

"I will. I'll talk to you later."

Elizabeth pushed herself up. "What happened?"

"Cook died and Zander isn't going to make it."

"What!"

"He has an inoperable brain bleed and is in a coma."

She moved to his side and snaked her arm around his torso. "I'm so sorry."

"All of it was for nothing!" He got up, wanting to punch something.

"That's not true. His father got to talk to him and I know that he'll probably cherish that forever."

The palm of his hand struck the wall. Death—it is the part of his job that he hates the most. You go all out and do whatever you can to save someone and then in the end, it doesn't matter because they are taken anyway. It never gets easier, but this time, considering the circumstances, it just made it hurt more. After all Zander had survived and all the pain he had experienced, he isn't going to get to have a life and be happy. Anger surged through him and Elizabeth wasn't sure what to do. She had never seen him so raw and it scared her.

Hastily, he threw on some clothes and boots and then moved towards the door. "I have to get out of here."

She scrambled out of the bed in his t-shirt which she had put on in the middle of the night and walked in front of him. Once she held his pained-filled gaze, she put her hand against his chest.

"Promise me that you'll come back to me."

He swallowed hard and then started at the floor. "I can never promise that, but I'll always try."

Tears pricked her eyes as she loathed that he is hurting so much. "Okay."

He quickly moved around her and then grabbed his keys and hopped on his motorcycle and took off, leaving Elizabeth standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face.

She shut the door and leaned against it and then ran to the kitchen counter when she heard her phone ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, Johnny was looking for Jason. Are you with him?" Sarah said.

Liz sniffed. "He just left."

"What's wrong? Did you get in a fight?"

"He just found out that Zander isn't going to make it."

Sarah solemnly looked at Johnny and told him. He punched the bed and then ripped the covers off and started to pace.

"Give me the phone," he said.

She handed it over.

"Elizabeth?"

She burst into tears. "He's so upset, Johnny. I'm so scared for him. He took the bike."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"I'll find him. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine. I just didn't know what to do for him."

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "When something bad happens, we tend to shut ourselves off. It's a coping mechanism and we do what we have to in order to move on. He just needs some time to process it. I know you want to make it better for him, but you can't. He just needs to work through it."

"Okay. I'm sorry that is ended this way."

"Me too."

Johnny sighed and started getting dressed. "I need to go find him."

"Okay."

"People think that Jason doesn't feel, but they're wrong. In fact, sometimes, I think he feels more because he takes things so hard. Right now, he's probably thinking he should have moved faster or that he didn't do enough. Going into a tailspin is the last thing that he needs now."

She embraced him. "I understand. Go do what you need to do."

"If you need anything, call me." He doesn't like that he has to leave her when she had been hurt.

Reading the concern in his eyes, she kissed him languidly.

"I'm fine. I'm just sore. Gram is right downstairs."

"Okay. I'll be back soon."

He took off and Sarah wondered where her sister's head was at.

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Jason took the curves of the road at breakneck speeds as he zoomed towards nowhere. The colors of the scenery blurred as he pushed the bike to its limit, only slowing when he absolutely had too. Even though his mind is jumble of fractured thoughts, the feel of the wind and the freedom it brought, is slowly repairing his tattered soul. By the time he pulls onto the road to nowhere, his focus has started to return and he feels like he can breathe a little better again.