Chapter 3
Elizabeth was still reeling from seeing Jason again. She had thought about him a lot during the time he'd been gone, even though she had tried not to. When she had rejected his offer, and chosen to stay with Lucky, she had convinced herself that their love was forever. She had refused to believe that her feelings for Lucky could change, or that he could be dangerous. It wasn't until he had almost hurt her, that she could admit that Jason had been right. He had been right about a lot of things but, by the time she realized it, Jason had left Port Charles, and she had passed up her chance to be free with him.
Even knowing that choosing Lucky meant losing Jason, Elizabeth had still been shocked at the sense of loss she felt when Emily told her that he was gone. She knew that Emily blamed her for Jason's leaving and she couldn't really blame her. Emily had also told her that Sonny was looking out for them, at Jason's request. It had touched her to know that, even though she had hurt him, he still cared for her safety and her happiness.
She was glad that she'd been able to support Lucky through his deprogramming, and that he was free of Helena's influence, but things weren't the same between them. Elizabeth had finally found the courage to admit to herself that they had both changed during the year they'd been apart, and that they couldn't re-create what they'd once shared. Now she just had to find the courage to tell Lucky.
Gia's voice brought her out of her reverie. "Are you all right, Elizabeth? That couldn't have been easy for you." Gia spoke softly, so that Lucky and Nikolas, who were involved in their own conversation, couldn't hear her.
"I'm fine." Elizabeth smiled at her wanly. She appreciated Gia's tact. "It has been a long night, though, and I think I'm ready to go."
Lucky had heard her last comment and responded, "Sure. We can leave now." He turned to get the waiter's attention to ask for the bill. Nik stopped him.
"It's on me," he said. "I invited you guys to join us."
"Thanks, man." Lucky shook his brother's hand. "Let's go, Elizabeth. I'll see you guys tomorrow at Deception."
As she and Lucky stood and started to leave, Elizabeth heard her name being called. She turned to see Chloe motioning for her to come over.
"I'll go get the car, while you talk to Chloe," Lucky offered. "I'll wait outside." He looked at her for a moment, and then walked away.
She approached Ned and Chloe's table, wondering what Chloe wanted.
"Elizabeth, I just wanted to tell you that I looked at your latest designs and they're wonderful! I want to include some of them in my next show," Chloe enthused.
Elizabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had gone to work for Chloe full time after the FOD fiasco was over, but as an assistant, not a designer. This would be the first time one of her designs would actually be shown.
"Are you serious?" she asked, afraid to get her hopes up. As Chloe nodded her head, Elizabeth went on excitedly, "Oh Chloe, I'd be thrilled to have some of my designs shown with yours! Are you sure they're good enough?"
"Of course! They're terrific. You are really maturing as a designer, Elizabeth. We'll talk some more tomorrow. You look tired. Go home and get some rest." Chloe looked at her with concern.
"Thanks, Chloe. You have no idea how much this means to me." She turned to go, but not before they saw the tears in her eyes. "Good night."
As she walked to the car, Elizabeth thought about the changes going on in her life. The changes in her work for Chloe were exciting, while the changes in her relationship with Lucky were upsetting. Getting into the car, she knew she couldn't wait any longer.
"Lucky," she started. "We need to talk."
Elizabeth was still reeling from seeing Jason again. She had thought about him a lot during the time he'd been gone, even though she had tried not to. When she had rejected his offer, and chosen to stay with Lucky, she had convinced herself that their love was forever. She had refused to believe that her feelings for Lucky could change, or that he could be dangerous. It wasn't until he had almost hurt her, that she could admit that Jason had been right. He had been right about a lot of things but, by the time she realized it, Jason had left Port Charles, and she had passed up her chance to be free with him.
Even knowing that choosing Lucky meant losing Jason, Elizabeth had still been shocked at the sense of loss she felt when Emily told her that he was gone. She knew that Emily blamed her for Jason's leaving and she couldn't really blame her. Emily had also told her that Sonny was looking out for them, at Jason's request. It had touched her to know that, even though she had hurt him, he still cared for her safety and her happiness.
She was glad that she'd been able to support Lucky through his deprogramming, and that he was free of Helena's influence, but things weren't the same between them. Elizabeth had finally found the courage to admit to herself that they had both changed during the year they'd been apart, and that they couldn't re-create what they'd once shared. Now she just had to find the courage to tell Lucky.
Gia's voice brought her out of her reverie. "Are you all right, Elizabeth? That couldn't have been easy for you." Gia spoke softly, so that Lucky and Nikolas, who were involved in their own conversation, couldn't hear her.
"I'm fine." Elizabeth smiled at her wanly. She appreciated Gia's tact. "It has been a long night, though, and I think I'm ready to go."
Lucky had heard her last comment and responded, "Sure. We can leave now." He turned to get the waiter's attention to ask for the bill. Nik stopped him.
"It's on me," he said. "I invited you guys to join us."
"Thanks, man." Lucky shook his brother's hand. "Let's go, Elizabeth. I'll see you guys tomorrow at Deception."
As she and Lucky stood and started to leave, Elizabeth heard her name being called. She turned to see Chloe motioning for her to come over.
"I'll go get the car, while you talk to Chloe," Lucky offered. "I'll wait outside." He looked at her for a moment, and then walked away.
She approached Ned and Chloe's table, wondering what Chloe wanted.
"Elizabeth, I just wanted to tell you that I looked at your latest designs and they're wonderful! I want to include some of them in my next show," Chloe enthused.
Elizabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had gone to work for Chloe full time after the FOD fiasco was over, but as an assistant, not a designer. This would be the first time one of her designs would actually be shown.
"Are you serious?" she asked, afraid to get her hopes up. As Chloe nodded her head, Elizabeth went on excitedly, "Oh Chloe, I'd be thrilled to have some of my designs shown with yours! Are you sure they're good enough?"
"Of course! They're terrific. You are really maturing as a designer, Elizabeth. We'll talk some more tomorrow. You look tired. Go home and get some rest." Chloe looked at her with concern.
"Thanks, Chloe. You have no idea how much this means to me." She turned to go, but not before they saw the tears in her eyes. "Good night."
As she walked to the car, Elizabeth thought about the changes going on in her life. The changes in her work for Chloe were exciting, while the changes in her relationship with Lucky were upsetting. Getting into the car, she knew she couldn't wait any longer.
"Lucky," she started. "We need to talk."