Chapter 4
Jason was quiet in the car on the way over to Sonny's. Michelle kept glancing at him, but he didn't notice. He couldn't stop thinking about the look he'd exchanged with Elizabeth. She looked as beautiful as ever, but there were shadows in her eyes - an underlying sadness that had shaken him. After all this time, she could still get to him - still make him want things that he knew he shouldn't.
"Jason." Michelle spoke quietly. "Cheri, are you all right?"
Her voice penetrated Jason's distracted state, causing him to look her way. The concern he saw in her face made him guiltily aware that her feelings for him were stronger than his were for her. Jason knew better than anyone how deeply it hurt not to have your love returned.
"I'm sorry, Michelle. I know that I'm not very good company right now." He knew that they were going to have to talk, but they didn't have time right now to get into it.
"Does it have anything to do with the pretty, young woman in green? The one you noticed at the restaurant?" Again, she spoke softly, as if unsure of his reaction.
Jason winced, as he wondered if anyone else had noticed his shared look with Elizabeth.
As if reading his mind, Michelle said, "No. I do not think anyone else noticed the two of you staring at each other. She's the one, isn't she, Jason. The girl who hurt you and sent you running to Paris in the first place."
"How..." Jason started, but she cut him off.
"I KNOW you, Jason. We spoke many times about Robin, which was understandable since she introduced us, but whenever we talked about your reasons for coming to Paris, a wall would go up between us. I knew that there was more to it than just business, and I think that what happened tonight explained it for me." She looked at him steadily, but sadly.
"Michelle," Jason began, just as the car stopped in front of Sonny's building. "We do need to talk about this, but we're here now. Sonny wants to go over some things with me tonight, but we will talk soon. " He squeezed her hand, as he helped her out of the car. He did care for her and he didn't want to hurt her in any way. He had a lot of thinking to do.
Michelle leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I understand. We will work it out, Jason. For now, I want to go and meet your friends." She knew, as he led her into the building, that Jason's feelings for her were not as deep as hers were for him, but she vowed to herself that she wouldn't give him up without a fight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth's conversation with Lucky was not going very well. He just couldn't seem to understand what she was trying to tell him.
"What are you talking about, Elizabeth? Of course we still love each other. We BELONG together - forever." Lucky paused, looking at her strangely. "Does this have anything to do with Jason?"
She sighed. "No, Lucky. This is about us. We've both changed and, no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves otherwise, it just isn't possible to go back to what we were. We've certainly tried, but it just isn't working." She hesitated, waiting for a reaction. When it didn't come, she continued, "I need to be by myself for a while, and figure out who I am at this point in my life." Her words reminded her of Jason, who had always believed that she could figure out her own life. She forced her attention back to Lucky. "I'm sorry if this hurts you, but, if you take some time to think about it, you'll realize that I'm right."
"I'll respect your decision, Elizabeth, but I'll never accept that we don't belong together. I'll always love you." Lucky was visibly upset, and she felt badly for hurting him.
"I'll always care about you, Lucky, but I don't think we're 'in love' anymore. We need some time apart to sort things out. I am sorry." Elizabeth got out of the car and hurried up to her studio.
As she closed the door behind her, she realized that this was her sanctuary, her refuge against a harsh world. She breathed deeply and felt a sense of peace settle over her. In trying to spare his feelings, she had waited too long to tell Lucky how she really felt. All she had done was delay the pain. Hopefully, when he thought about it, he would see that she had done the right thing.
Elizabeth walked to the sofa, sat down, put her head back, and let memories wash over her. Jason injured, lying on her sofa, eating soup, teasing her about her singing, decorating the Christmas tree, Jason hiding here, listening to her, giving her the Italian red glass - feeling happy with him. She remembered how sad she had felt when it was time for him to leave the studio, and then, how much worse the sense of loss had been when he had left town.
Elizabeth was crying now, as she let feelings she had long suppressed overcome her. She remembered something Jason had said to her, here in the studio, the last time he was home. He had said that leaving didn't change how you felt about a person, that sometimes it made the feelings even clearer.
After seeing him again, she finally understood what he meant. Only, now it was too late. Jason had moved on, and she had no one to blame but herself.
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Jason was quiet in the car on the way over to Sonny's. Michelle kept glancing at him, but he didn't notice. He couldn't stop thinking about the look he'd exchanged with Elizabeth. She looked as beautiful as ever, but there were shadows in her eyes - an underlying sadness that had shaken him. After all this time, she could still get to him - still make him want things that he knew he shouldn't.
"Jason." Michelle spoke quietly. "Cheri, are you all right?"
Her voice penetrated Jason's distracted state, causing him to look her way. The concern he saw in her face made him guiltily aware that her feelings for him were stronger than his were for her. Jason knew better than anyone how deeply it hurt not to have your love returned.
"I'm sorry, Michelle. I know that I'm not very good company right now." He knew that they were going to have to talk, but they didn't have time right now to get into it.
"Does it have anything to do with the pretty, young woman in green? The one you noticed at the restaurant?" Again, she spoke softly, as if unsure of his reaction.
Jason winced, as he wondered if anyone else had noticed his shared look with Elizabeth.
As if reading his mind, Michelle said, "No. I do not think anyone else noticed the two of you staring at each other. She's the one, isn't she, Jason. The girl who hurt you and sent you running to Paris in the first place."
"How..." Jason started, but she cut him off.
"I KNOW you, Jason. We spoke many times about Robin, which was understandable since she introduced us, but whenever we talked about your reasons for coming to Paris, a wall would go up between us. I knew that there was more to it than just business, and I think that what happened tonight explained it for me." She looked at him steadily, but sadly.
"Michelle," Jason began, just as the car stopped in front of Sonny's building. "We do need to talk about this, but we're here now. Sonny wants to go over some things with me tonight, but we will talk soon. " He squeezed her hand, as he helped her out of the car. He did care for her and he didn't want to hurt her in any way. He had a lot of thinking to do.
Michelle leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I understand. We will work it out, Jason. For now, I want to go and meet your friends." She knew, as he led her into the building, that Jason's feelings for her were not as deep as hers were for him, but she vowed to herself that she wouldn't give him up without a fight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth's conversation with Lucky was not going very well. He just couldn't seem to understand what she was trying to tell him.
"What are you talking about, Elizabeth? Of course we still love each other. We BELONG together - forever." Lucky paused, looking at her strangely. "Does this have anything to do with Jason?"
She sighed. "No, Lucky. This is about us. We've both changed and, no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves otherwise, it just isn't possible to go back to what we were. We've certainly tried, but it just isn't working." She hesitated, waiting for a reaction. When it didn't come, she continued, "I need to be by myself for a while, and figure out who I am at this point in my life." Her words reminded her of Jason, who had always believed that she could figure out her own life. She forced her attention back to Lucky. "I'm sorry if this hurts you, but, if you take some time to think about it, you'll realize that I'm right."
"I'll respect your decision, Elizabeth, but I'll never accept that we don't belong together. I'll always love you." Lucky was visibly upset, and she felt badly for hurting him.
"I'll always care about you, Lucky, but I don't think we're 'in love' anymore. We need some time apart to sort things out. I am sorry." Elizabeth got out of the car and hurried up to her studio.
As she closed the door behind her, she realized that this was her sanctuary, her refuge against a harsh world. She breathed deeply and felt a sense of peace settle over her. In trying to spare his feelings, she had waited too long to tell Lucky how she really felt. All she had done was delay the pain. Hopefully, when he thought about it, he would see that she had done the right thing.
Elizabeth walked to the sofa, sat down, put her head back, and let memories wash over her. Jason injured, lying on her sofa, eating soup, teasing her about her singing, decorating the Christmas tree, Jason hiding here, listening to her, giving her the Italian red glass - feeling happy with him. She remembered how sad she had felt when it was time for him to leave the studio, and then, how much worse the sense of loss had been when he had left town.
Elizabeth was crying now, as she let feelings she had long suppressed overcome her. She remembered something Jason had said to her, here in the studio, the last time he was home. He had said that leaving didn't change how you felt about a person, that sometimes it made the feelings even clearer.
After seeing him again, she finally understood what he meant. Only, now it was too late. Jason had moved on, and she had no one to blame but herself.
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