Chapter 8
Jason pulled his bike up to the old house site, but made no move to get off. He sat, savoring how good it felt to ride with her again.
Elizabeth finally made the first move and climbed off the bike. She took off her helmet, shook out her hair, and laughed - revelling in her rediscovered sense of freedom.
Jason smiled. It felt so right to be here with her again. He dismounted and walked towards her.
"Do you know how good this feels?" she asked. "I feel so alive right now - like I could do anything."
"And what would you do, if you could?" he asked indulgently.
Elizabeth paused, thinking about it. "I'd paint this feeling I have right at this moment, so that I'd never forget it." She smiled impishly. "And I'd choose to drive your bike again."
Jason laughed. "No, no, no. Not after the last time." Abruptly he sobered, as he remembered how conflicted she was the last time he was home. "How have you been really, Elizabeth?" His eyes searched hers. "Emily told me that you broke up with Lucky. What happened?"
She sighed. "It was a lot of things. Do you know about the brainwashing?" Jason nodded, so she continued. "It was pretty bad for a while, but we finally convinced Lucky to get help. Things improved a little after that, and I tried to convince myself that we could get back what we once shared." She shrugged. "I was wrong."
"I'm sorry," Jason said softly. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek. He looked deeply into her eyes, searching for answers to unspoken questions.
Elizabeth felt a shiver of awareness run through her at his touch. "It's for the best, Jason. When I believed Lucky was dead, I let go and moved on. Then, when he came back, I felt that we should be able to get back what we had. We had changed too much, though, and why it happened didn't alter the fact that it did. You helped me see that." She paused, remembering their times together - the bike rides and the confidences they had shared.
Jason was also remembering. "You helped me, too, Elizabeth. You reminded me what it was to be able to fully trust someone again. You saved my life in more ways than one." His voice became husky with emotion. "Elizabeth," he whispered, drawing closer to her.
She closed her eyes, sighed, and leaned towards him. As their lips met, an explosion of feeling seemed to flood between them, like a dam bursting from a long-suppressed storm. Jason pulled her closer and molded her body to his. He had waited so long to really hold her. She was like a fire in his blood.
Elizabeth felt like she was drowning in new sensations. She had never felt this way before. As a moan escaped her, Jason slackened the kiss and gradually pulled away. They were both breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. This isn't fair to you." His conscience had finally kicked in. "You just broke up with Lucky, and then, there's Michelle." He blew out a loud breath and shoved his hand through his hair. The last few minutes had settled things for him, though. He was still in love with Elizabeth.
'Michelle'. The name echoed in her head like a spectre in her dreams. Elizabeth knew that she was in love with Jason, and that she had been for some time. Unfortunately, he was with someone else now.
"It's all right, Jason. Lucky and I have been apart emotionally for a long time, but I know that you've met someone else. I'm happy for you." She tried to smile, but it wavered under the intensity of his gaze.
"Don't," Jason said forcefully. "Let's always keep it honest between us, Elizabeth." He paused. "Before I left Port Charles, I had fallen in love with you. I knew that you were with Lucky, but I just couldn't keep myself from loving you." Jason's voice grew hoarse with the strength of his feelings. "I can't seem to stop loving you."
Elizabeth's heart stopped beating for a moment upon hearing his confession, and then resumed pounding at a faster rate. Jason stood, with his heart laid bare before her. She felt humbled by the love she saw shining in his eyes.
"Oh, Jason, I've loved you for so long, without even realizing it. I'm sorry that I pushed you away and hurt you. I was afraid of the feelings that I had for you, so I convinced myself that it wasn't really love. When I found out that you were gone, I felt so lost and empty. I missed you so much. It was like a part of my soul was missing - the part that belongs to you." Elizabeth's voice became choked with emotion.
Jason's heart soared, as she spoke the words he had longed to hear. He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her unique scent. He felt like he had finally come home.
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Jason pulled his bike up to the old house site, but made no move to get off. He sat, savoring how good it felt to ride with her again.
Elizabeth finally made the first move and climbed off the bike. She took off her helmet, shook out her hair, and laughed - revelling in her rediscovered sense of freedom.
Jason smiled. It felt so right to be here with her again. He dismounted and walked towards her.
"Do you know how good this feels?" she asked. "I feel so alive right now - like I could do anything."
"And what would you do, if you could?" he asked indulgently.
Elizabeth paused, thinking about it. "I'd paint this feeling I have right at this moment, so that I'd never forget it." She smiled impishly. "And I'd choose to drive your bike again."
Jason laughed. "No, no, no. Not after the last time." Abruptly he sobered, as he remembered how conflicted she was the last time he was home. "How have you been really, Elizabeth?" His eyes searched hers. "Emily told me that you broke up with Lucky. What happened?"
She sighed. "It was a lot of things. Do you know about the brainwashing?" Jason nodded, so she continued. "It was pretty bad for a while, but we finally convinced Lucky to get help. Things improved a little after that, and I tried to convince myself that we could get back what we once shared." She shrugged. "I was wrong."
"I'm sorry," Jason said softly. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek. He looked deeply into her eyes, searching for answers to unspoken questions.
Elizabeth felt a shiver of awareness run through her at his touch. "It's for the best, Jason. When I believed Lucky was dead, I let go and moved on. Then, when he came back, I felt that we should be able to get back what we had. We had changed too much, though, and why it happened didn't alter the fact that it did. You helped me see that." She paused, remembering their times together - the bike rides and the confidences they had shared.
Jason was also remembering. "You helped me, too, Elizabeth. You reminded me what it was to be able to fully trust someone again. You saved my life in more ways than one." His voice became husky with emotion. "Elizabeth," he whispered, drawing closer to her.
She closed her eyes, sighed, and leaned towards him. As their lips met, an explosion of feeling seemed to flood between them, like a dam bursting from a long-suppressed storm. Jason pulled her closer and molded her body to his. He had waited so long to really hold her. She was like a fire in his blood.
Elizabeth felt like she was drowning in new sensations. She had never felt this way before. As a moan escaped her, Jason slackened the kiss and gradually pulled away. They were both breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. This isn't fair to you." His conscience had finally kicked in. "You just broke up with Lucky, and then, there's Michelle." He blew out a loud breath and shoved his hand through his hair. The last few minutes had settled things for him, though. He was still in love with Elizabeth.
'Michelle'. The name echoed in her head like a spectre in her dreams. Elizabeth knew that she was in love with Jason, and that she had been for some time. Unfortunately, he was with someone else now.
"It's all right, Jason. Lucky and I have been apart emotionally for a long time, but I know that you've met someone else. I'm happy for you." She tried to smile, but it wavered under the intensity of his gaze.
"Don't," Jason said forcefully. "Let's always keep it honest between us, Elizabeth." He paused. "Before I left Port Charles, I had fallen in love with you. I knew that you were with Lucky, but I just couldn't keep myself from loving you." Jason's voice grew hoarse with the strength of his feelings. "I can't seem to stop loving you."
Elizabeth's heart stopped beating for a moment upon hearing his confession, and then resumed pounding at a faster rate. Jason stood, with his heart laid bare before her. She felt humbled by the love she saw shining in his eyes.
"Oh, Jason, I've loved you for so long, without even realizing it. I'm sorry that I pushed you away and hurt you. I was afraid of the feelings that I had for you, so I convinced myself that it wasn't really love. When I found out that you were gone, I felt so lost and empty. I missed you so much. It was like a part of my soul was missing - the part that belongs to you." Elizabeth's voice became choked with emotion.
Jason's heart soared, as she spoke the words he had longed to hear. He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her unique scent. He felt like he had finally come home.
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