1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True
2 Chapter Fifteen
He hadn't seen her for a year now. His mind didn't work in pictures, yet her face, her eyes, her smile; all of these images remained etched in his dreams. He would recall them during moments when he was completely alone; maybe sometimes when he was sitting in his simple small hotel room or while he motored across the country roads as fast as he could go. Jason would picture her. He couldn't remember the last time he had ever wanted to recall anything or anyone so much. Now she was standing here. Elizabeth. She had the same beautiful smile and big beautiful brown eyes.
"Um, guys? I'm starving!" Jaime raved. She grabbed hold of Jason's hand and waved to Elizabeth. "Let's go have dinner!"
"Oh…okay!" he smiled. He had forgotten the energy Jaime carried with her all the time. She never seemed to let things get her down, with the exception of her father. And Jason understood why she felt that way. Jason glanced over at Elizabeth, she had slowly began following behind them.
~~
"So!" Jaime smiled, "What do you guys think of the place?" Jaime gestured to the walls and lights that surrounded them.
"It's nice," Jason replied. He didn't go out to restaurants very often. He usually just picked something up at the coffee shop down the street. Sometimes he almost forgot to eat. If Madia, the housekeeper at Sonny's cottage in the country didn't always remind him, sometimes Jason thought he would probably starve.
Elizabeth laughed. Jason hadn't heard that song-like ring since the talk they had in the park, when she had chosen Lucky over Jason, if it had been a choice at all. Jason knew she was committed to Lucky. Maybe it hadn't been wise at all to tell her about his feelings for her, but he was glad he did, even if it did mean losing her. Jason had been withholding the truth of his growing attraction from her, afraid he would scare her. He had been afraid that she would hate him for it. But in the end, she admitted her attraction to him and then chose Lucky.
He had never held anything against Lucky, if anything, he understood where he was coming from; starting a new life he didn't understand and living with something he had no control over. But Jason had learned to live with it and he knew Lucky would too. What he couldn't understand was why Elizabeth wanted to live with Lucky, she knew in her heart that both of them had changed, they were people that didn't complete each other.
Before Lucky had died, they were like hand and glove. Elizabeth seemed to fit with Lucky; they understood each other and he didn't control her. After he came back, Lucky had changed into a person Elizabeth didn't know and neither did Jason. This made it harder for Jason to understand why Elizabeth would allow Lucky to walk all over her. He had watched her become a strong stubborn woman, who was determined to live her life. Jason no longer saw that woman. She had become a shadow of the vibrant woman resolved to see the world and change forever the way they looked at it with her paintings.
"Jason?" he heard Elizabeth call. He looked up and found himself sitting across from Elizabeth, alone.
"Where did Jaime go?"
"She went to the ladies room. She told you, but you obviously were thinking about other things."
"Yeah," he replied, staring into space. His thoughts raced through his mind. Images of Elizabeth and their time together seemed to linger in his mind and cause an ache in his heart.
"Jason…where have you been?" Elizabeth asked.
He hesitated telling her. He didn't want to frighten her with all the thoughts of past danger. It was resolved. Sorel was dead. "I took a trip around the world. I went to all the places I had planned to go to but never got the chance."
"Wow! Will you tell me about them? Tell me the different places you've been too, racing around on your motorcycle." He could tell her excitement was somewhat forced.
She seemed to draw nearer to him. The tips of her fingers almost touched his hand that lay on the table. "Yeah. Sure." His heart beat ever faster at the thought of touching her again. How many times did he dream of his lips drawing near hers, but never to getting there?
His focus was distracted for a moment. He drew back as he watched Jaime stroll back to the table.
"Hey! Did ya miss me?" she joked.
"Of course!" Elizabeth laughed tensely.
She sat down beside Jason. "So what did you guys talk about? Did you catch him up on Port Charles news?"
"Um, no," Elizabeth said slowly, fidgeting with the napkin in front of her.
"Elizabeth was just asking me about my trips," Jason explained, as she looked up to meet his eyes.
"Well sounds like an interesting story. Where have you been Jason?"
A couple of hours had passed and Jason felt like he had been talking the entire time. He had talked about his travels and skittered around the whole issue about why he had left Port Charles, a question that Jaime had asked. It seemed like an inquiry in some ways, so he eventually stopped answering and began asking questions. Sonny had taught him that. Elizabeth and Jaime talked about their travels in Italy and their visit with Luciano. Elizabeth then went on to describe the Sistine Chapel to Jason. He had missed that. He had missed seeing the wind. But Jason rebuked himself, he shouldn't be thinking about that. Elizabeth had already made her choice.
"Well, I think it's time for me to get going," Jason sighed and pushed back his chair from the table.
"Awww, no Jason! Come on! We haven't seen each other in forever!" Jaime pouted like a child.
Jason laughed, "I know, but I really should get on the road!"
"Jason do you really need to go? Couldn't you stay with us at Jaime's house?" Elizabeth quietly pleaded.
He looked at Elizabeth's big round eyes his heart melted, and then looked at Jaime's pouty lips and laughed. "All right! I'll stay with you guys for a few days!"
***
Talk about tension.
Jaime sat in between Jason and Elizabeth. Dinner had been pleasant, but there was no flow in the conversation. Actually, it had been quite abrupt and almost mechanical. Jason spoke without any heart about his trips. It seemed like there was no purpose or joy in the trips he took. He went from country to country just for the heck of it.
What's wrong with him?
This wasn't the same Jason she had met in Italy two years ago. Yes, he still didn't like to talk if he had nothing to say, but now there seemed to be a sadness, a heaviness about him. "I'm going to send Ledi for your bike," she offered up into the silence.
"Oh. Are you sure he can handle it?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, he's been practising on his dirt bike for a couple of years and this year, Francie let him get a motorcycle. It's not as powerful as yours, but he can handle it."
"Okay."
Then there was silence again. "So Elizabeth, did you get much time to sketch at the museum?"
She looked up as if startled by the conversation. "Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, I got in a couple of good sketches. It might turn into a painting when I get home. I'm not sure." Elizabeth's head turned towards the hilly countryside.
"Well, uh, Jason? Do you think you're up for a little match tonight?" she whispered.
He grinned, "Do you really want to get hurt again?"
Jaime smirked. The last time she and Jason sparred, she had twisted her ankle. "I'm better now. Much better," she challenged.
Jason nodded his head. It was on tonight.
She felt at ease now. He would talk to her tonight while they sparred. Or she hoped he would, anyway. They would always talk about their problems while they sparred. It was almost one of the top reasons they liked to spar with one another. They would get out their aggressions. Whatever problems they were having, well, actually most of the time, she was having, they would spar and he would talk it out with her. But this time, it was his turn.
As the car pulled up into the huge driveway of the villa, Jason jumped out of the vehicle and helped Jaime out, then Elizabeth. Jaime couldn't help but see the cloud that seemed to lurk beneath the surface of Jason's blue eyes as he held Elizabeth's hand as she stepped out of the car.
She's definitely what's troubling him. Definitely.
2 Chapter Fifteen
He hadn't seen her for a year now. His mind didn't work in pictures, yet her face, her eyes, her smile; all of these images remained etched in his dreams. He would recall them during moments when he was completely alone; maybe sometimes when he was sitting in his simple small hotel room or while he motored across the country roads as fast as he could go. Jason would picture her. He couldn't remember the last time he had ever wanted to recall anything or anyone so much. Now she was standing here. Elizabeth. She had the same beautiful smile and big beautiful brown eyes.
"Um, guys? I'm starving!" Jaime raved. She grabbed hold of Jason's hand and waved to Elizabeth. "Let's go have dinner!"
"Oh…okay!" he smiled. He had forgotten the energy Jaime carried with her all the time. She never seemed to let things get her down, with the exception of her father. And Jason understood why she felt that way. Jason glanced over at Elizabeth, she had slowly began following behind them.
~~
"So!" Jaime smiled, "What do you guys think of the place?" Jaime gestured to the walls and lights that surrounded them.
"It's nice," Jason replied. He didn't go out to restaurants very often. He usually just picked something up at the coffee shop down the street. Sometimes he almost forgot to eat. If Madia, the housekeeper at Sonny's cottage in the country didn't always remind him, sometimes Jason thought he would probably starve.
Elizabeth laughed. Jason hadn't heard that song-like ring since the talk they had in the park, when she had chosen Lucky over Jason, if it had been a choice at all. Jason knew she was committed to Lucky. Maybe it hadn't been wise at all to tell her about his feelings for her, but he was glad he did, even if it did mean losing her. Jason had been withholding the truth of his growing attraction from her, afraid he would scare her. He had been afraid that she would hate him for it. But in the end, she admitted her attraction to him and then chose Lucky.
He had never held anything against Lucky, if anything, he understood where he was coming from; starting a new life he didn't understand and living with something he had no control over. But Jason had learned to live with it and he knew Lucky would too. What he couldn't understand was why Elizabeth wanted to live with Lucky, she knew in her heart that both of them had changed, they were people that didn't complete each other.
Before Lucky had died, they were like hand and glove. Elizabeth seemed to fit with Lucky; they understood each other and he didn't control her. After he came back, Lucky had changed into a person Elizabeth didn't know and neither did Jason. This made it harder for Jason to understand why Elizabeth would allow Lucky to walk all over her. He had watched her become a strong stubborn woman, who was determined to live her life. Jason no longer saw that woman. She had become a shadow of the vibrant woman resolved to see the world and change forever the way they looked at it with her paintings.
"Jason?" he heard Elizabeth call. He looked up and found himself sitting across from Elizabeth, alone.
"Where did Jaime go?"
"She went to the ladies room. She told you, but you obviously were thinking about other things."
"Yeah," he replied, staring into space. His thoughts raced through his mind. Images of Elizabeth and their time together seemed to linger in his mind and cause an ache in his heart.
"Jason…where have you been?" Elizabeth asked.
He hesitated telling her. He didn't want to frighten her with all the thoughts of past danger. It was resolved. Sorel was dead. "I took a trip around the world. I went to all the places I had planned to go to but never got the chance."
"Wow! Will you tell me about them? Tell me the different places you've been too, racing around on your motorcycle." He could tell her excitement was somewhat forced.
She seemed to draw nearer to him. The tips of her fingers almost touched his hand that lay on the table. "Yeah. Sure." His heart beat ever faster at the thought of touching her again. How many times did he dream of his lips drawing near hers, but never to getting there?
His focus was distracted for a moment. He drew back as he watched Jaime stroll back to the table.
"Hey! Did ya miss me?" she joked.
"Of course!" Elizabeth laughed tensely.
She sat down beside Jason. "So what did you guys talk about? Did you catch him up on Port Charles news?"
"Um, no," Elizabeth said slowly, fidgeting with the napkin in front of her.
"Elizabeth was just asking me about my trips," Jason explained, as she looked up to meet his eyes.
"Well sounds like an interesting story. Where have you been Jason?"
A couple of hours had passed and Jason felt like he had been talking the entire time. He had talked about his travels and skittered around the whole issue about why he had left Port Charles, a question that Jaime had asked. It seemed like an inquiry in some ways, so he eventually stopped answering and began asking questions. Sonny had taught him that. Elizabeth and Jaime talked about their travels in Italy and their visit with Luciano. Elizabeth then went on to describe the Sistine Chapel to Jason. He had missed that. He had missed seeing the wind. But Jason rebuked himself, he shouldn't be thinking about that. Elizabeth had already made her choice.
"Well, I think it's time for me to get going," Jason sighed and pushed back his chair from the table.
"Awww, no Jason! Come on! We haven't seen each other in forever!" Jaime pouted like a child.
Jason laughed, "I know, but I really should get on the road!"
"Jason do you really need to go? Couldn't you stay with us at Jaime's house?" Elizabeth quietly pleaded.
He looked at Elizabeth's big round eyes his heart melted, and then looked at Jaime's pouty lips and laughed. "All right! I'll stay with you guys for a few days!"
***
Talk about tension.
Jaime sat in between Jason and Elizabeth. Dinner had been pleasant, but there was no flow in the conversation. Actually, it had been quite abrupt and almost mechanical. Jason spoke without any heart about his trips. It seemed like there was no purpose or joy in the trips he took. He went from country to country just for the heck of it.
What's wrong with him?
This wasn't the same Jason she had met in Italy two years ago. Yes, he still didn't like to talk if he had nothing to say, but now there seemed to be a sadness, a heaviness about him. "I'm going to send Ledi for your bike," she offered up into the silence.
"Oh. Are you sure he can handle it?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, he's been practising on his dirt bike for a couple of years and this year, Francie let him get a motorcycle. It's not as powerful as yours, but he can handle it."
"Okay."
Then there was silence again. "So Elizabeth, did you get much time to sketch at the museum?"
She looked up as if startled by the conversation. "Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, I got in a couple of good sketches. It might turn into a painting when I get home. I'm not sure." Elizabeth's head turned towards the hilly countryside.
"Well, uh, Jason? Do you think you're up for a little match tonight?" she whispered.
He grinned, "Do you really want to get hurt again?"
Jaime smirked. The last time she and Jason sparred, she had twisted her ankle. "I'm better now. Much better," she challenged.
Jason nodded his head. It was on tonight.
She felt at ease now. He would talk to her tonight while they sparred. Or she hoped he would, anyway. They would always talk about their problems while they sparred. It was almost one of the top reasons they liked to spar with one another. They would get out their aggressions. Whatever problems they were having, well, actually most of the time, she was having, they would spar and he would talk it out with her. But this time, it was his turn.
As the car pulled up into the huge driveway of the villa, Jason jumped out of the vehicle and helped Jaime out, then Elizabeth. Jaime couldn't help but see the cloud that seemed to lurk beneath the surface of Jason's blue eyes as he held Elizabeth's hand as she stepped out of the car.
She's definitely what's troubling him. Definitely.