Elizabeth was not the type of person to slap anyone, but at that moment she surprised herself. She paused after leaving the kitchen to register what just happened. She even considered going back to apologize but did not. She had no reason to apologize. The only thing she did wrong was in retaliation to what Courtney had done.

She looked up and was surprised that Nikolas was there. She walked over and sat down with him.

He looked at her quizzically, then asked, "What just happened?"

She was not surprised that he had caught on the fact that something was amiss.

"I just slapped Courtney." She said, as if repeating it would make her believe that it had happened.

"What?" Nikolas asked, thinking that he heard his friend wrong.

He had known Elizabeth for a while and she was far from a violent person.

"I slapped Courtney. In the kitchen, I slapped her." She repeated, trying once again to make herself believe it.

"Why?"

"Because I got upset . . . and I'm stressed . . . and I just let something get to me. I should go apologize." She said, getting up.

He reached out for her hand, "Elizabeth, what is going on with you? I've never seen you like this."

She had to look away from his eyes, "Nothing."

"Elizabeth . . ." He started as the diner door opened.

His voice faded into the background as she caught eyes with the man who just entered.

Courtney emerged from the back just as the diner doors opened. He stepped in and instantly she stood still.

His eyes were focused on Elizabeth, but briefly they ventured in her direction.

Elizabeth excused herself from the conversation from Nikolas and walked over to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded.

He looked at her speechless, unable to conjure up a defense.

"I didn't know how to tell you. You were already upset and I just did not want to make it worse." He said, feeling guilty.

"So, to sum up, you lied to 'protect' me? I don't need protecting. I don't need to be saved or rescued . . . "

"Elizabeth . . . " He started.

"Lucky, just leave. Please. I cannot do this now." She suggested, then turned and walked into the kitchen to escape.

Nikolas just remained silent and surprised. Lucky sent a glance in his direction before turning around and leaving. A moment after the door shut, Courtney started up after him.

"Lucky!" She called out to him.

He turned to face her.

"Thank you for not telling her. I know that you don't like Jason and . . . " She started.

He almost laughed, "You sound just like Elizabeth when she use to defend him. I wanted to tell her. But I thought that if Jason really cared about her than he would tell her on his own. I guess I was right about him all along."

Lucky turned and left Courtney standing outside alone.

Just as Lucky left, Jason came from the other direction.

"Was he bothering you?" He asked, seeing the fleeing Lucky.

"No, I'm fine. Just shocked."

"What happened?" He asked, concerned.

"He didn't tell Elizabeth but I assumed that he did and . . ."

"She's upset." He completed her thought.

"Yes, which is understandable. We both lied to her. Lucky lied to her. . ."

"Is she inside?" He asked, curious.

"Yeah, in the kitchen. She went back there after her fight with Lucky."

He looked through the windows to try and catch a glimpse of her but could not see her. He opened the door and both Courtney and himself walked inside. She went back to being a waitress and he attempted to stroll past Nikolas into the kitchen.

Nikolas called out, "Morgan, the kitchen is only for employees."

Jason ignored him and kept on walking. Nikolas got up and grabbed him and forcefully turned him around.

"Leave her alone." He said, his grip tight on Jason's jacket.

"You don't speak for Elizabeth." He said, removing Nikolas' hand from his jacket.

"I may not, but I know that you are the last person she wants to see right now." He said, knowingly.

Jason knew it was most-likely true, but he had to try to explain to Elizabeth.

He hated Nikolas, he was arrogant and rude, but he knew that Nikolas truly cared about Elizabeth. But at the same time he knew that Elizabeth did not want anyone else speaking for her.

He walked into the back to find her putting a bandage on her cut. He could see that she had been crying. His heart sank knowing that he was partly responsible.

She looked up, her instincts telling her that he was there.

"You won't believe who kept you're secret." She voiced sarcastically, looking back down at what she was doing.

"I'm sorry." He said, simply.

"Sorry no longer rectifies what you did."

"Elizabeth . . ."

Her eyes met his and for a moment it felt just like before.

"For so long I've told myself that somehow we could make this work. That if we were really meant to be that we would find a way. But there is no way, Jason. I told you that the other night only half believing it. And then I let it slide with the false hope that this last chance would change everything. But instead I find myself back to where we were. I don't want to hate you Jason. I don't want to have to do this. But there is no other way."

He stood stolid, knowing that much of what she said was true.

"I can't just be friends with you, Elizabeth." He said.

"Then we are nothing. Whatever we had is over. We just have to walk away because if we stay we're just going to end up hating eachother."

"I could never hate you." He admitted.

She was silent for a moment knowing that what he said was true.

"Not intentionally . . . but you can hurt me. You have hurt me."

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I never meant any of this. I never thought that I could feel like this with you and someone else at the same time."

Elizabeth froze.

"You have feelings for her?" She asked, hoping that she had heard him wrong.

"Yes." He admitted.

"She's married to your brother!" She exclaimed, upset.

"I know. But you were with Lucky. . . " He started.

"What I had with Lucky was not anything like this. You're not even with Courtney. A.J. is with her. Don't try to make me seem like the bad guy." He said nothing, not sure what to say. He knew how she was feeling because he felt it to, but he had no way to remedy the hurt.

She closed her eyes, unable to face him. Her tears started to sting but she ignored the pain.

"Leave."

He did not argue but he did hesitate. He wanted to look at her one last time, take in the sight of her, and take with him the pain he had inflicted.

The last thing he had ever wanted was to hurt her. But he refused to lie to her again.

He turned and left the kitchen and walked outside. Courtney noticed and followed him out. The last person he wanted to see was her. He sat down at one of the tables and let his head fall into his hands.

"Jason . . ." She started, sitting down the table.

He said nothing.

"I'm sorry this is my fault . . ." She continued.

"Don't blame yourself. It's mine." He said, still not looking at her.

"You know that's not true. I kissed you. I'm the one that's married to another man." She said, trying to get him to see it her way.

He let his hands fall and their eyes meet.

"I let you and I hurt Elizabeth." He admitted.

She took her hands and wrapped them around his.

"Sometimes we hurt people when it's the last thing we ever meant to do. But sometimes you cannot help it."

"Isn't this cozy? I hope I'm not interrupting." A voice startled them.

Courtney was the only one to turn and face him.

* * * Elizabeth waited until she heard his footsteps retreat before she opened her eyes. She looked out of the kitchen to see him leave. Courtney followed.

Her own words hung in her mind. **I never thought that I could be in love with Lucky and have feelings for you. I didn't handle it too well.**

She sighed, realizing that she had been down this road with Jason before. But it was time that ended.

She wiped her eyes and walked out into the diner. She walked to the window and saw their hands clasped together. As much as she tried to bottle up what little part of her cared for him, she could not. She quickly turned and walked away from the door.

"Elizabeth?" Nikolas called out to her.

She suddenly remembered that he was there. It had felt like years since she had seen him.

"I'm sorry I didn't stop Jason. Something he said bothered you, didn't it?" He asked, he could easily tell that something was wrong.

"I saw it and I just didn't want to believe it. I told myself it wasn't true. But it was." She mumbled to no one in particular.

"What was true?"

"He likes her, Courtney."

"I'm sorry." Nikolas said, knowing how much Elizabeth cared for Jason.

"You're not sorry, you're happy. You hate Jason. Everyone hates Jason. . . " She started.

"Elizabeth . . ."

"No, Nikolas. It's true so don't try to deny it. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of pretending, of lies, of the truth. I just don't want to hear it." She said, then turned and ripped off her apron.

She pulled her suitcases out and headed for the back exit. She needed to be anywhere but there.