AN: In this chapter, Elizabeth is still unconscious, hence the title. I was
told by a reader that it seemed like she was awake at first so I wanted to
clear up any confusion. And thanks for all the great reviews last time!!!
Dreams
Elizabeth didn't know where she was. She walked along a path in a forest but had no idea where it led or how she got on the path to begin with. Suddenly there was a clearing and a man was standing in the middle of it. Elizabeth approached slowly, studying him as she moved closer.
He was tall, six feet or more. His blonde hair was lighter where the sun hit it and he had broad shoulders. Elizabeth moved closer and could see his profile. She blinked, realizing he was extremely attractive. She got even closer and then stopped. He seemed immensely sad and, at the same time, Elizabeth got the overwhelming feeling she should know why, that she should know him.
Then Elizabeth realized she could hear him.
"Who is he talking to?" she thought looking around.
"Look, you know I've never been very good at this," the man said. "I need to see those beautiful eyes so I can tell if I'm saying anything right or if I'm totally screwing this up. See, right now you should be rolling your eyes even though you know I can read every feeling on your face, in your eyes. Emily said...."
"Who's Emily?" Elizabeth wondered as the man trailed off.
"Emily said," the man continued after a moment, "that I need to tell you I love you and that I can't live without you. But I said I would never lie to you about my feelings and we both know I can live without you. I think I need to tell you that I never want to live without you. My life is just better when you're in it."
Elizabeth felt a tear slide down her cheek. She would have given anything to have a man say things like that to her and mean it. She wasn't sure how she knew but she was certain this man meant everything he said.
"Damn!" the man swore. "I don't want you to cry. Or maybe it's good. You told me once that tears aren't always a bad sign so I'll go with that for now. Bet you didn't think I'd remember that but I do. I guess before I thought that was enough, that you would know I loved you because I listened and remembered. I know now that you need to hear it. I've told you that I love you but maybe I didn't say it the right way. Maybe I should have Carly script something for me. No, Sonny not Carly. Sonny's pretty good at putting his feelings for Carly into words that make her happy."
The man's mouth tipped up at the corner in a half-grin that made Elizabeth smile, too. She watched him as he thought of two people named Sonny and Carly that he was obviously close to.
"I know you've been hurt because of me," the man continued all traces of humor erased from his face. "I've lost track of how many times you've been hurt or taken care of me when I was even thought that put you in danger. Of all the reasons you've walked away from me that was never one of them. I swear I'll understand if you need to bail this time. You have Adella to think about now and as much as I would like to, I can't promise that you or Adella will never be hurt."
At the name Adella, Elizabeth's heart contracted and started racing, not with fear but with an overwhelming love. She had no idea why this was happening and it scared her. She took a deep breath and concentrated on what the man was saying. Perhaps his words would explain her reaction to the name Adella.
"I know that won't make you leave though," the man said. "You've never given into fear despite all the violence. And I'm not strong enough to make you leave, not again."
Elizabeth was confused.
'First, he's saying how he loves her and doesn't want to live without her and now he's talking about not being able to make her leave,' she thought. 'No wonder he's standing here talking to himself. He needs to practice, to figure out what he's going to say so doesn't confuse the hell out of the poor woman!'
"The fact that I hurt you was always more of a problem than the violence," the man continued. "I never meant to, you know that, but I can't take it back. I need you to tell me when I hurt you so I can try to fix it. We once promised no bailing and we both broke that but I don't want to break it again."
Another tear slid down Elizabeth's cheek but she smiled. She wondered who this woman was that she could cause this man to say these things.
"Damn it, wake up, Elizabeth!" the man yelled.
'Elizabeth?' she thought and felt like she was floating away.
In the hospital room, Elizabeth's eyes blinked open and she looked around
'Wow, weird dream' she thought.
Then she looked down and saw a head of blonde hair laying on her lap.
"Oh my God!" Elizabeth exclaimed, waking Jason.
Jason sat up and looked into Elizabeth's eyes.
"It's...it's you," she whispered and then fainted.
Dreams
Elizabeth didn't know where she was. She walked along a path in a forest but had no idea where it led or how she got on the path to begin with. Suddenly there was a clearing and a man was standing in the middle of it. Elizabeth approached slowly, studying him as she moved closer.
He was tall, six feet or more. His blonde hair was lighter where the sun hit it and he had broad shoulders. Elizabeth moved closer and could see his profile. She blinked, realizing he was extremely attractive. She got even closer and then stopped. He seemed immensely sad and, at the same time, Elizabeth got the overwhelming feeling she should know why, that she should know him.
Then Elizabeth realized she could hear him.
"Who is he talking to?" she thought looking around.
"Look, you know I've never been very good at this," the man said. "I need to see those beautiful eyes so I can tell if I'm saying anything right or if I'm totally screwing this up. See, right now you should be rolling your eyes even though you know I can read every feeling on your face, in your eyes. Emily said...."
"Who's Emily?" Elizabeth wondered as the man trailed off.
"Emily said," the man continued after a moment, "that I need to tell you I love you and that I can't live without you. But I said I would never lie to you about my feelings and we both know I can live without you. I think I need to tell you that I never want to live without you. My life is just better when you're in it."
Elizabeth felt a tear slide down her cheek. She would have given anything to have a man say things like that to her and mean it. She wasn't sure how she knew but she was certain this man meant everything he said.
"Damn!" the man swore. "I don't want you to cry. Or maybe it's good. You told me once that tears aren't always a bad sign so I'll go with that for now. Bet you didn't think I'd remember that but I do. I guess before I thought that was enough, that you would know I loved you because I listened and remembered. I know now that you need to hear it. I've told you that I love you but maybe I didn't say it the right way. Maybe I should have Carly script something for me. No, Sonny not Carly. Sonny's pretty good at putting his feelings for Carly into words that make her happy."
The man's mouth tipped up at the corner in a half-grin that made Elizabeth smile, too. She watched him as he thought of two people named Sonny and Carly that he was obviously close to.
"I know you've been hurt because of me," the man continued all traces of humor erased from his face. "I've lost track of how many times you've been hurt or taken care of me when I was even thought that put you in danger. Of all the reasons you've walked away from me that was never one of them. I swear I'll understand if you need to bail this time. You have Adella to think about now and as much as I would like to, I can't promise that you or Adella will never be hurt."
At the name Adella, Elizabeth's heart contracted and started racing, not with fear but with an overwhelming love. She had no idea why this was happening and it scared her. She took a deep breath and concentrated on what the man was saying. Perhaps his words would explain her reaction to the name Adella.
"I know that won't make you leave though," the man said. "You've never given into fear despite all the violence. And I'm not strong enough to make you leave, not again."
Elizabeth was confused.
'First, he's saying how he loves her and doesn't want to live without her and now he's talking about not being able to make her leave,' she thought. 'No wonder he's standing here talking to himself. He needs to practice, to figure out what he's going to say so doesn't confuse the hell out of the poor woman!'
"The fact that I hurt you was always more of a problem than the violence," the man continued. "I never meant to, you know that, but I can't take it back. I need you to tell me when I hurt you so I can try to fix it. We once promised no bailing and we both broke that but I don't want to break it again."
Another tear slid down Elizabeth's cheek but she smiled. She wondered who this woman was that she could cause this man to say these things.
"Damn it, wake up, Elizabeth!" the man yelled.
'Elizabeth?' she thought and felt like she was floating away.
In the hospital room, Elizabeth's eyes blinked open and she looked around
'Wow, weird dream' she thought.
Then she looked down and saw a head of blonde hair laying on her lap.
"Oh my God!" Elizabeth exclaimed, waking Jason.
Jason sat up and looked into Elizabeth's eyes.
"It's...it's you," she whispered and then fainted.