Author's Note: Thanks for the encouragement, it's always welcome! ( And now
we'll pick up a few days after the pool hall....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Beach~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I've missed this." Liz said, leaning back on her elbows as the sun set around them.
He'd been there almost a week but she still couldn't believe it. She'd left ten months earlier thinking she'd never see him again, but there he was. Making her feel all those things she always felt with him nearby, the uncertainty, unexplainable happiness, lightheadedness, well maybe that last one was the beers they'd been drinking for the past hour. Still, his presence was definitely having an effect on her, and she liked it.
"What have you missed?" Jason asked, a quizzical look on his face.
"Sitting back and drinking a few beers with a good friend in silence.... I'm sorry, you know." Jason only turned towards her, his confusion obvious. "About leaving."
He shrugged, "You were entitled. Rick ruined your life, and you and I both know that had you stayed in Port Charles you would have been too busy pretending to be fine to deal with how you were really feeling."
"I wasn't talking about then."
Jason took a long swig of his beer and stared out across the ocean before turning to her again, "I'm sorry too, but we both made mistakes and there's no taking them back. Yes, the distance between us killed me but we're passed that and we're here now so let's not get into it." He took her hand before finishing. I never stopped caring about you and I never will. You're my friend for life whether you want to be or not."
She smiled at that, "I want to be your friend Jase, but I want to be a good friend. If you're not ready to tell me that's fine but don't shut me out, what happened in Port Charles that brought you to me?"
He didn't speak for a long time and Elizabeth assumed he wasn't going to answer her. She finished her beer and moved to start packing up before he stopped her.
"We were wrong not to tell you about Sonny's 'death'. I was wrong. I was wrong to listen to Sonny, to let him tell me how to live my life, to let him push me towards Courtney. But I never thought it would have ended like it did. Not long after you left Lorenzo kidnapped her and since she came back she hasn't been the same. She was like a stranger, but I thought I loved her. We got married, I thought it would fix the rift between us but it only added to our problems. I couldn't talk to Sonny about any of it, she's his sister, and you know how he is about family. I used to think I was his family, but I know better now. Anyhow, we filed for divorce, we've been separated for months, but last week was the official end of it. She hit me over the head to save Lorenzo Alcazar's life. She betrayed me; she betrayed her family. She's been having an affair with that sick fuck and plotting with him against me and Sonny!" Jason yelled, his anger getting the better of him; Liz stroked his face in comfort. "The funny thing is, I don't care that she was sleeping with him. I don't care that she left me. I'm relieved she did. I'm glad that she betrayed us because then I don't have to explain to Sonny how I could fall out of love with his perfect little sister, if I ever loved her."
"You don't mean that."
"Yes I do, Elizabeth. I'm sorry but when you left me it hurt, and Courtney was there. I didn't mean to, it just happened. It was easier to be with her than to miss you. Does that make me a horrible person?" He asked, staring into her face which was so close to his own.
"No." she whispered.
Jason raised his hand to her face and lightly touched her bottom lip with his thumb. He closed his eyes as he remembered what those lips felt like, and when he opened them he could se the dark desire in Elizabeth's eyes. He wanted to kiss her; he could sense she wanted him to kiss her, and as he leaned in her breath on his face sent shivers through his body.
"Michael! Arresto!" Laughter rang through the air and Jason groaned.
Jason and Liz looked up to see a young couple off in the distance splashing around in the waves and laughing. They also saw that the sun had set.
"We should head in, it's gonna get cold tonight." Liz said as she started to grab their things.
She wouldn't meet his eyes and Jason could kick himself. She hadn't wanted to kiss him. They'd finally gotten back to that comfortable friendship of theirs and he'd gone and fucked it up. He grabbed the case of beer and followed Liz to her beach house, hoping that she'd forget about it and let them go back to where they had been.
Jason entered the house and his ears were met with a familiar tune.
Can this be true?
Tell me, can this be real?
How can I put into words what I feel?
"Dance with me." Liz said with her hand stretched toward him.
He complied and his body rejoiced as he held her in her arms. She smelled so good, like vanilla. He closed his eyes and remembered the first time they'd danced to this song, she was remembering Lucky and he was acting as a substitute.
"It's funny how things turn out." Liz began, not raising her head from his chest, just relishing in the feel of his arms around her. "I was trying to recreate a memory when I asked you to dance with me in Kelly's, but we just made a new one. Slowly everything that was so completely Lucky became you. This song...the boxcar...everything. You became my everything. Do you have any idea how scary that was? So I ran, and I'm sorry, more than you'll ever know because I ran straight to Rick, and that, that was a mistake." She stopped and looked up at him.
They were no longer dancing; he was just listening to her. Looking in her eyes and waiting for her to continue, just like he always did, and he would wait as long as it took.
"I wanted to love him. I tried so hard, believe me I did. It's kinda funny if you think about it. I went from the guy who never tells a lie to the guy who never tells the truth. I'm sorry; I'm so-"
"Don't Liz, you don't have to apologize." Jason said cutting her off.
He was still holding her, one hand closed around hers, the other resting on her lower back. He looked in her eyes and couldn't believe he'd ever let her walk away from him.
"I don't want to run anymore, Jason."
He raised his hand to her face and cupped the back of her head. He lowered his head slowly, giving her every opportunity to pull away, surprised not only when she didn't, but also when she raised her head and met him half way.
His lips were soft and he smiled as she slid her hands across his torso. He parted her lips with his tongue and entered her mouth, amazed at how sweet she tasted. Her hands wrapped around his neck and her hands played with his hair. Jason continued to explore her as they inched their way over to the couch, falling against it as Liz bumped into the edge. He raised himself on one arm, not wanting to crush her, but she pulled him down, wanting to feel his full weight, but was instead met with the vibrating in his pocket.
"God dammit!" Jason cursed, rolling off of Liz and running his hand over his face.
"Answer it." Liz said, running her hand through his spikey blonde hair.
He looked at her for a moment, trying to decide what to do before sighing and taking out his phone.
"Morgan."
"Jason it's Bobby." The distress in the woman's voice was evident.
"What is it what's wrong?"
"It's about Elizabeth's grandmother." At that he raised himself to a sitting position and glanced at Liz, causing her nerves to rise as well, not knowing what was happening on the phone. "Audrey collapsed in Kelley's the other day. Her age is catching up with her, I don't know how much longer she'll be with us. Do you know how I can get in touch with Elizabeth? She should know about this."
"I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, Jason. Please hurry."
"I will." He said before turning off the phone and looking at Elizabeth, who's large eyes showed her fear, despite her attempts to cover it up.
"What is it?"
dun dun dun! READ AND REVIEW(!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Beach~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I've missed this." Liz said, leaning back on her elbows as the sun set around them.
He'd been there almost a week but she still couldn't believe it. She'd left ten months earlier thinking she'd never see him again, but there he was. Making her feel all those things she always felt with him nearby, the uncertainty, unexplainable happiness, lightheadedness, well maybe that last one was the beers they'd been drinking for the past hour. Still, his presence was definitely having an effect on her, and she liked it.
"What have you missed?" Jason asked, a quizzical look on his face.
"Sitting back and drinking a few beers with a good friend in silence.... I'm sorry, you know." Jason only turned towards her, his confusion obvious. "About leaving."
He shrugged, "You were entitled. Rick ruined your life, and you and I both know that had you stayed in Port Charles you would have been too busy pretending to be fine to deal with how you were really feeling."
"I wasn't talking about then."
Jason took a long swig of his beer and stared out across the ocean before turning to her again, "I'm sorry too, but we both made mistakes and there's no taking them back. Yes, the distance between us killed me but we're passed that and we're here now so let's not get into it." He took her hand before finishing. I never stopped caring about you and I never will. You're my friend for life whether you want to be or not."
She smiled at that, "I want to be your friend Jase, but I want to be a good friend. If you're not ready to tell me that's fine but don't shut me out, what happened in Port Charles that brought you to me?"
He didn't speak for a long time and Elizabeth assumed he wasn't going to answer her. She finished her beer and moved to start packing up before he stopped her.
"We were wrong not to tell you about Sonny's 'death'. I was wrong. I was wrong to listen to Sonny, to let him tell me how to live my life, to let him push me towards Courtney. But I never thought it would have ended like it did. Not long after you left Lorenzo kidnapped her and since she came back she hasn't been the same. She was like a stranger, but I thought I loved her. We got married, I thought it would fix the rift between us but it only added to our problems. I couldn't talk to Sonny about any of it, she's his sister, and you know how he is about family. I used to think I was his family, but I know better now. Anyhow, we filed for divorce, we've been separated for months, but last week was the official end of it. She hit me over the head to save Lorenzo Alcazar's life. She betrayed me; she betrayed her family. She's been having an affair with that sick fuck and plotting with him against me and Sonny!" Jason yelled, his anger getting the better of him; Liz stroked his face in comfort. "The funny thing is, I don't care that she was sleeping with him. I don't care that she left me. I'm relieved she did. I'm glad that she betrayed us because then I don't have to explain to Sonny how I could fall out of love with his perfect little sister, if I ever loved her."
"You don't mean that."
"Yes I do, Elizabeth. I'm sorry but when you left me it hurt, and Courtney was there. I didn't mean to, it just happened. It was easier to be with her than to miss you. Does that make me a horrible person?" He asked, staring into her face which was so close to his own.
"No." she whispered.
Jason raised his hand to her face and lightly touched her bottom lip with his thumb. He closed his eyes as he remembered what those lips felt like, and when he opened them he could se the dark desire in Elizabeth's eyes. He wanted to kiss her; he could sense she wanted him to kiss her, and as he leaned in her breath on his face sent shivers through his body.
"Michael! Arresto!" Laughter rang through the air and Jason groaned.
Jason and Liz looked up to see a young couple off in the distance splashing around in the waves and laughing. They also saw that the sun had set.
"We should head in, it's gonna get cold tonight." Liz said as she started to grab their things.
She wouldn't meet his eyes and Jason could kick himself. She hadn't wanted to kiss him. They'd finally gotten back to that comfortable friendship of theirs and he'd gone and fucked it up. He grabbed the case of beer and followed Liz to her beach house, hoping that she'd forget about it and let them go back to where they had been.
Jason entered the house and his ears were met with a familiar tune.
Can this be true?
Tell me, can this be real?
How can I put into words what I feel?
"Dance with me." Liz said with her hand stretched toward him.
He complied and his body rejoiced as he held her in her arms. She smelled so good, like vanilla. He closed his eyes and remembered the first time they'd danced to this song, she was remembering Lucky and he was acting as a substitute.
"It's funny how things turn out." Liz began, not raising her head from his chest, just relishing in the feel of his arms around her. "I was trying to recreate a memory when I asked you to dance with me in Kelly's, but we just made a new one. Slowly everything that was so completely Lucky became you. This song...the boxcar...everything. You became my everything. Do you have any idea how scary that was? So I ran, and I'm sorry, more than you'll ever know because I ran straight to Rick, and that, that was a mistake." She stopped and looked up at him.
They were no longer dancing; he was just listening to her. Looking in her eyes and waiting for her to continue, just like he always did, and he would wait as long as it took.
"I wanted to love him. I tried so hard, believe me I did. It's kinda funny if you think about it. I went from the guy who never tells a lie to the guy who never tells the truth. I'm sorry; I'm so-"
"Don't Liz, you don't have to apologize." Jason said cutting her off.
He was still holding her, one hand closed around hers, the other resting on her lower back. He looked in her eyes and couldn't believe he'd ever let her walk away from him.
"I don't want to run anymore, Jason."
He raised his hand to her face and cupped the back of her head. He lowered his head slowly, giving her every opportunity to pull away, surprised not only when she didn't, but also when she raised her head and met him half way.
His lips were soft and he smiled as she slid her hands across his torso. He parted her lips with his tongue and entered her mouth, amazed at how sweet she tasted. Her hands wrapped around his neck and her hands played with his hair. Jason continued to explore her as they inched their way over to the couch, falling against it as Liz bumped into the edge. He raised himself on one arm, not wanting to crush her, but she pulled him down, wanting to feel his full weight, but was instead met with the vibrating in his pocket.
"God dammit!" Jason cursed, rolling off of Liz and running his hand over his face.
"Answer it." Liz said, running her hand through his spikey blonde hair.
He looked at her for a moment, trying to decide what to do before sighing and taking out his phone.
"Morgan."
"Jason it's Bobby." The distress in the woman's voice was evident.
"What is it what's wrong?"
"It's about Elizabeth's grandmother." At that he raised himself to a sitting position and glanced at Liz, causing her nerves to rise as well, not knowing what was happening on the phone. "Audrey collapsed in Kelley's the other day. Her age is catching up with her, I don't know how much longer she'll be with us. Do you know how I can get in touch with Elizabeth? She should know about this."
"I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, Jason. Please hurry."
"I will." He said before turning off the phone and looking at Elizabeth, who's large eyes showed her fear, despite her attempts to cover it up.
"What is it?"
dun dun dun! READ AND REVIEW(!!!