Elizabeth sat on the window seat and looked out over the lush gardens
that filled the grounds of the Malucci estate. The groundskeepers busied
themselves with the various tasks of keeping the flowerbeds and bushes in
pristine condition. While watching people move about in front of her,
Elizabeth let herself get lost in a world that she could no longer have.
How could she have let herself be deluded into thinking that she and Jason
would stand the test of time? How could she have been so blind? Love is
blind she thought as she wiped a stray tear that found its way down her
cheek. There was no end to the memories that paraded through her mind.
She and Jason had known one another for a short time, but for Elizabeth it
felt like it had been forever. How was she supposed to just walk away from
him? How was she supposed to forget the wonderful man she found in him?
Elizabeth knew the answers to both of those questions and the answer was
that she couldn't. No matter what Jason expected her to do she couldn't
comply with his request. Elizabeth walked to the desk picked up the phone
and dialed the Drake Hotel. She wasn't about to give up on what she
wanted.
Jason laid on the king-sized bed in his penthouse and listened to the phone ring for the umpteenth time over the last several days. Why he was torturing himself by staying in this place he hadn't a clue. The only viable conclusion was that being there kept Jason away from the strained silences and tension that surrounded him the minute he entered a room with either his father or mother. A second reason, and the more important of the two, was that his penthouse was the one place he could indulge himself with his memories of Elizabeth.
No matter how hard Jason tried he couldn't get Elizabeth off of his mind. He wasn't able to get passed the voice inside his head that constantly repeated that he had thrown away the best part of his life. It was as though when he decided to cut her from his life, he had cut his heart out with the same knife that he used to sever the ties of their relationship.
Jason pulled himself from the bed and made his way across the room. Just as he knew it would be, the hotel service light on the phone was blinking. He didn't even bother to retrieve the message. Jason was certain of its contents. It would be the same as the dozen or so messages before it. It would be Elizabeth begging for him to call her or pleading with him to rethink his decision. He erased the message without even listening to it. Each time he heard her voice it chipped away at his resolve and that was a fact that he, Elizabeth and his family couldn't afford. Nonetheless, Jason picked up the receiver and placed his daily call to Johnny. "How's your assignment going?" Jason asked before the guard had a chance to say hello.
"It's pretty easy."
"What do you mean easy?" Jason questioned.
"She hasn't set foot out of the house in days."
"What?"
"Man, I'm telling you she's never left the grounds much less the house."
Jason ran his hand over the stubble poking its way through his chin. He was unsure if this news was a good or a bad thing. All that he did know was that it left far too much up to interpretation. It would have been better if Elizabeth had been going about the business of her life. Sitting holed up in the Malucci mansion left her at Anthony's mercy, a fact that more than slightly concerned Jason. "What about Malucci?"
"Hasn't been home much as I can tell," Johnny answered.
"So, has he or hasn't he been home?" Jason countered.
"Who exactly am I supposed to be tailing here, Malucci or his wife?" Johnny already had had enough of his boss' spy game. This wasn't what he signed on for when he joined on to be one of the Morgan family soldiers. Johnny didn't see himself as a glorified baby sitter.
"Both of them!"
"So, what, I'm supposed to be in two places at once now?" Johnny quipped.
'YOU'LL BE WHEREVER I TELL YOU TO BE!!" Jason growled. "Unless of course you would prefer a permanent vacation," he said as if he had ice water flowing through his veins.
"The Mrs. never leaves the house boss, and well Malucci comes and goes at all hours," Johnny answered with an adjusted attitude. Jason's pointed remark illustrated that no matter what Johnny thought – his boss was still the boss.
"DANM!" Jason cursed.
"What do you want me to do? Should I be tailing Malucci now?"
"NO! You stay right where you are. Elizabeth is your number one priority. I'll handled Tony myself."
"Whatever you say boss."
Jason closed his clear blue eyes and let out a labored breath. The more he tried to simplify things the more complicated they seemed to get. He could only imagine what Anthony was up to. Jason wanted to believe that his erratic behavior only pointed to his endless string of goomahs, but in the back of his mind Jason knew better. He was certain that Anthony wasn't finished with the Morgans just yet. However, Jason wished that he had some idea of where and when Anthony's next strike would be.
"Elizabeth." Rocco's voice startled her.
"Huh?" she returned placing the phone in its cradle.
"Are you all right dear?"
"Yes," she lied. Elizabeth swallowed hard around the lump in her throat as she tried in vain to push back the tears that stung her soft blue eyes. Jason had forced her to leave but another message with his service. It was a message that in her heart she knew would go unanswered just like the many others before it.
"Helena is about to serve breakfast. Please won't you join me? You know how much I hate eating alone." Rocco smiled broadly.
"I'm not all that hungry."
"Elizabeth," he paused. The sadness in his daughter in law's eyes over the past several days hadn't gone unnoticed. Rocco wondered what had happened to the bubbly creature that had been ready to take on the world. "Are you sure you are feeling all right? I haven't seen you eat anything in days. Why don't I ring for the doctor?"
Rocco's concern for her caused another wave of tears to well up in her eyes. As she looked at the frail man sitting in the wheelchair before her, she would have given anything to be able to tell him what was really going on. Rocco was the last string that tied her sanity together but even that wouldn't change the fact that Rocco was still a Capo under Don Morgan. It was that fact that made Elizabeth painfully aware how truly alone she was now. "No need to bother the doctor, really. I am just a little overtired is all. The benefit is only a few days away and well I guess I am just feeling a little overwhelmed."
"If you needed more help you should have said something. I am sure I could have gotten one of the secretaries from the office to lend a hand."
"No, no really Emily and I have it under control. It was just with AJ's wife's miscarriage... ..."
"What miscarriage?" Rocco interrupted her.
"You didn't know?"
"Didn't know what?"
"There was an accident on one of the Matthews Construction sites. It was my understanding that AJ and Courtney were nearly crushed by a steel beam. Luckily that didn't happen but she did lose the baby she was carrying."
"NO!" Rocco gasped as he recalled the joy he had heard in his friend's voice when Joseph announced he was to be a grandfather for the first time.
"According to Emily, the family is taking it pretty hard."
"I can only imagine," Rocco concurred. "You said there was some sort of accident on a construction site?"
"Yes. It was a crane mishap if I remember correctly."
"Jack Matthews is known for all of the precautionary measures that he takes. It's unheard of for any of his jobs to have even a small mishap, let alone something as devastating as the things you have mentioned." The wheels in Rocco's head began to turn. There was something about all of this that just didn't sit right with him. Matthews Construction had a reputation that was above reproach. Jack Matthews and his crew had racked up countless awards for site safety and OSHA commendations. That's what made this 'accident' all the more difficult to believe.
"Rocco," Elizabeth's voice pierced his thoughts.
"Yes?"
"I'm sure Helena is waiting breakfast on us. Are you all right?" She now returned his earlier question to her.
"Yes – yes I'm fine. I just feel for Joseph and Cassandra. This baby would have been their first grandchild."
Rocco watched Elizabeth push her eggs and bacon around the plate never once bringing a single piece of food to her mouth. He too had lost his appetite. As much as he tried, Rocco couldn't keep himself from thinking that some way, some how his son was tied to what happened to AJ Morgan's wife. Rocco couldn't deny that it was far too coincidental given the way Anthony felt toward the entire Morgan family.
"Are you finished sir?" Helena asked reaching for his almost full plate of food.
"Yes – yes thank you."
"I'm also finished, Helena." Elizabeth offered her plate as well.
"Elizabeth you barely touched your food," Rocco said.
"I could say the same for you," she countered with a smile.
"I guess I lost my appetite."
"I understand. It's hard when a life is lost before it's even begun." Elizabeth's words carried a double meaning. For Rocco she had been speaking of the loss of a child but for herself she was talking about the loss of a great love.
"I should phone Joseph to express my condolences."
"I will be calling Emily shortly. Would you like me to do that for you?"
"That's sweet of you, really, but there are a few business matters that also need to be discussed. It would be better if I made the call myself."
"Okay."
"What do you need to speak with Emily about?" Rocco questioned.
"We need to arrange a time today to go to the Chicago Botanic Garden and go over the last minute seating changes and organize the presenters list for the benefit."
"I see. Well don't let me keep you from making that call."
"Rocco, are you sure you are all right?" Elizabeth watched him curiously. A dark shadow surrounded his face. It wasn't hard for her to see that he was suddenly preoccupied with something. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if Rocco had drawn the same conclusion Jason had regarding Courtney's accident.
"Yes, dear I am fine. You go busy yourself with that benefit."
Elizabeth glanced back over her shoulder at her father in law. It broke her heart to realize how his health had deteriorated over the last few years. She knew he wasn't long for the world. Each doctor's appointment brought less and less promising news. Rocco had resigned himself to the fact that he would be meeting his maker sooner rather than later, however, Elizabeth wasn't quite ready to give up hope – especially now that Rocco was her last link to any sort of normalcy. Elizabeth partly closed the door to the study. She hoped beyond hope that when she made her call to Emily that it would be Jason who answered the phone instead.
"Nice to see you finally dragged your ass out of bed." Anthony's sadistic voice cut through the silent room.
"Anthony," she gasped. "You scared me!"
"Good," he sneered. "What are you doing in my study all alone?"
Elizabeth could smell the stale alcohol on his breath and the faint aroma of a perfume that didn't belong to her on his body. Both aromas nauseated her. "What does it look like?" she countered sarcastically holding the phone before his glazed eyes.
"There's at least a phone in every room of this damn house. Why are you in this room of all rooms? Thinking of slipping some trade secrets to your lover?!"
"You're drunk!" Elizabeth stated.
"What if I am? You still never answered me, Elizabeth. What are you doing in my study?"
"Making a phone call."
"To who Elizabeth!?" Anthony bellowed as he ripped the receiver from her hand.
"Emily," she nearly whispered.
"Emily Morgan huh? From what I hear the Morgan family is having a rough time of it lately," Anthony feigned concern.
"You wouldn't know anything about that now would you?" As scared as she was of Anthony's wrath, Elizabeth needed what little information he might have to offer. She needed it so that just possibly she could use it in her fight to bring Jason back into her life.
"ME?!?"
"Yes, you!"
"What makes you think I am the only enemy the Morgan family has? From the looks of it, Joseph and his precious Jason have pissed off quite a few people. It's about time some of them came a callin'." Anthony smiled sinisterly.
"It was you!" Elizabeth's declaration fell from her lips before she was able to stop it. "A young woman last a child because of you... ..."
Before Elizabeth could say anymore, Anthony's face was within inches of her own. "Remember whose family you are a part of Elizabeth!" he growled. "You may be sleeping with a Morgan, but you aren't one. You are a Malucci, a Malucci until death do us part!" Anthony roughly pushed his lips into hers.
"Anthony," Rocco called from the doorway. "Let Elizabeth make her call. I have some business that I need to discuss with you."
"Just remember my dear," Anthony whispered as his lips grazed her ear, "I always finish what I start."
Elizabeth watched her husband saunter confidently out of the room. It wasn't until he was safely out of sight that she broke down in a flood of tears. Jason was right. Anthony was a madman and an unpredictable one at that. So, why weren't those things forcing her to see the world as Jason did? Instead of believing that everyone would be safer if they remained apart, Elizabeth felt just the opposite.
Jason sat across the patio table from Emily. He had been grateful when he found that she was the only one home that morning. He was too preoccupied with how to get a handle on Anthony. He knew he couldn't have withstood going through the motions with his parents that morning.
"You have been awfully quiet lately," Emily said as she watched Jason snap the morning paper in front of his face. "Jason," she continued while he attempted to hide behind pages he never intended to read.
"What?" he relented when he heard Emily tapping her brightly painted nails against the table's glass top.
"What's been wrong with you lately?"
"Nothing." That single word had become Jason's pad answer to most questions that were asked of him these days.
"Yeah right!" Emily scoffed.
"I'm working on a tricky business deal," he offered a semi-truthful answer.
"Business deal?" Emily arched her brow curiously.
"Yes, a business deal."
"Well, that's the first time I have ever heard it called that." She stifled a laugh.
"Mrs. Malucci is on the phone... ..." Rosa said as she made her way to the table phone in hand.
"Tell her I'm not here!" Jason spoke before he gave the servant an opportunity to finish her sentence.
"The call is for Miss Emily," Rosa countered unsure of what to say next.
"Oh," Jason said. He was suddenly embarrassed by his outburst.
"Thank you, Rosa." Emily eyed Jason quizzically as she got up to take the call.
Jason peaked out from behind the corner of his reading material and watched Emily chatting away with Elizabeth. His curiosity was getting the better of him and he wondered exactly what the pair was talking about. From the little he could hear of Emily's side of the conversation, it was about the Coronary Care Benefit, which would be held the following evening. "What did Elizabeth want?" Jason tried to sound nonchalant as he took a sip from his coffee cup.
"What do you care Jason? You were the one who didn't want to talk to her. Exactly why was that?" Emily asked as she took her seat. Jason shifted his eyes once again to the headline of the newspaper. He searched the recesses of his mind for an answer, one that he thought his sister would believe. "What's going on with the two of you? Elizabeth was so distracted on the phone I could barely make sense out of what she was saying."
"Was she all right?!?"
Emily took notice of how anxious Jason suddenly became. "I think so why?"
"Nothing. You just said so yourself that she seemed distracted. I was thinking that maybe something could have been wrong, with Rocco perhaps," Jason added in the hope that he had covered himself.
"Jason, what's going on here? You and Elizabeth are both acting rather strangely."
"Nothing's going on that I know of."
"Oh Jason, please, I wasn't born yesterday."
"I know," he returned.
"So stop beating around the bush and just tell me already."
"Really there's nothing to tell."
"Why didn't you want to talk to Elizabeth, Jason?"
"I just didn't, all right?" Jason strained to remain composed.
"That's not good enough. Why are you suddenly on one hand acting like you could care less about Elizabeth and on the other worried that's something is wrong with her? That doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. It doesn't to me anyway," Emily sighed.
"Em, for once could you just leave it alone?"
"NO!"
"Please, this is hard enough without having you pushing me too. I am doing what I have to do."
"What do you have to do Jason?" Emily questioned relentlessly. Jason shook his head feeling as if he was talking to Elizabeth all over again. "There is no denying that you have feelings for Elizabeth, dare I say that you love her. I know that the relationship is complicated... ..."
"Complicated?? It's beyond complicated!" Jason countered with frustration.
"Maybe I can help you."
"No one can help me."
Emily heard the defeat in her brother's voice. "Jason... ..."
"ENOUGH EMILY, ENOUGH!!" Jason shouted as he pushed his body away from the table. She watched him make a hasty retreat from the patio to the house. She knew that there was most definitely something going on between Jason and Elizabeth. She only hoped that she would have more luck getting Elizabeth to talk about it than she had with Jason.
Jason laid on the king-sized bed in his penthouse and listened to the phone ring for the umpteenth time over the last several days. Why he was torturing himself by staying in this place he hadn't a clue. The only viable conclusion was that being there kept Jason away from the strained silences and tension that surrounded him the minute he entered a room with either his father or mother. A second reason, and the more important of the two, was that his penthouse was the one place he could indulge himself with his memories of Elizabeth.
No matter how hard Jason tried he couldn't get Elizabeth off of his mind. He wasn't able to get passed the voice inside his head that constantly repeated that he had thrown away the best part of his life. It was as though when he decided to cut her from his life, he had cut his heart out with the same knife that he used to sever the ties of their relationship.
Jason pulled himself from the bed and made his way across the room. Just as he knew it would be, the hotel service light on the phone was blinking. He didn't even bother to retrieve the message. Jason was certain of its contents. It would be the same as the dozen or so messages before it. It would be Elizabeth begging for him to call her or pleading with him to rethink his decision. He erased the message without even listening to it. Each time he heard her voice it chipped away at his resolve and that was a fact that he, Elizabeth and his family couldn't afford. Nonetheless, Jason picked up the receiver and placed his daily call to Johnny. "How's your assignment going?" Jason asked before the guard had a chance to say hello.
"It's pretty easy."
"What do you mean easy?" Jason questioned.
"She hasn't set foot out of the house in days."
"What?"
"Man, I'm telling you she's never left the grounds much less the house."
Jason ran his hand over the stubble poking its way through his chin. He was unsure if this news was a good or a bad thing. All that he did know was that it left far too much up to interpretation. It would have been better if Elizabeth had been going about the business of her life. Sitting holed up in the Malucci mansion left her at Anthony's mercy, a fact that more than slightly concerned Jason. "What about Malucci?"
"Hasn't been home much as I can tell," Johnny answered.
"So, has he or hasn't he been home?" Jason countered.
"Who exactly am I supposed to be tailing here, Malucci or his wife?" Johnny already had had enough of his boss' spy game. This wasn't what he signed on for when he joined on to be one of the Morgan family soldiers. Johnny didn't see himself as a glorified baby sitter.
"Both of them!"
"So, what, I'm supposed to be in two places at once now?" Johnny quipped.
'YOU'LL BE WHEREVER I TELL YOU TO BE!!" Jason growled. "Unless of course you would prefer a permanent vacation," he said as if he had ice water flowing through his veins.
"The Mrs. never leaves the house boss, and well Malucci comes and goes at all hours," Johnny answered with an adjusted attitude. Jason's pointed remark illustrated that no matter what Johnny thought – his boss was still the boss.
"DANM!" Jason cursed.
"What do you want me to do? Should I be tailing Malucci now?"
"NO! You stay right where you are. Elizabeth is your number one priority. I'll handled Tony myself."
"Whatever you say boss."
Jason closed his clear blue eyes and let out a labored breath. The more he tried to simplify things the more complicated they seemed to get. He could only imagine what Anthony was up to. Jason wanted to believe that his erratic behavior only pointed to his endless string of goomahs, but in the back of his mind Jason knew better. He was certain that Anthony wasn't finished with the Morgans just yet. However, Jason wished that he had some idea of where and when Anthony's next strike would be.
"Elizabeth." Rocco's voice startled her.
"Huh?" she returned placing the phone in its cradle.
"Are you all right dear?"
"Yes," she lied. Elizabeth swallowed hard around the lump in her throat as she tried in vain to push back the tears that stung her soft blue eyes. Jason had forced her to leave but another message with his service. It was a message that in her heart she knew would go unanswered just like the many others before it.
"Helena is about to serve breakfast. Please won't you join me? You know how much I hate eating alone." Rocco smiled broadly.
"I'm not all that hungry."
"Elizabeth," he paused. The sadness in his daughter in law's eyes over the past several days hadn't gone unnoticed. Rocco wondered what had happened to the bubbly creature that had been ready to take on the world. "Are you sure you are feeling all right? I haven't seen you eat anything in days. Why don't I ring for the doctor?"
Rocco's concern for her caused another wave of tears to well up in her eyes. As she looked at the frail man sitting in the wheelchair before her, she would have given anything to be able to tell him what was really going on. Rocco was the last string that tied her sanity together but even that wouldn't change the fact that Rocco was still a Capo under Don Morgan. It was that fact that made Elizabeth painfully aware how truly alone she was now. "No need to bother the doctor, really. I am just a little overtired is all. The benefit is only a few days away and well I guess I am just feeling a little overwhelmed."
"If you needed more help you should have said something. I am sure I could have gotten one of the secretaries from the office to lend a hand."
"No, no really Emily and I have it under control. It was just with AJ's wife's miscarriage... ..."
"What miscarriage?" Rocco interrupted her.
"You didn't know?"
"Didn't know what?"
"There was an accident on one of the Matthews Construction sites. It was my understanding that AJ and Courtney were nearly crushed by a steel beam. Luckily that didn't happen but she did lose the baby she was carrying."
"NO!" Rocco gasped as he recalled the joy he had heard in his friend's voice when Joseph announced he was to be a grandfather for the first time.
"According to Emily, the family is taking it pretty hard."
"I can only imagine," Rocco concurred. "You said there was some sort of accident on a construction site?"
"Yes. It was a crane mishap if I remember correctly."
"Jack Matthews is known for all of the precautionary measures that he takes. It's unheard of for any of his jobs to have even a small mishap, let alone something as devastating as the things you have mentioned." The wheels in Rocco's head began to turn. There was something about all of this that just didn't sit right with him. Matthews Construction had a reputation that was above reproach. Jack Matthews and his crew had racked up countless awards for site safety and OSHA commendations. That's what made this 'accident' all the more difficult to believe.
"Rocco," Elizabeth's voice pierced his thoughts.
"Yes?"
"I'm sure Helena is waiting breakfast on us. Are you all right?" She now returned his earlier question to her.
"Yes – yes I'm fine. I just feel for Joseph and Cassandra. This baby would have been their first grandchild."
Rocco watched Elizabeth push her eggs and bacon around the plate never once bringing a single piece of food to her mouth. He too had lost his appetite. As much as he tried, Rocco couldn't keep himself from thinking that some way, some how his son was tied to what happened to AJ Morgan's wife. Rocco couldn't deny that it was far too coincidental given the way Anthony felt toward the entire Morgan family.
"Are you finished sir?" Helena asked reaching for his almost full plate of food.
"Yes – yes thank you."
"I'm also finished, Helena." Elizabeth offered her plate as well.
"Elizabeth you barely touched your food," Rocco said.
"I could say the same for you," she countered with a smile.
"I guess I lost my appetite."
"I understand. It's hard when a life is lost before it's even begun." Elizabeth's words carried a double meaning. For Rocco she had been speaking of the loss of a child but for herself she was talking about the loss of a great love.
"I should phone Joseph to express my condolences."
"I will be calling Emily shortly. Would you like me to do that for you?"
"That's sweet of you, really, but there are a few business matters that also need to be discussed. It would be better if I made the call myself."
"Okay."
"What do you need to speak with Emily about?" Rocco questioned.
"We need to arrange a time today to go to the Chicago Botanic Garden and go over the last minute seating changes and organize the presenters list for the benefit."
"I see. Well don't let me keep you from making that call."
"Rocco, are you sure you are all right?" Elizabeth watched him curiously. A dark shadow surrounded his face. It wasn't hard for her to see that he was suddenly preoccupied with something. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if Rocco had drawn the same conclusion Jason had regarding Courtney's accident.
"Yes, dear I am fine. You go busy yourself with that benefit."
Elizabeth glanced back over her shoulder at her father in law. It broke her heart to realize how his health had deteriorated over the last few years. She knew he wasn't long for the world. Each doctor's appointment brought less and less promising news. Rocco had resigned himself to the fact that he would be meeting his maker sooner rather than later, however, Elizabeth wasn't quite ready to give up hope – especially now that Rocco was her last link to any sort of normalcy. Elizabeth partly closed the door to the study. She hoped beyond hope that when she made her call to Emily that it would be Jason who answered the phone instead.
"Nice to see you finally dragged your ass out of bed." Anthony's sadistic voice cut through the silent room.
"Anthony," she gasped. "You scared me!"
"Good," he sneered. "What are you doing in my study all alone?"
Elizabeth could smell the stale alcohol on his breath and the faint aroma of a perfume that didn't belong to her on his body. Both aromas nauseated her. "What does it look like?" she countered sarcastically holding the phone before his glazed eyes.
"There's at least a phone in every room of this damn house. Why are you in this room of all rooms? Thinking of slipping some trade secrets to your lover?!"
"You're drunk!" Elizabeth stated.
"What if I am? You still never answered me, Elizabeth. What are you doing in my study?"
"Making a phone call."
"To who Elizabeth!?" Anthony bellowed as he ripped the receiver from her hand.
"Emily," she nearly whispered.
"Emily Morgan huh? From what I hear the Morgan family is having a rough time of it lately," Anthony feigned concern.
"You wouldn't know anything about that now would you?" As scared as she was of Anthony's wrath, Elizabeth needed what little information he might have to offer. She needed it so that just possibly she could use it in her fight to bring Jason back into her life.
"ME?!?"
"Yes, you!"
"What makes you think I am the only enemy the Morgan family has? From the looks of it, Joseph and his precious Jason have pissed off quite a few people. It's about time some of them came a callin'." Anthony smiled sinisterly.
"It was you!" Elizabeth's declaration fell from her lips before she was able to stop it. "A young woman last a child because of you... ..."
Before Elizabeth could say anymore, Anthony's face was within inches of her own. "Remember whose family you are a part of Elizabeth!" he growled. "You may be sleeping with a Morgan, but you aren't one. You are a Malucci, a Malucci until death do us part!" Anthony roughly pushed his lips into hers.
"Anthony," Rocco called from the doorway. "Let Elizabeth make her call. I have some business that I need to discuss with you."
"Just remember my dear," Anthony whispered as his lips grazed her ear, "I always finish what I start."
Elizabeth watched her husband saunter confidently out of the room. It wasn't until he was safely out of sight that she broke down in a flood of tears. Jason was right. Anthony was a madman and an unpredictable one at that. So, why weren't those things forcing her to see the world as Jason did? Instead of believing that everyone would be safer if they remained apart, Elizabeth felt just the opposite.
Jason sat across the patio table from Emily. He had been grateful when he found that she was the only one home that morning. He was too preoccupied with how to get a handle on Anthony. He knew he couldn't have withstood going through the motions with his parents that morning.
"You have been awfully quiet lately," Emily said as she watched Jason snap the morning paper in front of his face. "Jason," she continued while he attempted to hide behind pages he never intended to read.
"What?" he relented when he heard Emily tapping her brightly painted nails against the table's glass top.
"What's been wrong with you lately?"
"Nothing." That single word had become Jason's pad answer to most questions that were asked of him these days.
"Yeah right!" Emily scoffed.
"I'm working on a tricky business deal," he offered a semi-truthful answer.
"Business deal?" Emily arched her brow curiously.
"Yes, a business deal."
"Well, that's the first time I have ever heard it called that." She stifled a laugh.
"Mrs. Malucci is on the phone... ..." Rosa said as she made her way to the table phone in hand.
"Tell her I'm not here!" Jason spoke before he gave the servant an opportunity to finish her sentence.
"The call is for Miss Emily," Rosa countered unsure of what to say next.
"Oh," Jason said. He was suddenly embarrassed by his outburst.
"Thank you, Rosa." Emily eyed Jason quizzically as she got up to take the call.
Jason peaked out from behind the corner of his reading material and watched Emily chatting away with Elizabeth. His curiosity was getting the better of him and he wondered exactly what the pair was talking about. From the little he could hear of Emily's side of the conversation, it was about the Coronary Care Benefit, which would be held the following evening. "What did Elizabeth want?" Jason tried to sound nonchalant as he took a sip from his coffee cup.
"What do you care Jason? You were the one who didn't want to talk to her. Exactly why was that?" Emily asked as she took her seat. Jason shifted his eyes once again to the headline of the newspaper. He searched the recesses of his mind for an answer, one that he thought his sister would believe. "What's going on with the two of you? Elizabeth was so distracted on the phone I could barely make sense out of what she was saying."
"Was she all right?!?"
Emily took notice of how anxious Jason suddenly became. "I think so why?"
"Nothing. You just said so yourself that she seemed distracted. I was thinking that maybe something could have been wrong, with Rocco perhaps," Jason added in the hope that he had covered himself.
"Jason, what's going on here? You and Elizabeth are both acting rather strangely."
"Nothing's going on that I know of."
"Oh Jason, please, I wasn't born yesterday."
"I know," he returned.
"So stop beating around the bush and just tell me already."
"Really there's nothing to tell."
"Why didn't you want to talk to Elizabeth, Jason?"
"I just didn't, all right?" Jason strained to remain composed.
"That's not good enough. Why are you suddenly on one hand acting like you could care less about Elizabeth and on the other worried that's something is wrong with her? That doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. It doesn't to me anyway," Emily sighed.
"Em, for once could you just leave it alone?"
"NO!"
"Please, this is hard enough without having you pushing me too. I am doing what I have to do."
"What do you have to do Jason?" Emily questioned relentlessly. Jason shook his head feeling as if he was talking to Elizabeth all over again. "There is no denying that you have feelings for Elizabeth, dare I say that you love her. I know that the relationship is complicated... ..."
"Complicated?? It's beyond complicated!" Jason countered with frustration.
"Maybe I can help you."
"No one can help me."
Emily heard the defeat in her brother's voice. "Jason... ..."
"ENOUGH EMILY, ENOUGH!!" Jason shouted as he pushed his body away from the table. She watched him make a hasty retreat from the patio to the house. She knew that there was most definitely something going on between Jason and Elizabeth. She only hoped that she would have more luck getting Elizabeth to talk about it than she had with Jason.