Who is Elizabeth?
Chapter 17
Jason's Penthouse
Summer was in the kitchen cooking dinner while Elizabeth sat out on the balcony smoking and thinking about the first group session. Elizabeth wished she could forget the smell and the touch of the animals that had attacked her. She tensed as she heard someone walk onto the balcony. "Muffin, I need to talk to you."
"Carly, what do you want?" Elizabeth sighed; talking to Carly was not something she needed today.
"Listen, I am trying to be civil, but you won't even talk to Sonny."
Elizabeth didn't feel like getting a lecture on being nice to Sonny, so she interrupted Carly before she could get started. "Carly, Sonny and I have things to work out, but I am not in the mood to do it right now. And it is none of your business anyway. Was that all?"
Carly's mouth hung open for a second, "See this is what I am talking about. I don't know how to have a civil conversation with you."
At that moment Jason walked out onto the balcony. "Carly, what are you doing here?"
"I was just trying to talk to...Elizabeth. However, as usual she is rude and just dismisses me."
"Carly, this is not the time." Jason sighed and looked between the two women.
"No, Jason, Carly wants me to have a conversation. So let's see what topic she wants to pick." Carly looked shocked and didn't speak. "Maybe you want to discuss the way I can't look into the mirror without seeing the fear." When Carly wouldn't meet Elizabeth's eyes she continued. "No, okay how about when anyone tries to touch me my skin crawls because I still feel those MONSTERS TOUCHING ME. OF COURSE NOT, CARLY WANTS TO DISCUSS SONNY AND HOW I AM BEING UNFAIR TO SONNY. NEVER MIND THAT THE MAN TURNED HIS BACK ON ME WAY BEFORE I DECIDED NOT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM. WELL GUESS WHAT I DON'T GIVE A FUCK HOW SONNY OR YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW, CARLY."
Elizabeth was shouting and Jason wasn't sure what to do. "Carly, I think you should go."
"No thinking about it you will go. What in the hell were you thinking you bitch?" Summer stood glaring at Carly. "Jason take Elizabeth upstairs while Carlybabes and I have a little chat."
"Summer..."
"Jason, I don't care what you think or want right now it's about Elizabeth. Elizabeth can't handle this right now and you either keep her safe or get in the way. Don't make me take you both on because I will. Now please take Elizabeth upstairs."
Jason looked toward Elizabeth and could see her trembling. From the look on Elizabeth's face he wasn't sure she even was aware of what was happening. God he almost did it again, when was he going to learn to stand by her and not let Carly interfere. Touching her arm gently Jason asked, "Elizabeth will you come upstairs with me for a little while. I think you should rest." Without speaking she walked into the penthouse and started up the stairs. As Jason followed he saw her stumble on the stairs. Quickly Jason gathered Elizabeth into his arms and made his way up to her room. As Jason sat Elizabeth on her bed she started to cry. Other than Elizabeth's breakdown with her Grams and the nightmares that plagued her she had managed to keep the tears at bay, but now she couldn't stop them. "I...I...I don't know if I can do this."
Holding Elizabeth's hand and gently rubbing her back Jason tried to comfort her. "Elizabeth I know you can." Seeing the doubt on her beautiful face almost crushed Jason. "Elizabeth you are the strongest person I know. You inspire me to be a better person." Jason saw I glimmer of belief in Elizabeth's eyes and held onto it. No matter what he had to do Jason was going to help Elizabeth get her life back.
Meanwhile downstairs
Carly tried to push pass Summer; "I don't have time for your show of tough girl attitude."
Summer grabbed Carly and put her in a chair. "Trust me Carly there is no show. You are going to sit and listen and when I am done you can go." Carly tried to get up and Summer held her shoulders down and got into her face. "We can do it easy or hard, you decide bitch. Personally I would love for you to let me do it the hard way." At Carly's slump in the chair Summer stood up and looked down on her. "You really do amaze me, right off I pegged your trail trash ass, but you do like to pretend don't you." Carly opened her mouth, but Summer waved her off. "Don't try girl it's obvious poor girl made it big. Now I am not afraid of some Mafioso's wife and I don't think you want to explain yourself anyway. From now on you will leave Elizabeth alone. I see you near her or harassing her you will remember why you wanted to escape those trailer parks. Got me!"
"Whatever!"
"No not whatever. Do you know can you even imagine what that woman upstairs had endured and now is trying to overcome? Can you possibly fathom what it must be like to then discover the reason you went through it all was someone was trying to make your father pay? And on top of it all your father is someone who forgot you existed and pushed your boyfriend together with a sister he didn't even know. Never mind the fact that she stood by you psychos against everyone she ever knew and loved, let's just dump Lizzie she doesn't matter anyway. Isn't that right?" Carly was starting to look uncomfortable and Summer knew she was getting to her. "Well, Carlybabes got something to say?"
"I...whoa...we really did that to her didn't we." Carly looked down at her hands. "I never got along with Elizabeth, but she was so nice to me when she thought Sonny died. I didn't even think about that, how she must have felt." Carly stood and looked at Summer. "When Elizabeth is ready to talk to Sonny I won't interfere and maybe someday we can find a way to get along. I am not making promises, but I better start trying or I may lose everything."
As Carly walked out Summer shook her head. Some people she just wouldn't ever stop wanting to knock down a peg and Carly looked like she might be one of them. "Let's hope she meant what she said," Summer mumbled heading back to the kitchen.
Chapter 17
Jason's Penthouse
Summer was in the kitchen cooking dinner while Elizabeth sat out on the balcony smoking and thinking about the first group session. Elizabeth wished she could forget the smell and the touch of the animals that had attacked her. She tensed as she heard someone walk onto the balcony. "Muffin, I need to talk to you."
"Carly, what do you want?" Elizabeth sighed; talking to Carly was not something she needed today.
"Listen, I am trying to be civil, but you won't even talk to Sonny."
Elizabeth didn't feel like getting a lecture on being nice to Sonny, so she interrupted Carly before she could get started. "Carly, Sonny and I have things to work out, but I am not in the mood to do it right now. And it is none of your business anyway. Was that all?"
Carly's mouth hung open for a second, "See this is what I am talking about. I don't know how to have a civil conversation with you."
At that moment Jason walked out onto the balcony. "Carly, what are you doing here?"
"I was just trying to talk to...Elizabeth. However, as usual she is rude and just dismisses me."
"Carly, this is not the time." Jason sighed and looked between the two women.
"No, Jason, Carly wants me to have a conversation. So let's see what topic she wants to pick." Carly looked shocked and didn't speak. "Maybe you want to discuss the way I can't look into the mirror without seeing the fear." When Carly wouldn't meet Elizabeth's eyes she continued. "No, okay how about when anyone tries to touch me my skin crawls because I still feel those MONSTERS TOUCHING ME. OF COURSE NOT, CARLY WANTS TO DISCUSS SONNY AND HOW I AM BEING UNFAIR TO SONNY. NEVER MIND THAT THE MAN TURNED HIS BACK ON ME WAY BEFORE I DECIDED NOT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM. WELL GUESS WHAT I DON'T GIVE A FUCK HOW SONNY OR YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW, CARLY."
Elizabeth was shouting and Jason wasn't sure what to do. "Carly, I think you should go."
"No thinking about it you will go. What in the hell were you thinking you bitch?" Summer stood glaring at Carly. "Jason take Elizabeth upstairs while Carlybabes and I have a little chat."
"Summer..."
"Jason, I don't care what you think or want right now it's about Elizabeth. Elizabeth can't handle this right now and you either keep her safe or get in the way. Don't make me take you both on because I will. Now please take Elizabeth upstairs."
Jason looked toward Elizabeth and could see her trembling. From the look on Elizabeth's face he wasn't sure she even was aware of what was happening. God he almost did it again, when was he going to learn to stand by her and not let Carly interfere. Touching her arm gently Jason asked, "Elizabeth will you come upstairs with me for a little while. I think you should rest." Without speaking she walked into the penthouse and started up the stairs. As Jason followed he saw her stumble on the stairs. Quickly Jason gathered Elizabeth into his arms and made his way up to her room. As Jason sat Elizabeth on her bed she started to cry. Other than Elizabeth's breakdown with her Grams and the nightmares that plagued her she had managed to keep the tears at bay, but now she couldn't stop them. "I...I...I don't know if I can do this."
Holding Elizabeth's hand and gently rubbing her back Jason tried to comfort her. "Elizabeth I know you can." Seeing the doubt on her beautiful face almost crushed Jason. "Elizabeth you are the strongest person I know. You inspire me to be a better person." Jason saw I glimmer of belief in Elizabeth's eyes and held onto it. No matter what he had to do Jason was going to help Elizabeth get her life back.
Meanwhile downstairs
Carly tried to push pass Summer; "I don't have time for your show of tough girl attitude."
Summer grabbed Carly and put her in a chair. "Trust me Carly there is no show. You are going to sit and listen and when I am done you can go." Carly tried to get up and Summer held her shoulders down and got into her face. "We can do it easy or hard, you decide bitch. Personally I would love for you to let me do it the hard way." At Carly's slump in the chair Summer stood up and looked down on her. "You really do amaze me, right off I pegged your trail trash ass, but you do like to pretend don't you." Carly opened her mouth, but Summer waved her off. "Don't try girl it's obvious poor girl made it big. Now I am not afraid of some Mafioso's wife and I don't think you want to explain yourself anyway. From now on you will leave Elizabeth alone. I see you near her or harassing her you will remember why you wanted to escape those trailer parks. Got me!"
"Whatever!"
"No not whatever. Do you know can you even imagine what that woman upstairs had endured and now is trying to overcome? Can you possibly fathom what it must be like to then discover the reason you went through it all was someone was trying to make your father pay? And on top of it all your father is someone who forgot you existed and pushed your boyfriend together with a sister he didn't even know. Never mind the fact that she stood by you psychos against everyone she ever knew and loved, let's just dump Lizzie she doesn't matter anyway. Isn't that right?" Carly was starting to look uncomfortable and Summer knew she was getting to her. "Well, Carlybabes got something to say?"
"I...whoa...we really did that to her didn't we." Carly looked down at her hands. "I never got along with Elizabeth, but she was so nice to me when she thought Sonny died. I didn't even think about that, how she must have felt." Carly stood and looked at Summer. "When Elizabeth is ready to talk to Sonny I won't interfere and maybe someday we can find a way to get along. I am not making promises, but I better start trying or I may lose everything."
As Carly walked out Summer shook her head. Some people she just wouldn't ever stop wanting to knock down a peg and Carly looked like she might be one of them. "Let's hope she meant what she said," Summer mumbled heading back to the kitchen.