Chapter Three

Carly slid closer to Jason on the couch. She lifted his arm off the back of the couch and curled up underneath it, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Life sucks, sometimes, huh?" she asked

"Yeah."

"I tried to use Jax to forget all that for a while. But it didn't work. I lied for him to be able to keep baby John but it didn't make him love me. He left me anyway."

"He's an idiot."

"No. He just isn't the one for me."

"The one?"Jason asked sadly " Haven't you given up on that yet?"

"Never."

"How's that working for you?"

She made a hmpf sound and said, "Not so hot but still... what other option is there? Give up on love altogether? What fun would life be then?"

"You call what we have been through fun?"

She lifted her head. She smiled at him, flirting, " I call all we've done together a hell of a good time."

He gave her a half smile.

She plopped her head onto his chest and put an arm around him. Smiling she said, " You can't deny that's true."

Jason smiled, shaking his head at the way she could be so bold.

When he fell into bed last night he was miserable. No matter how he looked at his current situation it seemed hopeless. Going back to Sam would never work after all that had happened. Being with Liz, who had told him the day before she had no intention of leaving Lucky, was not an option.

Liz would not bring her child into his dangerous lifestyle and he couldn't fault her for that. Sam would take the risk, she said, but all Jason could see when he saw her now was pain. A bullet in her back, Ric's filthy mouth on her, her tears for the baby they lost , for the child he would not have with her now. Just too much pain to ever go away.

By midnight last night, he was drunk and pissed off at the way things turned out. He started getting rid of every trace of Sam in the apartment, then everything that reminded him of her, and that is when he stumbled upon a phot album filled with old pictures of Michael and Carly. He tried to toss the whole thing in the fire, where baby clothes and things that belonged to Sam were already burning, but his fingers wouldn't let go. Instead he pulled out some pictures of carly and him together, back when they planned to always stay that way, and threw them at the flames. Some fell around his feet, some burned, and that was when he turned and walked up to bed.

Jason had tried telling himself he didn't care if he was alone. But that wasn't true.

He hated feeling like his life was only work. He had done that grind for too many years and it was one lonely existence he did not want to ever go back to.

But now here was Carly, showing up at the crack of dawn, determined to make him smile. How did she know I needed her?, he asked himself silently

"Hey Jase?"

"Yeah?"

"Now that we are going to be roommates and all..."

"Temporary roommates. How long does it take to fumigate a house? A day or two?"

"Could be months. I have big bugs. They scare Morgan. You don't expect your namesake to live like that do you?"

"This is the first I've heard about any bugs, Carly."

"Anyway," she said " I think it's time we finally do it."

"Do what?"

"What I suggested we do years ago. It was a good plan. One of my many good plans you have ignored, by the way."

"I don't think so."

"You don't even know what it is!"

"It's a plan you cooked up. That's all I need to know."

She lifted her head again. She joked, " You wound me, Jase, seriously."

He chuckled. "Okay, fine, what is it?"

Excitedly Carly said " We should get those phones where only I have the number for yours and you have the number for mine."

"Not this again!" he laughed " You are not bringing up the phone thing again..."

She kept talking as if she hadn't heard him. "That way we can always be in contact with each other. And if it rings you know it is me and that you should drop everything else and answer it right away because I might need you."

"I already do that when you call, Carly."

"True." She titled her head at him and smiled "But the phones would be cool to have, don't you think?"

"No."

"Come on."

Carly was starting to make him feel better. Jason almost didn't want to cheer up because it wouldn't change anything. He had to accept he was on his own in life.

The smile slipped from his face. He said, " You don't have to do this, you know. You don't have to stay here."

"Yes, I do. If you need me, I do.."

Their eyes met for a minute.

He stood up and walked to the window. His finger traced the crack from when a bullet came through months ago.

Quietly he said, "You have the boys to go home to. You don't have to baby sit me, Carly. I'm not Sonny. I won't hurt myself if you leave me alone."

She stood up and walked over until she stood behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his back.

"This is where I want to be, Jase."

And I am telling you

I'm not going,

even though the rough times are showing.

There's just no way, there's no way! ...

I'm staying, I'm staying,

And you, and you, and you,

you're gonna love me.

Dreamgirls lyrics