"You touched my heart you touched my soul, you changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when, my heart was blinded by you. I've kissed your lips and held your hand, shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell. I've been addicted to you."

James Blunt, Goodbye My Lover

Effy sat at her dressing table applying the finishing touches of her make up as the party started getting underway. Today was the what she liked to call the annual Dan Scott Ravens kiss ass party which basically involved the varsity team players, their families and sponsors basically coming over for a huge party and Dan being his egocentric self and showing off to all who could see. Already he had somehow managed to sneak himself into the speech despite the fact it was supposed to be about the team. But Dan Scott tended to believe that there was such a thing as the word I in team. This was the last place that Effy had wanted to be given that it involved being around Dan and pretending like she was fond of him and basketball. But Team Scott had to show unity and Effy was getting paid $300 for the entire night and an extra $200 if she didn't pull any stunt that would show Dan or the family up in anyway. Effy found herself agreeing to her father's terms although she had made her father hand her the money upfront otherwise she was going to be a no show and Dan had actually forked over the cash. Not to mention Deb had given Effy an extra $200 for what Effy would describe as compensation for any emotional distress she was under for having to pretend like she was fond of Dan. Effy had earned herself a small and tidy little sum for just walking around her house, talking to guests and playing a good host. So now Effy was all dressed in a nice pretty and appropriate dress, all ready to play the doting daughter and basketball enthusiast, up until 11pm when she was off the clock.

"Effy? The guests have started to arrive." Dan slowly began and looking through the mirror on her dressing table Effy could see her father standing in the doorway

"You don't need to be checking up on me every ten minutes Dan, I said I'd be here for this stupid thing and look I haven't taken off and I'm ready to play stupid happy families this afternoon for the sake of your pride." Effy spat in as she glared at her father through her mirror.

"I appreciate you staying for the party Lizzy, I know all of this isn't you thing, but it means a lot to me, that you've stayed." Dan said and Effy grimaced as she stood up from her stool and made her way towards her father, careful not to touch him in any way or from as if she might become as nasty and selfish like him from one single touch.

"I'm not doing this for you Dan, this party is about the team and I'm only doing it for the cash and don't call me Lizzy, it's Elizabeth to you." Effy snarled as she walked past Dan and out of her room, whilst Effy preferred being called Effy, she was occasionally called Liz or Elizabeth. Effy hated being called Lizzy, although Brooke and Nathan sometimes called her Lizzy and Effy didn't really have too much of a problem. But Dan calling her Lizzy? That really irritated Effy more than she already was father. So Effy figured that she would avoid him for most of this ridiculous party whilst fulfilling her duties as playing a gracious host and good daughter. Effy made her way downstairs and already there were close to about a dozen and a half guests already. As she idly walked around the bottom of her house Effy was shaking hands and smiling at several people and even after a few minutes she was bored. It was going to be a long night and as she went to the kitchen for a bit of a break and to grab a small snack Effy ran into Nathan. "This party is going to suck some major ass."

"Cheer up Eff, Jajelski will be here soon enough." Nathan quipped as he gently nudged Effy in the ribs and she couldn't help but smile and partly look away as she felt her cheeks getting a bit warm.

"I can't believe I told you about that." Effy replied, over the last few days things had changed quite a bit between her and Nathan since that night when they came home from the away game and talked. A lot of home truths had come out that night but since then the two of them had been talking as in having actual conversations. They were a long way from being fixed and things wouldn't be like they used to be but both Effy and Nathan were trying once again, it was going to take some time to fully repair their relationship but they were on their way to really being brother and sister again.

"Neither can I but I'm not surprised if I'm honest." Nathan said in an all knowing yet cryptic manner.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Effy asked.

"Nothing."

"Enough about my love life? What about yours? Does the name Haley James ring a bell?" Effy quizzed and she couldn't help but notice a familiar shy smile appear on her brother's face. Although Peyton was one of Effy's closest friend, she knew that her and Nathan were better off apart as they were just a mess together. But Haley, seemed to be a good fit for Nathan and seemed to be having quite an effect on Nathan as had been acting less like an ass recently. "I thought so, why didn't you invite her to Dan's kiss ass party."

"I wanted to spare her from this." Nathan replied.

"Lucky girl."

"This is nice, the two of us talking again." Nathan eventually replied and Effy nodded in agreement.

"Yeah it is, look I've got to run as I have to do my money's worth or work but I'll catch you around and please feel free to come and save me if I get sucked into any conversation that involves Dan. Apparently I have to hand the money back if I bad mouth our father…"

If there was one thing that Effy hated most in the world then it was narcissists and she lived with one. Dan was perhaps the most egotistical person Effy knew as he seemed to make everything about him! Even this party which was for the players, it seemed like Dan couldn't help himself as he made a reference to the father and son game a few days ago in which the father's had beat the son no thanks to Dan's underhand tactics. It was pretty clear to Effy that her father wasn't aware that there was no I in team especially when he was playing for a team he hadn't played for in almost 18 years. So when the speech was over Effy was very much relieved as no money could get back the last five minutes of her life in which she had heard Dan going on about how great the Ravens were. It was stuff that Effy had been hearing about from the day she was born, the only difference from today and every other day of her life was that Dan wasn't criticizing Coach Durham and making out that Nathan was the only star of the team. For the duration of her father's speech, Effy couldn't believe what she was hearing as it was like she was hearing someone else speak who looked like Dan and sounded like him but wasn't Dan. It was surreal. But Effy knew she couldn't gawk for too long and set about getting back to pretending like she was having a good time. However she decided to take a bit of small break and she had been talking with a lot of people for over an hour and this was a party after all and she was part of this community albeit rather reluctantly.

"Uncle Keith!"

"Well if it isn't my favourite niece." Keith replied as Effy made her way over and as she did Effy spotted Keith with a small dark haired woman, Effy had seen her several times over the years to know that she was Lucas's mother Karen Roe. "You remember Lucas' mother Karen."

"Hi Ms. Roe, I'm so glad that you and Uncle Keith could make it, was Lucas able to make it to the party?" Effy asked in her bets polite manner, she hadn't really spoke to Lucas' mother before but Effy had admired her for how she dealt with everything. She had been a teenager when Dan had gotten pregnant and abandoned her and then raised Lucas all by herself. It was admirable and she had clearly done a very good job as Lucas had turned out better than Effy and Nathan combined. No doubt because of the lack of Dan, Lucas had in his life growing up.

"Lucas is here somewhere Elizabeth, I've heard so much about you from both Keith and Lucas so it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Karen replied in a polite tone of voice and Effy couldn't help but realize that being here must be hard for Karen. To see what her and Lucas had been denied and have it flaunted in front of her.

"Me too, so please call me Effy or Liz."

"If you'll only call Karen."

"So how much are you getting paid for this shindig?" Keith asked getting rid of the awkward tension before it could even arrive and Effy couldn't help but grin, her uncle knew her very well.

"$700 although I reckon I could swing a bit more money on." Effy announced and Karen looked shocked whilst Keith looked impressed and let out a low whistle. "It's under the provision that I stay here for the duration of the party, behave myself and don't embarrass Dan or talk bad about him. I'm then getting hazard pay from Deb for all my efforts. So if Dan asks, I'll need you to tell him that I have been a polite and gracious hostess. If I pull this off then I'll have him off my back for a coupe of weeks at least.

"Well I doubt Dan will ask us but if he does I will give you a glowing review Effy." Keith promised and Effy grinned before quickly glancing over her shoulders to make sure that Dan wasn't anywhere in sight. Effy knew that there had been an incident last week involving Keith and Dan, it was bad for Effy to say this but she fully supported her uncle as Keith was the kind and supportive brother and generally the complete opposite of Dan. When Dan had abandoned Karen, Keith was the one who stepped up and looked out for Karen and Lucas, in Effy's opinion Keith was a great man whilst Dan was a coward. Sometimes Effy found it hard to believe that Dan and Keith were related at times, they were even more different that her and Nathan as well as Lucas!

Chatting to Karen and Keith for a little while longer, Effy had to eventually had to get back to playing the role that she had been assigned to for the evening. But there were a few minutes were Effy got to spend with her friends and chat to them, including Jake who had finally arrived but Effy couldn't even get a chance to speak to him as she kept being asked to speak to various people. That went on for close to two and a half hours until Deb finally intervened, she told Effy that she could finally stop and hag out with her friends and to finally have some fun. Deb even gave Effy a small glass off wine in a red cup to reward her. Effy rewarded her mother with a smile before finally taking off. But before Effy went to join her friends, she needed a little time to relax after talking to lots of people she didn't care about. So she went down to the backyard and sat down at her childhood swing and just sat with her glass of wine and started to relax. It was a beautiful day and this party hadn't been as horrendous as she had thought it would be, only hours ago.

"You do know there's a party going on?"

"Hey Jake" Effy replied as Jake came down and sat on the swing that was beside her, he looked very handsome in his suit and tie. Effy was pleased to see him, well she was always happy to see him as Jake had the ability to make everything better. Effy liked being in his company as things were never boring between the, they never seemed to run out of things to do or say. Jake wasn't like a typical jock, he liked to read and he played the guitar and he had this easy going personality that was infections. Jake was never one to say anything bad about anyone, he seemed to always see the good in people. A quality that Effy didn't have. "Having fun?"

"Yeah although I haven't been able to spend any time with the person who I really wanted to see today. She just seems to be always busy talking to someone, you might know her actually. Elizabeth Scott? She tends to go by Effy most of the time, she had dark hair, beautiful blue eyes along with a pale complexion and she's wearing a stunning black dress." Jake stated in a playful manner and Effy couldn't help but smile as she drank the contents of her cup.

"She sounds familiar." Effy quipped.

"You look beautiful Elizabeth." Jake stated and Effy looked down as she could feel her cheeks getting a tad bit warmer but she glanced briefly over at Jake to see he wasn't laugh or playing this off as a joke, he was being dead serious. It caused Effy's stomach to flutter as she never been told by anyone that she was beautiful, occasionally people said she was nice looking but never beautiful. Until now.

"You scrub up nicely yourself." Effy replied returning the compliment.

"I can't help but notice that you seem a lot happier lately Eff, I'm glad to see that as you deserve to be happy. I'm glad that you're happy." Jake stated and Effy couldn't help but laugh as if only Jake knew. He had no idea what he was what made her happy and kept her sane everyday, sure her and Nathan making an effort with each other and getting along for once made her happy. But it wasn't the whole reason that Effy was happy.

"I feel happy, despite all the craziness that's been going on recently and you've been a big part of that Jake… I'm sorry for how I've been lately; I know it hasn't been easy on you to put up with me. It's just been such a confusing time for me lately and I'm sorry to have dragged you into all of my messes when it's not fair on you and most importantly it was way too much to ask. You deserve better than me…" Effy quietly said and she was surprised moments later when Jake's hand slid into hers and from where she sat on her swing Effy looked at their two hands entwined together before looking up at Jake. There was this feeling in her chest that excited her from the way he was looking at her with his light brown eyes, then his hands touching her. Jake was so familiar to Effy and yet there was stuff that she took for granted and never really noticed like the laughter lines he had in the corner of his eyes and the softness of his hands compared to hers which felt tiny and warm in his grasp.

"She is a mortal danger to all men. She is beautiful without knowing it, and possesses charms that she's not even aware of. She is like a trap set by nature - a sweet perfumed rose in whose petals Cupid lurks in ambush! Anyone who has seen her smile has known perfection. She instills grace in every common thing and divinity in every careless gesture. Venus in her shell was never so lovely, and Diana in the forest never so graceful as you." Jake replied and it took Effy a moment to realize where she knew that from and it eventually it came to her; Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. A French play that she adored.

"Jake…" Effy slowly began as Jake got up from the swing and stood up in front of Effy and pulled her up so the two of them were both standing up and facing each other and Effy didn't know what to say as she was convinced that her heart was about to leap out of her chest at any moment now.

"I want to be here for you, I want to make you happy Effy." Jake replied and Effy was pretty certain she knew what Jake was saying, or rather implying as the two of them wouldn't be here if they were nothing less than friends. He felt the same about her.

"Even if I'm some kind of brat with daddy issues and a rather large chip on my shoulder?" Effy questioned and Jake surprised her by placing his right hand on her cheek whilst laughing and Effy could quite clearly see his laughter lines. If this was a dream than Effy didn't want to wake up from it.

"I think you are very well refined Elizabeth Scott." Jake replied as Effy could only watch him as he eyed her curiously, maybe it was because he could hear her heart beating so loudly. Effy was certain that it was beating loud enough to deafen her as it was that loud but Jake didn't comment on it. Instead he chose to kiss her and Effy was very surprise at first, it wasn't because of the kiss as she was used to being kissed but not by Jake. It was different from all those other guys, maybe it was because she was being kissed by somebody who actually meant something to her and not some stranger she had just met. The kiss was long and soft but yet it was Jake was kissing her like the way he talked to Effy; his attention entirely focused on her as if nobody else mattered except the two of them and as she kissed him back Effy came to realize that she could love this kind, classy and considerate man forever.