A/N: Put in an easter-egg sentence that is a reference to a famous poem. Bonus points if you find it and can guess the poem. For the readers that think it's impossible or even strange to have a friendly and healthy relationship with an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, it is not, trust me. If two people are mature enough to not hold any grudges, then staying friends is entirely possible. The friendship between Liza/Menelik and Daisy/Jason is NOT some weird sexually tensioned cheating couple type situation. All four of them are JUST very good friends. Simple as that.

Chapter 9: {Same Color As Her Eyes} (updated)

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(A Few Days Later)

Was it a stupid idea?

Probably.

Jason had been holding onto an engagement ring for quite some time now. Problem was, he just couldn't ever find the right time to propose. In addition to that dilemma, Jason still hasn't told Daisy the truth about that day.

How could muster the courage and conviction to get down on one knee and open up a velvet covered box containing an engagement ring with a beautiful blue sapphire gemstone and propose to Daisy?

He thought they color of gemstone to be particularly romantic. Sapphire was the same color as Daisy's eyes. Jason knew that most men proposed to their woman with an engagement ring studded with a crystal clear diamond, rather than a ring featuring a sapphire.

But how could he have the courage to ask Daisy for her hand in marriage? Especially since he still hasn't found the courage to be honest about what really happened that day where Jason engorged himself with the strangely sick pleasure of raping Daisy?

But he hoped that when the day came for him to finally wrestle up the courage to tell Daisy the truth, that maybe if they were married, then their marital status might be enough for Daisy to forgive him and move on now that she and him were now in a lifelong commitment of love and honesty.

Marriage… with Daisy.

Three years ago this idea would have never even crossed my mind. If I was to marry any girl three years ago, it would have been Liza. And if she would have said yes, that I would have been one of the luckiest and most fortunate men in history. To have a woman as flawless and perfect as Liza as a wife, no sane man could have wished for better than her.

That would have been so. Me and Liza. Together forever.

Only… after I met Daisy… a wrench had been thrown into that plan.

As perfect a woman as Liza is, Daisy was who my heart ached for, longed for, always on my mind, any effort to cease my continuous obsession with her, was in vain.

But would simply being married be enough to keep us together after I spill my guts to her and tell her the truth? It's not like Daisy couldn't just divorce me anyway.

"So… yeah. What are your thoughts, or opinion on what I should do?" Jason requested.

"Hmm… well…" Liza gave the bare minimum of a response as she fixed her eyes on her cup of coffee in her hands.

Hey! I got a good one!

Ever hear the joke about the ex-boyfriend asking his ex-girlfriend, an ex-girlfriend who is now the ex-boyfriend's best friend, for her advice on what he should do in regards to proposing to his former best friend, oh yeah, who was also his dead brother's girlfriend, but is now his girlfriend?

Yeah, me neither.

Doesn't sound like a good joke at all.

Right after she voiced her non-interpretable response in the most basic form of modern English, Liza took a long drink out of her cup.

Jason's eyes beamed at Liza's face. Intimidation was not his intention, Jason was simply anxious in anticipation of her friendly advice. But he had the intelligence of a realization that if Liza might look up at his face, he would appear like a creepy wingnut for staring at her as intensely as he was.

So before she could even look him in the eyes, Jason redirected his gaze to stare out the window and observe the beach scene outside.

In the two years that he had returned to his hometown, Jason had still yet to regain the charming and friendly personality that he wished he still had. It was his primary personality. The persona of a happy, funny, charming guy who just ever wanted to live life to its fullest potential.

But those islands seemed to have harvested that desirable and expertly honed trait of his right out of his very soul, and the reaper left only a two personalities.

Opposite personalities that were in a never ending war to try and capture Jason's mind entirely, completely destroying their defeated opponent, leaving nothing to salvage of either personality once victory is achieved.

Daisy, Liza, Menelik, all good people. The kind of people I need to latch onto, as they are the shining example of the type of person that I once was. And that man was the polar opposite of the type of man that Citra created.

My murderous quest began as a simple hero's journey to rescue the people that meant the world to me. My friends, my girlfriend, my little brother, and my best friend, Daisy. But after meeting Citra, my hero's journey became more than just the noble crusade of rescuing my innocent friends.

Citra turned me into a monster. Or did she simply give me the strength to show the world the monster that had always been hidden deep down inside of my soul?

As I ran away from Vaas's camp, leaving my dead brother Grant behind, I had killed my first man. A pirate jumped on top of me from above and he had attempted to thrust his combat knife into my chest.

But pure adrenaline had replaced my blood and I discovered that I had this inhuman strength and comic book level of power tucked away inside of my body, just waiting to be unleashed. That's when I effortlessly overpowered the pirate, and turned his own knife against him, easily piercing his vile skin and killing him instantly.

The mixed feeling of enjoyment, anxiety, and horror at killing my first human being was too much to bear. I could barely focus on finding my footing as I ran through the jungle. My motor controls were severely impaired as my brain was still using its entire power to attempt and process my confused emotions.

After tripping through the thick foliage that was so alien to an average Joe from Santa Monica California, I made my way to an old rickety bridge.

After that bridge snapped in half, I fell into that ravine and was trapped in the current of that creek, a narrow but fiercely powerful waterway.

My body under the water, not knowing if I would ever be able to emerge head first out of that murky tropical water. I had almost decided to stop fighting back against my inevitable demise. To just stop squirming and let the skeleton hand of death extract my soul.

After… after Grant died… in my arms… this misadventure was almost too much to bear. And I just wanted this story to end, and If that meant dying before I even made in to the halfway point of the story and not seeing the conclusion of this fucked up adventure, then I was fine with that.

But I never would have seen my mother, my little brother, my friends, Liza, or Daisy ever again. And I owed it to them to fight on. To rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Unfinished business with Daisy…

And it was there… I could have sworn that the eager hand of Death had dipped down into the murky depths of that tropical water. As if he was lending his skeleton hand to give me mercy. The mercy of death.

But my attitude changed in a heartbeat as I thought of Daisy.

Refusal was my only answer to the Grim Reaper. But I wasn't without practical reasoning. I will let him take me when it is truly my time to jump off this mortal plain.

However, not before I became a hero. The Specter had to at least consider my proposal.

With my head under water and my life flashing before my eyes, I decided to make a deal with the skeleton Specter of Death.

Let me save them all before you take me. Riley, Oliver, Keith, Liza, and Daisy.

And Death, he was sympathetic to my plight. He was inclined to let me renegotiate our deal, changing the terms slightly to allow me to tell Daisy that I love her. And have been in love with her from the second our relationship started.

Then my soul would be his. I would honor our deal.

All I needed was to save them, and tell her… tell Daisy that I was in love with her.

But it's been over two years, and I'm still here, still alive.

Did the Grim Reaper forget about me? Or was he just overworked with the massive influx of new souls, courtesy of myself? All those recently murdered pirates and privateers must have sent Death into a backlog of overtime.

If I would have stopped fighting then and there, I would not have ever been able to let Daisy know that I was in love with her. I wanted to see her smile again, if only once more before I honored my deal with the grim reaper, then that would have satisfied me.

But it wasn't the skeleton hand of the Grim Reaper that yanked me out of the water.

Someone else's hand. A hand with skin covering it. And definitely not the boney hand of the Grim Reaper.

Dennis's hand pulled me out of the water and he took me back to the safety of that Rakyat village. And in the last two years, I have tried to achieve recollection of the minutes between being pulled out of the water and waking up after I had lost consciousness for some reason, and opening my eyes to find myself inside of a crudely built house in that village.

Why can't I remember what happened the second that Dennis rescued me from those rapids? What happened to me in that timespan? Was I passed out for only a couple minutes or a couple hours?

And how did Dennis know that he would need to be at that exact place and exact time, standing beside the waterway to rescue a foreigner from the water?

"I think that… you should wait." Liza's voice snapped Jason out of his deep thoughts.

"Really? Maybe you are right. I think that I need to get my head straightened before I can consider marriage." Jason responded as he looked at the wooden table.

Each tiny imperfection and scratch on the wooden tabletop from the years of being frequented by numerous customers, had taken control of Jason's fleeting attention.

Rings from hot coffee cups, probably from ceramic mugs that people had just bought in the area of the shop that sold various knick-knacks and novelties. Scratches from car keys or other hard objects.

Amazing how the mind can get distracted by the insignificant details of the world. Details so miniscule and unimportant that only a wandering mind would find them interesting.

"Not wait because I believe that Daisy isn't the right woman for you. But well… I just want you to be in a better position before you consider marriage." Liza said.

Jason stopped observing the myriad of damages and imperfections on the table, to look up at Liza.

"You are referring to my mental health, right?" Jason asked, already knowing the answer.

"Jason…" Liza sighed. "You're not a bad or evil guy. But you have been through an awful lot, and I don't think that you just pursue any major commitments in your life until you can be content with everything that has happened to you, and that you can find a way to move past it. I know that you won't ever, ever forget what you've been experienced, I certainly haven't. But talking to someone, a professional in mental health, helped me. And I think that it would benefit you as well."

Often, Jason wondered If Liza has sex with Menelik in the same fashion that she did with him. And that way being the no kissing, half clothed, slow and steady thrusting, and no hand holding in any regard.

She told me that she goes to appointments with her therapist.

If I asked her about the method of sex that she engages in with Menelik… would she even tell me? And should I even think about asking her something so personal like that?

We have known each other for years, used to date, used to fuck, and are now friends. Liza and I are best friends, right? Or is Daisy my best friend? No wait, Daisy is my… what the fuck was that acronym?

B.F.B.B.F.F? Right?

Hey, that is correct! I actually remembered something that happened recently!

Maybe I not a complete loony lunatic after all!

Yeah, well, here's to hoping!

"Maybe you are right." He agreed.

Jason inhaled sharply and rubbed his face with both hands, groaning.

When he uncovered his face, Jason looked over at Liza. She wasn't looking at him at all. Instead, Liza was fiddling with her fingernails. Picking at them with her opposing hands fingertips.

For the first time in a long, long time, Jason realized that he wasn't the only one who was worrying about something. Clearly, Liza had something on her mind.

And Jason felt that it was now his turn to be the friendly therapist to Liza, the same way that she had been to him for nearly two years.

I will be the one lending you my ears this time Liza.

"What's up?" He asked of her.

"I'm pregnant." Liza said. Without looking up at Jason dumbstruck reaction, Liza hadn't ceased fidgeting with her cuticles and fingernails.

That's when Jason was slammed with a surprise of epic proportions. And after everything he's seen, this was the first thing in two whole years that shocked him to his core.

How should I respond to Liza?

Congratulations?

Or something more practical?

What are your plans? Are you going to get an abortion? Or do you want to keep it? Does Menelik know?

Several seconds went by, and no words from Liza or Jason were said in that length of time. The only sound heard by Jason's ears were the ambiance of strangers talking, people giving their orders to the teenage barista girl, and the outdoor smattering of noises.

"What are your plans?" Jason decided to respond in a emotionless and rational way.

Liza still was silent.

Jason thought it wise not to press Liza for an response. Better if she would respond when she was ready to. This was something that Liza had to do on her own gumption.

"How did this happen? I doesn't make sense. I don't know how it happened. He always wears protection." Liza said, still avoiding looking up at Jason. And talking to herself as if Jason wasn't even there.

Condom with a hole in it. The bane and downfall of any sexually active man.

Still, even defective condoms rarely let enough semen leak out to impregnate a woman. So this is truly a one in a million fluke of an accident.

The table that the pair were seated at, wasn't large in any sense. Two people sitting across from one another could easily lean in and lock hands. Jason didn't know what to say, to comfort her in any meaningful way.

But he wanted to whatever he could to sooth her, even though he believed that he didn't have a comforting personality. He dreaded having this charmless ineptitude. He wanted to be the charming, sweet, and colorful character that he used to be. But it has been over two years since he's been able to truly comfort a distraught woman.

He wasn't an uncaring psycho, lacking any empathy for those in need.

During their days as a girlfriend and boyfriend, Jason had wondered if Liza had any clinically diagnosed depression, anxiety, or something equally hard to live with, some mental condition that made daily life a struggle. She had not told him anything such as that in all the time that they had dated or after they rebuilt their relationship as best friends.

This idea was sprung on by Jason's observations of Liza's melancholy disposition that seemed to flair up at least twice a week. He would always do his best to drag her out of her apathetic and depressed attitude when he was her boyfriend.

Back in those days, Jason had only known of her past history with her family, that her household was incredibly dysfunctional. And he knew her father wasn't the nicest guy in world and was abusive. But it wasn't until several days ago that he learned that her own dad had raped her.

All these factors in combination, explained Liza's melancholy attitude, as Jason now thought that maybe she was going through some minor PTSD episode or at least remembering all the horrible things that she had gone though in her childhood.

In addition to her shitty childhood, what she went through with Vaas and his pirates mocking her and threatening to rape her, must have been mortifying, Jason assumed. And that last thought of what Liza went through with Vaas, made Jason feel even more guilty for how he treated her during his warrior's journey on the Rook Islands.

But last week, Liza had confided to Jason than she had been raped by her father while he'd been blackout drunk. Liza confirmed during that conversation, that her dad had not ever raped her or sexually assaulted her in any way after that night. And she had said she'd assumed that her alcoholic fucker of a father had mist likely not even remembered penetrating his own daughter.

Jason knew Liza's father's history of verbally and physically abusing women. He imagined that Liza's mother has occasionally been forced into unwilling sex with her husband. And Jason remembered that Liza had told him when they were dating, that her parents didn't really love each other, but were only together because her dad got her mom pregnant when she was nineteen. And back in those days, bastard children conceived out of marriage, were socially stigmatized as well as the mothers who had them.

Jason knew that society has changed since then. Children born out of wedlock weren't looked down on by the majority of society any longer.

And a few years after their marriage, Liza's mother gave birth to her younger brother. Liza was currently twenty-five years old, only a year younger than Jason, and her brother's eighteen and in his senior year of high school.

While he hasn't ever met her brother, Jason could sense that Liza cared about her little brother, probably loved him more than anyone else. At least in the way of watching over him. Liza's eyes would always light up every time she had talked about her brother. Though, it had only been a couple times that Jason remembered her talking about her brother.

She is terrified. Why wouldn't she be? However she only has two options.

Abortion, or becoming a mother.

Taking advantage of the miniature table's circumference, Jason stretched out and squeezed Liza's nervous hands. As both of his hands clasped around hers, Jason good sense that Liza was immediately put at ease.

As if he transferred some type of calming telekinetic energy into Liza's soul, Jason could feel in his bones, that Liza had begun to relax.

Liza spoke calmly. "Sorry. What did you say? Your words got drowned out."

She looked up at him.

My hand holding and positive energy actually worked. Am I magic?

Was that shower conversation that Daisy and I had about magic and feeling weird and unexplainable energy from a few weeks back, based upon anything real?

But what is magic? Unexplained science used to be thought of as magic.

The idea of invisible to the human eye tiny microbes being what caused sickness and disease, used to be considered nothing but ridiculous nonsense, and obviously people only got sick because they had offended whatever deity they believed in. Until it was discovered that germs were all to real.

Many ancients believed, and some nutcases still do, believe the earth to be flat and not a sphere. Which, now that I think about it, how the hell could people believe that the planet's flat? Wouldn't all the ocean water have poured off the edges of the earth long, long ago?

Anyways, unexplained science and technology would appear to be magic to any primitive human. Because obviously, since we cannot comprehend the factual logic behind such science and technology, magic is the only rational explanation. Right?

Could I have some kind of unworldly, or unexplained, powers?

"I just asked, what you are planning to do about this? Or have you not decided yet? And how do you know that you are really pregnant? Those urine stick tests aren't always accurate. Could have been a false positive." Jason spoke to her while still warmly holding onto her hands.

Jason didn't think that Liza minded him holding onto her hands. As she hadn't protested. And at this point in their friendship, Jason assumed that Liza understood that there wasn't any lingering romantic feelings or sexual urges between either of them.

So as Jason held her hands, he had only done so as a concerned friend.

"I did the test three times yesterday. And I also missed my period. So I think that it's real." Liza said, as she gave him a frightened look.

In all the time that Jason had known Liza, she always was a timid woman who appeared to be terrified of any type of conflict. But always had a too big of a heart. This was evidenced by the way that she tried her damn hardest to calmly talk with Jason during his erratic behavior on the islands.

Genuinely, Jason really thought that Liza harbored no ill or negative feelings for Jason for all the selfish bullshit that he had pulled back on the Rook Islands.

I don't consider Liza's caring and helpful nature being equivalent to her somehow being gullible or naïve. She simply has the benevolent heart of an angel.

And she doesn't deserve to face this dilemma on her own. It is far past time that I start repaying my debts to the people that have helped me. Liza and Daisy.

If Liza decides that she wants to keep this embryo growing inside of her, then I have to help her out in any way that is possible for a mentally damaged bug brained man like myself. Whether that be babysitting, watching her child while she is working, or possibly even financially. I owe it to her, for everything she's done for me, helping me process my confused emotions and so, so, so much more.

And I don't believe that Menelik is the type of man to abandon Liza if she decides not to get an abortion. Ever since that night when I saw through Citra's bullshit when she tried to entice me to kill my friends, no one has ever been able to bullshit me ever again. Menelik I believe in my heart, would stay with Liza if she decides to pursue motherhood.

And if he decides to throw Liza and his unborn child to the curb and run away from his responsibilities, I will track him down an kill him.

No, no, come on now Jason. You can't get away with killing like you did in those third world backwards Rook Islands. So maybe I will just settle for brutally beating him until he is just one punch away from death.

But I doubt that it will come to that. I have ninety-nine percent faith in Menelik that he will do the right thing.

I know that he was raised in a household that practiced traditional Ethiopian Christianity, and he wears a small gold cross on a golden chained necklace. So I believe him to be a man of good morals, who knows what is right and what is wrong.

That first half year that I returned home to America, leaving the warrior version of myself behind on those islands, Daisy and Liza were the only people who made me feel normal again. Made me feel like I had made the right decision to decline Citra's offer of being a warrior.

She has spent so much of her time trying to help me over these last two years, and Liza had even cared about my suffering and mental turmoil during my pirate killing spree. And even though, back in that cave, I had repeatedly treated her like garbage, her huge heart just couldn't resist to try and help me.

But I didn't want to talk to her back then. All I wanted was to satisfy my need to kill, kill, kill.

"Liza… does Menelik know that you are pregnant?" He asked as he looked seriously into her eyes.

"You're the only person who knows. Well, other than me obviously." Liza gave a nervous laugh after she finished her sentence.

She glanced away from Jason's peering eyes momentarily to look down at their combined hands.

Jason asked. "When are you going to tell him that you are pregnant?

"I don't know if he would even believe me if I did. He always wears a condom, and how rare would be that he got me pregnant from broken protection?" Liza sounded worried.

How do I talk to her as if I was a normal and reassuring best friend?

Fucking hell, I hate seeing her this scared. It makes me remember that night that I held a knife to her throat. At Citra's temple, Liza's eyes were burning with pure frightened terror.

But if I believe what Daisy and Liza have told in these last two years, I am not a monster. At least not anymore.

However, I am not so sure that they are right. Just because I haven't killed anyone in two years, doesn't absolve me of my past sins and evil actions.

"He will believe you Liza. You aren't a condescending person who would lie about something this dire. Menelik is a perfect man, better man then I ever was. And I don't see him abandoning you. He will stick by your side through whatever of the two choices that you choose. And I will also support whatever decision that make. I won't judge you in any way. After everything that I've done in these recent years, I definitely don't have the moral high ground to condemn you." Jason said in the most tender and caring voice that he could manage.

Whatever he said has to have worked to it's intended goal. Liza gave a sigh of relief. And proceeding that relaxed sigh, Liza preformed a series of deep breathing.

"This will sound nuts, but… Jason… I think that… I want to keep it. I have always wanted to be a mother, someday, in the future. I guess that motherhood has been rescheduled to an earlier date." Liza nervously laughed. "But this is also half Menelik's decision. After all-" Liza chuckled "It took both of us to make this… I guess… I should call it, our child." Liza looked up at him.

Oh right. I am supposed to respond.

"I don't think that you sound nuts. And you are the one that is pregnant, so it is your decision." Jason reinforced.

There was an awkward silence for several seconds before Jason cut the weird tension. And he did so by saying something equally awkward.

"The two of you… I think that you and him are an excellent match. I am sure that Menelik was going to want to marry you someday. Even though you guys have only been together for a year now, I can tell that he is stupid crazy in love with you. A blind person could still see the way his eyes light up when he's with you." Jason paused momentarily to glimpse Liza's reaction.

Her eyes were still filled with all the types of emotions that amalgamated to either sacredness of sadness. But, Jason could just barely see a small glimmer of another emotion. The emotion of hope and happiness. And Jason knew that he needed to extract that emotion out of her sad brown eyes, no matter how tiny of a spec that good feeling was.

"And I just know that he will stay with you through the duration of your pregnancy. This pregnancy was clearly an accident that was incredibly unlikely. But this doesn't mean that your life is ruined. It will be a difficult adjustment for you to take on, obviously, having a baby is going to change your life forever. But you don't have to do this all on your lonesome. I don't think that I'm competent enough to help you take care of a newborn, but I will do whatever I'm capable of doing that will help you. All you need to do is ask me. And I'm sure that Daisy will help you too. She is probably good with babies. Well, I've never seen her with a baby, but she's a quick learner, I'm sure she will get the hang of taking care of a baby. We both love you, and it is fine that you are scared and nervous, but don't worry about having people in your life that will help you. After what you, me, and Daisy went through, what we all went through, that was a shared experience. So me and Daisy are going to be there for you. We both love you too much to abandon you now." Jason finished.

Saying that made him think about the ones that he hadn't kept in touch with. His childhood friend Oliver, his other friend Keith, and his little brother Riley. Jason has seen Riley on a few occasions after returning home, but they didn't have a relationship that involved regular and standardized contact.

These days, Jason's social circle was a tiny group of individuals, consisting of only Daisy, Liza, and Menelik, but only because he was dating Liza.

Jason rarely imagined what his life would be like today if he was living in an alternate lifetime. But every blue moon, he let his mind run free and he dreamt up what that reality would look like.

In that alternate timeline, it would have involved himself and all of his friends, girlfriend, and two brothers not allowing that DJ at that nightclub in Bangkok to have hoodwinked them all into falling for the trap of skydiving over the Rook Islands. But Jason ultimately believed that misadventure was his fault, because after all, he had been the one to convince everyone in his friend's circle to accept that DJ's offer to go skydiving.

That DJ. What was his name? Dammit. I can't remember it.

No, I remember. It was Doug. DJ Doug.

What the hell ever happened to him?

But Grant would definitely still be alive if not for my stupid insistence on all of us becoming skydiving daredevils. However, if my brother hadn't died, how could me and Daisy have become girlfriend and boyfriend?

If Grant had survived, Daisy and I couldn't be together. It just wouldn't work.

I still wish that he was alive. And if that means that I would have to never be in a romance with Daisy, then so be it. I would rather stay best friends with Daisy if that meant that Grant would still be alive.

He was still squeezing Liza's hands. She must have still been petrified and nervous, as Jason thought that her skin felt clammy and chilly.

"Thank you. What you've said actually helps. If only a little bit." Liza looked up at him finally, and gave him what he assumed to be an attempted smile.

Jason watched as her big brown but still beautiful eyes welled and soon two streams of tears descended down Liza's face.

Liza wormed her hands out from his grip and wiped away those tears with the back of her hands as she sniffled. Her eyes staring up at the ceiling.

Now I truly don't know what to do to stop her from crying.

Relief filled Jason as a moment of quietness between them passed, but Liza had not continued crying. Jason witnessed her tear ducts cease their overflowing.

"Are you going to, you know, be alright?" Jason asked Liza.

"I hope- think so, yeah." Liza sniffled once more before looking back at Jason. "Don't you go getting your head spinning around worrying about me, okay? Promise me that you won't think of me as some pitiful damsel in distress. Okay? Promise?"

"Liza, please, just relax. I do not think of you as a weak and pathetic woman. You and Daisy are definitely two of the most badass tough as nails chicks that I've seen. After surviving through that hell of that tropical disaster of a vacation, you two as anything but weak." Jason complimented Liza.

His compliment must have bore some success, as Jason saw the distressed emotion on her face, just wash away. As if Liza's terror was nothing more than children's finger paint washing off her hands with ease.

"What about if I pinky promise?" He balled his right hand up into fist, leaving only his pinky finger sticking out.

"You bet, buddy." Liza's right pinky hooked around Jason's exposed pinky, and their childishly ridiculous method of sincerity was completed.

This childish transaction of trust, gave Liza a happy go-lucky aura and glow that Jason noticed immediately.

They both smiled and giggled like innocent children during their symbolic pinky interlocking.

After their pinky promise, they both took another long sip from their cups of coffee.

"So, was that the big secret that you promised to tell me the other day? About you wanting to propose to Daisy?" Liza leaned in and tilted her head with raised eyebrows. A look that signaled curiosity.

No, that wasn't the secret that I've been carrying. But I should be truthful with Liza. We have unexpectedly and miraculously repaired our relationship after I rudely ended it.

And now, I feel like me and her are closer now than ever.

But maybe I can get by with telling a partial truth. Just a little white lie to avoid telling her what secret truly riddles me with guilt. After knowing what she went through with her dad raping her, I can't possibly tell her the complete truth about what I did.

Well, what I am about to tell her, does make me feel ashamed and guilty. But the guilt is caused by another reason than that of what I did to Daisy. It's technically not a secret, because I have told Daisy and no one else. But I might as well tell Liza.

I don't like lying to Liza, but I can not tell her my other secret.

But before I do, I just have to know about Liza and Menelik's sex life. I shouldn't pry, but If I know that Liza has sex with Menelik in a more typical and standard way the she did with me, I will know that her therapy is at least truly working for her, and she is no longer intimidated by sexual intercourse.

"No. That was the secret." Jason responded. "But can I ask you something that I am just curious about. It is very inappropriate, but I have just been wondering, how do you and Menelik, you know have-"

"How do we have sex?" Liza interrupted Jason and finished his sentence for him.

"Uh, yeah actually. That's what I was going to ask. Sorry for prying into your business, I just… well after… you know… hearing about what you went through when you were fourteen… I understand why… things didn't seem… normal… back when we were… intimate, all those years ago. Jesus Liza! I am sorry for bringing this up." Jason meekly said. Feeling weird even talking about sex with his ex-girlfriend.

He looked away from Liza and up to the lights hanging from the ceiling. He frantically gulped down the rest of his coffee, trying to avoid the awkward conversation that he stupidly got himself into.

"Jason." Liza said in an assertive voice. "We used to have sex. Nothing wrong with that, and you don't need to feel weird about the fact that we used to have sex."

Jason put down his empty coffee cup.

"Oh thank god." Jason said relieved. Followed by a short and nervous laugh.

"Just because it's you, I trust you enough to tell you this. You're pretty much like my best buddy these days anyway. But… I am not as intimidated by sex as much. My therapist has helped me learn of healthy ways to cope with what was done to me, and how I need to see Menelik as someone else and not my dad, so it took a while, but I do feel more comfortable with having sex." Liza confirmed.

It still felt awkward to look Liza in the eyes as she talked about sex, but Jason felt a strange sense of empowerment knowing that Liza just said that she trusts him. So he felt like he owed it to her to make eye contact.

"So uh, Menelik sounds like an understanding man. And I assume that he wasn't pressuring you into sex, then getting annoyed when you weren't up to it. Am I in the ballpark?" Jason asked her.

Liza took a sip of coffee. "Pretty much, yeah. I'm lucky that Menelik was a very understanding guy. And it was… difficult… our sex life, back when we first began having sex. Due to my hesitancy and previous trauma. But I discussed this problem with therapist, and she helped me find ways to feel relaxed and improve my intimacy."

Well, that's good.

"So… do you let Menelik… kiss you?" He asked hesitantly.

Liza laid her arms on the top of the table, each elbow crossways from the other as her hands curled around the opposite elbow.

"I have gotten more comfortable with kissing during sex. It took some time to build up the comfort to let him kiss me. The same with holding my hands. But I will say, that every time we have sex, I feel less and less afraid and nervous each and every time. Which is an improvement."

Jason leaned back and crossed his arms. "As weird as talking about sex with my ex-girlfriend is, I am happy that you and Menelik are able to be intimate and that It really sounds like you have learned how to relax during sex. I am proud of you Liza."

"Oh… thanks I guess. Thank you for complimenting my… sexual improvements. And It is not as unpleasant as I always feared. We have a healthy sex life, and I am fortunate that Menelik was always so very understanding, and still stayed my boyfriend even when I had trouble relaxing and not being fearful during our early days." Liza explained.

"I'm glad that you're able to have intimate intercourse with someone that you love, and that is now an enjoyable time, and not something that you are anxious about. I am truly happy for you Liza. I mean that." Jason said.

"Thank you. I am glad to. Menelik makes me feel safe. And I finally have a man in my life that I can trust with sex. Oh wait. I didn't mean that I didn't trust you when we used to have sex. Darn it, that came out wrong. I'm sorry Jason." Liza frantically tried to explain her choice of words.

Jason scoffed. "I do understand you. Don't think that you offended me. You didn't, really. Now I understand why… intimacy was… difficult for you while we were in love and dating. But do not worry about offending me. We are both now are finally happily in love with the perfect partners."

"God! This is so freaking unorthodox! The two of talking about… sex of all things." Liza giggled.

Her smile caused Jason to involuntarily smile.

He asked. "So… do you let Menelik, go fast?"

Liza scoffed with a grin. "Well… for your information Mr. Nosey, yes I am not tense and cautious anymore. I try not to make him thrust like a sloth."

Jason burst out in laughter.

Jason watched as Liza tried her best to keep her serious composure, but she clearly could not contain herself. She snorted out a repressed laugh and the quickly started laughing alongside Jason.

But after their jolly giggling and weirdly not uncomfortable talk involving sex, Jason knew that he had to throw Liza a bone. He decided to tell Liza about another secret, and not the other, much more powerful secret.

Truly, it was not a secret as Daisy did know about it. But Liza did not know, so Jason decided to tell her a little white lie and bend the rules on his pinky promise to Liza from the other day.

He decided to tell her a somber and horrifying tale.

A story filled with such a magnitude of atrocity, that it would make the most cold and unfeeling monster winch in disgust.

"Alright Liza, I pinky promised you that I would tell you that secret that has been nipping at me." He began.

Then he spent the next couple minutes telling Liza his all too true story. A story that he wished was fiction.

/

(Several Minutes Later)

Jason finished his tale.

"Nothing else eventful happened after that." He ended his story.

"I still see that kid's face almost everyday. Look tears and the fear that he had as I walked up to him…" Jason had to take a breath.

His composure would likely have fallen to pieces if he had not relaxed himself.

"I don't think about that scene as much as I once did. The first half year that, you know… we all came back home… often I would have either nightmares about it, or I would see the image of that boy's face in my mind at seemingly random times while I was still awake." He continued.

I have talked long enough. Liza will probably have more than enough to say. Or maybe not. She may just grab her purse as run out of here as fast as humanly possible.

And I couldn't blame her. After hearing that story about how much of a monster I was, or still am, Liza would be wise to never speak to me again.

During that entire segment of storytelling, Jason had been staring blankly at the coffee shop's table where they were seated. Not looking Liza in the eyes once.

But he now was looking up at her.

Liza was leaning forward and supporting herself up by her elbows with her arms folded. And the look on her face was something that Jason couldn't decipher.

But she wasn't looking him in the eyes. Liza looked as if she had her eyes fixed on the tabletop. Possibly even the same spot that Jason had been staring at during his story.

"Please say… anything." Jason asked in an almost begging tone.

"Apologies. That story… was just… a lot to digest." Liza responded immediately after Jason finished his pleading.

Jason swallowed nervously.

She looked him in the eyes. "I don't really know how to respond to that story Jason. Never have I experienced anything like than in my own life, so I don't know what I should say to you."

Well, at least that makes sense. A completely rational response I suppose.

"Liza…" Jason gulped again. "Do you think that I am a monster now? Do you no longer see me as a hero?"

Trying his best to avoid crying, proved to be in vain. Jason's warm and clear liquid sadness erupted from his eyes and rolled down his face.

I don't want to start wailing. Liza shouldn't be embarrassed by being seen sitting at the same table as a wailing loon.

You can do it Jason. You can cry in silence. Keep the screams and moaning to yourself.

Jason closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. All nine and a half fingers pinched into his palm.

Why can't I think and act like a normal person anymore? That's a stupid question. The answer is simple.

How could I ever be the old Jason ever again after all of my killing and watching Grant die in front of my eyes as he bled out in my arms?

And I also considered slitting Liza's throat, killing her that night that Citra did her best to persuade me to burn all the old bridges connecting me to my old life in Santa Monica, and begin my new life with her.

Citra had me pussy-whipped and engulfed with her influence. Possibly, just possibly, I may have been in love with her, as I was so close to completely joining her.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't murder Liza. A beautiful soul such as hers, didn't deserve to be snuffed out my me.

Liza is a perfect person. A perfect woman. Perfect, just like Daisy. Liza has always been so caring, pure hearted, and beautiful inside and out.

I could not do it. I couldn't murder her.

Does that act of mercy make me a hero? It doesn't make me feel like a hero.

Suddenly, Jason felt the caring arms of a woman squeeze him tightly with the intensity of a mother bear. He felt a warm and soft cheek rub against the left side of his face.

Am I getting hugged by my guardian angel? Is this that same guardian angel that Liza was talking about that day we got ice cream?

Jason opened his eyes. Liza wasn't sitting at her chair across from him.

He instantly realized that Liza was the guardian angel that was hugging him.

"You are not a monster Jason." Jason heard Liza whisper into his ear.

At least Liza doesn't think any less of me after hearing that story.

Jason turned his head. Liza's face was probably only about four or five inches away from his own face. Her big brown eyes shining beautifully. And she still kept her arms hugging around his shoulders and torso.

Without considering what implications his rash and brazen action would have on his best friend relationship with Liza, Jason did something stupidly impulsive.

Jason snapped forward and kissed Liza on her lips.

What the fuck am I doing? Why am I kissing Liza on the lips?

I am not in love with Liza at all anymore. Of course I love her as my best friend, but I don't have any sexual desire for her, Daisy is the only woman that I desire.

So why then, am I kissing her as if she was my lover?

My brain is definitely irreparably fucked sideways beyond any hope of fixing it.

Jason didn't think that he had been kissing Liza for any longer than two seconds. But he realized what he was doing, and abruptly ended his kissing of Liza.

"Liza… I am so sorry. I don't know why I did that. Truly, I am so, so, so, sorry. Something is messed up with my brain." Jason apologized profusely.

Liza crouched down. "Hey, hey, it's alright. Don't think anything of that kiss. You just told me a terrible experience that you had, when someone does something like that, a bunch of random emotions will circulate throughout your mind."

"How do you know that was all it was? Just my mind getting mixed up?" He asked.

"Because that is exactly what happened to me when I finally had a breakthrough and told my therapist about what my dad did to me." Lisa gave him a motherly look of caring and compassion.

Breakthrough? How come I didn't have this "breakthrough" when I told Daisy this same story all that time ago?

"That kiss was very weird. Can we forget that it ever happened? I wasn't thinking." Jason responded

Liza said nothing as she walked back to her seat.

The she said. "It's fine. Let's just forget that it happened."

"Liza, do you understand, that I do not love you in that way at all anymore?" Jason asked of her.

"I know that you don't." Liza smiled. "And I don't love you in that way either. But I still care about you."

"So we are in agreement? Can we just chalk this up to a crazy ex-boyfriend loosing his mind?" Jason grinned.

"He certainly is crazy isn't he?" Liza chuckled.

Her sweet nature and laughter caused Jason to chuckle along with her.

"Now… show me that engagement ring again." Liza requested with glee.

/

(To Be Continued)

Review if you enjoyed.

A/N: I will tell the story of Jason and "that teen boy" in another chapter.