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He stood out on the balcony outside the Versailles Room,
staring out at thousands of tiny stars twinkling merrily amidst the inky black
sea of the late night sky. On the stone ledge in front of him was a half-filled
glass of bourbon. The ice was melting in the summer warmth and had diluted the
drink. He didn’t find it nearly as appealing anymore.
The fifty-third annual Nurses Ball.
News of it had reached him while he was in Brazil. Sonny had called him up and
told him that Robin would be coming back for the first time since she left for
Paris to speak, and he thought that Jason would like to know. And it was for
Robin that Jason halted his work in Brazil and flew all the way back to New
York, only to stand on the balcony of a stuffy ballroom in a tuxedo with a
diluted drink.
Not that he regretted it. Even after all this time, there wasn’t a thing he
wouldn’t do for Robin. She had been up on the stage giving her speech about
living with the Auto-Immuno Deficiency Syndrome commonly known as AIDS, and he
had sat through the whole thing. And when it was over, he ordered a stiff drink
and escaped to the balcony before he could be ambushed by his family and all the
other vultures in their small town.
Being back in Port Charles…it didn’t feel right. He had no sooner set his foot
within city limits than that feeling had rushed up on him again – the feeling of
being choked, of being oppressed by that stuffy, Victorian ethic that condemned
him and everything he stood for, everything he lived for, everything he would be
more than happy to die for. The city was abrasive and dirty and forbidding. He
didn’t have a friend within its boundaries except Sonny and Carly.
And then there was Elizabeth.
The thought of her made him glance ruefully at his diluted drink and wish for
another one. Elizabeth. Elizabeth. He hadn’t tried to find her when he
walked through the large double doors into the Versailles Room. He hadn’t looked
for anyone but Sonny and when he took his seat next to his boss and mentor, his
eyes found Robin on the stage and he didn’t avert them. When she was done, he
slipped out onto the balcony without talking to anyone, and that was where he
was now.
Elizabeth.
He wanted nothing more than to find her, nothing more than to talk to her, to
see her smile, to hear her laugh, to have her tease him like she always did
about one thing or another. But he couldn’t. He had heard rumblings from the
guards as he had rushed to his penthouse to get ready, and their not-so-hushed
conversing had told him all he needed to know about Elizabeth.
She had been fine ever since he had left. No more bomb threats or any other
threat of any kind after she had told him that she’d “see him later”. She had
kept up with her painting and was still a waitress at Kelly’s. The only thing
that had changed was that Lucky Spencer had returned from the grave.
Luke’s boy, Elizabeth’s true love, had been kidnapped by Helena Cassidine and
held as dead. And now he had escaped and he was back in town. And Jason could
only imagine that the two of them were as happy as ever. With his luck, Lucky
had already proposed to Elizabeth and they were planning on getting that
apartment in the city that she had told him about.
He leaned against the stone ledge of the balcony, gripping it hard with his
fingers as he stared out at the dark sky. He had waited too long and she had
slipped through his fingers.
Leaving Port Charles the last time was something he had to do, he had told
himself. Her safety was paramount; after that bomb in her studio, his enemies
were sure to have grown bolder. It would only be a matter of time before she was
hurt, and he had to leave her to protect her from that. It had been an easy
decision to make – her safety for his happiness. He had told himself that it
wouldn’t be that hard; after all, she was just a friend, nothing more. He’d miss
her, but eventually he’d grow used to it and it wouldn’t hurt that much anymore.
He had been dead wrong.
As soon as he left Port Charles, Jason had headed for Switzerland to finish up
some last-minute business. It had snowed in Switzerland. It smelled like
fucking snow in Switzerland. And what was worse, they drank hot chocolate
there – in Switzerland.
So he had high-tailed it out of there as soon as possible and gone to visit with
an associate in Austria. But there had been mountains in Austria – and cliffs.
Freaking cliffs.
So he had left and gone from there to England – he knew better than to head to
either Egypt, Morocco, or Italy. There was something about England that had
always managed to soothe his nerves in the past, and all he needed was a couple
days to get lost in the thick fog and the sea of anti-American sentiment. But
when he sat down at a corner restaurant and noticed that the Soup of the Day was
none other than Chicken Noodle, he had almost broken something.
And so he set out to the island, then Puerto Rico and finally Brazil, where he
had remained until receiving Sonny’s phone call. He had tried to forget her, but
with each coming day his feelings for her only grew stronger until he was forced
to admit to himself at the price of his own sanity that they surpassed those of
merely friendship. No, she wasn’t his friend anymore. She was…more than a
friend. And he couldn’t bear to bring himself to admit what he really felt for
her – especially not since Lucky had returned and Elizabeth’s fairy tale had
been restored to her. He couldn’t take that away from her just in the name of a
few misplaced, confused feelings.
And yet all he wanted to do was find her, take her in his arms, and make her
understand…understand what? He didn’t even understand it himself!
All he knew was that something drastic had changed in the way he felt about
Elizabeth Webber. She wasn’t just Emily’s friend. She hadn’t been that for a
long time. She wasn’t just his friend. But he’d be damned if he knew exactly
what she was.
There was a chorus of loud laughter from inside the Versailles Room and Jason
cringed. It was all so artificial. So ostentatious. The whole town was so damn
insincere that it was making him sick. He needed to leave – he needed to get
out. Sonny would understand – he always did. He just couldn’t stay in this town
any longer and be reminded of what he could have been, what could have happened.
What he and Elizabeth could have…
Shaking his head brusquely, Jason scowled at his watered-down drink. The ice had
melted almost completely and fat drops of condensation raced down to form a dark
puddle on the stone puddle. It was definitely time to leave.
His shoes, stiff from little use, creaked as he turned with ease, intending to
go straight to his bike and leave this dingy town behind once more. The last
time he left, he had done so to protect her. This time, he was doing so to
protect himself.
A pair of glittering midnight blue eyes arrested him as soon
as he turned on his heel and for a moment, Jason couldn’t breathe. He just
blinked at her, wondering if she was really there, standing just a couple feet
away from him, or if he was imagining things. But then he remembered that he
couldn’t imagine things – which meant she really was there.
He remembered to snap his mouth shut as his eyes roamed helplessly over her
body. They started at the bottom, taking in her fire engine red toes and the
pale, creamy skin of her narrow feet, encased in a pair of impossibly red
strappy stilettos – the kinds that X-rated dreams were made of. Her dress was a
darker shade of subdued red and it lapped at her slender ankles, hugging each
curve perfectly. It dipped in just right at the pinch of her waist and encased
the gentle swells of her breasts…and that was where it stopped. No sleeves, no
straps, just cleavage. Her skin was purest alabaster, glowing in the pristine
moonlight, and her fingers matched her toes. Gulping, Jason lifted his eyes to
hers, finding the sapphire depths he had come to love so much now watching him
curiously.
Those plump, painted lips parted on his name. “Jason. Hey.”
The mobster could actually feel his blood rushing to his neck and face. “Hey.”
She swallowed and then pushed her shoulder away from the column that she had
been leaning against. “I didn’t know you were back until I…saw you walk in.”
He dipped his head once. “I just got back this afternoon.”
The brunette nodded, and a few lacy tendrils of her soft chocolate hair
fluttered in the warm summer breeze. Jason watched as her sinfully perfect lips
curled in a small smile, and then shook himself out of it. Elizabeth didn’t have
any feelings for him, he had to remind himself – he was the one that was
the pervert here. “I’m really glad you’re back.”
That made him smile, and Elizabeth’s eyes glowed at the familiar boyish smile he
tossed her way. “Thanks. I am, too – now.”
Little did he know that smile was the one that broke the ice. Elizabeth’s eyes
sparkled as she claimed the remaining distance between them and the young woman
stood up on her toes and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly with her
face pressed into the side of his neck. Jason couldn’t move for a moment, and
then the hardened enforcer gingerly brought his large hands up to span her
waist, stifling a groan when his fingertips inadvertently roamed over the
exposed skin of her back.
“How’ve you been?” The question was whispered into her hair, the silky riot of
shiny chocolate curls that brushed against Jason’s rough chin in the lightest of
caresses. He didn’t remove his hands from her warm, velvet-soft back and she
didn’t back away from his hug, choosing instead to remain cuddled up in his
embrace.
“I’ve been good.” Her voice filtered through the balmy night air, a soft and
lilting sound that was music to his ears. A moment passed by and Jason furrowed
his sandy brows.
“I’ll ask again – how’ve you been?”
Her laughter was quiet, the rustle of tall night grasses in the early hours of
the morning. “You always knew when I was lying. How do you do it?”
“Don’t avoid the question,” he grinned down at her, amazed for a moment at the
startling depth of her midnight blue eyes. But the amazement soon passed into
concern as he saw for the first time the guarded sadness in her beautiful,
shining orbs. She looked so young under the glow of the pristine moon – so
innocent and pure. And it reminded him of all the reasons he had left – in
summation, so she could stay that way.
“Lucky’s alive.” Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips and Elizabeth averted
her gaze for a moment before looking back up at him. Jason didn’t know how to
answer so he simply nodded.
“I heard.”
Something flashed in her eyes and the corners of her mouth turned down. “When?”
Jason blinked at the harsh demand. “Um, today, when I got back.”
She relaxed and nodded apologetically. “Sorry, I thought – yeah. He’s alive.”
Her lips trembled in a watery smile and Jason frowned down at her when she had
to blink back tears. His broad hand moved reluctantly from the small of her
waist to her elbow and he tugged her toward the wide stone ledge of the balcony.
“Come on, sit down for a minute.” She obeyed him quietly, hiking up her dress
slightly as she sat and letting it fall down again when she was situated.
Jason’s fingers were still entwined in hers and his thumb swept large, broad
circles around the back of her hand subconsciously. “What’s going on? When I
found out that he was…okay, I thought you’d be happy.”<br>
She looked out over the ledge at the stars, gazing up at them wistfully as a sad
smile, and she didn’t notice that when she shifted, her movement sent his
diluted drink tumbling off the ledge. The glass shattered on the ground a few
feet underneath and Jason glanced down in surprise. Elizabeth, however, only
laughed. It was a sad laugh – quiet and strained.
His concerned cerulean eyes bore into hers, trying to get her to look at him.
“Elizabeth?”
She could hear the worry in his voice and just shook her head. When she looked
at him, Jason could see the tears in her eyes. “Something broke, Jason – again.”
His fingers squeezed hers. “Who broke, Elizabeth?”
The brunette shook her head once more. “Not me. Him.”
That was not what he had been expecting. “What?”
“Us,” she clarified. “That’s what broke. And we broke a long time ago, I think.”
“Elizabeth, I don’t-“
She was no longer listening to him. “When Lucky died, it was like my whole world
turned upside down. Everything just crashed around me, and it felt like I was
being buried alive in the rubble. Every day was a struggle, and sometimes I
almost didn’t make it through.” His heart constricted painfully in his chest but
Jason just nodded. She was still staring out at the stars and didn’t see him. “I
thought I’d never get over him. I’d never get past him.”
Elizabeth turned and looked at him then, and Jason could only stare back at her,
his eyes full of empathy and understanding as she poured her heart out to him.
“But I did. And that’s what’s killing me.”
He could have sworn that his heart skipped two beats on the spot. “W-What? What
are you saying?”
Her lower lip trembled. “I loved Lucky more than I ever loved anyone in my life.
I thought he was it; the one person that I couldn’t imagine living
without.” She let out a soft laugh, nothing more than a soft exhale of breath,
and blinked at the twinkling stars. “But I did. It’s been two years since the
fire, and somehow I moved on. I don’t know when it happened, I don’t know how it
happened. I don’t know i-if it was sudden or just a gradual acceptance.”
A fat tear slipped down her face, racing down to her jaw and Jason swiped it
away with the pad of his thumb. “I wasn’t supposed to, Jason.”
He pressed closer, trying to block out the scent of jasmine that washed over
him. “You weren’t supposed to what, Elizabeth?”
Her eyes met his, wide and honest. “I wasn’t supposed to move on.”
That stopped him cold, and Elizabeth watched as he snapped his mouth shut and
looked away, processing what she had just said. She had rendered Jason Morgan
speechless – the thought made the corner of her mouth twitch. She watched him as
he thought, the moonlight casting strong shadows across his perfect, angular
features. It sparkled in his hair, falling in specks of diamonds on the golden
spikes that remained unruly and wild despite the formal tuxedo he wore. Her mind
wandered back to the many nights they had spent outside, at the bridge, on the
docks. He always looked so peaceful in the moonlight.
His eyes crinkled at the sides as he thought, and Elizabeth forced herself to
look away. There was no way she could tell him. And tell him what? – She
wasn’t even sure of what was going on herself. All she knew was that Lucky had
come back and she should have been overjoyed – but instead of wanting to go hang
out at the boxcar, she wanted to sit around on the docks. Instead of guzzling
cheese fries at Kelly’s, she wanted to play pool at Jake’s.
Instead of wanting Lucky…she wanted Jason.
He wasn’t saying anything and still stared out at the stars. Soon, Elizabeth
joined him. Her dainty fingers were still encased in his long, rough ones, and
every once in a while he’d give them a light squeeze.
“I didn’t think I’d move on after Robin, either.”
She looked at him in surprise, not having expected that in a million years. He
still wore a serious look on his stern face and instead of saying anything,
Elizabeth just turned back to the stars and let him speak his peace.
“I thought she was the one person in my life that I could depend on completely –
that we’d stand by each other no matter what. That we’d never outgrow each
other. She taught me to love, and I thought that if she went, so would my
ability to love.” He bowed his head and blinked at the cold stone under his
hand. “It didn’t.”
“You came all the way from…from…from wherever you were just to see her tonight,”
Elizabeth pointed out gently.
Jason smirked and shook his head. “Brazil. That’s where I was.”
“Oh.” A brief pause. “Is it nice?”
The question made him stop and think. “It’s…It just is.”
She seemed to know exactly what he meant and her wide eyes glowed. Jason cleared
his throat and his gaze dropped to their clasped hands. “I-I came today
because…because I’ll always love Robin. Even after what she did, I’ll still
always care about her. I’ll always want her to be happy. But that’s not the same
as being in love with her.”
Elizabeth smiled ruefully. “I know what you mean,” she admitted quietly. “Just
like I’ll always love Lucky, but I’m not in love with Lucky.”
Jason’s cerulean orbs snapped up to meet hers at
that instant, and it wasn’t until then that Elizabeth fully realized what she
had said. She didn’t love Lucky. Had it just slipped out? So easily? Just like
that? And Jason was just as surprised as she was.
“Y-You don’t?” His intense blue eyes sparkled with something she couldn’t place.
“But-“
She shook her head, silencing him. “I don’t.” He watched as she turned away with
a heavy sigh. “And that hurts the most – I was supposed to love him forever. If
our love was real, then how can I just…move on?”
He scooted over on the ledge closer to her, and braced one arm behind her. Their
backs were to the stars and they could see the revelers continue to laugh and
talk inside the Versailles Room. “Just because you put it behind you doesn’t
mean that your love wasn’t real, Elizabeth.” She turned her head slowly and
looked back at him. “Sometimes…things change. People change.”
She didn’t look convinced and Jason sighed, rubbing a hand over his rough jaw.
“I know how much you loved Lucky. I saw what you were like…afterwards,
Elizabeth. It was the same way I was when I lost Michael. I know you
loved him. But sometimes, Elizabeth, the pain, the anguish, even the love…it
just fades away. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t mean anything, though. It just
means that you’re growing up. That you’re changing. And change isn’t always
bad.”
The corners of her mouth lifted but the brief smile didn’t reach her eyes. “No,
I guess it’s not.” She glanced at him hesitantly, unsure if she should say the
next part or not. But as usual, her impulsive side won out. “If you hadn’t
changed into the man you are now, I never would have gotten to know you.”
He smiled softly at her. “I’m glad you got to know me.”
The brunette’s eyes twinkled and she laughed that sweet, bubbly laugh he loved
so much. “Yeah, me, too, Jason.” He was still smiling and unprepared for when
she leaned into his side, letting only their foreheads touch as the temple. He
heard her let out a small sigh and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of her
skin against his as they just sat in the moonlight.
He felt her move away and when he looked up, she was suddenly inches from his
face. His movement startled Elizabeth, who had only been about to start up the
conversation again, and the two stared at each other for a moment. Elizabeth’s
lashes fluttered and Jason felt her eyes sucking him in. Slowly, he leaned into
her, closer, closer…And then he realized what he was doing and immediately
pulled back.
He couldn’t look at her just then; if he had, he would have seen the brief flash
of disappointment in her eyes. Instead, Elizabeth did what she always did and
brushed it away before lightening her voice and picking up where they had left
off.
“Have you seen Emily yet?”
Jason smiled at the mention of his younger sister but shook his head. “I knew
that if I tried to talk to her after the speech, the rest of them would start in
on me. And I couldn’t deal with that just then.”
Elizabeth nodded in understanding. “She’s missed you, you know,” she informed
him, poking the enforcer in the shoulder and smiling when he chuckled. “If you
want, I can go get her for you.”
“Where is she?” Jason wanted to know, his cerulean eyes already scanning the
Versailles Room.
“She’s with…Nikolas and Lucky,” Elizabeth replied slowly. “They’re inside
somewhere."
Jason looked at her with surprise. “Lucky came to the Ball? I thought he would
have-“
The brunette cut him off with a brisk nod. “Yeah, we all decided to come
together. You know, we thought it would be good for…” Her voice trailed off and
she had to take a deep breath. Jason frowned at her and she slowly met his gaze
once more. “Jason, Lucky doesn’t remember anything.”
The enforcer stared at her in shock. “W-Wait – what? You mean-“
She shrugged, the corner of her mouth hooking upwards. “He doesn’t remember
anything. Not how we met, not…not that night in the park, not loving me. He
doesn’t remember.”
A long moment passed before Jason could speak. “I-Elizabeth, I’m sorry.”
She nodded at his sincerity. “I know. Thank you. See…” She shook her head once.
“I should be angry. I should be furious – he comes back after being dead for a
year and he doesn’t recognize any of us. I should be devastated or hysterical or
something – but, Jason…I’m not.” Her lips were pursed in a thin red line. “Maybe
that means I’m losing my mind – I don’t know. But I’m not devastated. I’m a
little sad, yeah, that he doesn’t remember, but it feels like somehow, I’ve
accepted it. I don’t know, but I’ve come to terms with it.” Her light laughter
floated around them. “God, how terrible does that sound? He doesn’t remember
loving me and I’ve already forgotten loving him.”
His hand snaked around her waist and Jason pulled her closer, coaxing her to
rest her head against his shoulder. “Elizabeth-“
“It shouldn’t be this way,” she whispered, curling her fingers into his shirt.
“I should be upset – I should be borderline hysterical and inconsolable. Why
aren’t I?”
His chin rested on her silky curls. “Because you’ve moved on?”
She nodded slowly, tremulously. “Yeah, I have. And that’s the scary part.”
So engrossed were they in their conversation that neither of
them heard the steady click of footsteps as a lone figure ascended the carpeted
stairway up the balcony. Jason and Elizabeth only looked up when the figure
knocked hesitantly on the column that Elizabeth had been leaning against.
Jason’s eyes widened at the young man in front of him, and next to him,
Elizabeth slowly lifted herself from his embraced but kept her fingers twined
with his. Lucky Spencer, his hair longer now and ending just at his eyes, was
smiling curiously at them.
“Elizabeth, hey,” he greeted her softly, gesturing awkwardly toward the inside
of the Versailles Room. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Emily and Nikolas
were just…” His voice trailed off when he realized that neither of them looked
as if they could speak right away, and the boy could easily pick up on the
tension out on the balcony. “I’m sorry, did I interrupt something?”
Elizabeth looked up at Jason and he saw her lips curve into a
soft smile out of the corner of his eye as she watched him. “It’s okay.”
Lucky followed her gaze to the suddenly stern enforcer and hesitantly stepped
forward, extending his hand. “Hi, um, I don’t think we’ve met. Well, we might
have, but…I’m Lucky Spencer.”
Jason stared at his hand before slowly moving forward to accept it, giving it
one good pump in return. “Jason. Jason Morgan.”
Lucky cocked his head to the side and squinted. “Jason Morgan, huh? That sounds
kinda familiar. Maybe someone mentioned it to me before – have I-“
“You used to work for me,” Jason answered softly. “I owned a garage and…you
helped me out.”
The blonde nodded. “Oh. Okay.” His gaze darted to Elizabeth, and then back to
Jason. “Look, I can tell I interrupted something, so I’m just gonna head out.
Elizabeth, I actually came to find you because Emily and Nikolas thought it
would be nice to duck out and go for a drive, and I wanted to see if you wanted
to come along…”
Jason watched her shake her head. “No, thanks. You guys go ahead.” His breathing
hitched in his throat when she looked up at him and he realized that she had
turned down her friends to stay with him. “I’m fine.”
Lucky’s brows furrowed. “Are you sure? Don’t you need a ride back ho-“
“I’ll drop her off,” Jason answered quietly, stuffing his free hand into his
pocket. Lucky looked at him curiously and then shrugged.
”Okay, I’ll see you two later then,” he replied with a smile. “Goodnight.”
“Night, Lucky.” Elizabeth watched her former love turn on his heel and stroll
down to where their friends were waiting for him, and the brunette sighed softly
and looked at Jason. “See?”
The mobster nodded. “He isn’t showing any signs of-“
She shook her head. “Laura and Luke keep hoping that he’ll remember, but so far?
Nothing.” She shrugged. “I hope they don’t push him too much. Even though he’s
confused, he seems happy right now. He’s kinda taking everything in stride, just
testing it all out. I hope he stays that way.”
He watched her watch him, now just a tiny figure in a sea of black tuxedos, and
was surprised to see the corner of her mouth twitch. “It’s so weird.”
“What is?”
She lifted her eyes to his and the honesty displayed within the sparkling orbs
made his breath catch. “That I can look at him and not…feel it. That my heart
doesn’t break when he asks me what my name is again. That I don’t watch him and
wish that he’d kiss me. That I don’t…feel it anymore.”
He had turned to face her while she talked, still looking at Lucky while she
did, and Elizabeth was surprised at how close he suddenly was. Swallowing
roughly, she was powerless to keep her gaze from drifting to his lips. He licked
them and she could feel her pulse rate increase as the warmth radiated off his
body in the balmy night.
No, she didn’t feel it anymore…at least not when she looked at Lucky.
He seemed to sense it, too, and leaned closer to her, this time inhaling her
light scent. His breath, warm and moist, feathered over her lips and Elizabeth
felt her body being pulled as if magnetically toward his.
And then a chorus of laughter erupted in the room below and Jason pulled back as
if physically jerked away. He turned his shoulder to her and Elizabeth pressed a
hand over her lips, cursing herself. Tears sprung to her eyes without her
permission and she furiously tried to blink them away. Clearing her throat, she
quickly tried to compose her voice so that it wouldn’t waver. She was
unsuccessful.
“You never told me how long you were staying.”
She could feel him stiffen behind her at the statement, and all of a sudden, she
knew. Slowly, deliberately, the petite brunette turned on her heel and stared
hard at his frozen form.
“You never told me how long you were staying.” Each word was harsh, a
bitter barb, and Jason still wouldn’t look at her, only confirming her worst
fear.
A strangled laugh made it past her lips as Elizabeth tried to combat a fresh
wave of tears. “I get it. You’re leaving again. When? Tomorrow morning? Tonight?
Hell, were you supposed to leave right after Robin was done? I’m sorry for
keeping you, Jason!”
He turned then, his eyes shining with regret. “Elizabeth-“
“Don’t even start with me,” she ground out, pointing a finger at him in
accusation. The warm summer breeze rustled through the curly locks she had piled
on her head in a loose twist, setting some of them free. They fluttered against
her flushed skin as she stared him down with watery eyes, and more than
anything, Jason wanted to rush up to her and take her in his arms.
“It was bad enough that you left the first time,” she seethed, backing away when
he tried to go to her. “You just up and walked away – did you even think about
how much that hurt-“ She stopped herself, clamping her lips shut for a moment
before starting anew. “And now you’re just going to pick up and leave again?
Well, you know what? Go! Just go! Go ahead, damn you!”
He didn’t move, and she couldn’t take the way he was looking at her. Her cheeks
were rosy and her eyes were wet and red, and Jason was still looking at her as
if…he was looking at her like he always did. Anger coursed through her and
Elizabeth claimed the remaining few steps between them.
Jason was still numb when she planted her small hands on his chest and tried to
shove him. “Didn’t you hear me? Go! Just go, Jason!” She sniffed back her tears,
furious with herself for letting him see them, and continued to shove at him.
Jason stumbled back a step before finally regaining the presence of mind to grab
her waist gently. “Go! No one wants you here! Don’t you get it? N-No one wa-ants
y-you-“
She was sobbing now, and Jason quickly pulled her into his arms. Hooking two
fingers under her chin, he forced her to look up at him. Her eyes were wide and
glassy and tears had made her skin dewy. She stared up at him hard, furiously
and sadly at the same time, and Jason’s eyes penetrated hers easily.
He didn’t need any more – he had already seen what he needed. Without another
word, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers in a searing kiss.
She fought him at first, then stilled for a brief second before pulling him
closer. She latched onto him as he did her, neither able to get close enough.
His hand cupped the back of her neck and his long fingers tangled in her hair,
pulling her up hard against his solid frame. She snarled against him and bit his
lip, losing herself in his tight embrace.
When they pulled apart, they were both out of breath. Her forehead rested
against his and his arms were still wrapped tightly around her nimble frame.
Jason watched her with complete adoration as her breathing gradually slowed. Her
eyes were still closed, her skin flushed, and her lips swollen from his kisses.
His fingers had done a good job of freeing most of her wild curls from their
nest and now her hair tumbled down her shoulders. A few tears still remained and
he bent slowly, softly kissing them away.
She opened her eyes slowly, revealing those passionate midnight blues, and
Jason’s nose bumped into hers as his gaze bore steadily into hers. “Come away
with me.”
He could see the confusion in her dark eyes. “W-What?”
“Come away with me,” he repeated again, stroking the small of her back.
“Tonight.” He could see her hesitation, her desire to do what he asked and the
confliction of that desire with the need to stay. “It doesn’t have to be for a
long time, Elizabeth – it can just be for a couple days. Come away with me.”
Her skin flooded with color and her teeth nibbled on that succulent lower lip as
a new light sparkled in her eyes. He watched as a slow smile spread and claimed
her full lips, and then her arms were around his neck again.
“Will you?”
She nodded slowly at first and then eagerly. “Yeah.”
He was grinning against her lips as he leaned down to press another kiss there,
pulling her and molding her small body completely to his. She responded
beautifully, giving him everything he asked for and more, and Jason could barely
stifle a groan when her painted nails scraped against his scalp. He pulled away
before it could get out of control. “My bike’s in the hospital lot,” he panted
against her lips, “Let’s go.”
The End.
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