Said I don’t know if I’ve ever been good enough
I’m a little bit rusty, and I think my head is cavin’ in
And I don’t know if I’ve ever been really loved
By a hand that’s touched me
And I feel like something’s gonna give
– Push, Matchbox 20

---

Monday, January 11, 2000

Corinthos & Morgan Warehouse: Jason’s Office

Jason thumbed through a stack of invoices. At the sound of heels outside the office, he looked up, wondering if it might be Elizabeth—before remembering she was still working and she never wore heels anyway.

But she was never far from his mind, and he’d rather be at home with her than sitting at this desk, wrestling with paperwork.

It was Alexis who stepped inside, her briefcase in hand. “I’m not interrupting, am I?”

“No. Far from it.” He gratefully shoved the invoices to one side. “What’s up?”

“Nothing urgent, but just some paperwork to finish off the legalities.” Alexis set the briefcase on his desk, flipped open the top. “The insurance company sent the forms to add a beneficiary, so you can fill those out—”

“More forms,” he said, with a sigh, but accepted them. It was important that if anything happened to him, Elizabeth wouldn’t have to worry about anything. “What else?”

“Here are the forms for the partnership you have with Sonny—a survivor’s agreement,” she clarified. “Stating that Sonny becomes active partner, but your interest goes to Elizabeth—” She handed him that. “It was in the prenuptial agreement, but we still need some specific contracts—”

“Can’t you just tell me where to sign—”

“Hey. You’re the one that ran with my stupid idea,” Alexis reminded. “I was just making conversation. You also told me to do everything I would normally do if you or Sonny got married.” She held up the contracts. “This would be what gets done. You’re just not some pauper who lives in a boxcar anymore. You and Sonny entered into a partnership last year that’s worth millions of dollars.”

Jason made a face. “Yeah, but—”

Alexis sat down. “Look, I know you hate all of this. I know Elizabeth hates all of this, but it’s my job to protect you both. Things happen, Jason. And God forbid, something terrible happens and Elizabeth ends up having to do all of this herself. Because that prenuptial agreement protects you in the event of divorce. Your will leaves your estate and property to Elizabeth. Without the right forms in place, all of that gets tied up in probate—”

“All right, all right.” Jason picked up a pen. “I’m sorry.”

“And Elizabeth’s had her own paperwork to fill out. Do you know how many forms there are to change your name? Social security, DMV, bank forms—”

Jason’s head snapped back up. “What? She—she signed them?”

“Yes. Last week. And by the way, I don’t know if Elizabeth passed this on or not, but you are not to get divorced before the end of the year. The PCPD needs evidence to break the spousal privilege, and that’s—”

Jason scribbled his name at the bottom of the insurance form and went to the next page. “She told me.”

“Oh. Good. Don’t take legal advice from Sonny.”

“Not planning on it.” He moved on to the next set of contracts, then hesitated. “This…survivor agreement—it makes Sonny the acting partner.”

“Yes. And Elizabeth would be a silent partner, in the event that you were incapacitated or not, uh, alive,” she said, a bit awkwardly. “It also gives Sonny the option of buying your half of the company for full-market price. It protects her interest. I’m sure Sonny would take care of her, but it’s always best if—”

“Could—” Jason met her curious gaze. “Could you draw up another one of these? Not for Elizabeth. For me.”

Alexis studied him for a long moment. “Are you thinking about stepping back from the warehouse?”

“I’m thinking about giving myself options,” Jason said after another moment. “When it looked like I might have to leave Port Charles, I thought about where I could go. Places I’ve only read about.”

“A lot of places around the world Elizabeth could paint.”

He’d thought of that, too, and maybe it was a crazy idea, but…what if it wasn’t? “Could you do that? The contract?”

“Do you want the same one? With Sonny able to buy you out?”

“Yeah. I do. Thanks.”

Quartermaine Mansion: AJ & Carly’s Suite

Carly leaned over the toilet, her stomach pitching and rolling, and she heaved, coughing and nearly choking. She’d already puked her guts out, and now it was just dry heaves, her wretched body putting her through the exhaustion of vomiting without the mess.

She finally leaned back against the cool tiled wall, her sweaty hair sticking to her forehead, hanging limply around her shoulders. It had been hell hiding her nausea from everyone, especially from AJ, but it would be nearly a month before she could safely tell AJ she was pregnant.

He’d never believe it now. Before last week, they hadn’t been together in months, and he was already feeling terrible about her mother’s visit earlier that day. He’d gone into the office, and Carly had headed straight for the stairs.

She didn’t want to disappoint Bobbie—she’d tried so hard to be a good daughter, but Bobbie would never, ever forget who she’d been once. There would always be that small kernel of distrust and hatred inside.

Elizabeth Webber, Carly thought bitterly. That’s what had made Bobbie so angry. Not just that Carly might have had to snitch on Bobbie, but that Elizabeth had actively been in trouble. Why did everyone want to protect that stupid little girl?

Lost in her own misery, she didn’t hear the bathroom door open — but she did hear the soft click of shoes on the tiles. She twisted her head to the side and watched in a sort of detached horror as AJ knelt down beside her, his head tipped to the side.

“Food poisoning,” she managed. “Something I ate—”

“Must have been hell,” AJ murmured, “finding out you were pregnant after Jason married someone else.”

She drew her brows together, confused by this opening. “What?”

“Before that,” he continued, conversationally, as if he hadn’t just caught her, basically red-handed in her infidelity, “you probably could have guilted him into finding you a way out of the prenup.”

She cleared her throat. “I—”

“You could still tell him,” AJ said, “but I bet he wouldn’t help you the same way now. He’d just give you child support and ask for visitation. And you’d lose Michael and all of my money, too. Not exactly what you’d want, huh?”

She couldn’t fight back. Couldn’t argue. And what would she even say? He was right. Even if the truth was out, Sonny would just take the baby from her. And she’d lose everything.

“I can explain—”

“Michael is not going to lose his family,” AJ said. He looped a nearly boneless arm over his shoulder and lifted Carly into his arms, taking care not to jostle her. “He loves you and you’re an okay mother.”

She wanted to slap at him, tell him to stop saying words, she was an amazing mother—

“And I think you and I have an understanding now,” AJ continued. He set her down on the bed, tugging off her shoes. “Jason’s not an option for you. And if you told him now, you’d just make him unhappy.” His face tightened. “He’d never be rid of you.”

She closed her eyes, the tears slipping down her cheeks. If this had been Jason’s baby, AJ would be right. Jason would be miserable and trapped with her. He hated her now, and he’d never stay with her for the baby. That bitch had ruined everything. Why hadn’t she gone away? Why couldn’t Carly get rid of her the way she’d chased away Robin?

“And he owes me for what he stole from me. What he put me through,” AJ continued. “This is my child, Carly. We’ll raise it together, and Michael will get to keep his family together. He’ll be a good brother, and I’ll be a good father. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes,” she managed. “Yes. I understand.”

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

“Hey.” Jason folded his arms as Max pulled the door closed behind him. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah. Yeah. Um—” Sonny scratched the back of his neck. “I wanted to let you know that I finalized some of the details for the reception.”

“Okay.”

Sonny winced at the short, clipped reply but forged ahead. “It’s, uh, this Friday at the No Name. We’ll take the limo,” he continued. “There’s gonna be some dinner and dancing. Vega wants to say some nice things, and then there’s the favors part—”

“Favors?” Jason echoed. “Why—”

“They feel as though I didn’t deliver on my part—” Sonny closed his eyes. “When I married Lily. I was supposed to make up for it later, but—”

But he’d walked away, leaving Brenda at the altar. He couldn’t say it. Couldn’t think of it. The tragedy, the pain of her death still felt too raw. “But this is why Sorel is on board. Why he’s buying it, because I owe this. I’ll grant a couple of requests. Elizabeth will spend some time with Vega’s wife. Tagliatti is between wives—”

“And then we leave,” Jason said. “I don’t want to be there more than two hours—”

“Yeah, yeah. You and Elizabeth will take the limo home, and it’ll come back for me. I’ll head out after another hour or so, and when Sorel goes, there’ll be the shooting. But that’s the deal. The three of us are out of range.”

“And you think Sorel doesn’t see this coming?” Jason demanded. “So close to the rest of it—”

“He’ll be suspicious,” Sonny admitted, “but he knows I’ve got tension with the others because of these last two years. It’s me getting in good with the rest of them. And he wasn’t invited at first. They let it slip in conversation to him, and he forced his way in.”

Jason didn’t like that, though he understood why it made sense. “Fine.”

“The only time you won’t be by her side is during the favors when she’s with the women and during some of the dancing. Vega’s calling for the dance, and she’ll be safe with him,” Sonny added when Jason scowled. “He’s old school. You know that. He helped broker your deal with Moreno.”

Jason exhaled slowly. “I remember. He was angry that Mac had been hurt and that Michael and Robin were in the line of fire.”

“If there were another way—”

“There’s always another way,” Jason bit out. “This is helping you, not me. Not Elizabeth. You said it yourself. You made these guys angry as hell when you dipped out of town and left everything to me. You need to get back in with them. If this was really about getting rid of Sorel, I’d just go stake him out and bullet in his head. You assholes want the circus.”

“Jason—”

“I told you. We’ll do this, but don’t expect me to be happy about it. You didn’t give me a choice.”

Jason didn’t slam the door as he left, but Sonny flinched all the same. Putting Elizabeth in even the slightest of danger had been the final crack to their friendship, and Jason was right. Sonny had seized this opportunity, telling himself it was the only way. He’d agreed too quickly, seeing the benefits to them all.

But if he’d taken even a minute, he’d have known Jason wouldn’t agree. Not under these circumstances. Not after he’d torn his hands apart to get to Elizabeth on New Year’s, and she’d still been shaking when he’d brought her to the Towers.

Sonny had, once again, thought more of himself than anyone else, and just like always—he’d be the one left alone in the end.

And he would deserve it.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

“I smell like grease,” Elizabeth grumbled when Jason leaned in to kiss her that evening. She flattened her hands against his chest to hold him back slightly. “Some kid threw a plate of fries at me just before my shift ended—”

“I like fries,” he reminded her, and kissed her anyway. “Work was okay, then?”

“As good as it ever gets.” Elizabeth unzipped her jacket and tossed it over the desk chair. She kicked off her shoes and wandered over to the sofa. Behind her, Jason used his foot to push her shoes closer to the desk, then hung up her coat. “Tips are good.” She flashed him a grin. “I think they’re worried if they stiff me, I’ll complain to you.”

“Happy to be useful.” He sat down and lifted one of her feet in his lap, rubbing a thumb against the arch. Her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed happily. He hated to mess this moment up, but— “The reception is set for this Friday,” he told her.

She opened her eyes and sat up, bracing herself on her elbows. “Oh. Okay.”

“We can go over the rest of it later,” he told her. “But in case you need to get off work—”

“Yeah, I can. Um, if we’re talking about dinner plans then—” Elizabeth bit her lip. “Gram came by the diner. She wants to have us for dinner this week. Should I tell her maybe another week would be better?”

He was nervous about this reception, but the thought of sharing a meal with Elizabeth’s grandmother who thought dirt on her shoe was better than him was more intimidating, he realized. But—

“No, we can do it this week. Um, pick the night,” he told her. “Whenever.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “You’re doing something for my—” He squinted. “My side,” he said finally. “I should do it for you, too, right? And I…like your grandmother.”

“You do?”

“She’s trying, isn’t she?” Jason pointed out. “Maybe it’ll be a disaster,” he continued and she sighed. “But maybe it won’t be. We’ll see what happens.”

“All right.” Elizabeth reached for a magazine on the coffee table, and started to flip through it. “What did you do today?”

“Paperwork, actually.” Jason sat next to her. “Alexis came by to finish the last of it. From the wedding,” he added, and she glanced over.

“I thought we did all of that already.”

“I had some insurance and forms related to the warehouse,” he said, determined to remain vague. He didn’t really want to talk to her about the insurance policies or that. He was more interested in what he’d learned from Alexis. “She said you’d turned in the forms for a name change.”

Elizabeth raised the magazine to cover her face. “Yeah. We, um, talked about that. Before the wedding—”

“And then we talked about it again,” he said gently, putting two fingers on the edge of the magazine to lower it. “I didn’t know you’d decided.”

“Well—this was after you told me about Sonny. About not needing a full year. I—” Elizabeth shrugged one shoulder, looked down at her chipped nail polish. “I guess I asked if I should go through with it to see where your head was at. And if you told me not to bother, then—”

He’d told her that it didn’t matter to him. “When you asked me that,” Jason began carefully, “I meant what I said. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“No, I know. It’s silly. It’s a name, it doesn’t—”

“It’s not silly,” Jason corrected, and she looked at him now. “But it’s your decision. It would be your decision even if we were making it under other circumstances. I just—names don’t matter to me.”

“Well, if that were true, you would have kept being Jason Quartermaine, so they matter a little.”

He grimaced, looked away. “Yeah, okay. I guess you have a point.”

“I—” Elizabeth tucked her hair behind her ear. “But I get what you mean, and I appreciate it. It’s just—I signed those forms because I realized why you’d told me what Sonny said. You know, that you wanted me to have a choice. So I made it. The choice, I mean.” Her cheeks flushed.

Jason leaned in, kissed her softly. She traced the line of his jaw. “I’m glad you did.”

“Me, too.”

He kissed her again, pulling her into his lap. “Did you want to get something for dinner?” he murmured.

“After.” She tightened her arms around his neck. “Definitely after.”

So I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below
And I laugh at myself
While the tears roll down
‘Cause it’s the world I know
Oh it’s the world I know
– World I Know, Collective Soul

---

Monday, January 10, 2000

Harborview Towers: Hallway

“I’ll pick you up at Kelly’s after your shift,” Jason promised Elizabeth as he walked her to the elevator the next morning. “We can’t take out the bike because of the ice,” he reminded her, “so I’ll be in the SUV.”

“Maybe we should have taken a ride yesterday,” she said with a wrinkle of her nose, but Jason shrugged and kissed her.

“I like what we did instead,” he said, drawing back grinning when her cheeks flushed and she ducked her head, biting her lip. He slid a finger under her chin to kiss her one more time. “I’ll see you later,” he murmured.

“See you later.”

When she was on her way down to the parking garage to meet Francis, Jason looked over at Sonny’s door, took a deep breath, and then went over to find Max standing outside as always.

“Hey, Jase.” Max rapped lightly on the door.

“Max.”

Sonny pulled open the door. “Jason.”

“We need to talk about this reception,” he said, walking past Sonny. Sonny closed the door behind him, and Jason faced his friend and boss. “When?”

“Uh, Vega and Tagliatti were going to get back to me,” Sonny said, a bit taken aback. “They wanted to wait for things to settle a few days. To let Sorel think the deal is in effect and that this is just part of the normal order. We should get the date in another day or so,” he clarified.

Jason nodded, shoved his hands in his pockets. “We’re doing it. Not because we want to or because I think it’s the best way to handle this—”

“Jason—”

“Because I don’t. I think it’s one way, and maybe it’s the easiest for all of you,” he added, and was gratified when he saw Sonny grimace. “I’m doing it because you didn’t give me a choice. You already told them yes,” Jason interrupted. “And if I refuse now, it’ll tell everyone we have a problem between us.”

Sonny stared at him for a long moment. “And we do, don’t we?”

“Yeah, I think that’s clear.” And he shouldn’t have to explain this to Sonny. If Elizabeth had understood it after only a few months, why the hell didn’t Sonny? “But it’s personal and it’s no one else’s business.”

“I know you’re mad that I went to Elizabeth—”

“It didn’t work. And it’s not going to. Elizabeth isn’t Carly,” Jason retorted, and Sonny scowled at that. “You can’t turn her against me—”

“That’s not what I did—”

“You said it yourself, Sonny. Carly saw me dancing with Elizabeth and asked you about it. You knew you could play her. You knew you could make her angry at me, and you did it because you thought you knew better than me.”

“I was right,” Sonny insisted, his face reddening. “You know I was right, and you’re better off now, aren’t you?”

“It was my mistake to make, and if you hadn’t pulled that bullshit with Elizabeth yesterday, maybe I could let it go.” And he nearly had, Jason realized. Because Carly was out of his life and he was happier for it. But Sonny hadn’t been content just to leave it at that. “But you tried it again. You thought you could get Elizabeth on your side—”

“She’s not the reason you’re standing in front of me, agreeing to do it?” Sonny pointed out, and Jason pressed his lips together. Because Sonny had a point, but it hadn’t happened that way.

“You tried to talk her into taking your side when you knew how I felt. What if I’d done that to you with Brenda? Or Lily?”

“It’s not—”

“What, it’s not the same?” Jason shot back. “It is. But it won’t work with Elizabeth, and you know that now.”

“Jason—”

“I’ll do this reception because I don’t have a choice, but you and I are going to have to talk about what happens after that. Things are going to change, and I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

“Hey, DJ, we’ve got another three omelets on order,” Elizabeth said, arranging some dishes on the tray and delivering them to the table.

As she returned to the counter, the bell over the door jingled and Bobbie stepped in. Elizabeth tensed, realizing she hadn’t seen or spoken to the redhead in more than a week—not since she’d moved into Jason’s penthouse and the wedding.

“Well, good morning.” Bobbie smiled brightly, taking one of the stools. She flipped over her coffee mug, and Elizabeth poured. The nurse caught Elizabeth’s hand, the diamond flashing. “I heard about this.”

“Yeah, it’s, um—” Elizabeth wiggled her fingers, still unused to the way it felt on her hand. “It’s new.”

“I’ll say.” Bobbie tipped her head. “Quite a lot has happened in the last six weeks, wouldn’t you say?”

That was a fair statement, so Elizabeth just smiled thinly, then left to grab orders when DJ hit the bell. When she once again returned, Bobbie was sipping her coffee.

“Is that all you’re going to say?” Elizabeth asked hesitantly.

“Well, I suppose I have my worries,” Bobbie admitted. “Lord knows, I’ve jumped into marriage impulsively. I suppose—” She bit her lip. “I suppose I’m concerned. I know you and Jason care for each other. He made that very clear to me,” she added with a flush to her cheeks. “At the same time, I saw the papers. I know what the PCPD is investigating.”

Elizabeth paused. Clearly Bobbie didn’t know that Carly had made a statement. While Emily’s suspicions had hurt because her best friend really didn’t know anything else was going on in the background. Bobbie did—and if she didn’t know about Carly, did that mean Carly hadn’t said anything about her mother?

What if that meant that Carly still had that up her sleeve? Carly’s story was dead in the water with herself as a witness, but if she went back and told them about Bobbie, wouldn’t it bring more people in? Bobbie and Carly weren’t the only people who had seen Jason at her studio. Elizabeth’s grandmother had. Nikolas had. And maybe they’d think more closely about how Jason had looked—

“Elizabeth?” Bobbie prompted. “Is everything all right?”

“Actually, um, there were some—well—there are a few reasons Jason and I decided to get married so quickly. And one of them was Carly.” Elizabeth met Bobbie’s guarded expression. “Carly threatened to tell the PCPD about the studio. And that you and I knew.”

Bobbie swallowed hard. “She—”

“We needed to damage her credibility,” Elizabeth added, keeping her voice soft. Almost inaudible. Bobbie leaned in. “So we did. And then Carly went to the PCPD. I don’t think she said anything about you—”

“But that doesn’t mean she won’t.” Bobbie nodded, closing her eyes. “I see. All right. I’ll have to—I’ll have to handle that. Ah—” She focused on Elizabeth. “Are you all right? Otherwise, I mean. Were you—”

“I’m good,” Elizabeth promised her. “Do you remember right after it happened, and I told you I was scared that I’d never be able to be with anyone?”

“I do.”

“I was wrong.” She smiled then, happy to see some light coming back into Bobbie’s expression. “Very wrong. You were right. When I was ready, and when the right man came along, it was beautiful. Thank you for that, Bobbie. For all that you did for me after the rape.”

“I’m so glad, sweetheart.” Bobbie squeezed her hand. “I just knew it would turn out well for you. I’m very happy for you.” She paused. “For both of you,” she added.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Jason hadn’t lived in the penthouse all that long, but he thought it seemed awfully empty and lifeless when Elizabeth wasn’t there. He didn’t really have anything else to do that day, and with the snow, he couldn’t even take out the bike.

When the guard at the front desk told him that his sister was waiting, Jason was relieved. Even if Emily had come over to yell at him.

“I was actually hoping to catch Elizabeth,” Emily said, as she removed her jacket and scanned the penthouse, frowning when she caught sight of the framed wedding photo on his desk. She picked it up. “Oh, man, it’s real,” she murmured.

Remembering how sad Elizabeth had felt after she’d seen Emily the day before, Jason tensed.  “We told you—”

“I know. But—” Emily showed him the photo. “You’re in the church. You’re wearing a suit, she’s got a dress on. You look happy.”

“Yes.” Jason frowned. “That’s because we got married.”

“No, I thought—” Emily shook her head, studying the photo. “I don’t know what I thought,” she admitted. “Maybe that it was a City Hall thing or something in the living room. It all seemed so rushed—”

Jason arched a brow. “Because you weren’t invited?”

“I don’t know. Yeah, maybe. I’m her best friend, and your sister.” Emily set down the photo. “If it was all real and on the level, why didn’t you call me? No one said a thing to me,” she complained. “I saw Elizabeth on New Year’s, and I know you guys weren’t that serious then. Then three days later you get married—”

“What do you mean, not that serious?” Jason demanded. “What are you talking about?”

Emily rolled her eyes. “Elizabeth told me that Nikolas was wrong at the Christmas party. I don’t know everything, but I know things weren’t like that. And she was nervous on New Year’s Eve about taking things to another level. She was only going to stay with you because of the lock on her door.” Emily shrugged. “I’m not stupid. You were with Robin forever and never got married, and you were in love with her. Something happened to make you marry Elizabeth like this.”

Jason folded his arms. “Things were different with Robin,” he said finally. “And I’m not that person anymore.” He’d worked hard to be better. “And what makes you think you have any right to demand Elizabeth and I tell you why we got married?”

Emily stared at him. “What does that mean?”

“It means exactly what Elizabeth and I have been telling you for days. Weeks,” he clarified, and her cheeks flushed. “You’re not entitled to information about our sex life—”

“Oh my God, this isn’t about sex—”

“Yeah, it is. You just said so. Elizabeth was nervous about it on New Year’s Eve. And you’re telling me like it proves anything. How do you know she even talked to me about it yet?” Jason challenged. “What if she didn’t? She confided in you, Emily.”

“I—” Her cheeks paled. “She said she was going to talk to you—”

“How do you know she did? Did she say so?”

“No, but—”

“No. And you’re here demanding to know why we’re married. Did I demand you tell me everything about Juan?”

“No—” Emily scowled. “But you didn’t like him—”

“No one did,” Jason muttered. “You think something’s wrong because you had a conversation with Elizabeth over a week ago—”

“You’re telling me you fell in love with her that fast?” Emily demanded. “Because—”

“It’s none of your business,” Jason cut in, irritated now. “Elizabeth is your best friend, not me. And until she decides to make it your business, you’re only making it worse by demanding information. Why shouldn’t I tell her you’re going behind her back and telling me what you talked about?”

“That’s—” Emily swallowed hard. “That’s not what I meant to do. Elizabeth just—she just gets so defensive about you, and I just wanted to know why you got married so fast. Why can’t I ask?”

“You can ask, but no one owes you information, Emily.”

“I’m trying to protect her and look out for—” Emily huffed. “You’re making it sound like I’m a bad person. I know you rushed into this wedding, and I think it was because of something she did for you. Because if you weren’t sleeping together last month, then there was another reason you were staying with her. And fine, keep that from me. Whatever. But if it’s the reason you got married and it means she’s going to get hurt—”

Jason remembered the way Elizabeth had looked that night at Vista Point, when she’d painfully recounted some of the things people had said to her during her first shift back after the Christmas party. The way she’d been treated. That she’d thought she wasn’t someone he’d care about.

It didn’t matter that Emily had a point. That she was absolutely correct, and maybe they should tell her something. It mattered that Emily had said something exactly like this to Elizabeth, and it had brought all that back, and made her doubt everything he’d been working so hard to make her believe about herself.

“You’re so sure that I wouldn’t have married her,” Jason said, and Emily stumbled to a stop. She drew her brows together, confused. “You don’t think it’s the other way around. You think I wouldn’t have married Elizabeth.”

“Well, yeah. You wouldn’t have—”

“Is that what you said to her? That you know I wouldn’t have married her unless something was going on. That the only reason we’re married is because of my job or something else. Not her. Or the way I feel about her.”

Jason could see the truth sinking in now and Emily’s cheeks paled. “Oh. Oh, no. That’s not what I meant. Not at all. You’d be lucky if Elizabeth picked you to marry. You’re out of her league—” Tears glimmered in her eyes. “She’s too good for you, okay? After all the things you did to Robin because of Carly—”

“Then maybe you tell her that,” Jason cut in, not in the mood to hear another diatribe about his shortcomings. Elizabeth didn’t hold any of that against him, so he didn’t care. “And stop demanding to know things that aren’t your business.”

Kelly’s: Diner

Elizabeth tossed up another table of orders and grabbed the bowls of chili DJ had set down. As she delivered them to another table, she heard the bell over the door jingle and braced herself. Her grandmother had just walked through the door.

Just because Audrey had been kind about the wedding a few days earlier, that didn’t mean Elizabeth could really trust it. Gram had a way of smiling and accepting who Elizabeth wanted to be, only to turn around and lay down conditions the next time they spoke.

“Hello, darling. I was hoping I could catch you after the lunch rush.” Audrey glanced around the diner which was starting to thin out a bit.

“There’s a shift change on the docks in about an hour, but I’ve got a minute.” Elizabeth went around the corner and waited for her grandmother to settle herself on one of the stools. “Tea?”

“Yes, thank you.” Audrey spooned some sugar in the tea as it steeped. “I was hoping you might ask Jason to join us for dinner one night this week.”

Elizabeth blinked. “Dinner?”

“Yes. If I’m to get to know him better, we’ll need to spend a bit of time together.” Audrey carefully blew on the hot beverage, then sipped. “Or do you think he’ll be uncomfortable? We can do something else. What would you suggest?”

“I don’t know.” Elizabeth cleared her throat. “I wasn’t really expecting—”

“I meant what I said, dear. Lila has been so gracious and warm about you joining her family. She knows you thanks to your friendship with Emily. I’d like the same opportunity. You’ve told me that Jason’s not who I think he is. I’d enjoy finding out for myself, I think.”

This felt like an episode of the X-Files, Elizabeth thought. Or one of the old Twilight Zone stories her grandfather had liked to watch. Her grandmother wanted to invite Jason for dinner. What would that even look like?

“We don’t have to—”

“No, I mean, I don’t know. I’ll ask Jason.” Jason would probably agree, Elizabeth thought. He felt so bad that she was being dragged into this reception thing—he’d probably see it as fair. They’d be even. Still — “I’ll call you and let you know.”

“Wonderful.” Audrey beamed.

Not long after her grandmother had finished her tea and left, Elizabeth had another visitor — one that gave her nearly as much anxiety. In fact, she nearly tossed her apron and disappeared into the back when Emily came in.

“Hey.” Emily smiled nervously. She bit her lip and sat at the counter. “I, uh, went over to see Jason this morning. We had a really good talk.”

Elizabeth stared at her, uncertain. Had Jason told Emily why they’d married? He wouldn’t—would he—

“And he made me see that the way I’ve been acting since you told me, it was, uh, sending all the wrong messages. Like, I obviously don’t get to demand information from you. And you’re both right. I’m not entitled to know anything about your sex life.” Emily’s cheeks flushed. “I’m not asking about that, either. It’s just—it, um, really threw me. You were gonna stay with Jason because of the lock on your door and you said you were really nervous about how things were gonna go.”

And then three days later, Elizabeth had married Jason. “I guess I can understand how that would be strange,” she said slowly, “but—”

“And I didn’t say things right, you know? It’s not that I don’t like the idea of you together. I like it even better after talking to Jason, by the way. Before, I was happy you weren’t Carly, but I couldn’t really see it. Like, it didn’t make sense.” Emily began to shred a napkin into long slivers. “But I also know my brother’s been a moron. He really hurt Robin, you know. You’re really too good for him.”

“Em—”

“Not that way either. Crap, I’m messing this up.” Emily met her eyes. “I never thought you getting married was weird because I didn’t think he’d marry you. Or that he’d be interested in you. I promise you, it was never that. It was just—I was scared you got in the middle of something with his job and I don’t want you hurt. So I pushed because I wanted to make sure you were okay. I just messed it up.”

Elizabeth’s chest felt looser now and she exhaled in a rush of breath. “That’s why you were saying it was weird.”

“Yeah. But then I went to Jason’s—to your place, too, now, I guess. And I saw your wedding photo. And he’s wearing a ring.” Emily reached for her hand. “So are you. It’s real. And he looks—well, I think he’s happy. He’s hard to read.” She released Elizabeth’s hand. “Are you happy?”

“I’m—” Was she? Things were so up in the air, unsure and fragile. But — “Yes. You were right. That last time we talked before you went to New York. I talked to Jason about how I was scared, and he was kind.”

“And this isn’t me asking for details,” Emily said. “I just—I want you to be okay. And happy, but okay is different, you know?”

“I’m okay,” Elizabeth promised her. “Better than.”

“Good. Good. I never in a million years would have put you guys together,” Emily told her, “but then again, maybe I would have. I remember when I was gonna run away with Juan last September, and you got Jason to help us. And he didn’t even yell at me or anything. He listens to you. I could see it then. And I’m glad. I hope you guys are really happy together.” Her face brightened. “And hey, we’re sisters now.”

“Yeah.” Elizabeth smiled. “Yeah, I guess we are.” And it felt so good to be back on the same page with Emily. She might have lost Nikolas, but Emily really had been her best friend. It had been hard to be at odds with her.

Maybe things were looking up.

Quartermaine Mansion: Parlor

It was the first time Carly had seen her mother in at least a week, and she had a strange feeling this wasn’t a social call.

Bobbie was standing by the window, her shoulders tight, her arms folded. She turned when Carly came in and just stared at her.

“Mama—”

“How could you?” Bobbie asked softly. “How could you do that?”

Carly’s list of crimes was long enough that she didn’t know exactly what her mother was referring to. “What—”

“It would have cost me everything,” Bobbie said, and Carly winced. “And don’t tell me you wouldn’t have thrown me under the bus if you’d needed to. We both know you still can and will.”

“Hey.” They both turned to find AJ. “Reginald said you were here.” His easy smile faded as he took in the tense atmosphere. “Michael’s upstairs if you want to see him.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” Bobbie said. “I’m here because my daughter decided to talk to the PCPD.”

AJ blanched and came fully into the room, closing it behind him. “Bobbie—”

“And clearly you knew about it,” Bobbie said. “You knew she was planning to turn me in?”

“But I didn’t!” Carly said. “I know I told Jason I would, but I didn’t mean it—”

“I made her do it,” AJ said quickly, and Carly shot him a grateful look—something Bobbie did not miss. “I made her do it because I wanted her to prove she’d broken with Jason. But she always wanted to keep you out of it—”

“Me, but not Elizabeth,” Bobbie said, and AJ looked away. “Not your sister’s best friend. You didn’t mind if Elizabeth was dragged into the investigation. Arrested. Maybe even put on trial.”

“Everyone keeps telling me she’s a grown adult,” Carly spat. “She made her choices—”

“I also knew Jason would protect her,” AJ cut in, and Carly glared at him. “Because it was the right thing to do, and he cares about her. You know that, Carly—”

“And what would have happened if you’d been wrong?” Bobbie demanded. “Do you really think that it would have stopped at Elizabeth? Were you so sure I wouldn’t be part of it—”

“Mama—”

“You did it to be spiteful and vindictive because Jason had moved on. And you—” Bobbie leveled a furious glare at her son-in-law. “You did it to get revenge on your brother. Don’t try me with this ‘Elizabeth would be protected’ bullshit. You took a calculated risk because that’s who you are. This is who you both are.”

“Mama, please—” Carly’s voice broke.

“You deserve each other,” Bobbie spat. “I hope you have a miserable life.”

You’re the reason I believe in love
And you’re the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you
– From This Moment On, Shania Twain

---

Saturday, January 8, 2000

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Jason pushed open the door and found Elizabeth curled up in the chair at the desk, the phone at her ear.

“No, I’m glad—I’m looking forward to it—” She glanced over her shoulder to smile at Jason, and he took a deep breath, because all her smiles hit different now, and he wasn’t entirely sure he knew what to do with this incredibly confident and eager version of Elizabeth, but he thought it would be worth finding out.

“What?” Elizabeth said, looking away from Jason, her cheeks heating. She bit her lip, and he shook his head, went to close the door. “No, sorry, Jason came in, and I got distracted. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up the phone and laughed when he spun the chair around so she faced him. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He leaned down to kiss her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. When he started to straighten, to lift himself up, she didn’t move her arms, so he just took her with him. Her legs went around his waist, and he gave serious consideration to the sofa behind them, or maybe the new pool table—

Jason set her on the arm of the sofa, took another deep breath. “Who was on the phone?”

“Oh, that was Emily. She came up for the weekend, and she’ll be here until Monday. We’re going to have lunch tomorrow.” Elizabeth hesitated, and her eyes sobered. “Sonny came over.”

His own mood blackened at the name. He moved past her and dropped onto the sofa. “To talk to you about the reception.”

Elizabeth remained on the arm of the sofa, but twisted, so that she was facing him, her feet on the sofa cushion. “Yeah. He came over pretty quick after you left, and I think—”

“He arranged for me to be gone so he could plead his case.” Jason just shook his head, leaned back against the sofa, his face tilted up towards the ceiling. “What did he say?”

“I didn’t really let him get that far. I told him he was a bad friend and that he doesn’t get to divide and conquer. I also told him to go to hell.”

Jason frowned, looked at her. “You did?”

“When I was a kid, I used to pull that kind of thing. You know, Mom says no, so you go ask Dad, he says yes, and Mom has to look like the bad guy or give in — and, like, yeah, when you’re six, that’s okay. Because you’re six. But it’s kind of…” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s not a great look for a someone to be pulling that on his friend. Sonny and I are not friends. We don’t have a history or anything. I only know him because I know you. It’s…just irritating. What if you hadn’t said anything to me? What if you’d just said no, and thought it was the end of it?”

“What would you say if Sonny had asked you? If I hadn’t told you I don’t want to do it.”

Elizabeth furrowed her brow. “I don’t know. I probably would have said that I’d do whatever you wanted to do. And I’d still be weirded out if Sonny came to me over it. I don’t like that he doesn’t care if he creates problems for us.”

“Me either.” Jason tumbled her into his lap, and she cuddled against him. “Thank you.”

“We’re a team.” She kissed the underside of his jaw. “Now about the bike—”

He just laughed and cut her off with his mouth.

Sunday, January 9, 2000

Kelly’s: Dining Room

“Hey.” Elizabeth dropped into the chair across from Emily. “How’s New York?”

“It’s fine.” Emily twisted, looked behind her. “Jason couldn’t be here?”

“No, he had work.” Elizabeth picked up a menu and scanned it. “Maybe if you’re still in town tomorrow, you could—”

“He’s working? Didn’t you just get married? I knew it.” Emily sat back. “I knew something was weird about all of this.”

Elizabeth looked at Emily, baffled. “What?”

“Since the Christmas Party, you’ve both been acting really strange,” Emily said. “I mean, I’m trying to be okay with all of it, and I’m still glad it’s not Carly, but you have to admit, this all feels really forced.”

Her good mood which had been mostly permanent for the last twenty-fours, save for the Sonny confrontation, dimmed. “Forced.”

“Is it about the business?” Emily lowered her voice. “Are you helping Jason cover up something?”

Carefully, Elizabeth set the menu side. “Because he couldn’t possibly want to marry me otherwise, right?” She reminded herself that Emily was partially right, but it was hard to focus on it. After all, she and Jason were actually married. Sharing a bed. Sharing it often. Which was better to focus on, not how the narrow-minded people around her thought.

But this was Emily. Her best friend. Jason’s sister. Who was supposed to know both of them better than anyone else. And some of that confidence she’d been steadily building since yesterday morning—

Well, it wasn’t bullet proof.

“Elizabeth, that’s not what I meant—”

“But it’s what you think. It’s what plenty of people think.” Their opinions didn’t matter, she reminded herself. They just didn’t.

But Emily’s did. And it stung. Because it was a reminder that the ring on her finger wasn’t hers forever. That there was a built-in exit plan — even if they never used it — it existed.

And Jason was happy right now with what she could offer, but maybe he was just amused by her — she’d been like a puppy, so eager for any piece of affection—

“I just think it moved really fast,” Emily said. “You know I’m not wrong. A week ago, you were worried about—”

“I know what I was worried about—” Elizabeth sat back. “You were ready to run away with Juan after a few weeks—”

Emily flushed. “A few months. And I didn’t—”

“Because Juan got here first.”

“You and Jason, this is like a couple of weeks. Jason was with Robin forever and never married her—where are you going?” Emily blinked in confusion. “You just got here.”

“I lost my appetite.” She jerked away from the table and stalked out.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

He’d figured on distracting himself with a few hours of grunt work to distract himself while Elizabeth went to lunch, but Sonny had just followed Jason down to the warehouse to talk to him again about the damned reception, so Jason had left almost as soon as he’d arrived.

He went back to the penthouse to wait for Elizabeth. Maybe she would want to take a ride. The roads were clear, and they were supposed to get snow the next day. It would be the last chance for a while—

He found her out on the balcony, the doors wide open, letting the swirl of January winds into the penthouse. Not that he cared, but—

Jason stepped out onto the balcony. “Hey, are you okay?”

Elizabeth turned, then blinked at the doors behind him. “Oh. I didn’t realize—” She sighed. “I just got back from lunch with Emily, and she thinks—it doesn’t matter,” she muttered. “I’m just not in the mood to deal with her.”

He joined her on the balcony. “Do you want to talk about it?” He drew off his jacket and dropped it on her shoulders. “Aren’t you cold?”

“I didn’t want to feel anything,” Elizabeth replied, then made a face. “It sounds stupid now. I was in such a good mood and now—”

Jason ran his hands down her arms, then back up to her shoulders. He cupped her face and kissed her, frowning when she remained tense in his arms. “Hey. What’s going on?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip, her lashes sweeping across her cheeks, hiding her eyes from him. “It’s…I’m going to say it out loud, and it’s going to sound stupid because it is stupid, and I know it is, but you know, you can’t always convince your brain—”

“Then let me convince you.” He brushed kisses against her closed eyes. “What’s wrong? What happened with Emily?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t even really say anything bad, but you know—” Her eyes finally opened, and he saw a hint of color sweeping across her cheeks. “She said something that I shouldn’t care about, and I don’t, but it triggered this thought in my brain—and you’re doing that thing with your eyes now where I know you’re trying to listen, but you can’t follow—”

“Tell me what’s wrong.” When she just stubbornly shook her head, he sighed. He lifted her up and carried her inside, setting her on the edge of the pool table. He kicked the balcony door closed behind him. “Elizabeth.”

“I was really…happy yesterday,” she confessed softly, and peeked up at him through the curtain of hair that had tumbled in front of her face. He swept it back, combing through it. “And I know you….I mean, you know. I know. But then Emily started asking questions about why we got married, and how no one thinks it’s because we wanted to, and I know that’s true, but it’s, like, one thing to know it’s true, but for other people to think it, it kind of hurts, which I know—” She pressed her lips together. “I guess maybe I started wondering if maybe I’d…I don’t know. I started to get…”

“Started to get what?”

“I don’t know. Embarrassed?” Elizabeth admitted. “I practically jumped you every time you opened your mouth yesterday—”

“Yeah, real tough day for me,” he replied, and she laughed, a bit startled. She met his eyes. “Yesterday was good. Better than good,” he added, and her cheeks pinked up more. “And I know how nervous you were. How hard it was for you to trust me.”

“It was, until it wasn’t. And I guess that’s the strangest part, almost. Just how much the fear seemed to take over everything—” Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck. “And how much room there was for everything else once it was gone.”

“And I think you forget that it wasn’t just you yesterday.” He pressed his thumb against her lip, which she’d bit again. “You don’t need to be embarrassed by anything we share. And I’m sorry if Emily said something to hurt you.”

“She didn’t mean to. I’m still getting used to you…” Her face was cherry red now. “Getting to the idea that I’d…be enough. You know. In bed. Because I want to be. I just—”

“You are perfect, just the way you are.” He kissed her again and this time, she relaxed into his arms, melting against him in the way he’d grown used to. This was better, he thought. “Come upstairs and I’ll show you.”

“Does it—” She drew back, licked her lips. “Does it have to be upstairs?”

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Jason woke abruptly later that night, though he couldn’t say why. The room was pitch dark, without even a glimmer of moonlight sliding through the curtains. Snow had moved in a few hours ago, clouding out any light in the night sky.

He listened intently—had there been a door creak or footsteps that had jarred him out of sleep? But there was nothing. Just the sound of Elizabeth’s soft breathing. She was curled against his side, her arm hooked across his chest, the tips of her fingers brushing his shoulder.

She was still sleeping deeply, though that didn’t mean anything. Elizabeth barely responded to an alarm clock blaring right next to her head.

But there was nothing in the penthouse. No sounds. No movements. Nothing outside beyond the whirl of wind and sleeting snow against the windowpane. There was no threat. Just his own thoughts.

He closed his eyes, tried to slide back into sleep. He’d done this before, in the studio, when he’d had pain or worry about the world outside. He’d focus on Elizabeth, sleeping just below him on the floor. Her breathing always lulled him back to sleep, and it was even better now. She was in his arms, and he could feel her soft skin everywhere, her breath warm against his skin where her face tucked into his shoulder.

He stroked her back, and she moved slightly. Her breath changed, and he winced. Had he woken her?

She shifted, her hand sliding down his chest, away from his shoulders, towards herself, and then she slid up on her elbow. “Jason?” she asked, her words slurred. “Are you awake?”

“I’m sorry, go back to sleep,” he murmured. He touched her face, brushing her hair back, but he couldn’t resist sliding his fingers down her cheek to her neck. He couldn’t see her very well in the dark, but he knew she wasn’t going to listen.

“What’s wrong?” She shivered, and he reached for the blanket that had slid down. He tucked it around her shoulders, but he could see the white of her eyes and knew she was awake now.

“Nothing,” Jason said, but Elizabeth didn’t accept that. She reached across him, straining for the lamp on his night table. He squinted when the soft light flooded the room and illuminated her face, worry etched into her features.

“Jason—”

He laid back, stared at the ceiling, the way the light cast shadows above them. She tucked herself back into his side. “We have to do the reception.”

“I know.”

Jason frowned, but he didn’t look at her. Still stared at the ceiling. “How did you—”

“Sonny said yes. It’s why you were so angry.” She tilted her head up so that her chin rested on his shoulder, and now he met her eyes. “Once he said yes, it didn’t matter what you wanted or what I wanted. It was already done.”

And that was it, of course. That was why he’d woken in the middle of the night. Why he’d avoided talking about it with Sonny earlier, refusing to engage. It didn’t matter. Sonny wasn’t asking Jason, and he hadn’t presented it that way. He’d just told him. This was how it was, and there was no choice.

“I don’t know why things are like this between you and Sonny,” Elizabeth continued, “but I know something’s wrong. You don’t have to tell me,” she added. “It’s just that I’m worried. Your job is to take orders from him, isn’t it?”

And it was that simple, wasn’t it? Would Jason be this resistant if that night in December hadn’t happened? If Sonny hadn’t already proved that he was no better than the Quartermaines or Robin or anyone else who thought Jason didn’t know how to think for himself—

“It is,” Jason said hesitantly. “But not about this. Not when it involves you.”

“But it’s not about me—”

Restless, Jason slid out of bed and reached for the briefs nearby on the floor. “Yes it is, but I can’t explain why.” Didn’t want to explain it. Didn’t want to explain to Elizabeth that it all traced back to that horrible moment standing in Sonny’s penthouse, bleeding from a bullet he’d taken for Sonny, watching the woman he thought he loved saunter down the stairs in Sonny’s shirt.

How did he begin to tell her about any of that without making it seem like it was the sex that bothered him? It had in the beginning, but then it didn’t anymore. And after watching Elizabeth’s face change that day in the church—

He didn’t want to go through it again.

“You don’t have to—” Elizabeth began, but for some reason that answer irritated him. He turned back towards her, some of his frustration bubbling up and out.

“Stop that,” he said, and it sounded harsher than he’d meant it to because she flinched, then swallowed hard. She dragged the blanket up more tightly, seeming to draw back inside herself.

Jason dragged his hands over his face. “Stop telling me I don’t have to explain myself,” he said, a bit more calmly but the damage was done. “This is about you. Don’t tell me what I’m feeling.”

“I didn’t mean to—” Elizabeth tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t mean to. I just—I just don’t think Sonny sees it as it being about me, and maybe that’s the disconnect, you know? He’s seeing it as business, and you don’t—”

Jason just shook his head and walked away, went over to the window to shove aside the curtain. The bedroom sat over the living room, so the view from here was the same as the balcony, over the lake and the harbor though he could barely see either through the snow.

He heard rustling behind him and turned. Elizabeth had reached for the first clothing she could find—the gray sweater he’d discarded somewhere on the floor, and his mood softened. The collar slid to one side, and the hem hit her midway on the thighs. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“You don’t have to apologize—”

“No, I just—” He sighed. “This would be easier if I told you why Sonny and I are having issues, and I don’t want to do that.”

“Because it involves Carly.”

Jason drew his brows together. “How—”

“I’m not an idiot,” she said with a roll of her eyes. She folded her arms, tucking the ends of the sleeves into her palms. “You talked about Carly doing something that made you see who she really was, and you cut them both out at the same time. Why else would you be so mad at Sonny over me? Because it’s not about me,” she said flatly. “It’s because of Carly. They slept together, right? The night you were shot.”

“Yes,” he confirmed with a slow nod, and she sighed. “I’m not mad about that. Not the way you think. I was for a while, but I meant what I told you the day we got married. That I see Carly for who she is, and I’m glad—”

“Jason—”

“And I wouldn’t give a damn about it anymore if it hadn’t been for what Sonny said to me the day after,” Jason hurried to add, and she frowned at him. “He came to the boxcar and told me that now I knew who they both were. He did it because he thought I was better off without Carly.”

She swallowed hard, looked away, and swallowed hard. Jason hurried to explain, “he was right. I know that. But it wasn’t his place to prove it to me.”

“Okay—”

“I thought he understood that. I thought—” Jason shook his head, looked away from her again, out the window to the blinding snow. It had snowed like this the night he’d gone to the boxcar. He’d laid out on the ground, waiting for the numbness to seep throughout his entire body. “I never expected much of Carly, but Sonny was supposed to know better. He was—” How did he explain this? How did he make her understand when he could barely put it into words for himself?

“You told me once that Robin and Sonny had taught you everything you knew,” Elizabeth said. He met her eyes. “And that you grew up in Sonny’s eyes, but not Robin’s.”

That was it. Exactly. He swallowed again. “Robin thought she knew what was best for me. She was right about Carly using Michael, but I didn’t care. I knew she was. But I wanted Michael. It was worth it to me. Robin took the choice away from me. Just like the Quartermaines,” he murmured.

“And Sonny did that again with Carly.”

“Yes.”

“And now he’s doing it again with this reception thing.” Elizabeth reached for his hand. “I’m sorry.”

“I was wrong about Carly. I know Robin and Sonny were right. And maybe the Quartermaines were right, too. I don’t know. But it wasn’t their job—” His throat tightened. “I’m not damaged. I’m allowed to make mistakes, and no one—” He couldn’t force out the words anymore. Couldn’t make himself finish.

“No one has the right to make choices for you.” Elizabeth clasped his hand between both of hers, bringing it to her chest, resting it against her heart. “Or tell you what you’re feeling. Or be angry when you don’t live your life the way they think you should.”

He nodded. Cleared his throat. “I don’t know if I can keep working for Sonny if this is how it’s going to be.” He met her eyes. “But I don’t know who I am if I don’t work for Sonny. I don’t have anything else.”

“You have me,” Elizabeth said. “I know it’s not a lot, but it’s not nothing, right?” She chewed on her bottom lip. “That’s not where either one of us lives anymore. You told me that the day we got married. That I dragged you back into living. Let me keep doing that.”

He dipped his head, kissed her, wishing there were words. Wishing he could make her understand just what she’d done for him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he lifted her in his arms, marveling for just a moment that he could do this now. That she’d trusted him.

“Do you know why this happened yesterday?” She murmured against his lips, hooking her legs around his waist. He carried her back to the bed and set her down. “Because you gave me the choice. When you told me what Sonny had said about not needing the whole year.”

Jason blinked, a bit confused by that. He drew back, but Elizabeth just smiled. “You let me make the choice for myself,” she continued, tracing her thumbs over his cheekbones.  “Trust me to keep making that choice, and I promise you I won’t ever make one for you. We’ll do this stupid reception. And then—when you know what you want to do, I’ll still be here.”

“Yeah?” He leaned down and kissed the shoulder left bare by his sweater. “For the whole year?”

“For however long you want me.”

Jason focused on her, on the way she’d said the words and what she might mean, then he kissed her again, losing himself in how she tasted and felt. He didn’t need anything but her.