I’m trapped and my back’s up against the wall
I see no solution or exit out
I’m grinding it out, no one can see
The pressure’s growing exponentially
I’m trying to keep up to speed with you
Your lane changing is oscillating me
I’m hitting the ground and I’m sprinting
I’m falling behind now I’m tuning out
– Pressure, Muse

---

Friday, January 5, 2018

Morgan’s Auto: Lobby

Jason folded his arms, squinting at the lines of code reflected back on Spinelli’s monitor. “Explain this to me again. How does that help us figure out what Luke’s up to?”

“I haven’t put the newest decrypted files on the drive yet,” Spinelli said, twisting in his chair to face Jason. “I’m embedding a virus—not a bad one. But it’s a tracker. Anyone who opens a file will give me access to their device. I’m also sending Luke an updated list of addresses with context as to why they’re on the list. Since he mentioned if we’d told him Klein worked at Maslak, he’d have prioritized it. When Luke opens it—”

“You get into the phone.”

“I don’t know what security they’ve got, but I’ll get texts, locations, GPS—and the files should give me Lucky’s information. I’ll know where they are and where they go. I don’t know if it’ll get you what you want,” Spinelli added, “but I think it’s a good start.”

“I—” Jason broke off at the sight of a car pulling into the parking lot. When Alexis stepped out, he frowned. He hadn’t seen his former lawyer much since his return, or at all, now that he thought about it.

Alexis pulled the door open, flashing a hesitant smile. “Hi. I, uh, hope it’s okay I’m stopping by. I know you’re not open yet—” she swept her eyes around the shabby, though clean, lobby. “Which is a good thing.”

“It’s fine.” Jason stepped away from Spinelli, gestured towards the doorway that led to the office in the back. “Come on back.”

“We haven’t really spoken since you came home.” Alexis set her bag and coat on the chair by the desk, waited for Jason to close the door. “But I am glad you’re home. That you’re all right. I’m sorry that my family is responsible for this.”

“Your family had nothing to do with this, Alexis. Helena, Victor, maybe Valentin — do you really claim any of them?” Jason asked.

She smiled faintly. “No. I don’t know. But it’s difficult to turn off the guilt. I’ve always known my bloodline was capable of great cruelty. I…kept my distance because of Sam.”

“I know.”

“And I shouldn’t be here today, either,” Alexis added. “I should be talking to you through Diane. I tried that, but I’m not sure Diane…well, she’s never really hidden her dislike of Sam. And…” she hesitated. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but when you came home, a lot of things got brought up. In the press. You never paid attention to any of that, I know, but someone must have found old trial clips of Sam testifying against you.”

Jason frowned. “What?”

“The trial was carried live on television, and a few years ago, the news network launched a YouTube channel. Don’t ask—” Alexis held up a hand when his frown only deepened. “At any rate, someone sent the link to Kristina. She, ah, didn’t know why Ric and I divorced.”

“I’m sorry for that, Alexis.”

“These last two months, they haven’t been easy. For anyone. You and Drew, you both have so much to work out. The last five years—what happened to him as a child to be separated from you in the first place—” She pressed her lips together. “And the people around you—they’ve had to adjust. Sam’s had to adjust. And you know better than anyone how hard she can cling to something she wants. When you add in Kristina dragging up that, and other misdeeds, well, Sam hasn’t exactly done herself any favors between that and the papers I filed.” She grimaced. “I could get disbarred for this, Jason, but I hope you know—”

“You have to do what your client wants, Alexis. You don’t have to say anything else. I know it’s not personal.” Jason hesitated. “I just don’t know why you’re here. Diane already told me Sam was angry that Sonny came by—”

“It looks like you’re trying to intimidate Sam into backing down. I know that’s not true, but Sam—she just needs space. She needs to—” Alexis paused. “You and I both know Sam is impulsive. She makes mistakes, and she can’t correct them. Not without admitting she was wrong. I think she regrets how she handled your return.”

“I don’t know what I can do about that. I didn’t do anything wrong—”

“Of course not—”

“I came home. I just—I wanted to come home,” he repeated. “I didn’t demand she turn the penthouse over to me. I wouldn’t. And I’m not demanding access to Danny. I understand her concerns there—”

“If there’s a chance that maybe—” Alexis paused, as if searching for the right words. “I don’t know. If there’s a chance that this divorce will end up like your last—”

“I’m not calling this one off. It’s done,” he said, and she closed her mouth. “I shouldn’t have—Sam and I weren’t good for each other for a long time. Sam made those choices, Alexis. If she regrets them now, I can’t do anything about that. I won’t do anything,” he added. “I had to move forward. I did that.”

“I see that. The garage — I’m glad you’re not going back to Sonny full-time. And, well, I know you’ve had time with Jake and his brothers.”

“Why are you here?” Jason asked again. “If it’s to ask if Sam and I—no. It’s a no, Alexis.”

“All right. Then I suggest you do yourself a favor and make it clear that Sonny needs to stay away from Sam. He went to her, Jason, and he accused her of trying to put you in jail. Of stealing your freedom. And then he told her you’d called her from Russia. She feels guilty for not getting you out. For not knowing you were alive.”

“I don’t—” Jason shook his head. “I wish he hadn’t said anything. I don’t want Sam to think—that was two months ago. Things have changed.”

“Because of Elizabeth?” Alexis asked.

Jason looked down at the surface of the desk, then back up at his former lawyer. “She’s part of it. But it’s more than that. The life Sam and I had, it’s over.” And damn Sonny for making Alexis, for making Sam think there was a chance he’d change his mind. This was the last thing he needed.

“Thank you for hearing me out.” Alexis picked up her things. “I really am glad you’re home.”

When her car had left the parking lot, Jason looked at Spinelli and sighed. “If the boys get here before I get back, get them started in the bay, okay?”

“Sure thing, Stone Cold. But where are you going?”

Jason yanked his jacket off the back of a chair in his office. “To stop a problem from getting worse.”

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

“Hey, do you have a second?”

Elizabeth glanced up to find Kim at the counter, a chart in her hands. “Hey, Kim. What’s up?”

“I just to thank you for stepping in on the Jamison case last week, and making sure she was transferred down to our floor. It’s not the first time the ER has turfed a pregnant patient to the first open bed they could find, and it won’t be the last.”

“No worries. It’s part of my job to make sure my patients are on the service they actually need—”

“It’s really not,” Kim said, and Elizabeth sighed. “Or it shouldn’t be. I know you have enough on your plate without taking care of hospital administrative tasks. I know the ER gets busy and crowded, but—”

“They pass it on, I know.” Elizabeth hesitated. “Listen, I, um, I’ve been meaning to reach out. Do you have a few minutes?” She gestured towards a nearby waiting area.

Kim looked as if she wanted to say no, but finally tipped her head. “I do. But it’s not necessary—”

“Maybe not, but our sons are best friends, and well, they’re cousins. I know Cam’s not biological—”

They sat on the sofa in the waiting area, and Kim rested the chart in her lap. “Biology doesn’t matter to Oscar. Or to me. Meeting Cam the first week we were here—it made such a difference. I worried about uprooting Oscar when he only had three years left, but…” She bit her lip. “Cam made it easy for him. And now Oscar has a life here. I hope you know I think the world of your son.”

“I do, too. I got really lucky. And I adore Oscar. I just…I wish there was something I could do. Or say. You were dealt such a rotten hand—”

“No worse than you. Or anyone else who loved Drew—or his brother. It’s all so…” Kim squinted. “Impossible. Fantastical, really. My husband was deployed, and…now whatever made him Drew is sitting in a computer file somewhere. That’s what Oscar tells me.”

“We have the doctor’s files. They’re encrypted, but we’re trying. I don’t know if that helps — to think you could get Drew back—”

“I’ll never get Drew back. Not the way he was. The way we were.” Kim looked down at her hands, flexed her fingers. “I’ve been avoiding it all. Pretending it wasn’t happening. One foot in front of the other. Don’t think about it. But the papers…the divorce. It’ll be final at the end of the month.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t know if it was the right thing. To just let Drew go without a fight. Was it?”

“I don’t know. Did it feel like the right choice?”

“He doesn’t know me,” Kim murmured. “He doesn’t know Oscar, but that’s different. They—they could get that back. But he doesn’t know me. Doesn’t remember that he loved me.” She touched her throat. “They stole it from us. All the dreams we had for each other. For our life.  You…he came here. There was an accident, and for some time, he didn’t know who he was. You knew him then.”

“I did,” Elizabeth said carefully. “But he had fragments. Feelings. About Jason’s life.”

“It’s all right. I know that you nearly married him. So you understand what I mean. The man he was. Kind, sweet—and he could be so silly. He and Oscar liked to play little pranks on me. Harmless ones. Fake flies in ice cubes, whoopy cushions. He loved to laugh.” Kim sighed. “I hope he didn’t lose that. I hope they didn’t take that from him, too.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you for checking on me. But I think I’ll do better if we keep pretending it’s not happening.”

“If that’s what you need, I can do that. But you’re Oscar’s mother, and Oscar’s part of my family, now. If you need anything—”

“Thank you.” Kim smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind. But I should get back to work.”

Greystone: Living Room

Sonny heard the knock at the front door through the double open doors, and turned just as Jason strode into the room, his jaw clenched. “Uh, hey, what’s going on—”

“Why did you go to see Sam?”

Sonny grimaced, went towards the minibar. This called for a bourbon. “How’d you find out?”

“That’s not an answer—”

“I went because I knew you wouldn’t.” Sonny picked up the decanter. “You want a drink?”

“Sonny.” Jason exhaled slowly. “Look, I’m sure you thought you were helping, but you’re not. I have enough to deal with without you making it look like I’m trying to intimidate Sam into backing down—”

“Which is why I stepped in. You’re not handling your business, Jase. And half of your business is mine. Sam’s coming after the warehouse interests and your real estate investments. We share those, okay? You can’t let her dig into those books. Get your head into the game—”

“I know what it means for her—do you think I’m stupid?” Jason shook his head. “She just filed two weeks ago. Nothing’s going to happen until we get in front of a judge who has to order those books open. You’re jumping the gun because you think you know everything. No, don’t—” He held up a hand. “Just don’t. What did you think you were doing telling her that I called her from Russia? That I went to the penthouse at all?”

Sonny frowned. “Because she only filed to get back at you for asking for the divorce at all. I wanted her to know that it’s her own fault you’re not together right now—”

“I don’t have time for this, Sonny! I wasted my morning at Anna’s, finding out that Luke and Lucky haven’t found anything in Turkey, Spinelli’s printing files faster than we can read them, Laura’s jumping down my throat for something that isn’t my fault, Elizabeth’s worried the boys are going to get involved, and now I’ve got you trying to help because you think I can’t do it, giving Sam ideas that I don’t want to deal with.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t—I didn’t know there was a meeting today.” Sonny frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have gone—”

“Don’t change the subject. You need to back off. You’re demanding answers from me, from Diane, from Sam—it’s none of your business—”

“It’s—”

“You want me to go into a court and rip Sam apart, I get that. Diane wants me to do it, too. You think I can’t read between the lines?” Jason rubbed his hand over his mouth. “You don’t like how I’m doing something, you talk to me.”

“The way Diane talks, you’re not handling anything—”

“And if Diane wants to keep talking about my business with you, I’ll find another lawyer. This is my divorce, Sonny. I’m handling it—”

“You keep saying that, but you’re the one circling the subject. Did you actually tell Diane what to file or did you want her to read your mind?” Sonny tossed back the last of his bourbon, set the tumbler down with a hard clink of glass. “Why do you let Sam get away with everything? And do you even want to know what she said when I told her—”

Jason exhaled slowly, looked at the ceiling, almost as if he was praying for patience. Sonny’s scowl deepened. “She only went after you, Jase, because you didn’t chase her. She wanted you to beg her for another chance so she could reject you. But you didn’t, so she’s gonna make you pay—”

“She can do whatever she wants. Diane’s going to file what she files, and we’ll let the court figure out. I don’t have the time for this, Sonny,” Jason repeated.

“You don’t have the time? Oh, okay. I guess this conversation is interrupting your busy file reading,” Sonny bit out. “Didn’t mean to force you to take control of your own life instead of burying your head in the sand some more.”

Jason stared at him, bewildered. “What are you talking about?”

“You know how Sam is when she feels rejected. You know better than anyone else. What happened to Jake, Jase? To Elizabeth and the boys in the park? To Elizabeth’s marriage? Sam gets vindictive, spiteful, and cruel when you reject her. You came home, you ignored her for two months, asked her for a divorce, and then kept ignoring her. You think that she’s not going to keep going nuclear to get your attention?”

Jason scrubbed his hands down his face. “Sam made her choice that night. What did you want me to do? Run after her? Beg her to believe who I was? She didn’t want to know the truth, Sonny. Are you mad that I didn’t chase Sam? Why do you care so much about what happens with my divorce?”

“I don’t care—” Sonny took a minute, took a breath. “Okay. Look, the way things shook out, it’s the right thing. Sam was never a good match for you. She made you the worst version of yourself. I get that. I get how you can keep going for the misery you know because it’s the hell you think you deserve. So I’m glad Sam’s out of the picture. I always liked Elizabeth—”

“I don’t need your approval on any of this—why are we having this conversation, Sonny? Why are you going behind my back to talk to my divorce lawyer, to my ex-wife—are you going to bother Elizabeth next?” Jason shook his head. “I told you. I’m handling it by keeping my distance. Sam wants to hurt me, I get that. She’s always known how to do it and using Jake—” He looked away. “It worked. But I need to move on from that. She made her choice that night to walk away. And I didn’t go after her. I’m glad I didn’t. I have everything I want, and as soon as we find something Sam will agree to, I can stop thinking about her. Is that good enough for you, Sonny? Does that have your approval?”

Sonny pressed his lips together. “Yeah. That’s fine.”

“Good. I have to get back to work.”

Jason left, the door slamming behind him. Sonny growled, then took the empty tumbler, threw it against the wall. All he wanted to do was help, and Jason couldn’t even see the big picture.

A few minutes later, the door opened again, and he heard Carly in the foyer. He turned, and she came in, bright-eyed and beaming. “Hey! Was that Jason I saw leaving? I wish I’d caught up with him. I need to see if he wants to take a look at a few ideas I had.”

Sonny glared at her. “For what?”

“Oh, the lobby and the customer areas of the garage.” Carly set some bags on the desk and pulled off her coat. “I actually spent the morning looking at some new furniture for the place. You’ve been there, right? That sofa.” She shuddered. “And that smell. Thank God it’s gone.”

Sonny shook his head. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Jason’s garage.” Carly tipped her head. “I told you. He asked me to decorate it, make it fit for humans. It was a real garbage pit, but I stopped in this morning, and the cleaning crew did a great job. We’ll get new linoleum for the lobby—I wanted Jason to choose the color scheme—”

“Do you think I care about any of this?” Sonny demanded. She blinked, fell silent. “Do you think Jason gives a damn about colors?”

Carly’s smile fell slightly. “No. No, probably not. I know he’s got a thousand things on his plate, that’s why he asked me to help. He asked me, I didn’t offer. And you know how much he hates when I just get involved without asking. So I—”

“Good for you,” Sonny muttered. He reached for a new tumbler, poured another bourbon. “I’m sure he’ll love whatever you slap on the place. If he even notices. You know he’s busy. Why aren’t you picking the colors? Isn’t that he wants you to do?”

“Is—is everything okay? Was that why he came by?” Carly looked behind her. “I don’t really press him about any of that. But did something happen?”

“He’s fine.” Sonny shook his head. Took a deep breath. “He’s not handling the divorce well,” he found himself saying. That was the reason, of course. That’s why he was so angry with Sonny for just trying to help. He thought Jason had made a clean break from Sam, but how many times had Sonny thought that about Carly? Maybe the divorce petition made everything real. Maybe that was why Jason was angry at Sonny, for dragging up old feelings.

“Oh.” Carly’s brows knitted together. “I thought he was handling it okay before the holidays. I mean, I know I encouraged him to talk to Sam, but I think he probably made the right choice. Elizabeth—you know, once I stopped being so aggravated by her—Jason told me that she really helped him feel like himself again, and that hurt the first time he told me. But then I realized it was true. And that’s most important, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah. Right.” Sonny sipped his bourbon. Maybe that was what was bugging Jason. Elizabeth had done so much to help him get resettled at home, but if Jason was having second thoughts about divorcing Sam—well, that would be rough for everyone. He stroked his chin. “You know, it’s good Jason asked you for help with this. That you waited to be asked.”

“I know. It felt really good—”

“I mean, he chose exactly the right thing to keep you from asking too many questions.” Sonny shrugged, started for the door. “I’m gonna go to the restaurant for a few hours. Enjoy your, uh, color schemes.”

Carly watched him go, then looked down at the paint samples in her hand. Somehow, Jason asking for her help didn’t feel as good anymore. He just wanted to keep her away from something that actually mattered, like his divorce and custody, or the Cassadine investigation, or his family—

She took a deep breath. It didn’t matter, she told herself. He’d asked her for help, and she was going to do her best. Even if didn’t really matter. If she did this well, next time, he might trust her with something more important. Baby steps. She had to rebuild his trust.

It would take time, and she wasn’t going to let Sonny make her doubt herself again.

Jerome Gallery: Main Floor

“You know, any time you want to pay attention—”

Franco jumped as Ava Jerome sidled right up to him. He frowned. “Where did you come from?”

Ava folded her arms. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago, and your new pieces were supposed to be here this morning.” She shook her head as she returned to the desk tucked in the corner of the room. “You know, Franco, if you can’t live up to your end of the contract, I’ll need my money back.”

He winced, turned back to her. “Okay, look, I’m having some creativity blocks. You know how I get when my personal life gets bad.”

“No. I don’t.” She tipped her head. “When you had personal issues in New York, you just went out and killed a homeless guy for inspiration. Is that what we’re talking about? Do you need a lawyer?”

Franco set his jaw. “That was before. You know that.”

“Uh huh. Well, whatever you have to do, I need those new pieces before the end of next week or you lose your spot.” She twisted the cap from her water bottle. “And I won’t just hand it back to you next time. You’ve got a window of opportunity here, pal. Your triumphant return after your medical issues will be old news soon.”

“Already is.” Franco turned, looked back at the blank wall where his work should have been. He scratched his shoulder. “I should be inspired. Romantic woes should be inspiring.”

“Not when you’re the one that gets dumped,” Ava said sourly. “You’re not still wallowing over the nurse, are you? I assure you, she’s not thinking about you.”

Franco twisted, glared. “How would you know?”

Ava’s brow rose. “I may not have a lot of friends in Port Charles, but I know enough. And Griffin, the lousy skunk,” she muttered, “told me that he was relieved Elizabeth looked happier.” She snorted.

Franco pursed his lips. “I’m guessing the religious experience is over, then?”

“Yes, well, he served his purpose.” Ava shrugged. “Anyway, the point is that Elizabeth has moved on. You can’t let her destroy your future. You worked too hard to get your reputation back on the side of the angels. Don’t let it go to waste.”

“Yeah. I guess so.”

“So get back to your studio, get back to work, and get my art pieces.” Ava smirked. “Or I’ll find another tortured artist to take your place.”

Webber House: Living Room

“And look—” Jake shoved his math test at Monica. “Look! I got the highest score in the class.”

Monica beamed and took the test to examine it. “Well, look at that. You know, your dad was pretty good at math even at your age.”

“Yeah?” Jake twisted to find Jason still in the kitchen with Elizabeth. “Hey, Dad. You were good at math when you were a kid?”

“Uh, well, I don’t remember,” Jason admitted, coming to the doorway. “But Grandma used to tell me I was, so I believed her.

“Oh, yes, your dad won every award you could back then.” Monica went over to the sofa, sat down with Aiden and Jake. “Always seemed effortless.”

“That’s Cam now,” Aiden told Monica. “He gets awesome grades without even thinking about it. Except math. But now he’s good at it.”

“Where is Cameron?” Monica asked.

“Out with his girlfriend,” Jake said, making a mock swoon face. “Making kissy faces, probably.” He wrinkled his nose. “Nasty. Why would anyone use their tongue?”

While Monica fielded that question, Jason went back to the kitchen to help Elizabeth clean up dinner. “You don’t want to talk to Jake about tongues?” she teased, handing him a dish towel.

“No, I really don’t.” Jason smiled, but it looked a bit forced. She hesitated, then picked up a plate with some sauce still stuck to it. She scrubbed it.

“You said everything went okay with Anna, right?” she said, handing him the plate. “You just seem distracted.”

“It was a long day,” Jason admitted. “Laura came by. I told her that I’d respect whatever she wanted to do—but she’s not happy with me or doesn’t trust me to listen. Spencer can’t come back to the garage.”

Elizabeth made a face. “Oh, well, that’s probably not a good thing,” she said, with a sigh. “I was thinking about what you said last night, and while I don’t want them involved, I also know you’re right. Spencer has it in his head now, and the more he’s told no, the more he’ll push. And he won’t stop there. He’ll drag Cameron into it, and they’ll end up finding a dead body.”

“You know, not everything ends in a dead body,” he told her, and she smirked. “Just when you and Emily were involved.”

“Haha, very funny. Laura’s trying to avoid the same mistakes she made with Lucky. Luke always made Lucky feel like they were partners, you know? Not just father and son. It never occurred to him to keep Lucky clear of any of this.” She sighed. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing to get involved in. You said Luke didn’t sound all that hopeful they’d get anything, didn’t you?”

“That’s how it felt.” Jason set another dish in the drying rack. “Drew and I both agreed that we’re better off here, at least until we know whether or not Luke and Lucky are keeping actual secrets. Anna and Robert want more proof.” He was quiet for a moment, but then continued, “Spinelli is planting trackers in this batch of files. He wants to know where Luke and Lucky are going.”

“Do you really think they’ve found Valentin and they’re just not telling us? Why would they do that?” When Jason didn’t answer, she sighed. “I know you have your reasons to distrust them. And I’m not going to tell you that I don’t agree. I won’t,” she repeated when he just looked at her. “But I still don’t know why they would lie to us about this. What’s the point of holding back?”

Jason tossed the towel side, leaned against the counter. “I don’t know. Why would Nikolas get involved with Helena enough to know about Jake? Why would he keep that a secret? There’s not a good reason, right?” he pointed out. “So just because we don’t know why—”

“I’ve been thinking about it—and maybe it’s just my need to believe the good in Nikolas,” she said, “but back during Endgame—when Lucky was under Helena’s control, I told you that Helena wanted me gone. She wanted Nikolas to kill me. He was pretending to go along with her back then because it was the only way to know what she was planning. We faked my death to make her feel like she’d won.”

“You think Nikolas was going along with Helena until he knew her plans for Jake,” Jason concluded.

“Maybe. I mean, it would explain some of the really insane things he was doing. He knew the truth about—or what we thought was the truth—about Jake Doe. About Drew. But he kept quiet for months. And he had Hayden Barnes shot to keep her quiet. Which was definitely—” She frowned, wrapping her arms around her torso. “It was definitely the holy shit moment, you know? I actually—he scared me. I thought—if I tell the truth, will he hurt me, too?”

“He scared you.” Jason grimaced. “And you still think he might be on the right side? Elizabeth—”

“I’m just—I don’t know if I can discount all the years I knew Nikolas. You knew him, too, Jason. He made mistakes and he hurt people. But the way he was acting during that time—”

“But Jake came home in the middle of it, didn’t he?” Jason asked.

“Yeah. Yeah. And I definitely struggled then,” Elizabeth murmured. “It was one thing to keep it a secret, to keep you—who I thought was you—from Sonny or Carly. Or Sam and Danny,” she added reluctantly. “That was—that was selfish enough.  I rationalized it, of course. Sonny and Carly only ever used you, and you didn’t even know about Danny—” She sighed, looked away. “But I was keeping you from knowing Jake was your son. I thought if you were raising him, it wouldn’t matter. But it wasn’t you, and it was all just a giant, colossal, insane mistake. Six month psychotic break,” she muttered.

“You think I’m going to judge you for any of that?” he asked, and she met his eyes. “I’m not. I wasn’t here. It wasn’t me. And maybe you could do that because you didn’t believe it all the way.”

“You always let me off the hook,” she said. She smiled. “You know, back before the DNA and fingerprints came in, Drew was still angry at me for taking your side. And, look, I knew the minute I saw you. And then you said my name—but then he was just yelling at me and ripping into me—” She made a face. “I knew who you were the second I saw you, but that night, I could see all the reasons he wasn’t you. You never actually get angry with me. Even when I deserved it.”

“I’ve been mad at you,” Jason said.

“For longer than ten minutes?” she pressed, leaning against the counter, their shoulders brushing, their backs to the living room. “Tell me when.”

“Uh—” He paused, looked up at the ceiling. “Probably with Ric,” he said finally, and she winced. “You asked.”

“I definitely did. Did I ever date anyone you actually approved of?” Elizabeth asked lightly. She shook her head, went to the cabinet to get coffee cups.

“No.”

She hadn’t expected him to answer that, and she looked at him. “What?”

“No. I never liked anyone you dated,” Jason said. “Lucky. Ric. Zander. That Matt Hunter guy—”

“Didn’t actually date him,” Elizabeth said, folding her arms.

“I hated Nikolas,” Jason muttered. “And Ewan—before I had a good enough reason to hate him,” he added.

“Oh.” She frowned. “All of them?”

“Did you like anyone I dated?” he asked. “And Robin doesn’t count.”

Elizabeth pursed her lips. No, she hadn’t liked Courtney or Sam, and she and Carly would never be friends. “Okay, so no. I guess you’ve made your point.” She twisted the top off the coffee container. “Ask Monica if she wants some coffee—”

“I will, but—” Jason put a hand over the container as she reached inside for the scoop. “Don’t make any for me. I’m not staying late tonight.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth frowned. “But you always—”

“I know, but Spinelli printed more files and I wanted to get them done this weekend, especially with the trackers he embedded in the files. I want to be ready if he finds something.” Jason had turned away, didn’t see the look on Elizabeth’s face. “So I figured I’ll get some done tonight. Monica’s here, and I know she’s missed time with the boys—”

“She’s missed time with you,” Elizabeth forced out. The files. Again. They’d been having a perfectly normal conversation, and he was going to leave. For the files. “Are you sure you want to do that tonight?”

“Yeah. There’s more WSB records in this batch than medical, so I don’t want to fall behind.” He hesitated. “Is that okay? I mean, I can stay. It can wait until tomorrow.”

This was it. The chance to tell him. She opened her mouth, then closed it. It had only been one day. “No. No, you’re right. If Spinelli finds something with Luke or Lucky, we’ll need to deal with that. And Jake’s files are somewhere in there. The sooner we get through them, the sooner we’ll have a full picture of what he went through.”

His expression relaxed, and he leaned in, brushing his mouth against hers. “Call me tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

← Chapter 51 | Chapter 53 →