April 28, 2020

Which mask will you wear today
How about the one with the pretty smile
To you it’s just another day
In a life you haven’t lived in quite awhile

Welcome to the new sub-site! For the Broken Girl is (will be) a two book set. This main page is under a bit of construction but all the other pages are basically up.

15 June 2020: The ebook for For the Broken Girl, Book 1 has been released! You can find it on the Synopsis page. It has been fully formatted for both popular formats – Amazon Kindle (.mobi) and Barnes & Noble/Google Play, .epub. You can also download a PDF version. Right click the link and select “Save as…”

12 June 2020: For the Broken Girl, Book One, has been posted in its entirety. Enjoy and please leave comments or reviews!

10 June 2020: Launched sub-site. All pages are active. Please take a minute and leave a review!

November 29, 2014

alleweare

We won’t say our goodbyes
You know it’s better that way
We won’t break, we won’t die
It’s just a moment of change

Inspiration

After I rewrote Poisonous Dreams as A Few Words Too Many, I eliminated the marriage of convenience angle. It’s a concept I like reading in general because there’s a vast difference between developing a relationship outside of marriage and then making it work once you’re in one. So I started to think how I could do that concept again. What would make Jason and Elizabeth take that step? Spousal privilege, of course.

And from there, I looked at different time periods until I found my favorite one: Summer 2006. My God, the amount of story I’ve planned that uses this as a jumping off point is legion. I loved 2006 so much.

Timeline

So, this begins in October 2006. All of the events of the summer have happened through the point Lucky leaves for rehab in mid-September after throwing Elizabeth to the floor. Ric has taken over as DA for Alexis due to her cancer. Elizabeth has told Jason about the paternity issue, but rather than running the test at GH, she had it done at Mercy for more secrecy. I haven’t changed much except for the Jason and Sam relationship. There’s been no real movement to getting back together. Also, while Sam and Carly are aware of the NOP, only Sonny knows about the paternity test.

2017 Update: I hadn’t really watched the 2006 scenes as closely as I should have before writing this and I completely forgot that Emily did know about the paternity and blackout night. I also forgot just how supportive of Elizabeth she ended up being. I also kind of flubbed the Sam stuff in this story. I didn’t want to deal with her, so I really didn’t. And I feel bad about it. Not bad enough to rewrite, but just note that I didn’t really stick as close to GH canon as I thought I had.

Media

+ Soundtrack, Volume 1: Mood Music
+ Soundtrack, Volume 2: Songs From the Story

Characters

Chapters

April 12, 2014

Timeline

This is sort of an episode tag to October 12, 2006, after which Sam had told Nikolas about the possibility that Jason was the father of Elizabeth’s child.

Inspiration

. I was sort of frustrated back then by how passive Elizabeth seemed in taking the constant abusive and guilt from the people around her, so I wrote a story where she loses her shit. I’ve written another story along these lines, but much longer, called No Angel.

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It was only going to take one more person today to make Elizabeth snap. She had held her temper the entire day because if she opened her mouth, she would just let it all out and while she would feel better, she thought it might end up causing more stress in the end and she wasn’t really in the mood.

First it had been Lulu and then Carly and then of course, Sam. Her Royal Fucking Highness. If anyone should have kept their damn mouth shut, it was Sam McCall. Maybe Elizabeth shouldn’t have spent the night with Jason (she was willing to consider the possibility) but at least she hadn’t spent the night rolling on the ground with her step father.

And so what if she needed a paternity test? She was hardly the first woman in Port Charles that wasn’t completely sure about the man who fathered their child. In fact, if Elizabeth remembered gossip correctly, Carly had had to have a paternity test with both Michael and Morgan. And Sam had had one as well. So the two of them should have just shut their damn mouths.

Elizabeth stomped down the dock steps, the clacking of her boot heels slapping against the wooden stairs. She had just taken the test and now the final week of waiting would begin.

She should have kept her mouth shut. If she had never said word one about the paternity issue, then Epiphany never could have guilted her into admitting the truth to Jason, who never would have told Sam and Carly never would have over heard it and her blood pressure wouldn’t be through the roof.

Kelly had been concerned and Elizabeth had promised to relax but how was someone supposed to relax when every time they turned the corner, someone was waiting to jump down her throat?

“So I guess I know why you didn’t want to tell Lucky.”

Elizabeth frowned and turned to find her brother-in-law stepping onto the docks, his face schooled into a blank expression. “I beg your pardon?” she asked.

“You didn’t tell Lucky you were pregnant because you said you wanted things to calm down,” Nikolas reminded her. “But really, you just didn’t say anything because you didn’t know if he was the father.”

Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t lie to me any more,” Nikolas snapped. “You slept with Jason. You’ve been running around, pretending to be the person wronged but you had an affair–”

And just like that, Elizabeth stopped caring. “Shut up,” she said, taking a step forward. “Shut your mouth.”

A little startled, Nikolas closed his mouth.

“First of all,” Elizabeth said testily, “I don’t have to justify anything to you. You’re not my husband and it’s none of your business. Secondly, after catching my husband with his little tramp three times in the span of twenty-four hours, yes, I spent the night with Jason. One night. I think that I had a right to deal with my situation the best I knew how–”

“And that was sleeping with Jason?” Nikolas asked incredulously.

“I was leaving Lucky,” Elizabeth spat. “I had caught him with the pills, he was blaming his affair and addiction on me and I had had enough. I told him our marriage was over and as far as I’m concerned, I should have kept walking. But he seemed like he was making an effort and he pretended to be sorry. So I went back.”

“And never told him.”

“What purpose would it have served?” Elizabeth demanded. “It would have made an awful situation even worse and I wanted to save my marriage. But instead, he went back to his pills and he went back to his whore. And I ended up pregnant. I’m done. I’m done feeling guilty, like I have to apologize for a night that I’m not sorry about. I don’t have to justify anything to you, Nikolas. After all, your son was conceived while you were having an affair with a married woman. And you needed a paternity test as well. So do not pretend to be innocent.” She stopped and frowned. “And who told you anyway?”

“Sam,” Nikolas volunteered. He hesitated. “Elizabeth–”

“Save it,” Elizabeth hissed. “I’m done. You can take your recriminations and kiss my ass.”

—

An hour later, after many calls to various family members, Elizabeth finally tracked Sam down. At Jason’s penthouse.

She pushed the door open and heard the tail end of Sam’s wail, “How could this happen?”

“Easy,” Elizabeth snarled. “Two people and one defective condom.” She kicked the door shut and tossed her purse down. “I’m thinking of taking an ad out in the paper, I’ve got some news about the DA that I think Port Charles might be interested in. It’s more suited to the tabloids, but I doubt the Herald will make that distinction.”

Jason frowned. “Elizabeth–”

“Shut up, the stressful afternoon I just had is entirely the fault of your big mouth, your stupid ex-fiancee and the crazy bitch you call your best friend,” Elizabeth snapped. “So just shut up and let me tell Sam exactly what I think of her–”

“I don’t know where you get off–” Sam began hotly.

“I kept my end of the bargain, you know,” Elizabeth said. “I didn’t tell anyone you were rolling around with your stepfather and then playing the victim. I kept my mouth shut because it was no one’s business but yours. Why the hell couldn’t you do the same?”

“What are you talking about?” Sam demanded.

“You told Nikolas about the paternity,” Elizabeth snapped. “And you know where I bet my loyal brother-in-law is going? To Shadybrooke, to tell Lucky.”

“He deserves to know,” Sam said. “If I were him–”

“Well, you’re not him,” Elizabeth replied. “You’re not trying to kick a pill habit for the sake of a child. It’s bad enough that Cam and I weren’t enough to quit and that Lucky’s dirty skank is also pregnant but are you really trying to make him have a relapse?”

“Sam, maybe you should stay out of it–” Jason began.

“Oh, just shut the hell up. You let Carly free to roam the streets and she took the opportunity to ream me about trapping you into whatever…” Elizabeth waved her hand. “I could give a damn what you think so just do what you best and stand back and let what’s going to happen happen.” She turned her attention back to Sam. “I didn’t tell Lucky about the paternity because he didn’t know that Jason and I slept together. He’s going through a tough time and the last thing he needed was a double dose of bad news. So I was waiting to tell him until the paternity test came back. I’m sorry if that’s not good enough for you but I don’t see the point in hurting people just to be honest.” Elizabeth widened her eyes in pretend innocence. “Unless you’d like me to drop by the lake house and tell your mother exactly what you were doing with her husband–”

“Stay away from my mother,” Sam retorted.

“And you stay out of my life,” Elizabeth returned hotly. “You and Jason weren’t together so stop acting so damn betrayed. If this baby is his, it was conceived on a night you were screwing your stepfather so I think I end up looking a little better in this situation. And so help me God, if you take it upon yourself to tell one more person about this, I will take out an ad in the newspaper myself.”

She snatched her purse off the desk and threw a fulminating glare to a stunned Jason. “I’m going to my grandmother’s house for the next week. Don’t call me, don’t come to my door and I swear to God, if Carly or Sam come near me, I’ll shoot first and ask questions later. I’ve already lost two babies and I will be damned if they raise my blood pressure any higher by throwing ridiculous accusations at me.” She looked at Sam once more. “I’m not perfect, Sam. I don’t even come close, but at least I can look myself in the mirror. Can you say the same?”

April 1, 2014

Timeline

In 2004, they introduced Diego as a foster son for Courtney (listen — don’t ask) who was later revealed to be the son of Lorenzo Alcazar. Diego floated around a little bit for a year before going to jail in the fall of 2005 for stalking Brooke Lynn Ashton. When his crimes were originally discovered, he kidnapped Georgie and went on the run with her, explaining he’d done it as revenge for Brooke and the others accidentally leading Diego’s cousin, Sage, to her death. (The cousin he didn’t know but sure). Anyway, the performers had a pretty decent level of chemistry, so I was mildly interested.

This short is set during the six months he spent in jail.

Inspiration

In 2006, before Diego returned to the show, I posted a challenge on LiveJournal (isn’t that adorable?)

to write a short piece from the POV of a character you either hate or just find completely worthless in order to get inside their head and think about their motivations. I picked Diego Alcazar, and had him thinking about Georgie while he was in prison.

Of course, a year later, Diego killed Georgie, which always seemed to be a goddamn cop out. So this story fell off my radar, ended up in my LiveJournal archives, almost completely forgotten until I was organizing things in 2004.

Banner Here

He dreams about her.

He closes his eyes and blocks out the sounds of the inmates at night. He forces out the grunts, the groans–he forgets about the smell of urine that seems spill out of every crack and corner of the cell block. He puts all of that out of his mind for a few brief visions of what it could be like if things were different.

If he’d chosen to follow a different path, if he’d chosen a different life, could he have been worthy of her? Could he have been the one she’d turned to instead of that spoiled rich boy? If he had grown up with her, known her from the beginning, could she have loved him instead?

He doesn’t think about her in the waking hours–it is a conscious decision. Thoughts of her beauty, of her spirit and her generosity don’t belong in this world, in this place and he wouldn’t soil the things he loves best about her by thinking about her when he’s surrounded by violent and disgusting men–men who make his crimes look ordinary and dull. To think about her while he is in the gym or in the cafeteria or even just playing cards with some of the inmates…it is wrong.

He is playing cards one day and thinking about what he could buy her with the money he wins. A smile crosses his face and one of the inmates crudely asks for details. It is his first and only fight. His knuckles are sore and his nose is broken, but he defended her honor and it makes it all right. He stops thinking about her when he is awake.

But at night, he closes his eyes and sees her smile and pretends it’s for him. He begins to plan in great detail how he will prove himself worthy of her love, how he will earn it. He will make enough money so he can offer the same world her boyfriend can. He will treat her with respect and trust. He will shower flowers and gifts and dress her in silks and satins. He will never make her regret her choice in gifting him with her love and her devotion.

He will make her love him and maybe she can save him. Maybe the dirt, the taint, the sheen of the streets and the things he has done will fade and all that will be left is someone that she deserves. He wants to be someone she deserves. For now, all he can do is plan.

And dream.

Timeline

This is set vaguely in 2006. It’s written from the POV of Georgie about her sister, Maxie. It’s not particularly tethered to any piece of the GH timeline, other than it taking place after the events of that fall: Maxie’s affair with Lucky and the pregnancy she faked to keep him.

Inspiration

In 2006, I was watching Veronica Mars for the first time, and I was inspired by the grief Veronica felt for Lilly. Ironically, the show killed Georgie a year later and I have never forgiven Guza for the trauma.

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She remembered thinking that the day should have started differently, started with some sort of bang or explosion instead of her alarm clock bursting into song at 7:30 A.M. and she should have been doing something major, something significant when she was told instead of standing behind the counter at Kelly’s, refilling salt canisters and glaring at the back of her soon-to-be ex-husband’s head.

The bell chimed above the door, the double doors swung open and her father stood there. And she knew something awful had happened. Something that put that look onto his face.

And then he spoke and the world stopped.

Life went on afterwards. People went on. They went back to their lives, they kept living, loving, laughing, crying and after a week, after two, it had stopped being the front page news story and it wasn’t mentioned on the evening news.

But she was stuck in that moment, watching over and over again as her strong, wonderful and loving father walked into the diner and told her that her sister had been murdered. That her sister, her other half, her best friend, the bane of her existence and the one person that drove her more insane than anyone else wasn’t living anymore. She was dead, she was gone, she’d been stolen and she was never coming back.

The world kept turning, kept revolving. The sun kept rising and setting and the moon still hung the same way in the sky. But the landscape had changed and it was all wrong and there was something missing.

It wasn’t fair, she kept telling herself. And for a while, she also told herself it wasn’t true. It could never happen, not after losing Jesse. It wasn’t supposed to happen twice in a year, twice in a lifetime.

Her mother stopped. She slept more than she woke, she didn’t eat unless someone put something in front of her. Her father kept working, because that was what he did best. He worked. He worked and he worked and then he worked some more and finally when he passed out, it was on the couch in his office rather than their home. But then he’d wake up and work some more.

She couldn’t understand why people were smiling and how someone could laugh. Couldn’t they feel it? Couldn’t they understand that it was all wrong now? That a piece was missing and now the puzzle would never fit back together?

It was her sister that had been murdered, killed by some stranger on the campus one night before she could return to her dorm. Just stabbed over a twenty dollar bill in her pocket that she’d refused to give up. Twenty dollars and now her sister was gone.

She’d sat through the viewing, watched these people cry, these people who didn’t know her sister, could never know, never understand her, never really value her the way she deserved to be.

No one had ever understood Maxie but she had. Georgie had always understood her sister and always found a way to fix her messes, to keep her safe, to keep her sane and to keep her breathing. She’d understood that her sister didn’t know how to be unselfish and never fully realized that there were other people in the world and that their wants and needs mattered just as much as hers.

Maxie had been selfish, Maxie had been beautiful. Maxie had been a bitch, but she’d been loyal. Maxie was her best friend and Maxie was her worst enemy.

She’d been her sister and that was all Georgie could ever say when people, when her friends, those well meaning people kept asking how she was and if she needed anything and if there was anything they could do.

She couldn’t understand why they kept asking questions they knew the answer to. No, she was not fine. And she needed her sister so unless they could fix that and bring her back, then no, there was nothing they could do. So could they please just shut the hell up and leave her alone?

She imagined her mother would be worried about her if her mother were coherent, if she were able to see past her own grief, her own pain and her father was still searching for Maxie’s killer, so he didn’t even see her anymore.

And then someone had wondered (not to her, but she’d overheard it) how Georgie could miss Maxie, when she’d been nothing but a home wrecking slut with a viperous tongue and had been well on her way to killing herself with alcohol? How could she miss and mourn and grieve for a sister who’d been killing herself anyway?

Because Maxie was hers, the one person in all the world that was hers and no one else’s just like Georgie had been Maxie’s. Because they were family and you never turned your back on family, you never said oh, well, too much drama, I think I’ll find another friend. You were never on your own as long as you had your family. And Georgie had never been alone, never on her own.

But Maxie was gone now and she wasn’t sure if this was going to be the way her life would be forever. If it would always be this sinking sea of black darkness with no light, no break in the waves, no sunlight hitting the surface–just an endless abyss and her, always standing on the precipice, always thinking about going under but never going through with it because knew if she did, she’d see her sister on the other side.

And boy, would Maxie be mad at her for throwing it away.

So she pretended and she lived, and she breathed and she woke in the morning and went back to sleep at night and mostly, she remembered to eat and she went to class and sometimes she even pictured Maxie standing at her side, telling her to live them for both and telling her to laugh, and smile and love but Georgie always ignored that and put it out of her head. Because there was no reason to do any of those things now.

She had no reason to live, but no reason to die and she figured there should always be something in between but she wasn’t sure what that was yet. She wanted to find it one day but then again, what if she found it was nothing at all? So maybe she wouldn’t worry about it.

She’d keep breathing because Maxie would want that. She’d keep living and pretending. And maybe one day, the clouds would clear and there be some sort of epiphany and she’d understand that there was indeed a reason for everything.

But she was beginning to think there wasn’t and that the real mystery of the human soul was why everyone kept breathing when there wasn’t any point.

Timeline

This is set in September of 2006, when Elizabeth was worried about the possible paternity of her second child, and she and Patrick were just starting to explore being friends. Patrick and Robin had only really just decided to pursue a serious relationship.

Inspiration

I’m sorry, have you seen Patrick’s dimples?

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September 10, 2006

Metro Court Hotel: Patrick Drake’s Room

Usually, Patrick was happy to see a beautiful woman at his door. In fact, it was only a year ago that he might have thought about charming said beautiful woman into coming in, staying a while–spending some quality time together.

But things were different now and even if he had a shot with this woman (he liked to think he had a shot with all women but this one might be an exception, she usually was) he was pretty sure the concept of a committed relationship meant that charming and seducing her was against the rules.

So instead he ushered Elizabeth Spencer into his hotel room and wondered why the upstanding married woman would be visiting him long after dark.

“I’m sorry to come over like this–” she hesitated, her big blue eyes scanning the room nervously. “I didn’t interrupt anything did I? I mean, I didn’t think–”

Rambling was usually the first and most obvious sign that she was troubled about something. So he took her by the shoulders and directed to her the sofa. “Sit.”

Elizabeth did as instructed, another sign that something was wrong since Elizabeth Spencer never did what she was told the first time. Or the first five times. Somewhat troubled himself now, he started to cross to the mini bar. “You want a drink?”

“I can’t,” Elizabeth said miserably. “I’m pregnant.”

Patrick bobbled the bottle of brandy and nearly dropped it. He set it down with a clink and turned to face her. “Well.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. He was just glad it was not another brunette sitting in front of him, telling him this and looking at him like he was supposed to fix it. He was just adjusting to the idea of monogamy, after all. “Well, I suppose I’ll have that drink after all.” He poured the liquor into a small glass and tossed back the whole thing. “I guess it’s a rocky time to be having a kid, with Lucky going through withdrawl but maybe it’ll help him focus, you know.” There, that sounded mature. Robin would be proud.

“Yes, that would be true,” Elizabeth sank her teeth into her bottom lip. “Except it’s probably not his.”

Another drink was clearly in order. Patrick poured another brandy. “I’m not going to ask,” he muttered to himself. “I’m not going to ask.”

“And I never would have said anything to you except you’re the only person that’s not connected to anyone,” Elizabeth continued. “Emily and Nikolas–they’re too close. My grandmother would never understand. And Jason–” she closed her eyes. “Well. I’m not ready to tell him yet.”

“Oh, good God…” The glass clinked heavily against the bar and he turned to look at her. “You’re not–he’s not–” This is why he didn’t have friends, Patrick reminded himself. Because inevitably they told you things that you really didn’t want to hear. He swallowed hard. “How do you know it’s not Lucky’s?”

“Because Lucky and I were together only once about six weeks ago,” Elizabeth admitted. “And we used condoms. And Jason and I–” she flushed and pulled at her lip some more. “We spent the night together, but, ah, it was more than–I mean to say–”

Patrick held up a hand and closed his eyes. “Please, if you ever cared about me, you’ll stop there.” He hesitated. “What are you going to do?”

Elizabeth huffed and stood, crossing to the large windows that looked over the harbor. “I wish I knew. That’s why I came to you–” She wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “What do you think I should do?”

“Well, that depends–am I the junkie or the criminal?” Patrick replied. He winced. “Not that I’m insulting your taste in men, so to speak. I’m only saying that–” He paused. “Well I don’t know what the hell I’m saying, Elizabeth. I’m the most self-absorbed person in the world, why would you ask me for advice?”

“Please,” Elizabeth snorted. “I’ve seen you with Robin. You’re only self-absorbed when you don’t care about the person you’re talking about.” She eyed him. “Unless I was wrong and we’re not friends–”

“No,” Patrick sighed, resigned to the fact that he was now part of this. “Look, who are you afraid to tell? Is it Lucky or Jason? Because if you’re afraid to tell Jason, then don’t–”

“No, no–” Elizabeth shook her head. “I’m not afraid to tell him. It’s just…I guess it looked like he was finally getting things together with Sam. And I think that this would–it would ruin things.” She pursed her lips. “It’s just–this last month, getting Lucky through the first stages of withdrawl and then–” she blinked. “I’ve been with him every step of the way, for the meetings, for the cold sweats and the more time I try to spend getting him through that…the more I–” She glanced back at him. “Do you think love can be killed?”

Patrick scrubbed his hand through his dark hair and wished like hell he’d sprang for that third drink. “I don’t think it can be killed, no. But I think it can be changed. I don’t think you stop loving someone, but maybe it gets changed into hate or pity or something, and I think it can happen in an instant or in a lifetime.”

“For someone who’s so self-absorbed, that was pretty deep.” Elizabeth smiled faintly. “I think that the moment I walked in on Lucky with Maxie Jones that my love for him either disappeared or it changed into hate, or maybe a mixture of pity and hate. I’m not sure. All I know is there used to be this warmth, this piece of me–” she pressed a fist to her chest, “–and that no matter what happened, no matter how we fought or the things he said to me, it was always there. But I opened that door and that part of me…it just froze.” She met his eyes. “And I realized that I’m not in love with my husband. Not for he is today, or even who he was a year ago when we got married. But I’m still in love with that sweet boy I knew a lifetime ago. The one that died in a fire and never came back.”

“So why did you stay with him after that?” Patrick asked after a long moment of silence.

“Because I promised for better or worse and for a while I thought it was just the worst part.” She shook her head. “But now I have to face facts. I’m pregnant with another man’s child, a man I care for and respect. And I have to find a way to tell my husband that our marriage is over without sending him back to drugs.” She glanced at the mini bar somewhat longingly. “I could go for a drink right now.”

“I wish that I could tell you what to do,” Patrick told her. “But I really don’t think there’s any way out of this situation that doesn’t suck. So I mean, if I were Jason–and I thank God I’m not–I’d want to be told immediately. I think that he’ll be able to suggest something better. I mean, he’s known you and Lucky longer, right?”

“Right.” Elizabeth reached for her purse which she’d dropped on the sofa. “I’m not even sure Jason is the father. I’m going to have to get a paternity test.” She wrinkled her nose. “I should just put in my application for Jerry Springer now.”

“I think Sonny Corinthos with the impregnation of a mother and a daughter is first in line,” Patrick said dryly. “Look, I can get the test done for you so that no one ever has to know it was performed, okay?”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.” She hesitated. “Thanks for listening–you’re a good friend, Patrick.”

“Don’t let that get out,” he told her, pulling open the door. “The other nurses will beat a path to my door and then Robin will kick my ass.”

“Only if you let those nurses in,” Elizabeth warned him. “Don’t be an idiot. Though you’re a man, you’ve already got two strikes against you.”

“Perverse creature,” Patrick muttered as the brunette headed towards the elevators.

February 7, 2014

Timeline

This was written as an episode tag to March 17, 2006. Robin and Patrick were still flirting at this point and had made a date to have dinner. Then Robin overheard Patrick making a bet in the locker room that she decided meant that he was only pursuing her because of her HIV and wanting the danger.

Inspiration

I was curious as to what exactly made Robin leap to that conclusion, so I wrote a little scene.

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June 2003

Paris, France

“It was fun, Robbie, but I’m just not interested in anything permanent.”

Robin Scorpio sat back in her chair and stared at the man sitting across from her in the sidewalk café. “That’s not what you said when we started seeing each other,” she said, a little irritated.

A grin split across Aaron Munson’s handsome face and he laughed. “Come on, Robbie. You’re not eighteen anymore.”

A strange tingling began dancing up her spine and she shifted in her chair. “What’s that suppose to mean?”

Aaron exhaled slowly and folded his arms on the tiny table, leaning towards her. “Look, don’t make me do this. Just—take it at face value, okay?”

“Oh, that’s supposed to make me back off?” Robin demanded. “Aaron, don’t be a coward. I’m a big girl, I can handle the truth.” The summer breeze flicked her hair across her face, shielding her view of him for a moment. When she could see him, his expression had changed to a somewhat guilty expression. “Aaron, if this is about last week and you having second thoughts about taking things to the next level, I can—”

“It’s not that. Look, Robbie, I like you. You’re a great girl and it’s been a lot of fun these last few weeks. But…” Aaron shrugged. “Okay. I’ll tell it to you straight. But remember you asked.”

Robin sat there and listened as he told her about the group of friends she’d met last year at her sky diving class. How they had wondered what it would be like to take thrill to the next level. How it would be come close to the edge and still escape a death sentence.

How awesome it would be to sleep with a girl with the deadly HIV virus and come out unscathed.

She listened to Aaron tell her about the bet—the bet he had won last week when she’d finally let her guard down and spent the night at his apartment.

When he’d finished explaining and apologizing, she took her wallet out of her purse, paid the bill and walked away.

Less than three years later, she stood in a locker room and listened to history repeat itself.

“No one ever said it would be easy,” Patrick Drake with a laugh in his voice that made her skin crawl. “But I’m confident I can talk my way around it. My reputation isn’t all just talk. You’d just better have the money ready when I come through.”

There was a long pause. “Yeah—I’m actually headed over there for dinner tonight. I’ll let you know how it works out.”

She closed her eyes for a brief moment before silently slipping out of the locker room.