"Come on Elizabeth, show me sexy…"
Elizabeth turned her body to the side, peering over her shoulder to look at Lucky as he clicked away with his camera. Each time the shutter flickered, she held her breath, waiting for the lights around her to flash. The lights were blinding and a migraine was beginning to form behind her eyes.
Modeling was the last thing she wanted to be doing, but no one seemed to listen to her whenever she voiced her feelings.
Except for Jason. >
With a soft sigh, Elizabeth frowned to herself, trying to push the thought of Jason Morgan out of her mind.
"Elizabeth," Lucky called out from behind the camera. "I said sexy, not sad. Put a teasing smile on that beautiful face of yours, I'm almost done with this roll."
Another sigh escape Elizabeth's lips. "Lucky, can I have a break? I need to-"
"I'm almost done. Twenty more shots and then we can pack up for today." He ignored the fact that he had just interrupted her and turned towards the makeup assistant standing off to the side. "I'm getting a little glare on her forehead, can you fix that up?"
Frowning again, Elizabeth scrunched up her nose as a pile of power was brushed onto her face. Her skin felt like it was suffocating.
SHE felt like she was suffocating.
"Lucky, please. I need… just a few minutes."
"Elizabeth-"
"Please. Just a few minutes. I just want to stand outside for a minute."
"Fine, fine… I need to change the set anyway."
Stepping away from the bright lights, Elizabeth reached out for her coat, quickly wrapping her scarf around her neck, careful not to ruin her hair or makeup. As she walked towards the door, Lucky grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him.
"Just a few minutes out there, ok? We don't want you getting sick. We've got a lot of shoots planned for the next few weeks." He leaned forward and kissed her neck lightly, not wanting to mess up her makeup.
"Ok," Elizabeth mumbled as she slowly pulled her arm out of Lucky's grasp. She watched him for a moment before making her way towards the door that led outside.
Pulling the heavy door closed behind her, Elizabeth breathed in deeply, lifting her face to the sky. Spring was just around the corner but the air was still cold enough that she could see her breath in front of her when she exhaled.
Elizabeth look down at herself and frowned, something she'd been doing a lot of lately. She could barely recognize herself anymore. All she wanted was for Lucky to be proud of her and for him to be happy.
And in the process, she was losing sight of who she really was.
"It shouldn't be like this," Elizabeth whispered to herself. Tears threatened to fall and she blinked rapidly in order to keep them from falling. If she cried, her makeup would have to be redone and that would only lead to Lucky asking questions she couldn't answer.
Why wasn't she happy?
Why wasn't she excited?
Why did she miss Jason so much?
Leaning against the door to the photography studio, Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest as she tried to think of an answer to that last question.
Telling Jason they couldn't be friends had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done. He was her strength – the one person who truly listened to her. He never judged her. He made her feel like she could live her life the way she wanted to. He made her feel free…
…And she had given all of that up. For love. For her love for Lucky.
Lucky was her soul mate. He was her one true love. He was her other half. Jason was just her friend. She could live without friends… she couldn't live without Lucky. Closing her eyes, Elizabeth exhaled forcefully.
"Then why do I feel so incomplete?"
Heaving a heavy sigh, Jason shifted from foot to foot as he waited for the elevator to make its way up to the second floor. He held a folder in his hand and he absently tapped in against his thigh as he waited.
"When you love someone you do what they need, even if it hurts you, and I love Lucky."
Elizabeth's words rang in his head. He remembered everything about that night. From the happiness he felt when they joked around and played pool to the feeling he got, it was as if he'd been punched, when she walked away from him.
They couldn't be friends anymore. That's what she said she wanted, that's what she said would be for the best.
But it wasn't, and he knew that.
Jason shook his head, trying to push all thoughts of Elizabeth out of his mind as the elevator doors opened. It was useless. She was always in his thoughts. She had been for a while.
When Sonny had called him and told him someone was after his family, it had been Jason who suggested the plan… the plan that would bring him back to Port Charles. He had wanted to help his friend… but another part of him wanted to be back for Elizabeth.
Sighing, Jason stepped out of the elevator and made his way towards Sonny's penthouse, nodding a Johnny as the bodyguard opened the door, announcing him. He needed to stop thinking about Elizabeth for the moment. He had business to do and there was nothing he could do right now about Elizabeth anyway. She had made her decision and as much as he hated, he would stay away.
Because she asked him to.
"What is it?" Sonny asked, calling out from his kitchen.
"Business," Jason yelled back.
A moment later Sonny came out, wiping his hands on a dishcloth. "What's up?"
Pausing, Jason tried to think of the easiest way to say what he had to say. He knew the second he made the request that Sonny would have questions for him and he knew he wouldn't have answers for a lot of those questions.
"What is it, Jason?" Sonny prompted. It wasn't like Jason to hesitate like this.
"I want you to put a guard on Elizabeth Webber."
Sonny's eyebrows raised. "Is she being threatened again? I know Sorel's in jail but he still has loyal followers…"
"She… she's not being threatened… I just want… can you do it, Sonny?"
"Yeah, yeah… are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"She can't know about the guard," Jason said, forcefully pushing air between his lips. "I want her guard to stay out of sight at all times… I just want him there to make sure nothing happens to her. I'd do it myself but-" Jason stopped short and closed his eyes, shaking it slightly. He sighed to himself, waiting for the question he knew Sonny was going to ask.
"You'd do it yourself… but? But what?"
Jason licked his lips, leaning against Sonny's desk as he rubbed his cheek with his palm. "Ahh… Elizabeth asked me… she says we can't be friends anymore. Her and Lucky are having problems and he… it's difficult for her… she thinks she can make him happy by not being my friend."
Sonny's eyebrows furrowed as he walked towards his bar, pouring himself a scotch. He poured a glass of water for Jason and held it out to him before speaking. "How would you not being Elizabeth's friend make Lucky happy?"
Taking a long sip of water, Jason peered into the glass while speaking. "Elizabeth kept the fact that I was in town from Lucky and when he found out, he got angry."
A small smile came to Sonny's face. "You mean jealous."
"I don't know what he's feeling and I don't want to. All I know is that he gets angry and starts telling Elizabeth who she can and cannot be friends with and… and they fight. And that hurts her." He paused, finishing his water before setting the glass down. "She asked me to stay away… I'll do that. But I want her safe, Sonny. That's why I need you to put a guard on her for me."
Sonny nodded slowly, keeping his gaze locked on his best friends. "You care about her…"
"She's my friend," Jason said, moving closer to the door.
"Just your friend?"
Jason paused for a minutes before turning to look Sonny straight in the eye. "Keep her safe Sonny… I need for her to be safe."
The visitor room of the Port Charles Police station was silent except for the two men in the corner. As Joseph Sorel leaned forward in his chair, the door to his left opened. A man slowly made his way towards Sorel.
"Is it set?" Sorel asked quietly as he hugged the man, acting as if the man were a family member and not someone who worked for him.
"Is has all been planned out," the man said, nodding slightly.
"Good." Sorel look at the man, letting the faint traces of a grin come to his face. "Morgan and Corinthos will pay for what they have done… I want no mistakes. They have to pay."
