PROMISE
PART IV
Straightening the neck of her shirt and hitching up her loose pants, Gia stormed out of the room and went to look for her clothes and shoes.
"Gia you are not going to leave"
"Watch me!"
He almost asked her how she planned on leaving but he wasn't stupid. "If you calm down, and give me a chance to explain, then I can show you how sorry I am for worrying you". At that she stopped swung around to look at him as if he had grown two heads.
"Worrying me? WORRYING ME?! They told me you were dead, Jason. Do you get that D-E-A-D, dead. That devastated me, I didn't want to eat, sleep, I didn't know how I was going to make it from one day to the next. And you are sorry for worrying me! OH, I AM SO OUT OF HERE!"
She turned back and continued on as he followed her step for step. Not really knowing where she was going she stumbled onto the den by accident. When she entered the room she expected to find it empty and not find the three guards who had obviously been lounging before she entered and now they were all awkwardly standing around. She stopped in surprise; she had forgotten that they were not alone in the house. "Well, gee", she thought, "flunkies, I guess when you speak of the devil…" Quickly she regained her focus and did a quick glance around the room. She realized they had probably heard her tirade but at this point she didn't give a damn.
"Where are my clothes and shoes?" She had surprised them with her request and no one answered.
"Gia"
Ignoring Jason she asked again "My clothes and shoes? If someone will tell me where they are, I can get them so I can leave." She saw that they all glanced at Jason and she wasn't having it.
"MY clothes and MY shoes, not his", she pointed back over her shoulder to were she thought he might be standing "MINE, now if you would so kindly tell me where they are so-I-can-get-them".
Kenneth and Max were standing in front of her and another guard that Gia didn't really know named Sam was standing by a chair near the doorway were Jason stood. Finally Max answered, "Ms Campbell if you will just wait a moment I will get them for you they are in the laundry room, the second door to your left." He started to move when she stopped him waving him off.
"Don't bother, I can get them myself" she turned to walk back out the room but Jason's body was occupying the doorway. Not letting that stop her she walked up to him, her firm intention was to leave the room. "Can I get by please?" she asked politely belying the intense anger in her eyes and on her face.
"Gia you can get your clothes but you are not leaving". His tone was even almost emotionless.
"Move" she looked him straight in his eyes; he continued to stand there which made her more frustrated and angry. She didn't care that they were not alone she just wanted to leave.
"I said MOVE!" she punctuated it with a shove to his chest with both hands. She neither thought about that he had been injured and that she could possibly hurt him again nor did it cross her mind that he could possibly hurt her. She was barely thinking at all at this point because she was consumed by her anger. Still he didn't budge.
"DAMNIT MOVE!" She shoved him a second time but still he didn't budge and she saw red. All the pent up emotions she had suppressed from the past two weeks bombarded her and her rage and anger grew out of control. She pulled her hand back intending to slap him with every bit of strength she could muster; she noticed that Jason braced himself as she swung, but the blow never landed.
It was as if everything happened in slow motion. Before her hand could make contact with his face, Sam caught her forearm in a vise with his hand and stopped her momentum. Shocked she went to jerk her arm away but he had already released her. Sam had immediately realized his mistake by the time he grabbed her arm and with lightning speed immediately released her, but it was too late. The look that came across Jason's face could only be described and unfiltered rage and it was all the fore warning that Sam got.
Gia gasped and jumped back as Jason pounced and grabbed Sam by the arm and threw him face first against the adjourning wall. Pressing Sam's face up against the wall with his arm-twisted behind his back. Gia, Max and Kenneth all stood in stunned surprise. Gia because she could not believe this was happening, and Max and Kenneth because they could not believe that Sam could be so stupid. They just hoped the fool lived through this stupidity and were sure he would be on the unemployment line after this, and that was if he lived.
Pulling up on Sam's arm for good measure and to make sure he understood him Jason spoke "If you EVER touch her again, that will be your last day breathing. Is that clear? Do you understand me?" his tone was cold, deadly and he emphasized his statement by trying to push Sam through the wall.
Gia, realizing the explosiveness of the situation finally got her wits back and her anger and rage receded.
"Jason, let him go," she pleaded with him, "This is my fault, Ok? Jay please, please let him go so we can talk."
She looked over at Max and Kenneth, hoping that they would intercede before something worst happened but they refused to meet her eyes. "There was no way in or out of hell they were going to get involved with this", they were both thinking.
"Do you understand me?" he didn't acknowledge her request.
"Yes sir Mr. Morgan, it was a mistake, Ms Campbell let me apologize". Sweating Sam just wanted to get out of this alive.
"Apology accepted, now Jay you heard him it was a mistake, now LET HIM GO." She was scared. She knew she had nothing to fear from Jason but she also knew that an angry Jason could be lethal and was someone to fear and at this time, at this moment Jason was angry, very angry. For another half minute everyone was still in the room and the three observers held their breath, then gradually Jason eased his grip and stepped back off of Sam.
"I want you out of here right now. You may continue to work for Mr. Corinthos, that's between you and him, but stay clear of me and stay out of my way or one of us will regret it. Now get out of my face and out of this house". Quickly Sam exited the room followed by Max and Kenneth who both were inwardly sighing with relief.
Gia visibly trembling with relief sat down on the couch buried her face in her hands and started to cry. Jason looked over at her and struggled to regain the control he had lost. Taking the time to close and lock the door he walked and sat next to her on the couch. By this time she had pulled her legs up and was resting her head on her knees still crying. Needing and having to touch her he caressed her hair back off her face.
"Did he hurt you?" Her only response was a negative shake of her head as she continued to cry. "I'm sorry I scared you, tell me you know that I would never hurt you?" She could hear fear in his voice that she could have been physically afraid of him.
She looked up at him in surprise her tears starting to slow. "Of course you would never hurt me. I know that. You thought I was afraid of you? Jason, I almost hit you. I was so angry that I was going to hit you. If Sam hadn't stopped me…." She trailed off as she noticed that maybe she shouldn't bring that part up but it was too late. "He was just trying to protect you, that is what you pay him to do".
"He had no business putting his hands on you!" He snapped. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt or man-handle you now or ever! I just hope that fool realize how lucky he was today and he stays out of my way in the future".
She turned her face into the palm of the hand that was caressing her head and kissed it. "Did I hurt you when I pushed you? I wasn't thinking, I was just so angry that…"
He interrupted her "Gia, you didn't hurt me. That couldn't, what did hurt was when you said we were through. I can't loose you; I won't loose you not about something like this. I was part of something that hurt you and I accept full responsibility. If you need to cry, yell, scream, or hit me I can handle that. Call me every name in the book; give me the silent treatment, go shopping and spend all my money, tear up all my clothes. Anything you need to do. But what I can't handle is if you try to leave me".
"And if I cut you off" she saw that he instantly wanted to protest but he controlled the impulse.
"I'll wait as long as it takes until you can trust me again". Please don't let this happen, he hated cold showers because they didn't work.
"So you understand that I wouldn't use making love as a weapon?" she was surprised.
"Of course not. I realize that love and trust go hand and hand. And that if you have lost faith in our trust that you wouldn't be able to make love to me."
He didn't want to but he had to bring up the subject. "We need to talk about your trusting me and about who I am".
"I know who you are". She knew where he was going with this and she didn't want to talk about it.
"The next time…" he started to say
"I don't want to hear this". She went to get up off the couch but he wouldn't let her.
"Hey, this isn't going away".
"Don't do this please! Not right now."
Gia, there will be a next time and you are going to have to trust me or this will eat you alive."
"I know. I need time, ok. I just got you back and I don't want to think about the possibility of losing you again. I'm sorry, I just can't. "
"That's just it you never lost me, not really and that's why you couldn't accept it because you knew I hadn't left you. Just like I would know if it had been you. I know I'm going to have to work at making you feel safe about us again. I made a judgment call, a bad one and I helped create this situation so I'll do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes to make things right with you again.
He had her full attention now and her crying had completely stopped and she turned toward him. "So I'm to understand that I could take out all the revenge I want and keep you waiting and that will be ok with you?"
"I never said it would be okay. But I have no choice but to take it and give you all the time you need. But just so you understand, I am going to take every opportunity that I have to show you how much I love you. I will show you that you can trust in me and believe in me, in us." He had an intense look on his face. "As long as I know that you still love me I can wait forever." He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand and looked her directly in her eyes "and Gia we love each other. There is not a doubt in my mind about that". Then with a sweeping caress of her chin he released her.
Gia lowered her eyes because she was so moved by what he had said. Little did he know how close she was to caving in before she got started. Jason was right she loved him and she knew deep down where it counted and in her heart that she trusted him.
"So I can let's see; buy a new car, get a new wardrobe, cuss you out on a regular basis and that's only if I feel like talking to you, refurnish the apartment, make you do all the cooking, flirt with other guys…?"
"Whoa, whoa, oh hell no! Don't even think about flirting with some guy. Do to me what ever you want, I'll take it but if you bring someone else into this, trust me Gia I will destroy him and that's a promise." It was only then that he noticed the amusement in her eyes. "Don't even joke about something like that OK?" Softening he reached for her as he stretched his body full length on the couch and pulled her directly on top of him.
"Jason, I don't want to hurt you", she protested.
"I'm fine. I need this and I think you do to. He bent the knee of his uninjured leg; which was on the inside and pressed it up again the back of the couch and stretched the other leg out straight. Gia's legs lay in between his and they were together breast to chest and hip to hip with her head lying centered over his heart.
Jason continued his apology. " I'm sorry that I went along with letting you believe I was dead. You are right it was cruel and probably unnecessary. At the time Sonny thought it was best and when he told me I agreed because it seemed right. But understand, I agreed, I didn't have to go along with it but I did. I didn't want some coward going after the people I love trying to get to me." He looked down at her face where it rested on his chest. I know I've hurt you and maybe damaged your trust, but you know I didn't make that promise lightly. I will always keep my promises to you and I love you, never doubt that that's forever".
"I know and I believe you. She reached down and linked her hand with his, their fingers entwined.
"If you need to `cut me off' as you said I can wait, but we sleep in the same bed, that's non negotiable."
"Uh, huh, so, I guess you're okay with that and you're gonna be able to handle it?" she asked him one more time as she folded her hands on his chest and rested her chin on them looking his straight in the eyes to see how he responded because she knew how his body was reacting to their closeness, that was very unmistakable. She deliberately shifted her hips, oh yeah, very unmistakable.
"No it's not okay, but I can wait as long as I have too, I'm not going anywhere".
"Really, you can wait? Because I can't" she leaned in to kiss him but his question stopped her first.
"So, you forgive me?" he asked with doubt in his voice.
"We'll see, I definitely plan to get a new wardrobe, but
until then I guess you'll have to be my `little
plaything'." Not letting him distract her she landed an open
mouth deep passionate kiss with his full cooperation and he
thought, I can live with that, for now.
THE END