Chapter 8: Senses of Simplicity
Jax’s Apartment
11: 56 p.m.
“No Carly, I refuse to forget that this happened,” Jax asserted as he got out of the bed and began to dress himself. Carly covered herself in the bed sheet, closed her eyes, and put her hand in her face in frustration. It had turned from an innocent business party to a few conversations over drinks to one avid kiss that led her all the way to his bedroom.
“We’re friends Jax. Friends and business partners. Nothing more.” She said, lifting her head up and watching him dress.
“Why not? Because of Sonny?” Jax sighed, putting on his t-shirt. “You’re never going to get over him, are you?” Jax waited for a response, but Carly kept quiet. “This isn’t the first time we’ve coincidentally ended up in bed together, Carly. But I suppose it means nothing to you does it?”
“That’s not true,” Carly blurted.
Jax moved towards the edge of the bed and took her hand. “Then why is it that we can’t develop—whatever this is into something more. Huh?”
Carly’s eyes dropped back down to her thighs, “Because, we’d be jeopardizing a perfectly good friendship. I’m not quite sure what my feelings for you are, and I think you feel the same way. Things are just—complicated right now.”
Jax nodded like he understood her. “It’ll always be complicated. Nothing gets easier.”
Brownstone
“Hey.” Jack greeted as Elizabeth opened the door.
“Hi.” Elizabeth said, covering the view of her apartment from the door. “How are you?”
“Good. I just wanted to see how you were.” Jack stopped as a loud moan came from inside her apartment. “You know, I can leave if you want.”
Elizabeth put a hand on his arm, “No, Jack. It’s—Lucky’s in here with me.”
“I thought you were taking him home.” Jack said, making his way in and finding Lucky malformed into a deep sleep on her couch.
“I was, but he refused to go home, and I didn’t want him walking around town drunk.”
Jack nodded. “Well since he’s asleep now, how about you take some time off and go for a walk with me.”
Zander parked his car near the old diner. He had dropped Courtney off at her mothers and agreed to meet Emily somewhere a few miles off town. He jangled the keys in his hand and leaned back on the car for a minute, wondering why he was doing this. The answer was simple, it was for Emily.
“Zander.” Emily said coming out from the diner. “I didn’t think you would show up.”
“Yes you did.” Zander walked up to her. “Emily, what’s wrong?” He asked, noticing her pale and forlorn expression.
“I’ve done something, really awful.” She shivered.
“Are you cold?” Zander immediately took off his jacket and pulled it over her. Emily muttered a sweet thanks. “What did you do?”
“I--,” she stammered, “I don’t know why I called you. This doesn’t even have anything to do with you…it just felt right to talk to you.”
“I heard you ran off on your wedding. Is that what this is about?”
“Can we go inside and talk?” She gestured toward the restaurant.
Once inside the shabby bistro, they took a booth. Zander waited for Emily to talk.
“So, yeah. It kina has to do with why I ran off.”
“Emily, your family’s looking for you. Did you know?” Emily nodded. “Okay, well, what’s wrong?” He asked for the second time.
“Zander.” It had seemed like an extended thrash for her to respond. “I’m—I’m pregnant.”
Zander’s eyes widened. His first guess was that her unborn child belonged to Lucky, but then again, why would she leave if it were that. It couldn’t have been him, since he had hardly said anything more to Emily than hello in the past year. “Who’s the father?”
The Park
“So that’s about it.” Elizabeth told Jack as they walked around the park. It had seemed like she had told him an autobiography of herself. Jack had hardly said anything about himself; mostly because his life was always too difficult to explain.
“So you and Lucky were in love?” Elizabeth nodded. “Do you still love him?” “In a certain way I guess I always will. Have you ever loved someone who always seems to hurt you?”
“Yeah.” Jack whispered and looked towards Elizabeth’s questioning stare. “I was in a relationship a year or so ago with this girl name Livvie. It was wonderful. I loved her. I thought she loved me, maybe she did. But ---.”
“In the end it never works out.” Elizabeth completed. “So much for happy endings.”
“Well, its not a happy ending because nothing ever really ends.”
Elizabeth stopped walking and looked into his eyes. “I wonder if that’s a good thing.”
“It can be.” Jack smiled. He leaned closer to her and his lips pressed against hers. Elizabeth didn’t refute, it was the first sweet, wonderful kiss she had in a long time. It wasn’t a kiss of lust of love, it was just simple and luminous.
Jack pulled away slowly with a grin. “I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile.”
“Yeah I thought so.” Elizabeth laughed. “So what now?”
“Well if you’re not in a rush, we can go—wherever.”
Elizabeth took his hand. “Let’s go dancing.”
Jack gripped on to her hand as she led the way.
PC Hotel
“What do you want?” Gia asked looking at the man leaning his arm against the door.
“Nice mask.” Jason commented, slightly amused with her in a blue facial mask and a small robe.
Gia rolled her eyes and moved aside allowing him to come in.
“Still mad at me?” Jason asked, shutting the door.
“No.” Gia blurted cleansing her face with a wet towel. “I was at first but since you were looking for your sister—Did you find her?”
Jason shook his head. “No. One things for sure, she’s not in Port Charles.”
“It must be serious.”
“Why would you say that?” He asked, flopping himself on the couch next to her.
“Think about it, if she was just nervous she wouldn’t bother getting out of town. Tired?”
“Long day.” Jason sighed. While in the midst of looking for his sister, Sonny had a few requests for him.
“Should I even bother to ask?”
“Go ahead, but your not going to get an answer,” he said candidly.
“I’m bored.” She said like a child.
“I can think of something.” Jason said wily as he leaned over her.
Gia frowned and pulled him back. “I’m not in the mood.” She was rewarded with his disillusioned expression. They had continued to converse for more than an hour. Jason didn’t know what his relationship with her was. He had been lonely for some time, and supposedly Gia was too. It had all just seem to collide together. Gia was the only one these days who had been there to ask him how his day went or how his life was; everyone else had seemed to be too consumed with their own lives. And whenever Gia needed comfort of any sort, he was there.
“I wonder who that is?” Gia asked as the doorbell rang.
Jason shook his head. “Don’t get it.” He said, pulling her back towards him.
“It could be important.” Gia stood up and ambled towards the door.
Jason simply frowned, why do women always think it could be someone important?
“Marcus,” Gia said, surprised. She hoped that her brother didn’t here Jason cursing.
“Hey sis. Can I come in, I need to talk.” Taggert had began to make his way in, but Gia pulled him back.
“Why not talk out here? What’s up?”
Taggert looked at his sister, dumfounded. “Gia don’t be silly. Wait a minute, what are you hiding?”
“Me? Hiding? Nothing. Now get back--.”
Taggert pushed his way inside, furious and disgusted with what he found. “Aw, shit!”
