The Truth

by: Jane

2 April 2001

Elizabeth wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that he'd meant it

when he told her he would never lie to her. Wanted to believe it with all

her heart. And standing here in front of him, listening to him explain to

her, again, what had really happened on the docks, she did believe him. The

truth was there in his eyes and her heart broke for what had been ruined

between them.

Elizabeth looked down at the ground for a few moments before finding his

gaze again, her eyes filling with tears. "Why can't it just be like it used

to be, Jason? I want us to be that way again."

Jason's voice was soft and low. "Which way is that? The way it was when

all you talked about was how much you loved and missed Lucky, or the way it

was when I had to keep from telling you how much I love you?"

She searched his face, his eyes, not sure of what she'd heard.

"Jason? What....?"

"I love you, Elizabeth. I have for a long time."

She swallowed hard before speaking again. "How long?"

He looked away from her, unable to look her in the eye. "Since that

first night at Jake's Now you know why things can never be the same between

us again."

"Jason, I don't know what..."

"I have to go, Elizabeth. You don't believe my version of what really

happneed on the docks and nothing I say or do will make you believe it. I've

told you I would never lie to you and now I've told you how I feel about you.

There's really nothing else to say." He looked at her, his eyes a mixture

of pain and longing and incredible sadness. "Goodbye, Elizabeth."

He turned to walk away, but stopped when he heard her whisper. "Jason,

wait." He looked back at her, questioning. "Please don't go yet. I

believe you."

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "You believe me?" She nodded

as he approached her and she felt his hand on her arm, felt him pulling her

to him, his other hand in her hair as his lips, warm and soft, grazed hers

and at last she knew the truth, the thing she'd been denying for months. God

help her, she loved him, too.

Her heart was pounding, and all of her senses were heightened as she realized

how much she had yearned for his touch. But she also felt a sense of relief,

relief that she finally believed him, relief that he loved her, and most of

all relief that she no longer had to fool herself or him about how much she

loved him.

"Jason..." He started to pull away, thinking she wanted him to stop, but

then her hands were on the sides of his face and she was pulling him closer,

whispering, "I love you, too," as her mouth opened under his, yielding to his

kiss, searching, inviting.