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September 4, 2022
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Author Archives: Melissa
Flash Fiction will be updated tomorrow night — starting at 7 and posting at 8. I woke up this morning and didn’t feel all that well, so I rested this morning and then edited some Counting Stars. Still a bit tired, so I’m going to write this post and then go back to sleep. Patreon perks will be up tomorrow sometime.
Poll Results
With 92 voters and 117 votes, Kismet & Fool Me Twice tied (each received 31 votes). For the Broken Girl and These Small Hours were in second and third, separated by a few votes. Then, rounding out the results, Burn in Heaven and Malice received less than 10 votes.
When I opened the voting, my head was kind of pulled towards Malice and Kismet, thinking that Fool Me Twice, while ready to write, is a really intense ensemble story that might be better suited for the winter because the fall is so crazy on my schedule. I was curious to see where the readers fell in their interest. I’m not entirely sure why Malice got so few votes considering it’s a sequel to a story that a lot of people have told me was one of their favorites, but it might have been the scene I posted. I wanted to post a Liason scene for all the options, but that story might have been better served if I’d given you the Zander/Brenda scene that ends the chapter. Maybe that scene was just too sad.
Either way, Kismet and Fool Me Twice are my next writing projects.
Fall Writing Schedule
Kismet needs a bit more work before I start drafting — I have the Plot Sketch for Act 1 done. I have to finish Act 2 & 3’s Plot Sketch, then do the chapter breakdown. September is super demanding on my time and my energy. It always takes some time for me to shift back into the grind of teaching, so I wanted to be sure I picked a project where I could make progress without losing momentum. I kind of always knew I wasn’t going to pick Fool Me Twice, especially once August got away from me. I didn’t get enough of my school work prepped (I have to write two units — the student materials and the teaching slides) to really dive into FMT. But I still wanted everyone to read the samples, and I wanted to dip my toe back into writing this world, since it will be next.
Here’s the schedule for the next four months (I’ll have a video out later this month).
- September: Editing Beta Draft of Counting Stars (Deadline: September 30); Discovery Draft, Kismet (Deadline September 20).
- October: Editing Posting Draft of Counting Stars (Deadline: October 31); Alpha Draft, Kismet (Deadline December 31).
- November: NanoWriMo
- I have two four-day weekends in this month, so the hope is to really push Kismet writing. Ideally, I’d like to finish the draft, but it’ll depend on what October looks like.
- December: Completing Kismet.
Flash Fiction continues on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. At least for now. We’ll see if we need to adjust.
In 2023, tentatively —
January – March – Fool Me Twice Alpha Draft, and editing Kismet. Also prepping a project for April NaNoWriMo.
Release Schedule
- November-December 2022: Counting Stars
- Firm Publication Date: November 7. 3-4 Chapters a week until completion. Should take most of these two months, might go into January.
- April-June 2023: Kismet
- Depends on writing/editing.
- Summer 2023: Fool Me Twice, Book 2
Thanks to everyone who voted and read the samples! I wish I could write them all right now, lol. There are definitely times when I miss those old days when I would write, then post and had a few stories going at once. I think, overall, we’re all happier that I don’t start posting until the book is complete.
September 3, 2022
Update Link: The Last Time – Scenes 24-26
Happy Saturday morning! Since I updated like eight hours ago, not a lot to report here, lol. I did finally update the Recent Updates page, so it’s current through yesterday. I want to edit some of the styles so it’s little more readable, but I’m going to try to do better to keep that updated. I was doing okay for a week, but I stopped after the first week of August when my month took that, uh, nosedive, I guess we’ll call it.
See you tomorrow for another update to Scars!
24
Everything is better
Nikolas approached the guest room he’d given Lucky when he’d finally managed to convince his brother to leave the hotel and return to Wyndemere. The door was slightly ajar, so Nikolas knocked gently, and pushed it open.
He found his brother stretched out on the bed, sitting up against the headboard. A bottle of tequila on the nightstand behind him, and papers strewn across the bed and his lap. From the shape of them, Nikolas knew they were legal documents.
“Hey.”
Lucky reached for the still half full glass, stared down at the clear liquid. “I’m not looking for pills,” he said, his voice only a bit slurred. His eyes were a little glassy and unfocused. “You don’t have to check on me.”
“You’re sitting alone, drinking and reading your divorce papers,” Nikolas said slowly. “I just wanted to—”
“I had them with me last night,” Lucky interrupted. He set the glass aside, then started to gather the papers back into a pile. “I was going to rip them up after dinner because I thought—I was sure she’d want to stop the divorce from being finalized.” He met Nikolas’s gaze. “It’s a week away. Did you know? I didn’t contest it, and she didn’t ask for anything. It flew right through.”
“It’s not going to do any good to look at this—”
“It wasn’t supposed to end like this,” he murmured. “She didn’t want to get back together. I had to push for every moment she gave me. She didn’t even say we were getting back together—just that we’d have dinner. And I was ready to rip them up. Would she have let me, you think?”
“She might have,” Nikolas admitted. He pulled out a chair from the desk and sat. “Elizabeth has always loved you, Lucky. And no one wanted this. She stayed until that night. Until you put your hands on her.”
“It’s all a blur, you know. She was so angry at me—I don’t even think she knew I’d slept with Maxie again—” Lucky dragged a hand across his face. “But she’d found the pills. She was going to leave. I just wanted her to stop. I wanted everything to stop for a minute so I could think—and then she was on the ground—” He exhaled. “When we were together before, after I came back—the brainwashing, the Cassadines, all that crap I pulled with Jason—the wedding—Sarah—” He shook his head. “I used to ask myself why she was still with me, what I’d done to deserve someone who loved me the way she does—but it’s not love.”
“Lucky—”
“It’s not the kind of love either of us deserve,” Lucky said, ignoring Nikolas. “It’s obligation. She didn’t want me back on the pills. I got clean for the baby. Not for her. Not for Cameron. I got clean for the baby. What kind of a man does that make me?”
“A human one,” Nikolas offered. “Give yourself a break, Lucky. You’ve been through hell—”
“Were we really even in love last year?” Lucky murmured. “I thought we’d fallen for each other again. I thought we were happy, and planning a future. But I think maybe I was lonely. And maybe she was, too. And we drifted back towards each other.”
“Until you were injured, Lucky, you and Elizabeth were happy,” Nikolas told him. “Don’t let everything that’s come after ruin that memory. You were happy and you were in love—”
“I kept throwing Patrick in her face,” Lucky continued. “When she got arrested for that surgery on Sam, I was sure it was because of Patrick. Even last night, when I found out the baby isn’t mine, I accused her of sleeping with Patrick.” He looked at Nikolas. “I couldn’t face the truth. I see that now. Because it was always Jason. He saved her from Manny. I couldn’t do that. He saved her last night, too. I just made it worse—” He got to his feet, picked up the divorce papers and went over to the trash can. “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t compete. I don’t want to. I’m not a kid, making promises in a church. I’m not who I was before the fire, and neither is she. The longer we keep looking for who we used to be, the more we’re going to hurt each other.”
He dumped the papers in the trash. “So I’m done. She can live her life, and I’ll figure out mine.”
25
And right before your eyes
Jason knocked lightly on the front door of Audrey Hardy’s home, going over what he wanted to say. He couldn’t just ask her to marry him again—she’d been upset when he’d asked that this morning, and Sonny was right. Just because Jason felt like his head was much clearer, he couldn’t expect Elizabeth to be on the same page.
So first, he had to explain why things were different. She couldn’t have known that earlier—he hadn’t until he’d returned to the penthouse and talked to Sam. He’d explain it to Elizabeth, and this time, she’d understand. He could commit to her and the baby—to Camreon, too. She just had to trust him.
The door opened, and Audrey Hardy stood there, her lips pinched in slight disapproval. She couldn’t have been thrilled with the news, Jason reminded himself. Lucky might have had a dru addiction, but he was still a cop.
And Jason was still Jason.
“Mrs. Hardy,” he said with a nod. “I got Elizabeth’s message that she was being discharged. I was hoping to talk to her.”
“She’s upstairs resting, but she was awake when I checked on her.” Audrey stepped back so he could enter, then closed the door after he had. “I’m supportive of this situation,” she continued, “because to be anything else would be foolish, considering what my granddaughter has been through in the last six months.” She raised her chin. “I understand that you intend to be in this baby’s life, and therefore, Elizabeth’s. That’s fine. Children should have their fathers, and I remember that you were quite good with Michael.”
Jason nodded, a bit cautious now. “I appreciate that—”
“But—” Audrey held up one finger. “I will be watching you. I should have done more when she left Lucky in September. When she told me about the drugs and the affair in August. I will not make that mistake again. The moment I feel you are not what Elizabeth needs, I will make that clear to her.”
“I understand,” Jason said. “I just want—I want what’s best for Elizabeth. And her children. Whatever that ends up being.”
“All right. Tell Elizabeth that Cameron is eating dinner, and then I’ll put him down for bed. I want her to rest.”
26
I’m aching
Elizabeth flipped through the channels, restless and irritable. She couldn’t focus on anything long enough to enjoy it — whether it was her mood or the quality of the television—
She heard footsteps down the hallway, and sat up, a bit bewildered. Those weren’t her grandmother’s—
“Jason,” she said, her eyes widening. “I didn’t—I wasn’t—I thought you might come by tomorrow.”
“I—I can go.” He stood in her doorway, a bit uncertain now. “If you’re tired—”
“No, it’s okay.” Elizabeth sat up and gestured for him to come in. He closed the door and came to sit in the chair by her desk. It felt so strange to have him in her bedroom, with the posters from high school of boy bands still on the wall. “Um, I feel bad about how things were left this morning. Emily—she came by.” He met her eyes. “I’m so sorry about Alan.”
Jason didn’t anything right away, and she worried that it was the wrong to say. He stared down at his hands, and she fidgeted, twisting her fingers in the comforter she sat on. “I don’t know if I get to be upset about it,” he said finally, his voice soft, almost impossible to hear.
Elizabeth furrowed her brow. “What? Why?”
“He was my father, but I never let that matter.” Jason grimaced. “I pushed him away until he stopped trying—”
“Jason—I wasn’t around after your accident,” she said, “but I bet if you ask other people who were—Emily or Robin—you’d remember how hard it was for you. You told me that it felt like they never saw you. That they were always telling you how it was before, and being angry you didn’t live up to that.”
“Yeah, but—”
She slid to the end of the bed, until her legs were dangling off the foot and she was closer to him. “You get to feel upset about losing him, Jason. Because now it never gets to be different. You never get to change how it was. You get to mourn for the relationship you can’t have.” She reached for his hand, held it between both of hers. “He was your father, Jason. It was a complicated, messy, relationship. He hurt you by not accepting who you grew up to be, and you hurt him by not being the man he expected. Did you—did you get to talk to him? Emily said she did.”
“Yeah.” Jason stared down at their intertwined hands. “Yeah, I did. He told me he regretted giving up. That he always loved me.” He looked up and met her gaze. “I told him I loved him, and he said it was a lie, but he was smiling—” He stopped, looked away. Elizabeth reached for his face, turning back to with a gentle push of her fingers on his jaw. Tears glimmered his eyes.
“Was it a lie?” she asked him gently.
“No. I don’t—” Jason cleared his throat. “I don’t know. Maybe. There were times after the accident when we almost—when I could imagine it being different. Like it was with Emily or Lila. Or Monica. But he hated everything I did. He wanted to control me.”
“He wanted you to be safe,” Elizabeth corrected softy, and Jason nodded. “Parents do that, you know. We control our children, we create their worlds. And we do it for as long as they let us. I hope I’ll know when to let go, to let them make mistakes. He was afraid of losing you again. He couldn’t let go.”
“I want it to be different,” Jason told her. “For me. This baby. I want to be a father. I don’t want to miss anything, but—” He shook his head. “I had it planned,” he muttered. “What I was going to say.”
“And you think the best way to be a father is to be a full-time father,” Elizabeth said. “It’s why you keep offering to marry me—”
“No, I mean, yes, but not the way you mean it,” Jason said, with a shake of his head. “You told me I couldn’t ask because nothing had changed. But it’s changed now. I broke up with Sam.”
Her heart twisted. “Jason, you’ve had a really long day. Have you even slept yet?”
“A few hours, but—”
“Marriage is more than just sharing children. It should be, anyway,” she added. “I can’t marry you so that you can be with this baby all the time. That’s not fair to either of us. We deserve more, and I’m not settling for less. Not again.”
“But—”
“But,” she interrupted, “you and I can come up with something that makes us both happy. Being a good father isn’t just about showing up. It’s just the start. You’re showing up, Jason. We don’t have to have all the answers. Especially not today.”
He sighed. “You’re saying no again.”
“I’m stopping you before you ask the question. Because I already told you it’s off the table, and this time I want you to listen to me. You do not need to marry me to be in this child’s life. I promise you. I made a mistake keeping it from you, but that’s not going to happen. We’ll sign whatever paper you want, you’ll be on the birth certificate. I won’t keep this baby from you. You’re not going to miss anything.”
Jason nodded. “All right. If that’s what you want.”
No, but it was what she needed. What they both needed. “Thank you.”
“I’ll—I’ll get going.” He got to his feet. “Thanks. For…”
“I’m sorry you lost your father, Jason,” Elizabeth said, hoping that this time, he’d accept the condolences.
“Thank you. I’ll—I’ll call. Or you can—”
She got to her feet and hugged him tightly, but briefly, then kissed his cheek. “I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
He nodded, then left, and she sat back on the bed, wondering if she’d made a mistake. If maybe she should have let him ask the question.
But if he had—if he’d looked at her one more time and asked her to marry him, she might not have been able to say no.
September 2, 2022
Update Link: Scars – Part 21
Oof, two days back and I am exhausted! And a bit frazzled — most of our supplies didn’t get delivered, so my classroom isn’t set up yet. And for some reason, it’s my job as an advisory teacher to track down locks and find enough lockers in my hallway to assign to my kids. (Why this isn’t something that just gets assigned for us, but whatevs), and dealing with the existential fear that my copies might not be made because our district makes us give the copies to a separate person, and they haven’t hired anyone for it yet (apparently, it’s a union thing, we can’t do our own copying, it is the DUMBEST thing I have ever heard in my whole damn life). I feel like I ran around all day and got nothing done.
Anyway! We’re kicking off our new Flash Fiction fall schedule. I haven’t done a Friday flash fiction in years, so let’s see if we can manage it. I usually drag myself into Fridays. I’ll be back tomorrow morning with The Last Time, and then Scars gets updated again on Sunday morning.
I have to update the Recent Updates page, which I promise I will do at some point.
Thanks for all the votes in the poll so far! I’m pretty convinced which project I’m going to work on, but I want to think about it a bit more before I pick it. See you tomorrow!
Written in 61 minutes.
PCPD: Commissioner’s Office
“No, no, I told you. I’ll handle this myself. Yeah—I’ve been waiting for this.” Jordan hung up the phone and looked across the desk at Nathan West. “Get the surveillance report on Morgan and Corinthos for the last few days—” She got to her feet, tucking her gun in the holster at her back and clipping the badge to her belt. “That was Baker’s parole officer. He missed his appointment today and he hasn’t been to work since Thanksgiving.”
Nathan furrowed his brow. “I’ll pull the report, Commissioner, but if they saw a crime—”
“I never expected to catch them in the act.” Jordan jerked a shoulder and went towards the door. “All I have to do is put them in the area.”
Nathan pulled out his cell phone to make the call, but he wasn’t sure why Jordan was so confident—they’d need a whole lot more to put someone away than being in the area where a crime was committed.
Port Charles High School: Hallway
Joss pulled her algebra book from the shelf and tossed it in her bag. She slammed the locker shut, then jumped at the sight of Emma and Trina right next to it. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Sorry—” Emma elbowed Trina. “Go ahead.”
“Um, about Thanksgiving—” Trina began.
“No, don’t bother. I’m not interested in another truce that’s only going to last until you get annoyed with me again.” Joss slung her bag over her shoulder. “We’ve been irritating each other since the sand box. You don’t like me, and I—” She paused. “Well, you don’t like me. We don’t have to keep pretending—”
“No, just wait—” Emma snagged Joss by the elbow. “I feel bad because we did totally call a truce, and Trina was just saying that we haven’t pulled any pranks since the hair dye—”
“Which you deserved—”
“Because I told Oscar Nero that crap about you—yeah, well, I only did that because of what you told him,” Joss reminded her, and Trina made a face.
“Wait, what did you say?” Emma frowned. “Treen?”
“I—” Trina hissed. “I told Oscar that Joss’s mom is, like, a crazy person. Like, certifiably insane. Um, that she’s done time in a mental institution. Which isn’t really a lie—”
“Trina—” Emma scowled. “That’s almost as bad as Thanksgiving—”
“I know I did a lot of things when we were kids—I said things,” Joss corrected, “that I didn’t know were hurtful. And you’re never really going to like me because of it, Trina. I get it. I’m not looking for you to like me. We’re not friends.”
“It’s been pointed out to me,” Trina said slowly, “that we’re not kids anymore and we shouldn’t be acting like it.”
“I’m not looking for us to be okay,” Joss said. “I just—I just want it to be civil. When Cam’s around. He’s my best friend. I don’t want to lose that.”
“And you shouldn’t. Cam was really pissed about last week. He was right. We were totally out of line, and I’m sorry.”
“Me, too,” Trina offered.
“Okay.” Joss nodded. “Um, thanks, I guess.” The warning bell rang. “I gotta go, or I’m gonna get detention again.” She headed to class, but felt a bit lighter. Maybe things were going to be okay.
Baker House: Living Room
Jordan knew as soon as they got inside the house—the smell of sewage permeated the small, one-story house.
“Call for CSU,” Jordan told one of the officers, then nodded to Nathan. “Let’s go.” She headed towards the smell, across the living room, and down the short hallway—the bedroom door had been left open—
They could see Tom Baker sprawled on his back, simply laying as if he were asleep. Nathan approached the bed, coming around Jordan. He tapped the exposed foot—and it moved. “Body’s out of rigor,” he told Jordan.
“Looking at least twenty-four hours—” Jordan clicked on her flashlight, moved it around the room. “And judging by the smell and the missed shift on Thursday evening—” Her light stopped on the wall opposite of the bed. Her flashlight illuminated several photos pinned up. “What are those—”
Nathan went to take a closer look, his jaw clenching. “That’s Maxie’s little cousin, Emma. And Carly’s kid, Joss. Hell, that’s Morgan’s wife.” He turned back to Jordan. “And there’s another girl I’ve seen around Emma—”
“Trina,” Jordan murmured. Marcus’s little girl. Pinned up on the wall of a man suspected of rape. She exhaled slowly. “He’s got pictures of teenaged girls—”
“And one adult woman.” Nathan stepped even closer. “Shit, Commissioner, he was stalking them—” He turned back to Baker. “No signs of foul play—if Morgan did this, why did he leave the photos up?”
“To make sure we knew what he was,” Jordan murmured. Her stomach twisted. Oh, God. Had Tom Baker hunted girls connected to Elizabeth and Marcus? “I don’t care what it looks like. We treat it like a murder until the autopsy comes back.”
She looked back at the body. “We work it until we know the truth, Nathan. We don’t pick the victim—”
“No, but he sure hell did,” Nathan retorted.
“Detective—’
“Yeah, I got the message. We don’t pick the victim. We just find the answers.”
Greystone: Living Room
Sonny closed the double doors behind Jason and turned to his partner, his face somber and pale. “I got a call from the PCPD—”
“What’s wrong? You look like—” Jason stilled. “Is it one of the kids? Morgan—”
“No. No. Nothing like that—” Sonny shook his head. “Baker’s dead.”
“Baker—” Jason stared at him. “I don’t—what are you talking about?”
“Parole called in a welfare check after a missed appointment. Baker hasn’t shown for work since Thursday evening. Thanksgiving,” Sonny clarified. “They found him in his house.”
“What happened?” Jason’s chest tightened, and he thought of the strange conversation with Robin—
“No signs of foul play,” Sonny said. “So it might be natural, but she’s gonna look at us hard.” He smiled faintly. “Aren’t we lucky we’ve got a good alibi for the entire day? Jordan can ask a couple of former cops, WSB agents, and commissioners about us.”
“Yeah,” Jason said slowly. “Lucky for us.”
“I thought you might want to tell Elizabeth yourself. I didn’t think she should hear it through the grapevine.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll make sure to get to her.” Jason left then, and pulled out his phone as he left the house. But it wasn’t Elizabeth he called—
He had a feeling she wouldn’t be surprised.
“Jason?”
“Robin. Where are you?”
“At home. Why?”
“Stay there. I’ll be right there.”
Scorpio-Drake House: Living Room
Robin hadn’t seen Jason this unsettled in a long time, but as her ex-boyfriend paced the room, she started to get worried. “Jason—”
“Thanksgiving. Who’s idea was it this year?” he wanted to know. He stopped, looked at her. “I mean, Elizabeth and I usually go to Sonny’s. You’ve never invited Sonny here. ”
“No, I guess—” Robin tipped her head. “It was Patrick’s, I think. He said it would be funny to have Sonny here with my dad and Uncle Mac, and I figured why not—Jason, what’s going on?”
“Tom Baker is dead,” he said flatly. “I don’t have the details yet, but apparently it was some time on Thanksgiving. The PCPD has had me and Sonny under surveillance since Baker was paroled—”
“Wait a second—” Robin put up her hands. “What are you saying—”
“Elizabeth and Patrick arranged for Sonny and I have to alibis. She knew Jordan had pulled people from Baker—that they were still watching us—we just talked about it. And they were late—”
“I—” Robin shook her head. “It’s a coincidence, okay? How was he killed?”
“No signs of foul play,” Jason said. Instead of reassuring her, the news sent a shiver down her spine, and she closed her eyes. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
“Jason, are you telling me you think your wife murdered Tom Baker and that my husband helped? Do you hear yourself? Elizabeth is pregnant—”
“She was bleeding out from a stab wound to the gut in the middle of the woods on that damn island, and managed to get to my gun and blow out Stavros Cassadine’s brains,” Jason said, and she closed her mouth. “And your husband operated on her in the middle of a flat with a first aid kit. He’s done brain surgery by flashlight. I know who my wife is and what she’s capable of—”
“If she’s under threat,” Robin reminded him. “What’s the threat? Baker’s been out for months! Do you really think she’s been waiting all along—”
“No. But something happened—it had to.” Jason scrubbed a hand down his face. “You knew they were lying, Robin.”
“Yes, but—” Her voice faltered. “Jason. What exactly are we talking about here? I mean, if it’s true—” She folded her arms. “What are we supposed to do?”
“I’m going to make sure it goes away,” Jason told her, and she bit her lip, nodded. “So far you and I are the only ones that know anything was a little weird that day. I think we were the only ones who noticed they were late.”
“Right. And we couldn’t testify against them even if we wanted to.” Robin bit her lip. “Do we ask them about it?” Did she really want to know?
“They lied to us last week, so I don’t think they’re planning to bring us in—” Jason grimaced. “I need to know what happened so I can make sure they’re safe. You can—you can do whatever you need to. I just—we need to be on the same page. If anyone asks about Thanksgiving—”
“Nothing happened,” Robin said softly. “Except some teenage drama. It was a great day.”
“Good. Thank you—”
“No, thank you for—I don’t know. For whatever you’re going to do. I don’t need to know about it, but thank you.”
Morgan House: Driveway
Elizabeth locked her car, frowning at Jason’s SUV parked at the curb. He was usually at the warehouse for a few more hours—
Then she saw the door open across the street, and Jason step outside — say something to Robin before turning towards their house. Their eyes met, and her insides tightened. He knew something. Even from this distance—
And then a car turned around the curve and slid into the space behind Jason’s SUV. Jordan stepped out, followed by Nathan.
Baker had been found.
“Well, this is good timing,” Jordan called as she came up th front walk, a manila folder tucked under her arm. Jason was crossing the street. “I was hoping to talk to both of you.”
“What’s going on?” Elizabeth tightened her hand around the strap of her purse. “Nothing happened to the kids, did it—”
“No, no. Hello, Mr. Morgan,” Jordan said coolly. “Have a few minutes for some questions?”
“Do I need to call Diane?” Jason wanted to know, already bored with the conversation. He stepped up next to Elizabeth. To Jordan, he would appear to be stone-faced, but Elizabeth knew her husband—she could feel tension and tightness radiating—
“Well, why don’t you listen to my questions and you can make that decision?” Jordan offered. She opened the folder, and Elizabeth’s stomach twisted. “Tom Baker. Died sometime Thursday — preliminary autopsy says maybe the afternoon. No cause of death just yet, but I thought we’d find out where some interested parties were—”
“So you came right over to the house of the woman he raped as a teenager,” Elizabeth said. She folded her arms, took a deep a breath.
“He was never convicted of that crime,” Jordan retorted. “So can I get an alibi or—”
“Thanksgiving,” Jason said. “You can ask about twenty people,” he told her. “Give or take. Robin and Patrick invited us over. So my sons saw me all day. So did my mother-in-law. Robin’s uncle and dad. Her mother—”
Jordan’s mouth tightened. “You were with Mac and Robert Scorpio—and Laura Spencer and Anna Devane.”
“So was Sonny. He deep fried a turkey. There were a lot of kids there, too. You can ask them. Elizabeth had work until about noon—but she saw me all afternoon.” Jason lifted his brows. “Any other questions?”
“Just one.” Jordan flipped to another photo — Baker’s wall. “Did you know he was talking your wife and teenage girls close to her?”
Jason stared at the photo, the muscles in his cheeks twitching as Elizabeth digested the horror of what Jordan was asking—
“Wait, wait—” Elizabeth reached for the photo, finding it no trouble to find the horror and disgust she’d lived with for days. Weeks. “This is me—that’s my girls—Jason—” Her voice broke. “He was watching all of them?”
Jordan hesitated. “I—”
“How could this happen? How could someone on parole take all these—” Elizabeth shoved the photo away. “How could no one have seen him do it?”
Jason put a hand at her waist, and she closed her mouth, still shaking. Because her fury was real. How could Jordan have not known? “We’re done here. You have my alibi. Any thing else, call Diane.”
September 1, 2022
This is annoying, because I’ve used Opinion Stage for AGES and they’ve messed with their free plan. I could only have 25 responses. So I created a new poll with my plugin, and added in the votes from the last poll so that no one has to vote again.
Which story do you want?
- Fool Me Twice, Book 2 (26%, 31 Votes)
- Kismet (26%, 31 Votes)
- For the Broken Girl, Book 2 (19%, 22 Votes)
- These Small Hours (15%, 18 Votes)
- Burn in Heaven (7%, 8 Votes)
- Malice (6%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 92
Loading ...Excerpts: These Small Hours | For the Broken Girl, Book 2 | Burn in Heaven | Malice | Fool Me Twice, Book 2 | Kismet (NEW)
All six stories have been posted! If you are a Patreon or you purchased the sample chapter bundle, check for the updated list of chapters. If you’re interested in getting access, the bundle is $2.
Which story do you want to see me work on for the fall? I’m not guaranteeing that the winner will be the one I choose, but I’m kind of torn between a few of the projects, so you might help push me over the edge.
ETA: Had to swap out the poll — I had 25 votes on the old one which apparently is the max allowed on the free plan, so I used a different service and added in the old votes. You don’t have to vote again.
Which story do you want?
- Fool Me Twice, Book 2 (26%, 31 Votes)
- Kismet (26%, 31 Votes)
- For the Broken Girl, Book 2 (19%, 22 Votes)
- These Small Hours (15%, 18 Votes)
- Burn in Heaven (7%, 8 Votes)
- Malice (6%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 92
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Timeline: This is set in December 1997. Elizabeth and her generation are aged up (Liz is about 22, 23). She moved to PC for nursing school after college in June 1997. Jason jilted Brenda at the altar for Sonny and took over the business. He’s spent the last two months looking after Brenda (who does not want him near her) and dealing the business. He and Robin broke up in August, and she left for Paris. Jason really only talks to people in the business, and Luke and Mike. Relationship to the Qs is basically Emily and Lila, though he and AJ are civil.
These are the final two scenes in Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Time is never time at all
You can never ever leave
Without leaving a piece of youth
And our lives are forever changed
We will never be the same
The more you change, the less you feel
– Tonight, Tonight, Smashing Pumpkins
Friday, December 5, 1997
Luke’s: Main Floor
“I’m going to get another drink,” Elizabeth called to Emily as her best friend let her cousin, Justus Ward, twirl her out on to the dance floor.
“Get me another glass—” Emily replied, then giggled as Justus dipped her down, then whirled her into the crowd.
Elizabeth weaved in and out of that same crowd as she edged her way from the tables by the stage towards the bar at the back of the main room. She loved Luke’s most of the time — it had the best music, cheap drinks, and the food didn’t make you vomit the next morning, but man, she hated when it was so loud you couldn’t even hear yourself think.
She saw a familiar blonde a few feet away, and Elizabeth immediately turned and made a beeline for the opposite direction. The absolute last thing she wanted was to run directly into Carly Roberts. She’d had quite enough of her at the hospital—
But unfortunately, in her quest to avoid blondes—she forgot the other person she was avoiding—and crashed right into him. “Ooof—” She grunted. “Sorry—”
“No problem—” Lucky Spencer’s eyes lit up. “Liz. Hey. I was hoping Em would convince you to come tonight.”
“Oh.” If Emily thought she was doing her a favor—Elizabeth crossed her arms, covering the deep neckline of her sapphire dress. The last time she’d spoken to Lucky, both of them had been wearing a lot less—and she was still pissed he’d forced her to break up with him half-naked.
If he’d just waited to ask stupid questions until the next day—
“You haven’t returned my calls—”
“No, I haven’t.” She pursed her lips. “I’m just going to go—” She tried to edge around him, but Lucky snagged her elbow “Lucky, come on—”
“No, you come on—what kind of girl does that? Three months, and you act like I don’t exist—”
“We dated for six weeks,” Elizabeth said, resisting the urge to stomp her foot. “Six weeks. In the summer. It’s literally an entire season later, Lucky. Go find someone else.”
“But you—”
“But I said no, and then I ignored you. I don’t know what other hint you need—” She put her hands up when he tried to reach for her again. “We had a little fun and it fizzled out, okay?”
“Not for me—”
“Well, it did for me, and that’s all that matters. I don’t have an obligation to date you until we’re both not interested.”
“You won’t even tell me why—”
“Jesus, Lucky. What do you want me to say?” She threw up her hands. “I’m supposed to give you an itemized list?”
“No, but—” He clenched his jaw. “You could have at least told me we were done—”
“I did. You keep choosing not to believe me—and I am done having this conversation with you right now.” She saw a break in the crowd and took advantage, and slipped between two different groups.
That was the last time she ever did a favor for Emily. If that little brat thought she was helping—
Elizabeth spied the front door and breathed a sigh of relief. Air. She just wanted a little bit of air. And maybe to make a run for it. She had her purse. Her jacket was somewhere—but the purse was all that mattered.
Her mind made up, Elizabeth headed for the entrance.
Luke’s: Entrance
“Fashionably late,” Luke said as Jason made his way to the entrance, Reinaldo trailing behind him. “Didn’t think you were coming.”
“Had to wait for the right time,” Jason grunted, looking out over the parking lot. For a few weeks, he’d parked cars out here. And now he owned shares in the club. No, Sonny owned them, he thought. Jason was just looking after them for a while.
Sonny would be back just as soon as it was safe to return. Jason was sure of it.
“You, ah, send that message we talked about?” Luke asked. “Because I got a call from one of my old friends down on Courtland. There’s some chatter Moreno’s planning something big.”
Jason furrowed his brow. “No, that’s—” That’s why he was here now. So he’d have an alibi when the body of the messenger showed up at the Oasis tonight. He clenched his jaw, swept his eyes over the parking lot again. He saw Luke’s stepson, Nikolas Cassadine, about twenty feet away, by a gray Jaguar. But no one else.
“First you’re hearing about it?” Luke asked, drawing Jason’s attention back to him. “That’s not good.”
“No, it’s not. Your guy, will he talk to—”
Behind them, the front door to the club lurched open and a brunette emerged, almost at a sprint. She leaned against the closed door, closing her eyes. “Never again.”
“Lizzie?” Luke said, arching his brows. “You okay, kid?”
The woman—Lizzie—straightened, the strap of her black purse falling down her shoulder—her bare shoulder, Jason noticed. No coat covering the dress, which only fell to mid-thigh. Her brown hair looked as if she’d been running, half of it sliding down her neck.
“Oh. No. Yes, I mean.” She made a face. “And I hate that name, you know that, Luke.”
Luke grinned. “I know that. It’s just funny—” His smile faded. “You’re missing a coat. What happened?”
“Private parties,” Elizabeth bit out. “You’d think they’d cap the guest list. You can’t breath in there—” She flicked her eyes to Jason, seeming to notice him for the first time. “Oh, you’re—I’m interrupting something.”
“Listen—” Luke started to take off his jacket, but he stopped, turning back to the parking lot, his eyes suddenly alert. “Did you—”
Jason heard it just a moment before the Cadillac swung into the parking lot, and the window rolled down. The first gun shots rang out as Jason grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and shoved her down to the ground, covering her body as bullets pierced the side of the building just centimeters from where she’d been standing.
Timeline: This is set in December 1997. Elizabeth and her generation are aged up (Liz is about 22, 23). She moved to PC for nursing school after college in June 1997. Jason jilted Brenda at the altar for Sonny and took over the business. He’s spent the last two months looking after Brenda (who does not want him near her) and dealing the business. He and Robin broke up in August, and she left for Paris. Jason really only talks to people in the business, and Luke and Mike. Relationship to the Qs is basically Emily and Lila, though he and AJ are civil.
Chapter 1
Time is never time at all
You can never ever leave
Without leaving a piece of youth
And our lives are forever changed
We will never be the same
The more you change, the less you feel
– Tonight, Tonight, Smashing Pumpkins
Friday, December 5, 1997
Penthouse: Living Room
“It’s a bullshit deal, and you know it.”
“It’s disrespectful, that’s what it is—”
Jason Morgan ignored both scowling men standing by the mini bar and went to the window. His former boss had picked this penthouse, this side of the building because he liked to stare out over the skyline of Port Charles, to imagine his power growing until he controlled everything he saw.
All this view did was remind Jason that it was his problem for now, and he was irritated with people who kept pushing him to do things he’d already refused—
He turned back to Johnny O’Brien and Benny Abrams, his mouth set. “I didn’t say I’d take the deal. I just said we’re not gonna do what Johnny wants.”
“We can’t just let Anthony Moreno push us around—”
“Who said that’s what I’m doing?” Jason demanded, cutting Johnny off where he spoke. He thrust his arms out, fed up with the constant arguing. “We’re telling him to take his offer and shove it—”
“And no one is happier than I am,” Benny said patiently, adopting the conciliatory tone that told Jason the two of them had put their heads together and decided to do a good cop/bad cop routine on him. Like he was an idiot who didn’t know what he was doing—just like everyone else who thought he’d crumble under the weight—
Sonny Corinthos had trusted Jason to keep his growing empire steady until he could return. And that was exactly what Jason planned to do. His way.
“But,” Benny continued, “we can’t let Moreno think we’re weak enough that we’re considering it. We need to reject it. Forcefully—”
“You need to send a message that you’re the one in charge,” Johnny interrupted. “No more pussyfooting around, Morgan. Let me take out his second-in-command or burn down one of his damn strip clubs—”
“I said no,” Jason repeated. “If you got a problem taking orders from me, Johnny, maybe you need to tell me that now.” He strode towards the other man, stopping only a few inches from him. He glared at him, hard—and Johnny broke first, dipping his eyes to the ground. Good. Johnny was few years older than Jason, and he’d been in the business longer, but he was a stubborn hothead. Jason had wondered if he’d be able to accept Sonny leaving the business to someone else.
Time would tell, but at least today — Johnny was backing down.
“You send Moreno my answer the way I told you to, and if he pushes it — if he doesn’t accept that this is the way things are, then we can talk about going further.” You didn’t escalate confrontations to an eleven until you had to, Jason thought. You didn’t act when you were angry. He’d learned that over the last two years. It might feel good in the moment to act on that heat, to lash out—
But it was always more satisfying to keep it cool. To watch others squirm and flip out. He’d frustrated more than one person with a blank stare. Keep them guessing. Doubting you.
“Tonight, at Luke’s,” Benny said, “you’ll put in an appearance? To establish an alibi?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jason muttered already irritated at the idea of heading to the club and attending a private party with a dress code. He liked Luke’s, but he hated suits. “I’ll be there.”
Benny took Johnny’s arm and the two filed out, nodding to Reinaldo, the guard on the door. The door closed behind him, and Jason exhaled in relief.
He straightened the desk — Benny had set down his briefcase and pushed a set of folders. Jason lined them back up, pushed the chair back, the way it had been before the adviser had come in. The way Sonny always kept it.
He grabbed his leather jacket laying across the back of the sofa, shrugged into it, and left. He had things to do before the party.
General Hospital: Cafeteria
“There is nothing in this world you can say to make me go to that party.”
With that pronouncement, Elizabeth Webber set her lunch tray down on the table with a hard thud and sat down. “I mean it. Don’t even bother.”
“I have to. It’s a matter of life or death.” Her best friend, Emily Quartermaine, took a seat across from her, her dark eyes imploring. “If you don’t go, do you know what happens?”
“I have a quiet, pleasant evening in my crappy studio apartment,” Elizabeth said. She twisted the cap off her water bottle. “And I don’t make small talk with people who hate me.”
“Nikolas doesn’t hate you,” Emily pointed out.
“His girlfriend does,” Elizabeth muttered. She sipped her water, letting her eyes drift around the cafeteria, catching the irritated gaze of the girlfriend in question, otherwise known as her sister, the every perfect Sarah Webber. “I’d rather ingest rat poison.”
“Yes, and you know I agree with you on this,” Emily said. She leaned forward. “But I have to go. It’s a fundraiser for the hospital, and my grandfather is insisting the family go—” She frowned. “Wait. Your grandparents practically built this place. How come Audrey isn’t forcing you?”
“Fortunately for me,” Elizabeth said sweetly, “there’s a better, more successful product of the Hardy/Webber line to represent the family tonight. Gram doesn’t care what I do as long it doesn’t embarrass her.” She sipped her water. “Go. Have a great time. Call me when you get home.”
“Please.” Emily folded her hands in a praying gesture. “I beseech you not to abandon me to hang out with them. Don’t abandon me in my time of need—”
Elizabeth scowled. “You’re asking me to willingly spend time with my sister. You understand what you’re asking me, don’t you? Because I will remember this. And I will use it against you.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.” Emily beamed. Then her smile turned sheepish. “Since you already agreed to come with me, I should warn you practically every doctor not on duty will be there, which means—”
Elizabeth closed her eyes. “Dr. Jones and the shrew. Oh, man. You are going to owe me so big for this.”
Luke’s: Back Office
“Word on the street is you’ve had an offer from Moreno.”
Jason dumped the ledger back on the desk and leveled a glare at Luke Spencer, who was one of the few people in the world unaffected by it. The club owner just leaned back in his gaudy chair—which matched the decoration of the entire club—and puffed on a cigar. “For someone who says they’re not in the business, you always seem to know what’s going on.”
“Pays to keep a toe in.” Luke shrugged. “And I run a business on the border between you and Moreno. He’s sniffing me, just like everyone else, kid.” He leaned forward. “So he did offer a deal.”
“Yeah.” Jason rubbed his face. “To buy out Sonny’s interests. He wants to make sure there’s nothing for Sonny to come back to—”
“Or,” Luke said, “he’s testing you. It’s a bullshit deal—”
“That’s what Johnny said—”
“And it’s a sign of disrespect—”
Jason pushed the chair back, got to his feet. “And that’s what Benny said. The three of you get together on this?”
“No. I’m just trying to keep my little slice of heaven out of the crossfire. But they’re not wrong. Let me guess—” Luke stubbed out his cigar and stood. “You said no. And that’s it. Maybe you sent the messenger back a little roughed up.” When Jason said nothing, the older man nodded. “Moreno wants to see what you’re made of, Jason, and right now, it’s not much—”
“Don’t—” Jason bristled. “I’m doing fine—”
“Because you’re good under pressure. You don’t panic. Sonny leaves you holding the bag for everything, personally and professionally, and you don’t sink in the first two months. But that was the easy part—”
“Easy—”
“Yeah. Sonny handed you the keys to the kingdom, but that don’t mean you get to keep them without a fight.” Luke put his hands on the desk, leaned forward. “You think you don’t got guys working under you that are wondering if you have what it takes? You send a weak response to a guy like Moreno—”
“You keep saying it was weak—” Jason scowled. “But it was supposed to be, okay? How come I’m the only one who sees it? I need Moreno to come after me. To go too hard. Which is what he’s going to do when I tell him no. He wants to put Sonny out of business. It’s an insult to even ask. So he gets an insult back. It wasn’t a serious question. He just wanted to see if I was gonna cut and run.”
Luke considered this, then nodded. “Okay. So you’re thinking few moves ahead, and I don’t mind it. But Moreno goes after you, Jason, where’s he gonna go? How hard? You’re not just taking orders anymore. You gotta do the big picture.”
“I am—”
“You’re not,” Luke said firmly. “Moreno isn’t going to come after you. That’s not how this works. He’s going to come after me. Or Tommy down at the Blue Moon. Or maybe Dougie, down on Courtland Street. He’s going to take out someone who works for you.”
Jason stared at Luke, then nodded. “Maybe. But he was going to do that anyway. All I did was buy some time to figure out where.”
“You need to be thinking about how you’re going to respond—”
“The Oasis,” Jason said. “Makes Moreno a lot of money — not just the girls. He gambles in the back room and two of his best dealers work the floor. I’m not an idiot, Luke. He takes a shot at me, and the Oasis burns.” He shoved the ledger book across the desk. “But he needs to fire the first shot.”
“Right.” Luke tipped his head. “It’s one way to deal with it, I guess. But I think you’re going to regret not being more proactive.”
“Yeah, well—” Jason jerked a shoulder. “We’ll see.”
Luke went to the coat rack next to the door and tossed Jason’s jacket at him. “You need to head home to change. Dress code and all.”
Jason made a face. “I hate suits,” he muttered. He pulled the jacket on. “I appreciate the advice,” he said after a moment. “I know you don’t have to give it.”
“And you don’t have to take it. But it’s there.” Luke hesitated, then opened the door for Jason. “Just one more thing—”
“What?”
“Moreno’s not trying to put Sonny out of business. Sonny ain’t here. He’s trying to bury you. It’s yours now. Sonny liked to react,” Luke continued as Jason stared at him. “And you learned it from him, so I get it. But you’re not that guy. I know that because you already know your target. You gotta figure out if you wanna be your own man or a Sonny clone. And do it fast.”
Luke’s: Main Floor
“I’m going to get another drink,” Elizabeth called to Emily as her best friend let her cousin, Justus Ward, twirl her out on to the dance floor.
“Get me another glass—” Emily replied, then giggled as Justus dipped her down, then whirled her into the crowd.
Elizabeth weaved in and out of that same crowd as she edged her way from the tables by the stage towards the bar at the back of the main room. She loved Luke’s most of the time — it had the best music, cheap drinks, and the food didn’t make you vomit the next morning, but man, she hated when it was so loud you couldn’t even hear yourself think.
She saw a familiar blonde a few feet away, and Elizabeth immediately turned and made a beeline for the opposite direction. The absolute last thing she wanted was to run directly into Carly Roberts. She’d had quite enough of her at the hospital—
But unfortunately, in her quest to avoid blondes—she forgot the other person she was avoiding—and crashed right into him. “Ooof—” She grunted. “Sorry—”
“No problem—” Lucky Spencer’s eyes lit up. “Liz. Hey. I was hoping Em would convince you to come tonight.”
“Oh.” If Emily thought she was doing her a favor—Elizabeth crossed her arms, covering the deep neckline of her sapphire dress. The last time she’d spoken to Lucky, both of them had been wearing a lot less—and she was still pissed he’d forced her to break up with him half-naked.
If he’d just waited to ask stupid questions until the next day—
“You haven’t returned my calls—”
“No, I haven’t.” She pursed her lips. “I’m just going to go—” She tried to edge around him, but Lucky snagged her elbow “Lucky, come on—”
“No, you come on—what kind of girl does that? Three months, and you act like I don’t exist—”
“We dated for six weeks,” Elizabeth said, resisting the urge to stomp her foot. “Six weeks. In the summer. It’s literally an entire season later, Lucky. Go find someone else.”
“But you—”
“But I said no, and then I ignored you. I don’t know what other hint you need—” She put her hands up when he tried to reach for her again. “We had a little fun and it fizzled out, okay?”
“Not for me—”
“Well, it did for me, and that’s all that matters. I don’t have an obligation to date you until we’re both not interested.”
“You won’t even tell me why—”
“Jesus, Lucky. What do you want me to say?” She threw up her hands. “I’m supposed to give you an itemized list?”
“No, but—” He clenched his jaw. “You could have at least told me we were done—”
“I did. You keep choosing not to believe me—and I am done having this conversation with you right now.” She saw a break in the crowd and took advantage, and slipped between two different groups.
That was the last time she ever did a favor for Emily. If that little brat thought she was helping—
Elizabeth spied the front door and breathed a sigh of relief. Air. She just wanted a little bit of air. And maybe to make a run for it. She had her purse. Her jacket was somewhere—but the purse was all that mattered.
Her mind made up, Elizabeth headed for the entrance.
Luke’s: Entrance
“Fashionably late,” Luke said as Jason made his way to the entrance, Reinaldo trailing behind him. “Didn’t think you were coming.”
“Had to wait for the right time,” Jason grunted, looking out over the parking lot. For a few weeks, he’d parked cars out here. And now he owned shares in the club. No, Sonny owned them, he thought. Jason was just looking after them for a while.
Sonny would be back just as soon as it was safe to return. Jason was sure of it.
“You, ah, send that message we talked about?” Luke asked. “Because I got a call from one of my old friends down on Courtland. There’s some chatter Moreno’s planning something big.”
Jason furrowed his brow. “No, that’s—” That’s why he was here now. So he’d have an alibi when the body of the messenger showed up at the Oasis tonight. He clenched his jaw, swept his eyes over the parking lot again. He saw Luke’s stepson, Nikolas Cassadine, about twenty feet away, by a gray Jaguar. But no one else.
“First you’re hearing about it?” Luke asked, drawing Jason’s attention back to him. “That’s not good.”
“No, it’s not. Your guy, will he talk to—”
Behind them, the front door to the club lurched open and a brunette emerged, almost at a sprint. She leaned against the closed door, closing her eyes. “Never again.”
“Lizzie?” Luke said, arching his brows. “You okay, kid?”
The woman—Lizzie—straightened, the strap of her black purse falling down her shoulder—her bare shoulder, Jason noticed. No coat covering the dress, which only fell to mid-thigh. Her brown hair looked as if she’d been running, half of it sliding down her neck.
“Oh. No. Yes, I mean.” She made a face. “And I hate that name, you know that, Luke.”
Luke grinned. “I know that. It’s just funny—” His smile faded. “You’re missing a coat. What happened?”
“Private parties,” Elizabeth bit out. “You’d think they’d cap the guest list. You can’t breath in there—” She flicked her eyes to Jason, seeming to notice him for the first time. “Oh, you’re—I’m interrupting something.”
“Listen—” Luke started to take off his jacket, but he stopped, turning back to the parking lot, his eyes suddenly alert. “Did you—”
Jason heard it just a moment before the Cadillac swung into the parking lot, and the window rolled down. The first gun shots rang out as Jason grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and shoved her down to the ground, covering her body as bullets pierced the side of the building just centimeters from where she’d been standing.
