| Part 2 Alexis stood still, letting Jax’s words sink deep into her heart. "He loves me?" she whispered to her reflection. A smiled formed despite her best efforts to suppress it. She went to the closet which was full of gorgeous clothes. The one thing she always admired about Jax was he never half-did anything. Apparently not even when it came to kidnaping her. Alexis smiled as she picked out something to wear. If he thought she was going to make this easy, he had another thing coming. Forty-Five Minutes Later... She glanced at the mirror once more, feeling reassured with her choice. She was wearing a pair of jeans and an oversized sweater. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she wasn't wearing any make-up. She was sure one look at her and Jax would lose all interest in her and concede defeat, letting her go back to Port Charles. Drawing in a long, steadying breath, she reached for the door handle ready to face him. Alexis stepped into the main room of the house, glancing around at her surroundings. The inviting beauty of the scene made her feel completely disoriented. A fire was roaring in the fireplace, the lights on the beams above her head were dimmed and candles were lit on the table, the light cast by them flickering on the crystal wine glasses. Alexis swallowed hard, knowing the games had begun. This was phase one: she was walking into his seduction scene. She shook her head, as she followed the sounds coming from the kitchen. At least she assumed it was the kitchen. "You expecting company?" she asked, finding him in the kitchen. His back was to her and he was taking something out of the oven. He turned and looked at her, surveying her from head to toe. And much to Alexis’s dismay he seemed to like what he saw. "You look adorable." "The last thing I wanted to do was look nice for you!" Alexis admitted, as he offered her a glass of wine. Jax laughed at her. He had missed her so much. He still couldn't believe he had been so blind to what they could have had, until it was too late. "You could wear a paper bag and you would still be beautiful." Alexis blushed under his intense stare. "Hmm. When do we eat?" she asked, looking away from him. "It's ready," Jax announced, as he led her back into the other room. He pulled out a chair for her and she took her seat. She looked around the room, while Jax went back into the kitchen to bring their dinners. Alexis wondered why he had chosen to bring her to Venice of all places. A part of her knew why, since it was one of the most romantic cities in the world. Her mind couldn’t help but remind her that the last time she had been in Italy was on her honeymoon with Jax. Her thoughts ended when Jax set a pasta dish with peppers and bacon in front of her. She inhaled the delicious scent. "You made this?" she asked reaching for her fork. "Yes. I can cook."Jax said, a little hurt that she had forgotten. He took his seat across from her and watched her as she tasted the pasta. "Mmm, this is really good!" she said taking a slip of wine, impressed with his talent. "You like?" She met his eyes. "It's delicious Jax!" He flashed her one of his goofy smiles. "Eat up!" he encouraged picking up his fork to taste his creation. They ate in silence for a moment, just enjoying the food. Alexis didn't realize how hungry she was until she has taken her first bite and she was thrilled when Jax announced that they would be eating Italian style with all of the courses. When they had finished with the pasta dish, Jax brought out their salads, along with the typical oil and vinegar for dressing. Following the salad course, Alexis was once again pleasantly surprised with Jax’s culinary abilities, setting before her several small lamb chops. Jax finished eating and watched her enjoy what he’d made for her. He was very pleased with himself for doing something for her that so obviously pleased her. It finally occurred to her that he was watching her. "Why are you staring at me?” "I’ve really miss this," Jax admitted. "What?" Alexis said, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "You and me and all those late night dinners we shared in the penthouse. Alexis looked at him as the memories of their marriage flooded her mind. Their eyes locked. "I remember." "Can I ask you a personal question?" Jax hedged, unsure if this was the right time to broach the subject. But he really wanted to know what happened. "I supposed," Alexis answered reluctantly. "Why didn't you marry Ned?" Alexis dropped her fork, surprised by his question. Jax saw her surprise and noted that she also seemed a little angry by it. "Why do you want to know?" "I know how much you love Ned and it would have had to have been something major for you to leave him at the altar. Why didn’t you marry him, Alexis?" Alexis looked into his eyes not sure how to explain what was happening between her and Ned, how to explain where their relationship had gone wrong and how they just couldn’t seem to get things back to the way they once were. "If you don't want to tell me, I understand," Jax said, afraid that she was shutting him out and that was the last thing he wanted her to do. He wanted to let her know that she could tell him anything. He would never judge her. And he would always be there for her, whenever she needed him, no matter what happened in the next couple of days. "No, it's fine. I just realized that marrying Ned wasn't the right choice for me. I still care about him very much but it just didn't feel right. I was standing at the back of the church and Ned and his family were waiting. I panicked. I could see my life as Mrs. Ned Ashton flash before my eyes and I didn't like what I saw." "So his family drove you away?" "No. Well they were part of the reason but I have also come to the realization that Ned loves me as long as I do the things he thinks I should do. If I make a decision that he doesn't agree with....." Alexis paused, feeling foolish for sharing so much of her fears with Jax. But he was her ex-husband, her best friend. But he kidnaped you, her mind screamed. In the end, it didn’t matter, Jax was still her friend and she really needed to share these feelings with someone. "I'm sorry," Jax said, taking her hand in his. She looked at their joined hands and felt a wave of electricity pass through her. She knew Jax was right when he said there was something special between them. And it was still there, the time apart hadn't weakened it. "I’m doing okay. I’m dealing with Ned and our relationship. I know that I made the right choice by not marrying him." "Good for you." Alexis smiled, pushing her empty plate away from her. "Why?" "Did you ever think that maybe the reason you couldn't marry Ned was because of our marriage?" Alexis bit her lip and looked away nervously. Jax had been the perfect husband. "No. I never thought about it!" she said quickly, getting up from the table. "Alexis, I'm sorry okay.” Jax rose from the table and walked to where she was standing by the window. It overlooked one of the many canals in Venice, the moonlight shimmering on the smooth surface. Jax placed his hands on her shoulders but Alexis didn’t move her gaze from the water. “I just wanted to understand why you wouldn’t marry the man you love. Unless you have feelings for someone else," Jax whispered, turning her around to face him and touching her face gently. Alexis swallowed hard but didn't answer his question. She couldn't let him get the best of her on their first night. An Hour Later... Alexis was laying on the couch watching an old movie and Jax was in the kitchen popping popcorn. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about their conversation. "Was part of the reason she didn't go through with marrying Ned because of Jax and what their marriage had been based on? Alexis jumped when he sat down beside her. "Popcorn?" he offered holding the bowl out to her. "You remembered?" Alexis said with a smile, grabbing a handful. "I remember everything about you Alexis," Jax whispered. Alexis blushed at his statement but said nothing. They watched the movie in companionable silence. A few minutes later he felt her head against his shoulder. He looked down to find her fast asleep. Must be the jet lag catching up with her. He smiled and pulled the afghan from the back of the couch and covered them with it, before he rested his head on top of hers and drifted off to sleep himself. |