After Nikolas left Elizabeth felt that she could cut the tension in the room with a knife. She saw Laura and Luke retreat discreetly to the kitchen and slowly her eyes met Lucky's. What she saw there confirmed her suspicions. "How did you know?" she asked softly.
Lucky rubbed his hand across his eyes and sighed raggedly. "I saw you on the docks. The other night when you met the launch. I was right behind you.
Elizabeth's mind went back to that night, and she remembered the kiss Nikolas had given her, and how they had walked away holding hands, talking about their date. She felt mortified. What must have gone through Lucky's mind at the sight of them? "Oh, Lucky..... I'm so sorry..."
To Lucky's sensitized feelings, the apology sounded like an admission of guilt."You're sorry?" The thoughts that he had pushed away last night came back at him in a rush, and he felt the hurt and anger rise to the surface. "All I thought about for the last ten months was you. I wondered what you were doing all day long, and at night I pictured you lying in your pretty little bed in your room, and then I find out that now you're living in your own place, and you're dating my brother, MY BROTHER!" To Lucky's frustration, he heard the tears in his voice and felt them in his eyes. But the hurt feeling of betrayal was wrapping around him and squeezing him so that angry words were pouring out of his mouth and he couldn't stop them. "How long did you two wait before you got together? A month? Two? Do you dance together? Have you painted him? Did he just step in and TAKE MY PLACE? " He wiped the hot tears out of his eyes and then he saw Elizabeth. Her face was white and her lower was trembling. "Oh, damn." Filled with contrition for his outburst, he reached his hand out to her. "Elizabeth, I--"
"No Lucky," she said, pulling back. "Don't apologize. Every word you said was what you were feeling inside, and we...we always promised to be honest with each other, right? In fact, I deserved every word you just said...well, most of it anyway." She took a shuddering breath and wiped her eyes, even as more tears fell. For the record, I've never danced with Nikolas, and I've never painted him either. I went out with him, and we were sort of a couple, I guess. But, he didn't take you place, Lucky. After you were gone, I hurt so bad. Sometimes I wondered why I should even get up in the morning. What was the point? You were gone, and you took my heart with you. I sat in the church after your funeral and repeated the vows that we made there on Valentine's day. I still meant them, and I knew that I would never stop loving you, even if you weren't sharing this life with me. Nikolas was my friend. He listened to me talk about you, and he let me cry on his shoulder. About a month ago, we started dating. It just sort of happened naturally, and I felt safe with him, because he always would know that you were a big part of me. He never has demanded anything from me that he knows I can't give..."
"Elizabeth," Lucky broke in, in a tense voice. "Do you...are you in love with him?"
Now she smiled through her tears and took his face in his hands. "Lucky, haven't you been listening? Don't you remember? You have my heart. That's a permanent lock. How could I be in love with anyone else when everything I am is in love with you? A tear was sliding down his face and she wiped it away with her finger. No, I don't love Nikolas, Lucky. In fact, you probably aren't going to believe this but I was planning on breaking up with him, because I knew that I could never love him anymore than a friend. Not when my heart belongs to you so completely."
Lucky took a sobbing breath and pulled her to him. "Elizabeth, I'm so sorry." He said into her hair, then pulled back to look her in the eyes. " I know you said not to apologize, but some of the stuff I said was so hurtful, and I had some thoughts that I won't say out loud because they were really ugly. So I need to apologize to you. There's something else you should know too. While I was being held captive by Faison, and when I realized that I might never see you again. I imagined myself telling you to get on with your life, and to love someone else. It hurt so bad, but I didn't want you to wait for me forever when I might never come back. I wanted you to be happy. But I guess I forgot all about that when I saw you with Nikolas, and jealousy took over." He tilted her chin up and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I had no right to say the things I said or to think the things I thought. I love you so much, and I never want to hurt you again."
"I love you too Lucky," she whispered before his lips came down on hers. The rest of the world dropped away, so they didn't see Laura peek in to the living room and smile with relief.
"Well?" said Luke impatiently, trying to see over Laura's shoulder. "What's going on? Is Elizabeth gone yet?" He and Laura hadn't been able to help hearing the things that their son was shouting. They had exchanged worried glances and waited for the sound of a slap or a door slamming, but apparently Elizabeth was made of tougher stuff, and she'd stuck around. Luke was finally able to get a glimpse of the couple in the living room, and he chuckled. "Ain't love grand?"
Laura looked up and gave him a beautiful smile. "Yeah," she whispered, and realized when she said it that she wasn't just talking about Lucky and Liz, and with a jolt she realized that Stefan's face hadn't popped into her mind either. Instead, she was remembering all the fights that Luke and she had had over the years, and the making up that had followed. She looked into Luke's eyes and saw that he was remembering the same thing. Her heart started beating faster as she realized that his face was coming closer and closer to hers....but they were interrupted by the shrill ringing of the telephone on the wall. Laura backed up quickly, two spots of color on her cheeks, and fumbled for the phone. "Hello?....Oh, Stefan. Hi...." Then she saw that Luke had grabbed his jacket off the back of one of the chairs and was heading for the door. She put her hand over the receiver. "Luke, wait!"
He turned around and smiled sadly at her. "I gotta get to the club. I'll be back in a couple of hours." Then he was gone.
Laura returned to her phone call. "Yes, Stefan. I know, I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a couple of days. Things have been...well really amazing around here. I was planning to come talk to you this morning about what's been going on. Will you be home?......OK, I'll be there in an hour or so. 'Bye." As she hung up the phone Lucky and Liz entered the kitchen holding hands. She smiled at them both lovingly. "Are you two hungry? There's french toast on the stove, and I'll leave you to it. I have to go out for awhile."
"Yeah, starving," said Lucky, pulling out a chair for Elizabeth. "Are you taking Lulu with you?"
Laura laughed. "Lulu's been at school for an hour now! She's in kindergarten now, you know."
"Oh...wow." Lucky said. "I didn't even realize. I still think of her as a baby!"
"Don't let her here you say that," warned Laura. "She considers herself a young lady now." She hurried up the steps to get ready to go, leaving Lucky and Liz in the kitchen eating breakfast.
Lucky looked at his watch. "Mom called all the family and friends last night, and asked them to come here this afternoon, so we could tell everyone at once that I'm back. That way, I don't have to retell the story over and over. We have about 3 hours of peace and quiet before everyone gets here. You'll stay, won't you?"
"Just try to get rid of me," answered Elizabeth with a grin. "But do you think we can can call Emily first? She doesn't have school today because of teacher meetings."
"Yeah, definitely," Lucky answered. "I wanted to tell her personally anyway. Maybe you better call her, she probably wouldn't belive it was me on the phone."
Elizabeth dialed Emily's number and asked her to come to the Spencer house. After she hung up she told Lucky that Emily would be there in about an hour. "What are we going to do until then?" she asked him mischievously.
"Hmmm," he said, pulling her onto his lap. "I can think of one thing...." He pulled her lips down to his, and kissed her tenderly.