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***Three Days Later***

Elisabeth rolled over on her bed, and sighed forlornly. She had been holed up in her bedroom as much as she possibly could have been in the last three days. Her mother had begged her to come and spend some family time with them; anything to get her out of her bedroom. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was almost 3 in he afternoon and she was still in her pajamas. It was a beautiful day; it had been beautiful all week, but she didn’t feel like going anywhere. She looked up when she heard her door open.

“Mommy?” Jacob poked his head around the door, looking very upset. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sweetie. Come here,” she motioned to her son, forcing a smile and opening her arms out for him. When he clumsily climbed onto the bed, Elisabeth wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back. “Are you okay?”

“I miss you, Mommy,” his eyes were wide and his soft voice broke her heart.

“Aww…baby, you know I’m right here,” she felt guilty for neglecting her children. “I just haven’t been feeling good lately and I didn’t want to make you sick, too.”

Jacob nodded and hugged his mother tighter. “I love you, Mommy.”

Elisabeth smiled and returned his embrace. “I love you too, baby.”

***

Kaitlyn walked down the sidewalk on Main Street on her way to the beach. She was alone for the first time since they had been in North Carolina and she was loving it. She hated how her mother always said she had to have someone with her. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Elisabeth. She’s probably still sulking in her room. God, I hate her… Looking to the other side of the street, she saw Nick come out of the tiny hardware shop his grandfather owned. This is my chance, Kaitlyn thought with a sneer as she quickly crossed the street.

“Hey, Nick!” she called and watched him turn around with a questioning look on his face.

“Yeah?” he asked uncertainly. “What’s up?”

She rolled her eyes at the t-shirt he was wearing. Role model…whatever… “You’re the guy that’s been screwin’ around with my mom, aren’t you?”

Her abrupt question caught him off guard and caused a few passers by to look their way. “Wh-what?”

“You heard me, you dick,” she made no attempt at lowering her voice.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nick smirked and started to walk away, hoping she would just leave him alone. He had to wonder if Elisabeth knew where her daughter was.

Kaitlyn glared at him and began to follow. “You kept my mom out all night and did God knows what with her. Did you realize she’s married? Or do you just not care?”

Nick could feel his cheeks beginning to burn with embarrassment. Lowering his voice, he got closer to the teenager. “Look, I know you hate me, but don’t go around spreading news that you have no proof of, okay? You’re gonna get yourself in trouble.”

“Oh, like I’m scared of you,” she scoffed and rolled her big brown eyes. “All I know is that when my Dad gets down here, he’s gonna kick your ass.”

Nick rolled his eyes in return. “That’s nice to hear,” he said and climbed into David’s beat up old Chevy truck.

“He will!” Kaitlyn yelled once more before he drove away. Turning around, she smiled to herself in satisfaction.

***

Elisabeth sat in the living room reading the paper when her mother walked into the room. She could feel her mother’s eyes boring into her from the chair across the room. She ignored it as long as she could, but finally had to put the paper down and look at Abigail. “What?”

“Elisabeth…can we talk?” Abigail sounded uncomfortable.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Mom,” she replied flatly, picking the newspaper back up.

“I think there is, Elisabeth. You are acting very strange and I’m worried about you.”

Before Elisabeth had a chance to say anything, the doorbell rang. She quickly stood up. “I’ll see who that is.”

Opening the large door, she came face-to-face with Greta. “What are you doing here?”

“Get dressed,” Greta said as she pushed her way into the house. Looking Elisabeth up and down, she shook her head. “You can’t go out lookin’ like that.”

“Go out?” she looked at Greta skeptically. “Whoa...no, we’re not going out tonight. You must have forgotten to call me, but I knew nothing about this.”

“Nope. I’m well aware that I didn’t call you; didn’t intend on calling, now, get your butt upstairs and get ready. We are going out,” she said in a bossy tone as she pushed Elisabeth to the stairs. “C’mon, we don’t have all night.”

“Greta, no…” she protested, but it was no use. Greta Henderson was not taking “no” for an answer.

Half an hour later, Greta was pulling Elisabeth, who was now dressed in a pair of curve-hugging black pants and a midriff bearing, red halter top, back down the stairs. “Let’s get this show on the road,” she said and sent a toothy grin in Abigail’s direction.

“Elisabeth, you’re not going out like that, are you?” she sounded appalled.

“She has no choice,” Greta smiled again before shoving Elisabeth out the door. “We’re gonna tear this little beach town apart.”

***

“Why did you make me wear this?” Elisabeth asked as Greta led the way into Hurricane, the local club. The only club or bar located in Sunset Beach.

“Because, you are too hot not to show yourself off. And trust me, you will be available soon; I just know it!”

Elisabeth rolled her eyes, feeling extremely self-conscious. She could feel people staring at her and she couldn’t help but try and hide her body from their watchful eyes. “I wish you would have let me wear what I picked out,” she whispered to Greta as they neared the crowed bar.

Immediately the bartender was eyeing the two women with a smile on his face. “What can I get you ladies, tonight?”

“Oh, I’ll have a Back Street Banger,” Greta smiled and looked at Elisabeth. “What do you want?”

“Nothing strong, please.”

“My friend will have an Alabama Slammer.”

(AN: Yes, I know what you’re probably thinking…but a Back Street Banger is a real alcoholic beverage and yes, that is a pun. I did my research. =D)

“Greta, I said nothing strong,” Elisabeth cried when the bartender handed them their drinks and winked at her. “What are you trying to do?”

“I’m only trying to get you to lighten up,” Greta smiled. “Let’s have some fun.”

***An Hour Later***

Greta looked around Hurricane for her friend, but didn’t see her anywhere. They had both been drinking, but once Elisabeth got started, she hadn’t stopped. And she certainly had not paced herself at all.

“Liz?” she called and looked around the crowded bar. When she heard some music start up and a group of men hooting and hollering, she knew what was going on. Making her way over to the crowd gathered at the bar, she was shocked to find Elisabeth dancing—on top of the bar. “Elisabeth! Get down!”

Elisabeth only smiled and shook her head “no” as she kept dancing, eagerly taking the $20 that was being handed to her by a heavy set, bald man in his late 50’s. “I’m having so much fun,” she slurred and shimmied to the end of the bar.

Greta watched in horror and disbelief as Elisabeth Walker continued her provocative dance atop the bar; the men were looking up at her, egging her on.

Elisabeth only smiled drunkenly, loving the attention she was getting.

***

“Man, chill out and have fun,” Chase told Nick as he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend’s waist.

“We are going to have fun,” Joylyn smiled at Nick.

“Yeah, right. Coming to Hurricane isn’t my idea of fun,” Nick protested as they entered the smoky bar. The lights were dimmed and slow, sultry music drifted into his ears. “Damn,” he laughed as he watched a woman dancing atop the bar. “When did they start having entertainment?”

Chase laughed and shrugged. “Who knows? Didn’t I tell you this would be fun?”

Nick chuckled and headed toward the bar to get a better look at the woman with the sexy moves. “Oh my God…”

“What’s the matter man?” a guy standing next to him asked. Taking a sip of his beer be smiled, “Damn, she is hot.”

Nick looked disgustedly at the man and pushed past him, trying to get near Elisabeth. When he was close enough for her to hear him, he called her name. “Elisabeth!”

Hearing her name called, Elisabeth stopped and looked around, beads of perspiration on her shoulders. “What do you want?” she slurred.

“Lizzie, I think you should get down. We need to talk about the other night.”

“Look,” she threw her hands on her hips and nearly tumbled off the bar. Barely catching her balance, she giggled and then gave Nick a serious look, “I ’ave nothin’ to say to yooouuu.”

“I just want to explain about the other night.”

“Lucy…you ’ave a lot of splaining to do,” she did a terrible impersonation of Ricky Ricardo before bursting into another fit of giggles. “Why don’t yoouu jus’ go back to that lil girlfriend of yours? Hmmm?”

“Lizzie, please? You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re drunk! Come on, get down,” he offered his hand up to her as she began to sway her hips once again.

“I said no! Now, take your lyin’ ass back to that lil girlfriend of yours!” she shouted and flipped her hair back, causing the men to go wild again.

“Damn it Elisabeth, come down here and talk to me.”

“Nick…you can’t fuck us both,” her voice was loud. “So, go back to her…I’m not getting in the middle of that.”

Taking a deep breath, Nick tried to calm himself down. “Well, what am I supposed to do when she might be carrying my child? Tell her to get the hell out of my life?” Looking around, he saw that every eye in the place was focused on them. Oh, shit. Shit shit shit!

Elisabeth seemed to sober up rather quickly when his last statement sunk in. “Let me down,” she said quietly to a man standing in front of her.

“What? You’re stopping?” someone shouted from the back.

Elisabeth only shot him the bird and rushed outside into the cool night air. “I think I’m gonna be sick…”

Nick came out right behind her just in time to see her, losing all the drinks she’d had before he got there. Rushing over to her, Nick pulled her hair out of the way and waited until she was okay.

Standing up straight, Elisabeth leaned back against the brick wall, eyes closed and a hand on her stomach. “Oh God…”

“Lizzie…I…look…”

Holding up her hand she shook her head and kept her eyes closed. “Save it, Nick. I don’t want to hear it, okay?”

“No, why won’t you listen to me?”

“Why won’t I listen to you? For starters, you haven’t totally been honest with me…and I’m sick of being lied to by men. You’ve been sleeping with someone else and with me. I’m not ever going to be the other woman.”

“Oh, but it’s okay for me to be the other man?” Nick questioned.

Elisabeth looked at the ground. “That’s different.”

“How? How is that any different from you being the mistress? It’s no different, Lizzie! I’m the other man…but if it’s even suggested that you’re the other woman you get selfish and want out. Is that how it works?”

“No,” she said softly.

“This is another other side of you, Lizzie. I know what you saw the other night looked really bad, but what was I supposed to do? Yeah, I slept with Dee-Dee, but that was before I was with you. She was nothing more to me than a friend that I occasionally shared a bed with. But with you, it’s different. I love you. More than you could ever know. I know it hasn’t been very long, and that’s what scares the hell out of me, but you have to believe me.”

“I want to, Nick. I really do, but-”

“No buts, Lizzie. Please? I can assure you…if Dee-Dee is pregnant and it is my baby, that will not change the way I feel about you. Nothing could ever change that,” he said in a desperate voice as he pulled her close to him. “I will be here to help Dee-Dee because if that baby is mine, I want it to know me. I don’t want it to wonder who it’s father is it’s whole life like I did. But I swear to you, this is yours,” he said and placed his hand over his heart. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Taking in his words, Elisabeth knew he was being sincere. He admitted he had made a mistake and he was willing to take care of his responsibilities. “I love you, too,” she said in a tear laden voice as she let him envelop her in a loving embrace. “Just please, don’t make me regret this.”

“Never,” he smoothed down her dark hair and placed a kiss on top of her head.