Chapter 54.5

Footsteps interrupted the three and Jason turned to see Ken heading for the door with Alina right behind him. Ken put his shoes on and turned to say goodbye to Alina but saw Jason looking at him from behind her with crossed arms. Gulping, he decided to just wave and leave quietly which resulted in Alina rolling her eyes, knowing full well what was happening behind her.

"There. He left. Happy now?" Alina asked with annoyance as she refused to turn around and face him.

"Ecstatic," Jason replied in a jovially sarcastic manner as Alina rolled her eyes once more with a sigh before turning to gaze at him. Her eyes wandered past his figure and in the direction of the living room.

"So," Alina noticed that Elizabeth was still in the living room and grinned at Jason. "Was she the one you were talking about? The one you wanted to introduce me to without being sabotaged?"

"I - yeah," Jason admitted while running a hand through his hair. He wanted - needed - Alina to understand Elizabeth, so he began explaining to her, "She taught - if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be who I am today. I'd have been much worse."

"I figured she raised you," Alina raised an eyebrow as she spoke slowly. "But I'm surprised that you were in a relationship when you were that young. And I'm even more surprised that she was with you too."

It surprised Alina that someone like Elizabeth would like Jason: Alina could see that Elizabeth was a strong and independent woman, someone who would abhor a secretive man.

"Lizzy . . . doesn't like men," Jason explained. "She got hurt more than once and we - she never planned to - but -"

"I get it. Relax, I'm not judging or condemning her," Alina nodded and soothed Jason who was nervous. "Gotta say though, you getting a manhater to fall for you . . . tsk tsk. No wonder Katelyn fell for you."

Katelyn's name caused Jason's face to fall and he looked down at the floor. Once more, he thought of telling Alina the truth, but he couldn't open his mouth. And when he finally did, he found his voice stuck in his throat.

"Anyways," Alina failed to notice Jason's strange behavior and continued chatting with a serious face. "I saw Alice upstairs. What happened to her?"

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"Jason, did you see her? Her hands are shaking and there's this dead look in her eyes."

"I -" Jason's voice broke as he tried explaining things to Alina. "There was an attack on the orphanage. The target was Maple, the girl with Alice."

"Maple? That's the friend with her, right?" Alina frowned while crossing her arms. "Why target her?"

"Cause she knows who her previous abductors worked for. So they sent a Phantom to deal with her."

"A Phantom?!" Alina was shocked that a Phantom, a being like Jason, would appear to deal with Maple. But then she realized the underlying issue and grimaced. "So it was someone with enough clout to hire a Phantom. Shit."

Jason nodded and sighed, his eyes drawing away from Alina and looking in the far distance with shame. "I was an idiot. Melanie was there and I thought she could defend -"

"Melanie? Oh?" Alina narrowed her eyes before sighing and saying pleadingly, "Please tell me you're not considering banging her."

"I-I haven't done anything yet," Jason protested his innocence and Alina rolled her eyes.

"Oh, wow. I love the fact that you said 'yet'. Hah, I hope you know what you're getting into," Alina said with another sigh. "She's acting but I can tell that she's unbalanced. And, uh, loving a - cuckoo -" Alina swirled her finger at the side of her head, using the universal gesture to emphasize her point. "Who also happens to stalk you - yes, I've noticed for a while now -"

"Alina . . . " Jason cut in exasperatedly.

"Is a sure fire way to end up in a loco relationship that's incredibly unhealthy for both of you," Alina continued relentlessly. Yet, upon seeing the aggrieved look on Jason's face, she sighed and raised her hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright, I won't get into your messed up love life, ok?" Alina said. "So Melanie was there, but where were you?"

". . . I went to meet Elizabeth," Jason admitted shamefully, his voice clogged with many emotions.

"Ah," Alina now realized why Jason and Alice were both unhappy. Jason was fretting over his decision and Alice was upset and traumatized at him for leaving her for Elizabeth, for another woman. "I know it sounds like an excuse, but you couldn't have known what would happen. Also, you did have another Phantom there helping you."

"And yet it didn't help Alice," Jason replied bitterly and Alina narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Alina asked, a foreboding sensation lingering on her spine.

"She - while they were escaping, Alice was thrown out of the windshield of a speeding bus."

"Jesus," Alina gasped before swearing. "Is she alright? Did you take her to the hospital? Are there any wounds?"

"No, none," Jason answered. "She was healing herself . . . with my abilities. She has the same Esper power, Alle. She can manipulate energy, to a certain degree."

Alina narrowed her eyes, her mind thinking about the situation quickly. She can heal but the pain she experienced isn't something normal. It makes sense why she's so shaken. But her ability . . . people from everywhere are gonna want her.

"We can't let anyone know about this," Alina concluded with crossed arms. "If they know she has some form of Energy Manipulation, they'll try to capture her. Either to make her a source of energy, or to simply experiment on her or worse, use her as leverage against you."

"I concur," Jason agreed with a nod. "Thankfully, Emily was there. We could use the excuse of her healing Alice to cover it up."

"Good idea - wait. Emily?" Alina nodded before backtracking. "Emily was there too?"

Jason noticed Alina's strange gaze and coughed before looking away. "Uh . . . yeah. The three of us were at the orphanage volunteering."

"Huh," Alina's eyes turned to the living room before moving back to Jason. "So, Emily. Melanie. Aanndd Elizabeth . . . wow. Tsk tsk, I had no idea you were so ambitious, bro."

"I didn't -"

"Ah, nope, nope. You don't have to explain yourself," Alina cut through, her eyes stared at Jason as though he were trash. "A harem is every man's dream after all. Just wanna see how long it goes before you crash and burn."

Jason remained silent, unable to say anything when Elizabeth joined them.

"It's getting late, baby boy," Elizabeth said and Jason nodded. "I need to get back. It was nice meeting you, Alina."

"Yeah you too, Elizabeth," Alina replied as they shook hands.

"Please, call me Lizzy or Freya," Elizabeth said. "Elizabeth is my stage name."

After saying goodbye to Alina, Elizabeth exited the mansion, Jason turned to Alina. 

"Do me a favor and watch over Alice and Maple?" Jason asked her.

"Wait, are you leaving?" Alina furrowed her eyebrows as she spoke, a frown forming on her face as she disapproved of Jason's actions. "Jason, of course I'll watch over them, but Alice needs you now more than ever. You can't just leave her behind again. And for Elizabeth again."

"I promised to drop her off and there's no way I can just leave her with a cab. She's blind," Jason explained. "I'll only be gone for ten minutes, ten minutes top. Just back and forth to the hotel, promise."

"Alright, fine," Alina sighed as she resigned herself. "But I'm not explaining to Alice why you're out there and not here with her."