Please

"Aw, Katie." Jason was upset, but he hadn't wanted to make Katie cry. He couldn't stand it when he saw her tears. 

Shoving his plate aside, he reaches over to take her other hand holding them both together in his. Desperation shown in his eyes - desperation for her to understand and for him to understand. What had happened to them? How had it happened so quickly? 

"I'm not trying to tell you not to have a friend," he counters firmly, his hands gripping hers. "I get it that you need or want a friend - who doesn't? But I'm your boyfriend..." He stares her in the eye, trying with all his might to get his point across. "...And you're spending time alone with another man. Not only another man, but one you just met. If he were an old friend or somebody like Kyle or something, maybe I'd feel differently. But Katie..." 

He shakes his head, not even knowing what else he could say. "How would Wyatt feel if Aerith all of a sudden met another man and started spending time alone with him? Would you tell him just to chill and not feel bad? Or what if Nikki all of a sudden found another guy to hang out with? What would Pete think? There's not a man on earth who wouldn't feel as if he were losing his girl like I feel I'm losing you." 

There. He'd said it. But the hurt still lingered. Jason swallows hard, keeping his gaze on Katie's eyes. "I understand what you're saying about me and my friends - I guess I didn't even know you felt left out like that. But... but at least I've simply been spending time with a group of old friends... not having dinners and late-night time alone with another woman." His jaw tightens. "It just wouldn't be right, Katie. You have to see that." 

His eyes begged her. "Please... please, if you still care about us at all... stop spending time alone with Hunter. I'm not asking you to not be friends. I'm just asking that you don't go out alone with him. Please." 

Cindy nods at Trey, unsurprised by his response. "I understand. And Derek would too. In his defense though, he didn't even know I was pregnant. He dumped me, yes, but I never gave him the chance to turn away his unborn children. I was too afraid to tell him." 

She shrugs. "And... I guess... somehow after all these years, I've been able to forgive him for what he did - taking advantage of my love like he did. I've seen how he's changed. His daughter Liz, your half-sister, took to Jason pretty quick and I know when she was here recently she wanted to meet you, but it wasn't the right time." 

"Food!" Kaylee furrows her brow unhappily and bangs her hands on her highchair. 

Cindy smirks. "Now, Kaylee, you know better. You have to be patient." 

Kaylee shakes her head stubbornly and looks to Trey instead. "Food!" 

Cindy tries not to laugh. "And going to your brother instead will do you no good." 

Justin keeps his eyes on the pond and he swallows hard. Somewhere nice? It really was a date then. This Zach guy was a fast worker. Was he really to be trusted? Justin hoped so, for Beth's sake, but he couldn't go and hold her hand. 

"That sounds... fun." Wow yeah, what a great response. But what else was he supposed to say? He didn't like this. At all. He didn't like Zach and he didn't think Beth should go out with him. But he had no reason for either one of those things. No logical reason anyway. But was it logic or emotion that was causing the strange pang somewhere deep in his chest? 

Missing another fish, he growls. Reeling in his line, he opts to switch lures and focuses on cutting and retying. He felt badly though. He didn't like not supporting Beth like he usually did. 

"Ouch!" Sticking his bleeding finger in his mouth, he glares at the hook that had torn his skin. "Hey, Beth..." He sucks on his minor wound and checks it again to see that it wasn't going to stop bleeding very easily. "You got a bandaid?" 

"Mmm... that sounds good." Sparky brushes Faith's cheek with his hand. "And thanks. Dylan's had quite a day."

Nodding, he finally releases her so she can get back to her work. "What time should I tell him?"