Chapter 9
The next morning Theresa wakes to find that it wasn't a dream. She was lying next to Ethan Winthrop. He did tell her that he loved her. They did make love. This couldn't happen. She was leaving today, and she didn't need this. Not right now.
Theresa lifts herself from the bed and puts the dress on that she wore to the wedding.
Ethan wakes to the sound movement around him. He too, realizes that last night was not a dream. A smile breaks across his lips.
Ethan- "Theresa? Theresa, what are you doing?" He outstretches his arms towards her. Come back to bed."
Theresa- "I'm getting ready."
Ethan- "Ready? Ready for what?"
Theresa- "My flight leaves at three. I have so much to do. I have to pack, I have to go pick up Little Ethan."
Ethan- "Theresa? You can't be serious. After what happened last night, you are still planning on leaving?"
Theresa- "Ethan, I think that last night might have been a mistake."
Ethan- "A mistake?"
Theresa- "Yes, Ethan. You're married. I can't do this anymore. I don't know why I allowed what happened last night happen."
Ethan- "Theresa, what we shared last night was amazing. How could you think it a mistake?"
Theresa- "Ethan, I don't know what to think right now. What happened last night was… it was amazing. But I don't know if I can go on living like this."
Ethan- "Living like what?"
Theresa- "Living like a ping-pong ball. Going back and forth, back and forth between you. Ethan, I just want to be happy."
Ethan- "Don't I make you happy, Theresa?"
Theresa- "Ethan, I have been through so much. I don't want get hurt anymore. Ethan, I was planning on leaving, and that is what I am going to do."
Ethan- "But Theresa, you don't have to leave. You don't have to get away from me. We can finally be together now. Just cancel your flight and stay with me."
As much as Theresa wanted to take Ethan's advice, she had had enough. 'No more.' She thought to herself.
Theresa- "Ethan…I…" Theresa's eyes, unconsciously, started to tear. She turned away but not quick enough. Ethan saw the tears, just as Theresa felt them. It broke his heart to see her cry.
Ethan stands from the bed. He has nothing on, nor does he care. All he wants is to be close to Theresa.
Ethan-"I love you, Theresa. I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that don't you?"
Theresa- "Ethan, I know you don't want to hurt me, but you can't guarantee that it won't happen. I love you, Ethan, and that is what has hurt me so much. Sometimes I think that we aren't supposed to be together."
Ethan- "You don't mean that, Theresa. I know you don't. Fate brought us together. Fate wants us to be together."
Theresa- "Ethan, I am not a naïve little girl anymore. I'm not that headstrong seventeen-year-old girl. I grew up. I don't believe in Fate anymore."
Ethan- "I know you do."
Theresa- "No, Ethan, I don't. I gave up on Fate the day it gave up on me. I really believed that we were meant to be together. Then look what happened. I got pregnant with Julian's child, you got Gwen pregnant, everything was just working against us. I just thought that I would do us both a favor and leave. That way we don't have to be reminded of what we had… and what we lost."
Ethan- "We can never lose our love. I mean, Theresa, look around you. Look where it brought us after all of this time. I know you felt it last night too."
Theresa- "Felt what?"
Ethan- "This." Ethan walks over to Theresa. Before she has any idea what Ethan was about to do, he grabbed her face and kissed her, granting is own desire. Theresa didn't pull back, in her mind she knew she had to, but in her heart, she couldn't.
Ethan pulled back, his eyes closed, as were Theresa's.
Ethan- "Didn't you feel that? I know you did."
Theresa- "Ethan, don't do this. Please. I have been so ready to do this, and then… and then you show up here last night and you… I can't do this right now."
Ethan- "Theresa, you've changed. Before you never would have given up on us."
Theresa- "I didn't. I just can't do it anymore. I'm drained Ethan. I'm so sick of getting hurt."
Ethan- "Theresa, I will never hurt you again. We can be together. Nothing and no one will tear us apart ever again."
Theresa- "Ethan, do you remember those words? You said them the day of our wedding. That same night at the beach. Do you remember? And does it look like you were right?"
Ethan was speechless.
Theresa- "Ethan, don't you see? There is some force keeping us apart. And it's winning. We can't fight it. We just have to accept it and move on."
Ethan- "No, Theresa. We can't give up. We belong together."
Theresa reached out and placed her hand on Ethan's cheek. She could feel the slight stubble that hadn't been removed this morning. Theresa stared into those blue eyes that could make her do anything before.
Theresa- "I love you, Ethan… forever." Theresa brought her face to Ethan's. Their lips met. Gently at first and soon her heart took over her whole body. Her mouth collided with his and it was as if he were giving her oxygen. Suddenly, Theresa pulled away just as fast as she kissed him. Ethan looked at her with pain in his eyes. Theresa- "Goodbye."
Theresa turned, grabbed her purse and walked out of the hotel room door. Ethan was alone. He had lost Theresa all over again.
The next morning Theresa wakes to find that it wasn't a dream. She was lying next to Ethan Winthrop. He did tell her that he loved her. They did make love. This couldn't happen. She was leaving today, and she didn't need this. Not right now.
Theresa lifts herself from the bed and puts the dress on that she wore to the wedding.
Ethan wakes to the sound movement around him. He too, realizes that last night was not a dream. A smile breaks across his lips.
Ethan- "Theresa? Theresa, what are you doing?" He outstretches his arms towards her. Come back to bed."
Theresa- "I'm getting ready."
Ethan- "Ready? Ready for what?"
Theresa- "My flight leaves at three. I have so much to do. I have to pack, I have to go pick up Little Ethan."
Ethan- "Theresa? You can't be serious. After what happened last night, you are still planning on leaving?"
Theresa- "Ethan, I think that last night might have been a mistake."
Ethan- "A mistake?"
Theresa- "Yes, Ethan. You're married. I can't do this anymore. I don't know why I allowed what happened last night happen."
Ethan- "Theresa, what we shared last night was amazing. How could you think it a mistake?"
Theresa- "Ethan, I don't know what to think right now. What happened last night was… it was amazing. But I don't know if I can go on living like this."
Ethan- "Living like what?"
Theresa- "Living like a ping-pong ball. Going back and forth, back and forth between you. Ethan, I just want to be happy."
Ethan- "Don't I make you happy, Theresa?"
Theresa- "Ethan, I have been through so much. I don't want get hurt anymore. Ethan, I was planning on leaving, and that is what I am going to do."
Ethan- "But Theresa, you don't have to leave. You don't have to get away from me. We can finally be together now. Just cancel your flight and stay with me."
As much as Theresa wanted to take Ethan's advice, she had had enough. 'No more.' She thought to herself.
Theresa- "Ethan…I…" Theresa's eyes, unconsciously, started to tear. She turned away but not quick enough. Ethan saw the tears, just as Theresa felt them. It broke his heart to see her cry.
Ethan stands from the bed. He has nothing on, nor does he care. All he wants is to be close to Theresa.
Ethan-"I love you, Theresa. I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that don't you?"
Theresa- "Ethan, I know you don't want to hurt me, but you can't guarantee that it won't happen. I love you, Ethan, and that is what has hurt me so much. Sometimes I think that we aren't supposed to be together."
Ethan- "You don't mean that, Theresa. I know you don't. Fate brought us together. Fate wants us to be together."
Theresa- "Ethan, I am not a naïve little girl anymore. I'm not that headstrong seventeen-year-old girl. I grew up. I don't believe in Fate anymore."
Ethan- "I know you do."
Theresa- "No, Ethan, I don't. I gave up on Fate the day it gave up on me. I really believed that we were meant to be together. Then look what happened. I got pregnant with Julian's child, you got Gwen pregnant, everything was just working against us. I just thought that I would do us both a favor and leave. That way we don't have to be reminded of what we had… and what we lost."
Ethan- "We can never lose our love. I mean, Theresa, look around you. Look where it brought us after all of this time. I know you felt it last night too."
Theresa- "Felt what?"
Ethan- "This." Ethan walks over to Theresa. Before she has any idea what Ethan was about to do, he grabbed her face and kissed her, granting is own desire. Theresa didn't pull back, in her mind she knew she had to, but in her heart, she couldn't.
Ethan pulled back, his eyes closed, as were Theresa's.
Ethan- "Didn't you feel that? I know you did."
Theresa- "Ethan, don't do this. Please. I have been so ready to do this, and then… and then you show up here last night and you… I can't do this right now."
Ethan- "Theresa, you've changed. Before you never would have given up on us."
Theresa- "I didn't. I just can't do it anymore. I'm drained Ethan. I'm so sick of getting hurt."
Ethan- "Theresa, I will never hurt you again. We can be together. Nothing and no one will tear us apart ever again."
Theresa- "Ethan, do you remember those words? You said them the day of our wedding. That same night at the beach. Do you remember? And does it look like you were right?"
Ethan was speechless.
Theresa- "Ethan, don't you see? There is some force keeping us apart. And it's winning. We can't fight it. We just have to accept it and move on."
Ethan- "No, Theresa. We can't give up. We belong together."
Theresa reached out and placed her hand on Ethan's cheek. She could feel the slight stubble that hadn't been removed this morning. Theresa stared into those blue eyes that could make her do anything before.
Theresa- "I love you, Ethan… forever." Theresa brought her face to Ethan's. Their lips met. Gently at first and soon her heart took over her whole body. Her mouth collided with his and it was as if he were giving her oxygen. Suddenly, Theresa pulled away just as fast as she kissed him. Ethan looked at her with pain in his eyes. Theresa- "Goodbye."
Theresa turned, grabbed her purse and walked out of the hotel room door. Ethan was alone. He had lost Theresa all over again.