When she got there, Pilar greeted her and told her Ivy wasn't back yet but she could go look through the faxes for any instructions. After that Pilar left to go to the Early Morning Church Services. Theresa went upstairs and to her desk. Ivy hadn't left her anything. She was about to go back downstairs when she saw Ethan's door opened. She looked in and saw him sleeping. He looked so beautiful. Like a sleeping angel.
"Oh, Ethan." she said sitting down beside him. She instinctively ran her fingers through his hair. " Did you know when I was really little I thought you were probably lonely in this house and away at school. Mama told me stories about you. I just wanted to be your friend." Theresa stopped deciding whether or not she should go on even though he was sleeping, she had the perfect opportunity to unburden her heart. "After a few years it developed into a crush. I thought it would go away but it didn't. When I saw you I got so nervous and that's how the accidents started. At the Ballet I tried to tell you but you didn't hear me. I swear I didn't try to break you and Gwen up. I never had a boyfriend though. It was always you." She was crying now. "Chuck was just Whitney's friend, I'm sorry I lied. Remember New Years? I thought it was my fault that man died because I asked Fate to help me not to have to produce a boyfriend. Then there was the ring, I lied to you. It came off before you called that night when Miguel almost drowned. But I said it didn't, I'm so sorry." She was crying heavily now. "I just hoped you would realize it was me that you loved. That day I couldn't bear to see you in pain so I gave it back, it was the right thing to do but it felt like someone had crushed me. I don't want to be without you, Ethan. Yesterday made me realize that I can't stop loving you because I love you with all my heart and more. Please love me too." She was crying so hard she couldn't see and it was getting hard to breathe. She felt strong arms wrap around her. She laid her head on Ethan's bare chest and cried even harder.
Ethan had tears in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her shaking form. He could feel her hot tears running down his chest like a river. "Shhhh, its okay Theresa, don't worry. He ran his fingers through her hair comforting her.
"I'm sorry. So sorry." She sobbed.
After awhile she started to calm down.
"Theresa, I heard what you said, all of it. Come on, it's going to be okay." He said soothingly. "Just calm down and take a deep breath. We'll talk about this later."
Theresa couldn't help it, she felt so warm and safe. All of a sudden it seemed as if her energy had been sucked from her. Her eyes drooped as tiredness over took her. She fell asleep in his arms. Ethan sat there holding her. She was so special. He had wanted her to tell him how she felt but he didn't know it was going to be this hard on her. He just sat there holding her until he too fell asleep.
Ethan woke up sometime later. Theresa was still asleep. He looked down at her sleeping face. She had tear stains running down her face. He slowly laid her down on his bed and got up. He went to the bathroom and got a warm washcloth. He went back into his room and gently sat beside her. He gently wiped her tears away. He then went downstairs. He had so many things to think about, Gwen and Theresa. So he sat down to think.
Theresa woke up, and she was laying in Ethan's bed. She remembered earlier that morning when she had come and sat by Ethan-She had told him everything. She had been devastated and she had felt a terrible loneliness and then she had cried. She remembered she had been about to leave when Ethan grabbed her and held her and comforted her. Fear gripped her heart. He said he had heard everything she had said. Everything. He must hate her. She got up and tiptoed down the stairs.
Ethan was dosing off when he heard footsteps on the stairway. He looked over and his eyes focused on Theresa. "Theresa! Wait!" he said getting up and walking towards her.
Theresa froze in fear. "Ethan." She whispered. "I-I really have to leave" she said walking hurriedly down the stairs. "I'll tell Mrs. Crane that I'm quitting as soon as she gets back." Said Theresa vowing not to cry.
"Theresa, please, come talk to me." He said as he led her to the couch and she sat down. "I don't want you to quit and I'd be extremely upset if you did. I'm glad you told me how you really felt. I'm flattered. Actually that's not the word, I'm touched that you love and care so deeply for me. You don't know how much that means to me, Theresa. Thank you so very much but…but I-I made a commitment to Gwen. I have to keep it." He didn't want to tell her that but what else could he do? He was engaged. Ethan could see tears glistening in her beautiful eyes.
Theresa felt crushed, she hadn't expected Ethan to say he loved her back or wanted to be with her but hearing it aloud and from him is what caused the pain. "I have to go-" her voice broke as she held back a sob. She ran away, away from him, her feelings and her broken heart.
Ethan wanted to go after her but he had made her feel bad enough already. If he did the right thing by sticking with Gwen why did it feel like someone had punched him in the gut. He went over to the couch, sat down and put his head in his hands.
Twenty minutes later Ivy Crane walked in. "Oh, Ethan. I'm so glad to see you." Said Ivy hugging him." Ethan saw an upset look on her face. "Mother? What's wrong?" he asked. "Oh, I saw that Bastard Julian with another woman again." She said with venom in her voice. "Ethan, we need to talk." She said sighing. "Sit down." She took Ethan's hand and held it in her own. "I don't want you to compare yourself to Julian so I have to tell you something. Ethan, I want you to know that I love you and I pray you'll forgive me." Said Ivy.
"Mother, what are you talking about"? Asked Ethan confused and a bit scared.
"Once long ago I was in a warm loving relationship with a good man. I had a lot of pressure from my parents and the Cranes. They wanted me to leave him and marry Julian. They manipulated me into thinking that the man I loved didn't love me anymore so I chose to marry Julian. That was the biggest mistake of my life. On my wedding night I overheard Julian tell Alistair that of course he didn't love me. It was all business. I had given up everything for a loveless marriage. I have regretted that decision all of my life. When I heard that I left and went back to the man who loved me. That's when you were conceived. Your father was and is a good man. Please understand, Ethan. I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry please forgive me." Said Ivy.
Ethan was in shock, this was so out of the blue. After a moment, sitting there trying to process it all. He slowly got up and walked upstairs. He needed to talk to Gwen, he needed her comfort. So he called her.
"Hello, Gwen Hotchkiss.
"Hi, Gwen." He said.
"Ethan, is there something wrong? You sound upset."
"Gwen, I have something to tell you."
"What is it sweet heart?"
"I'm not a Crane." He said waiting for her reaction.
"You're not?!" screamed Gwen into the phone.
"No, someone else is my father."
"Look Ethan, I have to go."
"Gwen wait-" but she had already hung up the phone.
The time Ethan had needed Gwen most she had hung up on him. "If only Theresa were here-" he got those thoughts out of his head. He was still engaged, at least he thought he still was. He decided to take a walk to clear his mind.
"Oh, Ethan." she said sitting down beside him. She instinctively ran her fingers through his hair. " Did you know when I was really little I thought you were probably lonely in this house and away at school. Mama told me stories about you. I just wanted to be your friend." Theresa stopped deciding whether or not she should go on even though he was sleeping, she had the perfect opportunity to unburden her heart. "After a few years it developed into a crush. I thought it would go away but it didn't. When I saw you I got so nervous and that's how the accidents started. At the Ballet I tried to tell you but you didn't hear me. I swear I didn't try to break you and Gwen up. I never had a boyfriend though. It was always you." She was crying now. "Chuck was just Whitney's friend, I'm sorry I lied. Remember New Years? I thought it was my fault that man died because I asked Fate to help me not to have to produce a boyfriend. Then there was the ring, I lied to you. It came off before you called that night when Miguel almost drowned. But I said it didn't, I'm so sorry." She was crying heavily now. "I just hoped you would realize it was me that you loved. That day I couldn't bear to see you in pain so I gave it back, it was the right thing to do but it felt like someone had crushed me. I don't want to be without you, Ethan. Yesterday made me realize that I can't stop loving you because I love you with all my heart and more. Please love me too." She was crying so hard she couldn't see and it was getting hard to breathe. She felt strong arms wrap around her. She laid her head on Ethan's bare chest and cried even harder.
Ethan had tears in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her shaking form. He could feel her hot tears running down his chest like a river. "Shhhh, its okay Theresa, don't worry. He ran his fingers through her hair comforting her.
"I'm sorry. So sorry." She sobbed.
After awhile she started to calm down.
"Theresa, I heard what you said, all of it. Come on, it's going to be okay." He said soothingly. "Just calm down and take a deep breath. We'll talk about this later."
Theresa couldn't help it, she felt so warm and safe. All of a sudden it seemed as if her energy had been sucked from her. Her eyes drooped as tiredness over took her. She fell asleep in his arms. Ethan sat there holding her. She was so special. He had wanted her to tell him how she felt but he didn't know it was going to be this hard on her. He just sat there holding her until he too fell asleep.
Ethan woke up sometime later. Theresa was still asleep. He looked down at her sleeping face. She had tear stains running down her face. He slowly laid her down on his bed and got up. He went to the bathroom and got a warm washcloth. He went back into his room and gently sat beside her. He gently wiped her tears away. He then went downstairs. He had so many things to think about, Gwen and Theresa. So he sat down to think.
Theresa woke up, and she was laying in Ethan's bed. She remembered earlier that morning when she had come and sat by Ethan-She had told him everything. She had been devastated and she had felt a terrible loneliness and then she had cried. She remembered she had been about to leave when Ethan grabbed her and held her and comforted her. Fear gripped her heart. He said he had heard everything she had said. Everything. He must hate her. She got up and tiptoed down the stairs.
Ethan was dosing off when he heard footsteps on the stairway. He looked over and his eyes focused on Theresa. "Theresa! Wait!" he said getting up and walking towards her.
Theresa froze in fear. "Ethan." She whispered. "I-I really have to leave" she said walking hurriedly down the stairs. "I'll tell Mrs. Crane that I'm quitting as soon as she gets back." Said Theresa vowing not to cry.
"Theresa, please, come talk to me." He said as he led her to the couch and she sat down. "I don't want you to quit and I'd be extremely upset if you did. I'm glad you told me how you really felt. I'm flattered. Actually that's not the word, I'm touched that you love and care so deeply for me. You don't know how much that means to me, Theresa. Thank you so very much but…but I-I made a commitment to Gwen. I have to keep it." He didn't want to tell her that but what else could he do? He was engaged. Ethan could see tears glistening in her beautiful eyes.
Theresa felt crushed, she hadn't expected Ethan to say he loved her back or wanted to be with her but hearing it aloud and from him is what caused the pain. "I have to go-" her voice broke as she held back a sob. She ran away, away from him, her feelings and her broken heart.
Ethan wanted to go after her but he had made her feel bad enough already. If he did the right thing by sticking with Gwen why did it feel like someone had punched him in the gut. He went over to the couch, sat down and put his head in his hands.
Twenty minutes later Ivy Crane walked in. "Oh, Ethan. I'm so glad to see you." Said Ivy hugging him." Ethan saw an upset look on her face. "Mother? What's wrong?" he asked. "Oh, I saw that Bastard Julian with another woman again." She said with venom in her voice. "Ethan, we need to talk." She said sighing. "Sit down." She took Ethan's hand and held it in her own. "I don't want you to compare yourself to Julian so I have to tell you something. Ethan, I want you to know that I love you and I pray you'll forgive me." Said Ivy.
"Mother, what are you talking about"? Asked Ethan confused and a bit scared.
"Once long ago I was in a warm loving relationship with a good man. I had a lot of pressure from my parents and the Cranes. They wanted me to leave him and marry Julian. They manipulated me into thinking that the man I loved didn't love me anymore so I chose to marry Julian. That was the biggest mistake of my life. On my wedding night I overheard Julian tell Alistair that of course he didn't love me. It was all business. I had given up everything for a loveless marriage. I have regretted that decision all of my life. When I heard that I left and went back to the man who loved me. That's when you were conceived. Your father was and is a good man. Please understand, Ethan. I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry please forgive me." Said Ivy.
Ethan was in shock, this was so out of the blue. After a moment, sitting there trying to process it all. He slowly got up and walked upstairs. He needed to talk to Gwen, he needed her comfort. So he called her.
"Hello, Gwen Hotchkiss.
"Hi, Gwen." He said.
"Ethan, is there something wrong? You sound upset."
"Gwen, I have something to tell you."
"What is it sweet heart?"
"I'm not a Crane." He said waiting for her reaction.
"You're not?!" screamed Gwen into the phone.
"No, someone else is my father."
"Look Ethan, I have to go."
"Gwen wait-" but she had already hung up the phone.
The time Ethan had needed Gwen most she had hung up on him. "If only Theresa were here-" he got those thoughts out of his head. He was still engaged, at least he thought he still was. He decided to take a walk to clear his mind.
