CHAPTER 8
Accident
"I'm going out for a drive, want to join me?"
"Not today, Fox. I promised mama that I would have dinner with the family."
"That's too bad. Does that mean that I'll be having dinner without you tonight?"
"But you'll still have Julian, Ivy, Rebecca, Ethan and Gwen."
"I think I'll stop for pizza somewhere."
"Why don't you join me at mama's. You can have dinner with the Lopez- Fitzgerald clan."
"No, another time. But thanks."
As soon as he said that, he wished he could have said yes.
"Then I'll see you later."
He walked out of the room and she called him back.
"Fox, wait just a second."
"Yes, what is it?"
She walked up to him and kissed him gently on the cheek. He looked at he startled.
"What was that for?"
"I don't know. I just felt like it, I guess."
He leaned in and kissed her just as she had done. She looked at him.
"What was that for?"
"I don't know. I guess I felt like it."
They both laughed. He took her in his arms and hugged her. She put her arms around him. Her scent was intoxicating.
"What's going on here?"
"Nothing brother. I was just leaving."
He exited the room, leaving Ethan behind with Teresa. He wanted to stay, but he preferred that Teresa took care of it. He would know if she was truly over Ethan.
"What is it Ethan?"
"I was just coming by to say hi. I haven't seen you in days."
"Well, you know me. I've been here and there."
"Are you avoiding me?"
"No, of course not. I'm just over what I used to do. Pretending to bump into you when I knew where you would be."
"Oh, I see."
"I'm letting go. I've let you go."
"And Fox is your solution?"
"He is a really good friend. I won't deny that I don't feel something for him, because I do."
"Teresa, stay clear of him. He is bad news."
"No he isn't. He is a really nice guy. Maybe you should spend some time with him. You'll see."
"My brother and I hate each other."
"You don't mean that."
"But yes, I do."
She looked at him in disbelief.
"Then you're not the man I thought you were. How can you say such a thing?"
"But it's the truth."
"Is that why you don't want me anywhere near him?"
He looked at her. He had never seen her look at him that way, with contempt.
"Yes, it is. And I don't think he's good enough for you."
"Who are you to say something like that?"
"Someone who cares about you."
"More like someone who doesn't want me to move on. If you'll excuse me, my family is expecting me."
*************************
He was driving into the night, lost in his thoughts. She is really over Ethan. He knew that she had loved to the point where she was willing to sacrifice her life twice for him. She told him that she wasn't a foolish girl anymore and he had laughed. He remember her getting upset and saying that she had buried the past the day Ethan married Gwen. He didn't want to believe her, he thought it was impossible. But after the conversation he had heard a few hours ago, he didn't doubt her anymore.
"Did she really say that she had feelings for me?"
No, no one really cared about Fox. Those who cared about him cared because of his last name. How many women had come to him because his last name was Crane. He didn't have enough fingers and toes to count them. But Teresa, she was different. She didn't care about any of that. When she loved, she loved with her whole heart. He wished her feelings for him would develop into something more. Is that even possible?
He thought about what his grandfather wanted him to do.
"I will do this only because I want to, not because he wants me to. And he will not know about it. I won't let him ruin this for me. He can't ruin this for me."
He heard an explosion. It was his tire. He lost control of the car.
*************************
"How are things at the mansion, sis?"
"Everything is the same. Ivy and Rebecca are their usual menopausal selves. Julian is still a drunk. Ethan doesn't want me to hang out with Fox."
"I agree with him mija."
"But mama, he is a really nice person."
They all sat around the table.
"You forget that I helped raise Fox."
"I didn't know that."
"Him, Ethan and their sisters. I was always around them and out of all of them he is the one who gave me the hardest time."
"You can't judge him too harshly. How old was he when Julian and Ivy sent him to boarding school? 10 years old at the most?"
"Yes. He didn't shed a tear, you know. I know that he has been hurt by his parents, but it's no reason for him to act the way he does."
"I like him."
"Teresa, be careful. He is a Crane."
"Luis, do we have to discuss this again? For the thousandth time, Sheridan is also a Crane."
"And for the thousandth time, she is different."
"And so is Fox."
"You don't have feelings for him, do you?"
"Maybe I do."
"Teresa, you are married to his father."
"Mama, I am thinking about divorcing Julian."
"What brought this on?"
"I don't know. I've been spending so much time with Fox. Things are so much simpler. I want to go back to that, maybe try to recapture my dreams."
"Ethan?"
"No, mama. I wanted to be a designer, I wanted to find happiness. I want to get married and have more children. You know, normal stuff."
"Nothing is normal with you Teresita."
They were sitting in the living room when Luis' cell phone rang.
"Lopez-Fitzgerald. Is it serious? Yes, I'll let them know."
"What is it Luis?"
"Sam Bennett. There was an accident."
He looked at his sister.
"What is it someone I know?"
"Yes, it's Fox."
She panicked.
"Is he going to be alright?"
"He is at the hospital."
"I have to go see him. Mama, can I leave little Ethan here for the night?"
"Sure mija."
She ran out of the door and jumped in her car.
**************************
She ran inside the hospital. He has to be alright.
"Dr Russell."
"Teresa, what brings you here?" "Luis told me that Fox had a car accident. Is he here?"
"Yes he is."
"How-how is he doing?"
"Why don't you see for yourself? He is right across the hall."
"Thank you Dr Russell."
She walked to the cubicle and pushed the curtain open. He looked up.
"What happened to you?"
"Well, you know my tire blew. Happens everyday. Broke my arm, slight concussion. Still alive. How did you know?"
"Luis received a call. He told me that he was going to call your family."
"Teresa, how many times did I tell you that they didn't care about me? They told Luis that they weren't coming. I'm alone in this world."
"No, you're not. You have me."
"Why are you here?"
"Because I care."
"That's what makes you human and different from them."
"I'm so sorry, Fox."
"I'm not. At least I know who really cares about me."
She went to him and put her arms around his neck.
"I care about you a lot..very much.."
He didn't let her finish her sentence. He was already kissing her.
She pulled away and caressed his face gently, then pressed her lips gently on the bruise he had on his cheek.
"Let's go home, you need your rest."
She took his hand and he followed her.
"I'm going out for a drive, want to join me?"
"Not today, Fox. I promised mama that I would have dinner with the family."
"That's too bad. Does that mean that I'll be having dinner without you tonight?"
"But you'll still have Julian, Ivy, Rebecca, Ethan and Gwen."
"I think I'll stop for pizza somewhere."
"Why don't you join me at mama's. You can have dinner with the Lopez- Fitzgerald clan."
"No, another time. But thanks."
As soon as he said that, he wished he could have said yes.
"Then I'll see you later."
He walked out of the room and she called him back.
"Fox, wait just a second."
"Yes, what is it?"
She walked up to him and kissed him gently on the cheek. He looked at he startled.
"What was that for?"
"I don't know. I just felt like it, I guess."
He leaned in and kissed her just as she had done. She looked at him.
"What was that for?"
"I don't know. I guess I felt like it."
They both laughed. He took her in his arms and hugged her. She put her arms around him. Her scent was intoxicating.
"What's going on here?"
"Nothing brother. I was just leaving."
He exited the room, leaving Ethan behind with Teresa. He wanted to stay, but he preferred that Teresa took care of it. He would know if she was truly over Ethan.
"What is it Ethan?"
"I was just coming by to say hi. I haven't seen you in days."
"Well, you know me. I've been here and there."
"Are you avoiding me?"
"No, of course not. I'm just over what I used to do. Pretending to bump into you when I knew where you would be."
"Oh, I see."
"I'm letting go. I've let you go."
"And Fox is your solution?"
"He is a really good friend. I won't deny that I don't feel something for him, because I do."
"Teresa, stay clear of him. He is bad news."
"No he isn't. He is a really nice guy. Maybe you should spend some time with him. You'll see."
"My brother and I hate each other."
"You don't mean that."
"But yes, I do."
She looked at him in disbelief.
"Then you're not the man I thought you were. How can you say such a thing?"
"But it's the truth."
"Is that why you don't want me anywhere near him?"
He looked at her. He had never seen her look at him that way, with contempt.
"Yes, it is. And I don't think he's good enough for you."
"Who are you to say something like that?"
"Someone who cares about you."
"More like someone who doesn't want me to move on. If you'll excuse me, my family is expecting me."
*************************
He was driving into the night, lost in his thoughts. She is really over Ethan. He knew that she had loved to the point where she was willing to sacrifice her life twice for him. She told him that she wasn't a foolish girl anymore and he had laughed. He remember her getting upset and saying that she had buried the past the day Ethan married Gwen. He didn't want to believe her, he thought it was impossible. But after the conversation he had heard a few hours ago, he didn't doubt her anymore.
"Did she really say that she had feelings for me?"
No, no one really cared about Fox. Those who cared about him cared because of his last name. How many women had come to him because his last name was Crane. He didn't have enough fingers and toes to count them. But Teresa, she was different. She didn't care about any of that. When she loved, she loved with her whole heart. He wished her feelings for him would develop into something more. Is that even possible?
He thought about what his grandfather wanted him to do.
"I will do this only because I want to, not because he wants me to. And he will not know about it. I won't let him ruin this for me. He can't ruin this for me."
He heard an explosion. It was his tire. He lost control of the car.
*************************
"How are things at the mansion, sis?"
"Everything is the same. Ivy and Rebecca are their usual menopausal selves. Julian is still a drunk. Ethan doesn't want me to hang out with Fox."
"I agree with him mija."
"But mama, he is a really nice person."
They all sat around the table.
"You forget that I helped raise Fox."
"I didn't know that."
"Him, Ethan and their sisters. I was always around them and out of all of them he is the one who gave me the hardest time."
"You can't judge him too harshly. How old was he when Julian and Ivy sent him to boarding school? 10 years old at the most?"
"Yes. He didn't shed a tear, you know. I know that he has been hurt by his parents, but it's no reason for him to act the way he does."
"I like him."
"Teresa, be careful. He is a Crane."
"Luis, do we have to discuss this again? For the thousandth time, Sheridan is also a Crane."
"And for the thousandth time, she is different."
"And so is Fox."
"You don't have feelings for him, do you?"
"Maybe I do."
"Teresa, you are married to his father."
"Mama, I am thinking about divorcing Julian."
"What brought this on?"
"I don't know. I've been spending so much time with Fox. Things are so much simpler. I want to go back to that, maybe try to recapture my dreams."
"Ethan?"
"No, mama. I wanted to be a designer, I wanted to find happiness. I want to get married and have more children. You know, normal stuff."
"Nothing is normal with you Teresita."
They were sitting in the living room when Luis' cell phone rang.
"Lopez-Fitzgerald. Is it serious? Yes, I'll let them know."
"What is it Luis?"
"Sam Bennett. There was an accident."
He looked at his sister.
"What is it someone I know?"
"Yes, it's Fox."
She panicked.
"Is he going to be alright?"
"He is at the hospital."
"I have to go see him. Mama, can I leave little Ethan here for the night?"
"Sure mija."
She ran out of the door and jumped in her car.
**************************
She ran inside the hospital. He has to be alright.
"Dr Russell."
"Teresa, what brings you here?" "Luis told me that Fox had a car accident. Is he here?"
"Yes he is."
"How-how is he doing?"
"Why don't you see for yourself? He is right across the hall."
"Thank you Dr Russell."
She walked to the cubicle and pushed the curtain open. He looked up.
"What happened to you?"
"Well, you know my tire blew. Happens everyday. Broke my arm, slight concussion. Still alive. How did you know?"
"Luis received a call. He told me that he was going to call your family."
"Teresa, how many times did I tell you that they didn't care about me? They told Luis that they weren't coming. I'm alone in this world."
"No, you're not. You have me."
"Why are you here?"
"Because I care."
"That's what makes you human and different from them."
"I'm so sorry, Fox."
"I'm not. At least I know who really cares about me."
She went to him and put her arms around his neck.
"I care about you a lot..very much.."
He didn't let her finish her sentence. He was already kissing her.
She pulled away and caressed his face gently, then pressed her lips gently on the bruise he had on his cheek.
"Let's go home, you need your rest."
She took his hand and he followed her.