Sam Bennett looked Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane straight in her dark,
smiling eyes.
"Are you SURE?" He emphasized the word "sure" just in case it hadn't registered in Theresa's mind that there was a raging blizzard right outside her doorway.
"I'm positive, Chief Bennett. Now please escort that, that THING off my property!" She scowled. "I'm through with you, Ivy! All you've ever done to me is try to ruin my life. I've had it, and I'm not going to play nice any longer."
"But Theresa," Ethan's blue eyes pleaded with her to take a second look at the situation. Granted, his mother had said some cruel things to Theresa, but there WAS a storm outside and it was nearly 1 in the morning. Where would his mother go? He took Theresa by the shoulders and pushed her aside. If he could only get through to her. As he opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand to him.
"Not even for YOU, Ethan." Her eyes said it all. They were definite and there was no use changing her mind. Ethan knew well enough that when Theresa put her mind to something, it would surely happen. He sighed in defeat and walked away with his head hanging.
"How could you be so mean, Theresa?" Gwen spat back.
Theresa almost busted out laughing. She looked the blonde woman in the eye and shook her head. She was NOT saying that!
"Gwen, please." She rolled her eyes. "Don't put your nose where it doesn't belong."
Sam turned to his once "love" and shrugged. "Ivy, I'm sorry," he sighed, "but if you don't leave on your own, I will have to arrest you."
Ivy stuck her nose up in the air and drove her wheelchair into the foyer of the mansion. She slowed as she reached the door and turned to see the faces of the people behind her. She was disgusted at the sight she saw. Other than her precious son, Ethan, no other face showed pity, remorse, or love.
"Fine." She whispered. "Sam, would you please take me to the Harmony Chateau? I'll get a room there tonight and will worry about my belongings tomorrow."
"Yeah, alright Ivy." Sam nodded and opened the door for her.
"Mother, I'll have your things boxed and packed for you tonight. I'll bring them over, myself, first thing in the morning." Ethan said as he watched his mother and father walk out the door. He watched with agony. Sure, his mother had no right to degrade Theresa the way she did, but Theresa should have been the better person. He turned to face the smiling face of the girl he once loved. On his own face, an expression of anger arose, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. As soon as the door closed, and his parents were nowhere in sight, he opened his mouth to let Theresa know his mind.
"HOW COULD YOU?" He yelled. "How could YOU, of all people in the world, Theresa!"
Theresa stood there, not knowing just what to think. She had never in her life seen Ethan's temper like this. Even to the people he hated, he never spoke to them in such a harsh tone. But her feelings would not be known in her expression. She was just as angry.
"How DARE you raise your voice to ME, Ethan!" The rage was building up inside her and she could feel it rising even more. "How could I? How about, how could YOU?"
The others in the room seemed to fade into the walls as they watched to two quarrel. Gwen stood smiling triumphantly, she finally got Ethan to see Theresa in a different light. Gone were the days when he thought of her as this precious angel. It almost brought a laugh out of Gwen, but a smile would suffice.
"How can YOU, Ethan. I've spent the last three years of my life having to live up to YOUR expectations of me! Tell me, how would YOU like it if someone disgraced your life, your family, your heritage, your CHILD?" Theresa could have cared less if Ethan was angry, he had no right to be. "How can you side with your mother on this? You heard what she said, you heard how she intentionally degraded me!"
"Those were just words, Theresa." His voice had soften by now. "You shouldn't be hurt by mere words Theresa."
Theresa swallowed hard and stared Ethan right in his eyes.
"Just words." She shook her head. "It was WORDS that killed my soul they day you proposed to Gwen. It was WORDS that tore me to pieces when I heard you talking about how I was just a conquest during your engagement party to Gwen. It was WORDS that ripped me to shreds the day you said you DIDN'T love me. It was WORDS that stepped on my dreams the day you proposed to Gwen AGAIN, in front of my face! AND, it was WORDS that stabbed me in the heart as I watched you say your vows to HER! Just WORDS, ETHAN?"
She didn't know why she had blown up like that, but the look on Ethan's face was priceless. She finally had him seeing just how much torture she was going through. Theresa couldn't take looking at him any longer, so she ran up the stairs and slammed the door to her room. How could he say that? How could he not know how much she had been hurt by his "mere" words. She couldn't cry and she couldn't scream. She was tired and spent. It had been too long of a day. She stared at her son as he slept in his crib. He was so beautiful.
"No more thoughts tonight, Theresa" She told herself. "I just need to rest." She climbed into her bed and let the softness of the mattress soothe her aching body. The day was over, she had seen Sheridan marry the wrong brother, had danced in Ethan's arms again, had Ivy out of her life and home, and had given Ethan a piece of her mind. It had been too long of a day, and all she wished she could have now was peace and quiet. Moments after her last thought, Theresa drifted off into a deep sleep.
*Meanwhile Downstairs*
Ethan slumped onto the living room couch and played Theresa's words over and over in his head. He couldn't help but hate himself for what she said. She was right. Words did affect a person's heart. HIS words wounded Theresa's soul, and he couldn't stand that thought.
"Ethan, darling." Gwen rubbed his elbow. "Let's go back to bed, shall we? We ARE still on our honeymoon."
"Gwen," Ethan couldn't go back upstairs and go back to being with Gwen, not now. "I need to be alone right now, please."
He stood from his seat and walked in the direction of the atrium.
"Damn you, Theresa." Gwen seethed as she watched Ethan leave.
{ *A/N* I know this is a Paloma fic, but I just had to write this chapter. After today's episode I was so infuriated when Ethan said his "they're just words" spiel. So, I had to write this, for my own benefit. LOL! Hang on though, the reunion of the Lopez-Fitzgerald sisters will come soon enough! }
"Are you SURE?" He emphasized the word "sure" just in case it hadn't registered in Theresa's mind that there was a raging blizzard right outside her doorway.
"I'm positive, Chief Bennett. Now please escort that, that THING off my property!" She scowled. "I'm through with you, Ivy! All you've ever done to me is try to ruin my life. I've had it, and I'm not going to play nice any longer."
"But Theresa," Ethan's blue eyes pleaded with her to take a second look at the situation. Granted, his mother had said some cruel things to Theresa, but there WAS a storm outside and it was nearly 1 in the morning. Where would his mother go? He took Theresa by the shoulders and pushed her aside. If he could only get through to her. As he opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand to him.
"Not even for YOU, Ethan." Her eyes said it all. They were definite and there was no use changing her mind. Ethan knew well enough that when Theresa put her mind to something, it would surely happen. He sighed in defeat and walked away with his head hanging.
"How could you be so mean, Theresa?" Gwen spat back.
Theresa almost busted out laughing. She looked the blonde woman in the eye and shook her head. She was NOT saying that!
"Gwen, please." She rolled her eyes. "Don't put your nose where it doesn't belong."
Sam turned to his once "love" and shrugged. "Ivy, I'm sorry," he sighed, "but if you don't leave on your own, I will have to arrest you."
Ivy stuck her nose up in the air and drove her wheelchair into the foyer of the mansion. She slowed as she reached the door and turned to see the faces of the people behind her. She was disgusted at the sight she saw. Other than her precious son, Ethan, no other face showed pity, remorse, or love.
"Fine." She whispered. "Sam, would you please take me to the Harmony Chateau? I'll get a room there tonight and will worry about my belongings tomorrow."
"Yeah, alright Ivy." Sam nodded and opened the door for her.
"Mother, I'll have your things boxed and packed for you tonight. I'll bring them over, myself, first thing in the morning." Ethan said as he watched his mother and father walk out the door. He watched with agony. Sure, his mother had no right to degrade Theresa the way she did, but Theresa should have been the better person. He turned to face the smiling face of the girl he once loved. On his own face, an expression of anger arose, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. As soon as the door closed, and his parents were nowhere in sight, he opened his mouth to let Theresa know his mind.
"HOW COULD YOU?" He yelled. "How could YOU, of all people in the world, Theresa!"
Theresa stood there, not knowing just what to think. She had never in her life seen Ethan's temper like this. Even to the people he hated, he never spoke to them in such a harsh tone. But her feelings would not be known in her expression. She was just as angry.
"How DARE you raise your voice to ME, Ethan!" The rage was building up inside her and she could feel it rising even more. "How could I? How about, how could YOU?"
The others in the room seemed to fade into the walls as they watched to two quarrel. Gwen stood smiling triumphantly, she finally got Ethan to see Theresa in a different light. Gone were the days when he thought of her as this precious angel. It almost brought a laugh out of Gwen, but a smile would suffice.
"How can YOU, Ethan. I've spent the last three years of my life having to live up to YOUR expectations of me! Tell me, how would YOU like it if someone disgraced your life, your family, your heritage, your CHILD?" Theresa could have cared less if Ethan was angry, he had no right to be. "How can you side with your mother on this? You heard what she said, you heard how she intentionally degraded me!"
"Those were just words, Theresa." His voice had soften by now. "You shouldn't be hurt by mere words Theresa."
Theresa swallowed hard and stared Ethan right in his eyes.
"Just words." She shook her head. "It was WORDS that killed my soul they day you proposed to Gwen. It was WORDS that tore me to pieces when I heard you talking about how I was just a conquest during your engagement party to Gwen. It was WORDS that ripped me to shreds the day you said you DIDN'T love me. It was WORDS that stepped on my dreams the day you proposed to Gwen AGAIN, in front of my face! AND, it was WORDS that stabbed me in the heart as I watched you say your vows to HER! Just WORDS, ETHAN?"
She didn't know why she had blown up like that, but the look on Ethan's face was priceless. She finally had him seeing just how much torture she was going through. Theresa couldn't take looking at him any longer, so she ran up the stairs and slammed the door to her room. How could he say that? How could he not know how much she had been hurt by his "mere" words. She couldn't cry and she couldn't scream. She was tired and spent. It had been too long of a day. She stared at her son as he slept in his crib. He was so beautiful.
"No more thoughts tonight, Theresa" She told herself. "I just need to rest." She climbed into her bed and let the softness of the mattress soothe her aching body. The day was over, she had seen Sheridan marry the wrong brother, had danced in Ethan's arms again, had Ivy out of her life and home, and had given Ethan a piece of her mind. It had been too long of a day, and all she wished she could have now was peace and quiet. Moments after her last thought, Theresa drifted off into a deep sleep.
*Meanwhile Downstairs*
Ethan slumped onto the living room couch and played Theresa's words over and over in his head. He couldn't help but hate himself for what she said. She was right. Words did affect a person's heart. HIS words wounded Theresa's soul, and he couldn't stand that thought.
"Ethan, darling." Gwen rubbed his elbow. "Let's go back to bed, shall we? We ARE still on our honeymoon."
"Gwen," Ethan couldn't go back upstairs and go back to being with Gwen, not now. "I need to be alone right now, please."
He stood from his seat and walked in the direction of the atrium.
"Damn you, Theresa." Gwen seethed as she watched Ethan leave.
{ *A/N* I know this is a Paloma fic, but I just had to write this chapter. After today's episode I was so infuriated when Ethan said his "they're just words" spiel. So, I had to write this, for my own benefit. LOL! Hang on though, the reunion of the Lopez-Fitzgerald sisters will come soon enough! }