CHAPTER 1
Childhood
"I said take it back."
"And I said no. And stop shouting, you look like an idiot."
"I am a Crane. You will do as I say and I said take it back."
The boy was red with anger and the girl was staring at him with a wide grin on her face.
"No, I will call you Nicholas if I want to and when I want to. So tell me, Nicholas..."
"I hate you Teresa." He was walking toward her, threateningly.
"If you hurt me, Luis will kill you."
He stopped dead in his track and thought about Luis.
"I don't hurt real girls, only tomboys."
"Take it back, Nicholas."
"It's not because you wear dresses and have long hair that you are not a tomboy. Because you are Teresa Lopez-Fitzgerald. Why don't you hang out with Whitney anyway?"
"For your information, she has tennis practice, Nicholas."
"Stop calling me that."
He ran after her. "You will never catch me because I am faster than you are."
"No you're not."
They ran through the Crane grounds all the way inside the mansion where servants were looking at the disapprovingly.
"If I catch you Teresa, you will pay."
"That's okay, because Luis will dig you in an early grave."
He stopped again. The only mention of that name gave him nightmares and Teresa knew that.
"Do you think I'm scared of him?"
"Oh, I think you are terrified of him."
"No, I'm not."
He looked at her with anger flashing in his eyes.
"Yes you are Nicholas."
He went after her again and they ended up in the kitchen.
"Teresa, what did I tell you about running around the mansion. Why don't you listen to me when I speak to you?"
"See, Pilar is yelling at you. She is mad at you."
"At least, she speaks to me unlike your mother."
"I hate you Teresa. I hate you."
He ran out of the kitchen.
"But Fox, wait."
Teresa looked at her mother.
"I didn't mean to mama."
"Leave him alone Teresa. I mean it. Go to the cottage, you are grounded."
"But mama.."
"No but about anything. Do as I say and NOW." Teresa walked out of the kitchen with her head down. Fox was waiting around the corner.
"I knew I could get you grounded."
He was laughing hysterically at her.
"I hate you so much, Fox."
"Looks like I win too. You stopped calling me Nicholas."
Before she could say anything, he had ran outside. She couldn't help but smile.
"I said take it back."
"And I said no. And stop shouting, you look like an idiot."
"I am a Crane. You will do as I say and I said take it back."
The boy was red with anger and the girl was staring at him with a wide grin on her face.
"No, I will call you Nicholas if I want to and when I want to. So tell me, Nicholas..."
"I hate you Teresa." He was walking toward her, threateningly.
"If you hurt me, Luis will kill you."
He stopped dead in his track and thought about Luis.
"I don't hurt real girls, only tomboys."
"Take it back, Nicholas."
"It's not because you wear dresses and have long hair that you are not a tomboy. Because you are Teresa Lopez-Fitzgerald. Why don't you hang out with Whitney anyway?"
"For your information, she has tennis practice, Nicholas."
"Stop calling me that."
He ran after her. "You will never catch me because I am faster than you are."
"No you're not."
They ran through the Crane grounds all the way inside the mansion where servants were looking at the disapprovingly.
"If I catch you Teresa, you will pay."
"That's okay, because Luis will dig you in an early grave."
He stopped again. The only mention of that name gave him nightmares and Teresa knew that.
"Do you think I'm scared of him?"
"Oh, I think you are terrified of him."
"No, I'm not."
He looked at her with anger flashing in his eyes.
"Yes you are Nicholas."
He went after her again and they ended up in the kitchen.
"Teresa, what did I tell you about running around the mansion. Why don't you listen to me when I speak to you?"
"See, Pilar is yelling at you. She is mad at you."
"At least, she speaks to me unlike your mother."
"I hate you Teresa. I hate you."
He ran out of the kitchen.
"But Fox, wait."
Teresa looked at her mother.
"I didn't mean to mama."
"Leave him alone Teresa. I mean it. Go to the cottage, you are grounded."
"But mama.."
"No but about anything. Do as I say and NOW." Teresa walked out of the kitchen with her head down. Fox was waiting around the corner.
"I knew I could get you grounded."
He was laughing hysterically at her.
"I hate you so much, Fox."
"Looks like I win too. You stopped calling me Nicholas."
Before she could say anything, he had ran outside. She couldn't help but smile.