Check out the Author's Note at the bottom when you finish!
Chapter 19
The Day Before the Wedding.
"Do you really have to go?" Fox whined as Theresa put a few of her things in her bag.
"Yes. The bride and groom aren't supposed to be together the night before the wedding, it's tradition," Theresa replied.
"Who cares about tradition?" he asked.
"I do, and I'm staying at my mom's house tonight, so there's no point in trying to dissuade me," she replied.
"This sucks," Fox replied with a boyish pout.
"Oh, stop complaining," Theresa replied while laughing at Fox's pout. "You're going to be busy with your bachelor party, and I'm going to be busy with my bachelorette party. You won't even notice that I'm gone," she said.
"Yes I will. Especially when I'm sleeping alone tonight."
"Well, I promise that you'll never sleep alone again after tomorrow," Theresa said as she reached up and kissed Fox before heading out of their room.
"So, what are you ladies going to do tonight?" Fox asked as he followed Theresa downstairs.
"Nothing big; Charity and Mama decided to just invite everyone to Mama's house. It's just going to be like a ladies' night," she replied as Charity and Brady also descended the stairs.
"Are you ready?" Charity asked Theresa.
"Yeah," Theresa responded. "So what are you guys going to do?" she asked turning to Brady and Fox.
"I'm not sure, I let Brady decide," Fox replied.
"Yeah, and I plan to make it a real bachelor party complete with beer, and strippers and." he trailed off seeing the glares he was receiving from Charity and Theresa.
"If you take him within a five mile radius of a stripper, I'll kill you," Theresa threatened as she glared at Brady. "And then, when I'm done, I'll kill you," she said turning to Fox. Charity laughed at the shocked and scared expressions that appeared of on the faces of Fox and Brady.
"No strippers, got it," Brady replied nervously.
"Good," Theresa replied. "Now we're going to get going, so I'll see you tomorrow at our wedding," Theresa said excitedly as she reached up and kissed Fox passionately.
"Do that again and I won't let you out of here," Fox said, wrapping his arms around her waist. Theresa laughed at Fox's statement.
"All right, we really have to go, we'll see you later," Theresa said.
"Bye, I'll see you tonight," Charity said reaching up to kiss Brady.
"Have fun!" Fox called out as Theresa and Charity walked out of the mansion.
"So, what do you have planned for tonight?" Fox asked once they had left.
"Nothing big. I figured we'd all just hop into the limos and go to a bar or club. I talked to the manager of the club and he agreed to rent us the top floor."
"Sounds good. Who'd you invite by the way?" Fox asked.
"I'm not even sure," Brady replied. "I knew that you didn't really have any friends in Harmony when you used to live here, but you seemed to be more social this time around, so I kind of just let Luis and Antonio handle the guest list. I did, however, invite our friends from California and Brad and Dylan."
"Really? It's been a while since I've talked to those two," Fox said referring to his friends from boarding school.
"Yeah, their plane arrived earlier today. In fact, I have to go pick them up, so I'll see you later," Brady said as he headed to the door.
"All right, I'll talk to you later," Fox said and Brady left the mansion.
At the Lopez-Fitzgerald house, the ladies were already laughing and enjoying themselves.
"I'm so glad you guys could make it to the party," Theresa said looking at her friends from California.
"Like we would miss the most important day of your life," Isabel replied.
"I still can't believe that you're getting married," Beth said. "I remember when you were just a little girl who always wanted me to play with her."
"I know, it's crazy how much I've changed. But I love it. I'm going to be a married woman by this time tomorrow! I still can't get over that."
"And to Fox of all people! I swear, I never thought he'd settle down with one woman," Sheridan said. "I still don't know how you did it."
"I have my ways," Theresa joked with a smirk. Everyone laughed at her comment.
"Let's open presents!" Samantha exclaimed.
"Me first!" Whitney exclaimed. "Here," Whitney said as she handed Theresa her gift. Theresa opened the gift to reveal and deep red, silk nightgown. It was short and left very little to the imagination.
"Wow," Theresa said with a blush as she admired Whitney's gift.
"Fox is going to go crazy," Isabel said
"I know," Theresa replied with a laugh. "Thanks, Whit," she said.
"I'm next," Maria said, handing her gift to Theresa. Theresa opened the box to see a long, leather whip with handcuffs.
"I can't believe you bought me this," Theresa said turning a deep shade of red.
"What?" Maria asked innocently. "I think Fox will love it," she said with a smile.
"I'm sure he will," Theresa replied as she reached over to hug Maria. "Thanks."
"No problem," Maria replied.
"I'm going to go get a drink from the kitchen, you guys keep talking," Theresa said as she got up and headed to the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen and looked inside the refrigerator.
"See anything you like?" a cold voice asked from the back door. Theresa looked up at the sound of the voice.
"Oh, God, what the hell are you doing here?" she asked irritably looking at Gwen.
"I came for the party, since it seems my invitation was lost in the mail," Gwen replied making her way farther into the kitchen.
"What do you want?" Theresa asked.
"I came to talk to you about Ethan," she replied.
"I don't care about him - there that was a nice talk," she replied turning away from Gwen. Gwen rushed in front of Theresa, preventing her from walking away.
"You can't fool me, Theresa. I know your whole relationship with Fox is just a scheme to make Ethan jealous so that he'll come running back to you," she said icily.
"Gee, you caught me Gwen," Theresa replied sarcastically. "Get over yourself Gwen, I wouldn't go through all this trouble just to get Ethan back and make your life miserable. Neither one of you are worth it."
"So you expect me to believe that you're marrying Fox out of love? Please Theresa, everyone knows you aren't capable of loving anyone besides Ethan."
"I really don't care what you believe, Gwen. The bottom line is, tomorrow I'm walking down that isle to marry my amazing boyfriend. And when I walk down that isle, I'll be able to say with confidence that the only woman he's thinking about is me. Tell me, could you honestly say that on your wedding day?" she asked with a smug smirk.
"I'm not here to discuss my wedding day," Gwen said angrily, knowing that Theresa was right. "I'm here to tell you that if you try any last minute tricks to get Ethan back, you'll regret it."
"I don't want Ethan," Theresa replied while staring at Gwen. For a split second she saw a look of desperation appear on Gwen's face. "And you know I don't want him, don't you?" she asked as realization dawned on her.
"Of course you want him," Gwen replied quickly.
"No, see I finally figured it out; you're jealous," Theresa said with a smile.
"Jealous? Of you? Please Theresa. Why would I ever be jealous of you? I have Ethan, remember?"
"Yeah, but you don't really want him anymore, do you? Oh my God, it's so obvious now!" Theresa said as she continued to put the pieces together.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Gwen said unconvincingly.
"This isn't even about Ethan; at one point, it was, but not anymore. All of this is about me. You just can't stand the fact that after all your lies and deceit, I still managed to come out on top."
"Now who needs to get over themselves?" Gwen asked.
"I'm not trying to be conceited; I'm just being honest. Seriously, if this were really about Ethan, you'd be glad that I was with Fox. I'd finally be out of your way. But instead, you're constantly threatening me and reminding me of the love I once had for Ethan. It's almost as though you want me to go back to Ethan and away from Fox."
"And why the hell would I do that?" Gwen asked.
"Because I have everything you've always wanted. You wanted Ethan because he was a loving, kind, and gentle, but that didn't work for you. Instead, I'm getting the loving, kind, and gentle husband, who at the same time is very passionate. When you were dating Ethan, you thought you'd eventually be Mrs. Crane, but once again that didn't work. I'm the one that's marrying the heir to the Crane Empire and I'm the one that will be referred to as Mrs. Crane. I've got great family, great friends, and an amazing career, while you and your husband are unwanted guests in my fiancé's house. You don't hate me because Ethan loves me, you hate me because I have the life you always wanted."
"I'm not jealous of you," Gwen said not looking Theresa in the eye.
"Yes you are. There's no point in denying it, it's shown all over your face."
"It just not fair!" Gwen exclaimed. "You're the housekeeper's daughter! You're not supposed to be famous and making millions of dollars. You're not supposed to be marrying one of the richest men in world. You're supposed to be living a horrible life. Or at least working two jobs to support yourself. You don't deserve to have the biggest wedding ever. You don't deserve to be living a better life than me!"
"You selfish, cold-hearted bitch," Theresa said coldly. "I don't deserve to be living a better life than you? How dare you say that to me! Let me tell you something, I deserve everything that I have because I worked my ass off for it. Excuse me if I didn't sit on my ass all day and wait for my husband to provide for me," she said. She took a deep breath before speaking up again. "You're a sad excuse for a woman, Gwen. And you deserve everything that life has thrown your way. Now get out of my house," she said steely. She walked to the back door and held it open. Gwen composed herself before turning around and walking to the door.
"And another thing," Theresa said before Gwen could leave. "My mother hasn't been a housekeeper for years. Her name is Pilar and that's how you will refer to her - is that clear?" Gwen simply glared at Theresa, not saying a word. "I'll take that as a yes," Theresa said before slamming the door in Gwen's face.
"Who were you talking to?" Whitney asked as she entered the kitchen.
"Oh, no one," Theresa lied. "Come on, we've got a party to get back to," she said dragging Whitney out of the kitchen with her.
At a Local Club.
"Here's to Fox," Brady said raising his bottle of beer to the room full of men. "The once self-proclaimed bachelor and now husband-to-be," he said with a laugh.
"To Fox," everyone said at the same time.
"Hey, where are all the strippers?" Dylan asked from his seat.
"Theresa threatened to kill Brady if he got me anywhere near a stripper," Fox replied with a laugh.
"You let a girl threaten you?" Dylan asked Brady with amusement in his eyes.
"Have you seen Theresa when she's pissed? It's not a pretty sight," Brady replied, adding a fake shiver for effect.
"Whatever man," Dylan replied before turning his attention to Fox. "So, Fox my man, what's so special about this lady that has gotten you to walk down the infamous isle?" he asked. A small smile appeared on Fox's face at the thought of Theresa.
"If you have to ask, you'll never know," Fox replied simply.
"Ooh, she must be special if she's got you quoting Louis Armstrong," Dylan said.
"She is," Fox replied with a smile.
"So, how is she in bed?" Brad asked in his usual blunt manner.
"Must you be so crude?" Brady asked disgustedly.
"You've know me for years, do you really need me to answer that question?" Brad asked with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway, back to my question, how good is Theresa in bed?" he asked with a smirk not noticing Antonio and Luis appear behind him.
"Care to repeat that question?" Luis asked seriously.
"Oh, I was just trying to find out how good Ms. Lopez-Fitzgerald is in bed. Who knows, maybe she has a sister," Brad replied, not knowing who Luis and Antonio were.
"No, she doesn't. But she does have two very protective older brothers, and you're looking at them," Antonio replied, getting in Brad's face. Brad visibly paled at Antonio's statement.
"Oh.well.I was just joking.I didn't." Brad stuttered, trying to form a sentence.
"You'll have to excuse Brad. He's always been outspoken like this, most people just learn to ignore him," Fox said, saving Brad from Luis and Antonio. Brad glared at Fox for his comment, but quickly wiped it away when he realized that it had worked on Luis and Antonio.
"We'll do that," Luis said, looking at Brad one more time before turning his attention back to Fox. "We wanted to talk to you, got a minute?" he asked Fox.
"Yeah, sure," Fox replied. "Let's go," he said as he got up and followed them to a corner of the room. Upon reaching there, he saw Miguel was already sitting there.
"Have a seat," Luis said as he and Antonio took a seat in front of him, next to Miguel.
"So, what's this about?" Fox asked, although he already had an idea.
"Theresa," Antonio replied. "Tomorrow, you're taking her away from the Lopez-Fitzgerald family, and welcoming her into the Crane family, and we want to make sure you good enough to take our sister away from us," he said seriously.
"Um, okay," Fox replied somewhat nervously. "How do you plan to do that?" he asked.
"Really simple actually. Bottom line - if so much as make one tear drop fall from Theresa's eyes anytime that you are with her, we'll hunt you down like a dog. Okay?" Luis said seriously.
"I would never intentionally hurt Theresa," Fox said defensively, upset that they would think so little of him.
"We know that, and we're not accusing you of that," Antonio said. "But you have to understand where we're coming from. Not only are you taking her away from this family, but you're also taking her all the way to California. She's not going to have her brothers or mother to run to whenever she wants. After tomorrow, you're going to be the only family member she has over there. And we want to make sure that you understand this," he said.
"I've taken pride in knowing that I was there to raise Theresa into the woman that she is today," Luis added. "She's gone through a lot in her life and she deserves nothing but happiness now, and I need to trust that you'll give that to her," he said.
"Trust me, Luis, I'd do anything to make Theresa happy. You have my word," Fox said seriously after hearing their point of view.
"That all we needed to know," Antonio said as they all stood up. After shaking hands with Fox, Luis and Antonio heading back to join the other men.
"What about you, Miguel? I haven't heard a word from you," Fox said with a smile, almost daring Miguel to say something to him.
"After what I did to your sister, I really don't think I have a right to threaten you," Miguel replied sheepishly while looking at Fox.
"Yeah, you don't," Fox said seriously, staring hard at Miguel. After a few seconds, he broke out into a big smile. "I'm just kidding," he said with a laugh. Miguel let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Yeah.yeah, I knew that," Miguel said unsuccessfully trying to sound confident.
"Sure you did," Fox replied with a smile. "Come on, I've got a bachelor party to return to," he said as he and Miguel headed back to their tables.
Later That Night.
"Well that's it. You're last night as an un-wed man," Julian said as the limo pulled in front of the Crane mansion.
"I guess it is," Fox replied.
"How does it feel?" Brady asked.
"Like I won a million dollars," he replied with a boyish smile.
"Oh God, I'm going to get out of here before you start singing love songs," Julian replied jokingly. "Are you two coming?" he asked as he got out of the limo.
"Yeah," Brady replied as he and Fox exited the limo.
"Guys, I'm going to go for a drive, I'll see you two later," Fox said as he headed to his jeep.
"All right, don't stay out too late. Theresa will kill me if her groom misses his own wedding because he overslept," Brady replied.
"Don't worry about it, I'll be back in time," Fox replied before entering his car and pulling out.
Fox drove around town aimlessly, just enjoying the serenity of the town. After fifteen or twenty minutes, Fox realized that he had somehow driven to Theresa's childhood house. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost midnight.
"Maybe Theresa's still awake," he said to himself as he parked in the driveway. He quickly went to the front door and rang the doorbell. Pilar opened the door.
"Fox," she said with surprise. "What are you doing here? You should be sleeping, you have a big day ahead of you," she said as she let him in the house.
"I know. I was driving around and I ended up here, so I decided to see if Theresa was awake," Fox replied.
"Isn't that sweet? You can't even go one night without seeing her," Pilar said with a smile. Fox blushed at her statement.
"Is she awake?" he asked shyly.
"I think she is. She just went to her room about ten minutes so she should still be awake. I'm going to go to bed, so tell her to lock the door when you leave," Pilar replied.
"All right, thanks," Fox replied as he started to make his way over to Theresa's old room.
"Fox?" Pilar called out before left the room.
"Yes?" he asked turning around.
"Ivy may never have thought this, but it's going to be an honor to call you my son-in-law. I couldn't ask for a better one," she said with a smile as she went over and hugged him.
"Thank- thank you," Fox said, surprised and touched by Pilar's admission. "I couldn't ask for a better mother-in-law," he said.
"Thank you," Pilar replied. "Now go ahead and see Theresa, I know you can barely wait," she said with a smile. Fox laughed one more time before heading to Theresa's room. When he reached it he saw Theresa sitting by her desk, looking in her mirror. He entered, unnoticed, and closed the door behind him while still watching Theresa.
"You look beautiful," he said softly, surprising her.
"Fox!" she exclaimed. "You're not supposed to be here, it's against tradition," she said.
"Screw tradition," he replied. "I had to see you," he added. Theresa couldn't help but soften after his statement. She walked over and brought him into a loving hug.
"Well, it's good to see you. I was already missing you," she said as she reached up and kissed him.
"So how was your party?" Fox asked once Theresa had pulled away.
"It was fun," Theresa replied as she led Fox to her bed. "I got a lot of interesting presents," she said with a blush.
"Do I want to know what they are?" Fox asked warily seeing the blush that came across her face.
"You'll find out soon enough," she replied with a knowing smile. "Anyway, how was your party?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Pretty good, aside from the part where your brothers basically threatened my life," he replied.
"Oh, God, what did they do?" she asked exasperatingly remembering how tough Luis used to be to her dates when they came to pick her up. Just picturing Luis and Antonio together was enough to make any little sister worry.
"Nothing much. They basically told me to take care of you and that they'd hunt me down if I ever hurt you," Fox replied with a shrug.
"Wow, they toned down," Theresa replied. "Luis used to tell my dates that he'd come after them with his gun," she said with a laugh.
"Yeah, I could see Luis saying that," Fox said with a laugh as he began to rub circles on Theresa's exposed stomach. "Anyway, enough about your brothers. I'd much rather be doing other things," he said as he started to kiss her neck.
"Oh really?" Theresa asked with a smile. "And what would that be?" she teased.
"I'll show you," Fox replied before climbing over Theresa and capturing her lips in a fiery kiss.
Theresa moaned at the intensity of the kiss and immediately wrapped her arms around Fox's neck. Fox began to kiss her all the way down her neck and started raise her tank top over her head.
"Wait, we can't do this," Theresa groaned. "Mama's in the kitchen, she'll hear us," she said.
"She went to sleep," Fox replied, barely removing his lips from her neck.
"Are you sure?" Theresa asked, desperately wanting him to be right.
"Yeah, she told me to tell you to lock up," Fox replied finally stopping his assault on her neck.
"Good," Theresa said before allowing herself to succumb to Fox's love.
"That was amazing," Theresa said with a goofy smile on her face almost an hour later.
"I know," Fox replied, still a little breathless. They laid on the bed, wrapped in each other arms, for a while, each just enjoying the company of the other.
"You have to start going," Theresa said softly while gently rubbing Fox's cheek.
"Why can't I just stay here," he asked.
"Because, Mama will have a fit if she realizes that you spent the night. Besides, you and I both know that neither one of us will be getting any sleep if you stay here. And I need my sleep, I have to look perfect," she said.
"You always look perfect," Fox said rubbing his hands through her hair.
"Compliments will get you no where," Theresa joked. "Come on, get dressed and I'll walk you to the door," she said as she climbed out of bed and threw on her nightwear. Once they were both fully dressed, she took his hand and led him to the front door.
"Call me when you get home," she said leaning against the doorframe.
"All right. I'll see you tomorrow, babe," Fox replied, reaching down to give her a soft kiss on the lips. "I love you," he said.
"I love you too," she replied before he turned and entered his car. She watched him drive off before closing the door and heading to her room to get some sleep.
Fox arrived at the mansion almost ten minutes later. He opened the door and prepared to go up to his room to get some sleep. Before he could even reach the stairs, a voice stopped him.
"Well look who decided to finally show up," Ethan said condescendingly as he saw Fox enter the mansion.
"Aww, isn't that nice, you decided to wait up for me," Fox said sarcastically.
"Where were you?" Ethan asked.
"In case you forgot, I had a bachelor party, most people tend to come home late after one of those," Fox replied with a roll of his eyes as he started going up the stairs.
"Julian and Brady arrived almost an hour ago," Ethan said.
"Thanks for the news report," Fox replied sardonically as he continued up the stairs.
"Where the hell did you go?" Ethan asked, angry that Fox was barely acknowledging his presence.
"None of your damn business," Fox replied not bothering to look at Ethan. He continued to climb the stairs and head to his room.
Ethan stood, seething at Fox's behavior to him. 'He doesn't deserve to marry Theresa,' he thought to himself. 'I have to talk her out of this. Tonight's my last chance,' he said with resolution. He quickly gathered his coat and keys and headed out of the mansion to Theresa's house.
Ten minutes later, Ethan stood outside the Lopez-Fitzgerald home contemplating whether or not he should ring the doorbell. 'If I ring the doorbell, Miguel or Pilar might answer it; and if they see me, they'll never let me talk to Theresa,' he thought.
Coming to a decision, Ethan walked to the side of the house. When he reached Theresa's bedroom window he simply pulled it open, knowing that Theresa never locked her window. He quietly stepped into her room and admired her for a few seconds as she slept. Realizing that someone could walk in at any minute, he quickly stepped out of his daze and walked to Theresa.
"Theresa.Theresa," he whispered while trying to gently shake her awake.
"Fox? Is that you again, baby?" Theresa asked groggily, not bothering to open her eyes. 'So that's where he was,' Ethan thought angrily to himself as he imagined Fox alone with Theresa in her room.
"Fox, I told you to go home," Theresa said tiredly with her eyes still closed.
"Theresa, it's not Fox, it's Ethan," he said trying to wake her up. It worked. Theresa's eyes snapped open at the sound of Ethan's name and she quickly reached over to turn on her room light.
"What the hell are you doing here? And how did you get in?" she asked as she climbed out of her bed and retreated away from Ethan.
"I came to talk to you, and I climbed through your window," Ethan replied.
"I can't believe you!" Theresa said in a loud whisper, not wanting to wake up Miguel or her mother. "I could have you arrested for breaking in and entering," she said.
"I just wanted to help you," Ethan replied trying to calm down Theresa.
"You could help me by leaving my room and staying the hell away from me," Theresa snapped.
"Theresa, you don't know what you're getting into by marrying Fox," Ethan said, choosing to ignore her last statement, however painful it was.
"I really don't think my marriage to Fox is any of your business," Theresa replied rudely.
"I just don't want to see you hurt."
"Then you shouldn't have entered my life in the first place," Theresa bit out, sending a pang of guilt and hurt through Ethan.
"I know that I hurt you, but I never did it intentionally. Fox, on the other hand, he would intentionally hurt you. Just look at the words he said to Ivy last month. If he did that to his own mother, what do you think he'd do to you?" Ethan asked, trying to make her understand.
"First of all, Ivy deserved every little thing that Fox said to her. If anything, Fox went a little too easy on her, considering they way she treated him. And secondly, Fox would never, in a million years, intentionally hurt me. He loves me and when I'm with him, I have no doubts that I'm the only woman in his heart, that's more than I could ever say when I was with you. Now I have no idea what's wrong with you or Gwen, but both of you are becoming thorns in my sides and I'm getting sick of defending my relationship with Fox to either one of you. Get out Ethan; get out of my house and my life. If you ever try to even talk to me again, I will have you arrested," she said strictly.
"Theresa, I-"
"Now!" Theresa said forcefully.
Ethan looked at Theresa sadly, realizing that he would never have her again. He put his head down dejectedly as he headed to her window. Theresa followed closely behind him, wanting to make sure that he was gone before she went back to sleep. Ethan climbed out of the window, but turned around before walking away.
"I've always loved you, Theresa. And at one point, I know you loved me too," he said, looking into her eyes that had now become cold and unaffectionate.
"And I'm still wondering how I managed to do that," she said coldly before slamming the window shut and locking it. She then pulled her curtains closed, blocking Ethan from seeing anything.
Ethan stood outside Theresa's window for almost ten minutes pondering over the greatest loss of his life. He probably would have stayed there all night if a noise from behind him hadn't caught his attention. He turned around and saw Chad approaching him.
"Chad? What are you doing here?" he asked confused.
"I called the mansion to see how you were doing, you know, with the wedding and all," he said sympathetically. "Anyway, Gwen told me that you weren't home and after thinking for a minute or two, I realized this is where you'd probably be," he ended.
"She's really getting married tomorrow," Ethan said sadly as he looked back at her window.
"You've known about this for months, Ethan," Chad replied.
"Yeah, but it doesn't make it any easier," he replied with a sigh. "I guess I just always thought she'd cancel it and come back to me."
"For what?" Chad asked somewhat rudely. Ethan was his friend, and he had been there for him whenever he needed, but he was really getting annoyed with his attitude toward Theresa.
"Excuse me?" Ethan asked, surprised by Chad's rude tone.
"You heard me," Chad replied. "Why the hell would Theresa come running back to you? You're freaking married! And for some reason, you seem to forget that fact."
"Chad, you know I only married Gwen because I thought she was pregnant," Ethan replied.
"That doesn't change the fact that you married her. No one forced you to propose, you did that on your own free will, so stop acting like someone held a gun to your head," he said irritably.
"Why are you acting like this?" Ethan asked confused.
"Because I'm sick of the way you've been acting. It's okay for you to get married and start a family, but it's not okay for Theresa? How the hell is that fair?" he asked.
"I'm not saying that I don't want Theresa to get married and start a family, because I do. I just always wanted to be the one that she did it with. And I know that it's too late now, I've hurt her too much, but did she have to move on with Fox?" he asked meanly. Chad rolled his eyes at the disgusted way Ethan said Fox's name before he replied.
"And what the hell is wrong with Fox?" he asked. "I've gotten to know him a lot, since I decided to participate in his wedding, and he's a really good guy."
"No he isn't," Ethan replied. "And I still haven't fully forgiven you for agreeing to be in that wedding," he said angrily.
"And I don't give a damn!" Chad replied, not liking the way Ethan was talking to him. "Who needs your damn forgiveness? And if I were you, Ethan, I'd watch what you say to me, because right now, I'm the only friend you've got," he said.
Ethan stared at Chad, and could tell that he had really pissed him off. He took a few calming breaths before speaking up again.
"You're right, I'm sorry," he said.
"Forget about it," Chad said, already letting the argument drop.
"But Chad, you have to understand. No one knows Fox like I do. He's one of the biggest screw-ups ever," he said.
"And what? You're 'Mr. Perfect'?" he asked sarcastically. "Ethan have you ever really sat down and thought of all the pain you caused Theresa?"
"Of course I have. I know I hurt her when I decided to marry Gwen," he replied.
"Not just that, I mean all the pain, starting from the first time you kissed her," Chad said. "First of all, you kiss her while you're still dating Gwen, only to tell her that it was basically a mistake. Then you date both her and Gwen at the same time just so that you could decide who you wanted to be with. You promise to be with her forever, but turn your back on her when she accidentally married Julian. And may I point out that the only reason she was with Julian was to get him to take you back into the Crane family. Then, to add salt to her wounds, you propose to Gwen in front of her and later flaunt your marriage and happiness in her face. From day one, Ethan, you have brought nothing but pain and tears to Theresa's life. But look at Fox. He makes that girl happier than she's ever been in her life. Before Fox, I couldn't remember the last time Theresa smiled genuinely without having secrets hold her down. Fox somehow managed to take away all the hurt and pain that you caused her, and just looking at him when he's with her, you can tell that he'd gladly give up everything dear to him if it somehow brought a smile to her face. Now I'm sorry that you have this big sibling rivalry with Fox, but you cannot stand here and tell me that Fox is a screw-up that doesn't deserve Theresa, because he'd do anything for that girl. And from where I'm standing, the only screw-up is you."
Ethan stood there, shocked and angered by Chad's words. One part of him wanted to attack Chad, wanted to hurt him for saying those words to him. Another part of him wanted to break down and cry at the honesty of his words. But he couldn't do either. He was frozen in place as he replayed Chad's words in his head over and over again. 'From day one, Ethan, you have brought nothing but pain and tears to Theresa's life.' Each time he heard the words in his head, they cut him like a knife. 'God, Chad's right. What right do I have to choose whom Theresa marries? Hell, with the way I treated her, I don't even deserve to call her a friend,' he thought.
Chad looked at Ethan and could see all the emotions running through his head. He saw the anger, hurt, pain, sadness, and finally, realization come across his face. After he had said the words to Ethan, he knew it would hurt him. And although he didn't want his friend to be in pain, he had to make him realize that he was the bad guy in this entire situation, not Fox. Looking up at Ethan again, Chad saw that he was barely holding back his tears.
"Hey, Ethan, let's get you out of here, it's really late," he said sincerely as he started to lead Ethan away from Theresa's window.
"What? Yeah, okay, sure," Ethan replied numbly. He barely felt himself being pulled by Chad toward his car. He didn't even realize when Fox put him in the passenger seat and settle himself in the driver's seat.
"I'll drive you home since I walked over here," he said, seeing the confused look on Ethan's face.
"No, no. I can't go to the mansion. Gwen will ask too many questions. Take me somewhere else, please?" Ethan pleaded.
"All right, you can stay at my place for the night," Chad replied before starting the car and driving away. Ten minutes later they arrived at Chad's studio.
"You can take the couch, while I stay in my room," he said. Ethan barely registered his voice. "Are you going to be okay?" Chad asked worriedly.
"Huh? Yeah, don't worry, I'll be fine," Ethan replied unconvincingly.
"All right," Chad replied. He knew he was lying but he was too tired to question him further. "I'll see you tomorrow morning," he said before retreating to him room.
Ethan sat on the couch, still caught up in a daze. Realizing that he wouldn't be falling asleep soon, Ethan got up and looked around the studio. He noticed various pictures of Chad and Whitney together. There were pictures of Simone and Whitney, and even one of Whitney, Chad, Eve, and T.C. together. Ethan stopped in his tracks when he saw a picture of Whitney, Theresa, and Fox. Fox's arms were around Theresa's waist and Theresa was looking at Fox with a huge smile on her face, obviously laughing at something that Fox had said.
*Flashback*
"But look at Fox. He makes that girl happier than she's ever been in her life. Before Fox, I couldn't remember the last time Theresa smiled genuinely without having secrets hold her down."
*End Flashback*
Ethan quickly put the picture face down, not ready to deal with them yet. He walked back over to the couch and saw another picture on the nightstand next to the couch. It was a picture of Chad, Whitney, Theresa, and himself, taken years ago. He grabbed the picture frame and stared at the picture. He couldn't stop the sad smile that came across his face as he touched Theresa's face.
*Flashback*
"I just don't want to see you hurt."
"Then you shouldn't have entered my life in the first place,"
*End Flashback*
Ethan didn't realize the tears that fell from his eyes until they completely blurred his vision. Lying down, Ethan brought the picture frame close to his heart and cried himself to sleep.
TBC.
Next Chapter - The Big Day!!!
Please leave feedback!!!
A/N - First, sorry it took so long for me to update, I just couldn't seem to find time. And after writing this, I realized the ff.net didn't accept NC-17 parts anymore, so I had to rewrite an entire section and delete the NC-17 section. Sorry about that. Secondly, I've realized that I've done everything I've wanted to do to this story. When I originally had this idea, I planned to eventually just have Ethan and Miguel track down Theresa and Charity and realize that they were happy on their own. However, as you know, it didn't go that way. Too many ideas kept popping into my head, and I decided to just take a different direction. However, I realize that I've basically gotten to the point where the story must end. I love writing this story, but I don't want to drag it out to the point where you, and I, get tired of it. So most likely, the next chapter will be the last, unless I decide to write an epilogue, which is very possible. So if I do, the epilogue will be the last chapter. You guys are the best, and I appreciate all the feedback you have given me and I hope you show the same support on my second fic, A Crane's Flight. Thanks to all of you!!!
Chapter 19
The Day Before the Wedding.
"Do you really have to go?" Fox whined as Theresa put a few of her things in her bag.
"Yes. The bride and groom aren't supposed to be together the night before the wedding, it's tradition," Theresa replied.
"Who cares about tradition?" he asked.
"I do, and I'm staying at my mom's house tonight, so there's no point in trying to dissuade me," she replied.
"This sucks," Fox replied with a boyish pout.
"Oh, stop complaining," Theresa replied while laughing at Fox's pout. "You're going to be busy with your bachelor party, and I'm going to be busy with my bachelorette party. You won't even notice that I'm gone," she said.
"Yes I will. Especially when I'm sleeping alone tonight."
"Well, I promise that you'll never sleep alone again after tomorrow," Theresa said as she reached up and kissed Fox before heading out of their room.
"So, what are you ladies going to do tonight?" Fox asked as he followed Theresa downstairs.
"Nothing big; Charity and Mama decided to just invite everyone to Mama's house. It's just going to be like a ladies' night," she replied as Charity and Brady also descended the stairs.
"Are you ready?" Charity asked Theresa.
"Yeah," Theresa responded. "So what are you guys going to do?" she asked turning to Brady and Fox.
"I'm not sure, I let Brady decide," Fox replied.
"Yeah, and I plan to make it a real bachelor party complete with beer, and strippers and." he trailed off seeing the glares he was receiving from Charity and Theresa.
"If you take him within a five mile radius of a stripper, I'll kill you," Theresa threatened as she glared at Brady. "And then, when I'm done, I'll kill you," she said turning to Fox. Charity laughed at the shocked and scared expressions that appeared of on the faces of Fox and Brady.
"No strippers, got it," Brady replied nervously.
"Good," Theresa replied. "Now we're going to get going, so I'll see you tomorrow at our wedding," Theresa said excitedly as she reached up and kissed Fox passionately.
"Do that again and I won't let you out of here," Fox said, wrapping his arms around her waist. Theresa laughed at Fox's statement.
"All right, we really have to go, we'll see you later," Theresa said.
"Bye, I'll see you tonight," Charity said reaching up to kiss Brady.
"Have fun!" Fox called out as Theresa and Charity walked out of the mansion.
"So, what do you have planned for tonight?" Fox asked once they had left.
"Nothing big. I figured we'd all just hop into the limos and go to a bar or club. I talked to the manager of the club and he agreed to rent us the top floor."
"Sounds good. Who'd you invite by the way?" Fox asked.
"I'm not even sure," Brady replied. "I knew that you didn't really have any friends in Harmony when you used to live here, but you seemed to be more social this time around, so I kind of just let Luis and Antonio handle the guest list. I did, however, invite our friends from California and Brad and Dylan."
"Really? It's been a while since I've talked to those two," Fox said referring to his friends from boarding school.
"Yeah, their plane arrived earlier today. In fact, I have to go pick them up, so I'll see you later," Brady said as he headed to the door.
"All right, I'll talk to you later," Fox said and Brady left the mansion.
At the Lopez-Fitzgerald house, the ladies were already laughing and enjoying themselves.
"I'm so glad you guys could make it to the party," Theresa said looking at her friends from California.
"Like we would miss the most important day of your life," Isabel replied.
"I still can't believe that you're getting married," Beth said. "I remember when you were just a little girl who always wanted me to play with her."
"I know, it's crazy how much I've changed. But I love it. I'm going to be a married woman by this time tomorrow! I still can't get over that."
"And to Fox of all people! I swear, I never thought he'd settle down with one woman," Sheridan said. "I still don't know how you did it."
"I have my ways," Theresa joked with a smirk. Everyone laughed at her comment.
"Let's open presents!" Samantha exclaimed.
"Me first!" Whitney exclaimed. "Here," Whitney said as she handed Theresa her gift. Theresa opened the gift to reveal and deep red, silk nightgown. It was short and left very little to the imagination.
"Wow," Theresa said with a blush as she admired Whitney's gift.
"Fox is going to go crazy," Isabel said
"I know," Theresa replied with a laugh. "Thanks, Whit," she said.
"I'm next," Maria said, handing her gift to Theresa. Theresa opened the box to see a long, leather whip with handcuffs.
"I can't believe you bought me this," Theresa said turning a deep shade of red.
"What?" Maria asked innocently. "I think Fox will love it," she said with a smile.
"I'm sure he will," Theresa replied as she reached over to hug Maria. "Thanks."
"No problem," Maria replied.
"I'm going to go get a drink from the kitchen, you guys keep talking," Theresa said as she got up and headed to the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen and looked inside the refrigerator.
"See anything you like?" a cold voice asked from the back door. Theresa looked up at the sound of the voice.
"Oh, God, what the hell are you doing here?" she asked irritably looking at Gwen.
"I came for the party, since it seems my invitation was lost in the mail," Gwen replied making her way farther into the kitchen.
"What do you want?" Theresa asked.
"I came to talk to you about Ethan," she replied.
"I don't care about him - there that was a nice talk," she replied turning away from Gwen. Gwen rushed in front of Theresa, preventing her from walking away.
"You can't fool me, Theresa. I know your whole relationship with Fox is just a scheme to make Ethan jealous so that he'll come running back to you," she said icily.
"Gee, you caught me Gwen," Theresa replied sarcastically. "Get over yourself Gwen, I wouldn't go through all this trouble just to get Ethan back and make your life miserable. Neither one of you are worth it."
"So you expect me to believe that you're marrying Fox out of love? Please Theresa, everyone knows you aren't capable of loving anyone besides Ethan."
"I really don't care what you believe, Gwen. The bottom line is, tomorrow I'm walking down that isle to marry my amazing boyfriend. And when I walk down that isle, I'll be able to say with confidence that the only woman he's thinking about is me. Tell me, could you honestly say that on your wedding day?" she asked with a smug smirk.
"I'm not here to discuss my wedding day," Gwen said angrily, knowing that Theresa was right. "I'm here to tell you that if you try any last minute tricks to get Ethan back, you'll regret it."
"I don't want Ethan," Theresa replied while staring at Gwen. For a split second she saw a look of desperation appear on Gwen's face. "And you know I don't want him, don't you?" she asked as realization dawned on her.
"Of course you want him," Gwen replied quickly.
"No, see I finally figured it out; you're jealous," Theresa said with a smile.
"Jealous? Of you? Please Theresa. Why would I ever be jealous of you? I have Ethan, remember?"
"Yeah, but you don't really want him anymore, do you? Oh my God, it's so obvious now!" Theresa said as she continued to put the pieces together.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Gwen said unconvincingly.
"This isn't even about Ethan; at one point, it was, but not anymore. All of this is about me. You just can't stand the fact that after all your lies and deceit, I still managed to come out on top."
"Now who needs to get over themselves?" Gwen asked.
"I'm not trying to be conceited; I'm just being honest. Seriously, if this were really about Ethan, you'd be glad that I was with Fox. I'd finally be out of your way. But instead, you're constantly threatening me and reminding me of the love I once had for Ethan. It's almost as though you want me to go back to Ethan and away from Fox."
"And why the hell would I do that?" Gwen asked.
"Because I have everything you've always wanted. You wanted Ethan because he was a loving, kind, and gentle, but that didn't work for you. Instead, I'm getting the loving, kind, and gentle husband, who at the same time is very passionate. When you were dating Ethan, you thought you'd eventually be Mrs. Crane, but once again that didn't work. I'm the one that's marrying the heir to the Crane Empire and I'm the one that will be referred to as Mrs. Crane. I've got great family, great friends, and an amazing career, while you and your husband are unwanted guests in my fiancé's house. You don't hate me because Ethan loves me, you hate me because I have the life you always wanted."
"I'm not jealous of you," Gwen said not looking Theresa in the eye.
"Yes you are. There's no point in denying it, it's shown all over your face."
"It just not fair!" Gwen exclaimed. "You're the housekeeper's daughter! You're not supposed to be famous and making millions of dollars. You're not supposed to be marrying one of the richest men in world. You're supposed to be living a horrible life. Or at least working two jobs to support yourself. You don't deserve to have the biggest wedding ever. You don't deserve to be living a better life than me!"
"You selfish, cold-hearted bitch," Theresa said coldly. "I don't deserve to be living a better life than you? How dare you say that to me! Let me tell you something, I deserve everything that I have because I worked my ass off for it. Excuse me if I didn't sit on my ass all day and wait for my husband to provide for me," she said. She took a deep breath before speaking up again. "You're a sad excuse for a woman, Gwen. And you deserve everything that life has thrown your way. Now get out of my house," she said steely. She walked to the back door and held it open. Gwen composed herself before turning around and walking to the door.
"And another thing," Theresa said before Gwen could leave. "My mother hasn't been a housekeeper for years. Her name is Pilar and that's how you will refer to her - is that clear?" Gwen simply glared at Theresa, not saying a word. "I'll take that as a yes," Theresa said before slamming the door in Gwen's face.
"Who were you talking to?" Whitney asked as she entered the kitchen.
"Oh, no one," Theresa lied. "Come on, we've got a party to get back to," she said dragging Whitney out of the kitchen with her.
At a Local Club.
"Here's to Fox," Brady said raising his bottle of beer to the room full of men. "The once self-proclaimed bachelor and now husband-to-be," he said with a laugh.
"To Fox," everyone said at the same time.
"Hey, where are all the strippers?" Dylan asked from his seat.
"Theresa threatened to kill Brady if he got me anywhere near a stripper," Fox replied with a laugh.
"You let a girl threaten you?" Dylan asked Brady with amusement in his eyes.
"Have you seen Theresa when she's pissed? It's not a pretty sight," Brady replied, adding a fake shiver for effect.
"Whatever man," Dylan replied before turning his attention to Fox. "So, Fox my man, what's so special about this lady that has gotten you to walk down the infamous isle?" he asked. A small smile appeared on Fox's face at the thought of Theresa.
"If you have to ask, you'll never know," Fox replied simply.
"Ooh, she must be special if she's got you quoting Louis Armstrong," Dylan said.
"She is," Fox replied with a smile.
"So, how is she in bed?" Brad asked in his usual blunt manner.
"Must you be so crude?" Brady asked disgustedly.
"You've know me for years, do you really need me to answer that question?" Brad asked with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway, back to my question, how good is Theresa in bed?" he asked with a smirk not noticing Antonio and Luis appear behind him.
"Care to repeat that question?" Luis asked seriously.
"Oh, I was just trying to find out how good Ms. Lopez-Fitzgerald is in bed. Who knows, maybe she has a sister," Brad replied, not knowing who Luis and Antonio were.
"No, she doesn't. But she does have two very protective older brothers, and you're looking at them," Antonio replied, getting in Brad's face. Brad visibly paled at Antonio's statement.
"Oh.well.I was just joking.I didn't." Brad stuttered, trying to form a sentence.
"You'll have to excuse Brad. He's always been outspoken like this, most people just learn to ignore him," Fox said, saving Brad from Luis and Antonio. Brad glared at Fox for his comment, but quickly wiped it away when he realized that it had worked on Luis and Antonio.
"We'll do that," Luis said, looking at Brad one more time before turning his attention back to Fox. "We wanted to talk to you, got a minute?" he asked Fox.
"Yeah, sure," Fox replied. "Let's go," he said as he got up and followed them to a corner of the room. Upon reaching there, he saw Miguel was already sitting there.
"Have a seat," Luis said as he and Antonio took a seat in front of him, next to Miguel.
"So, what's this about?" Fox asked, although he already had an idea.
"Theresa," Antonio replied. "Tomorrow, you're taking her away from the Lopez-Fitzgerald family, and welcoming her into the Crane family, and we want to make sure you good enough to take our sister away from us," he said seriously.
"Um, okay," Fox replied somewhat nervously. "How do you plan to do that?" he asked.
"Really simple actually. Bottom line - if so much as make one tear drop fall from Theresa's eyes anytime that you are with her, we'll hunt you down like a dog. Okay?" Luis said seriously.
"I would never intentionally hurt Theresa," Fox said defensively, upset that they would think so little of him.
"We know that, and we're not accusing you of that," Antonio said. "But you have to understand where we're coming from. Not only are you taking her away from this family, but you're also taking her all the way to California. She's not going to have her brothers or mother to run to whenever she wants. After tomorrow, you're going to be the only family member she has over there. And we want to make sure that you understand this," he said.
"I've taken pride in knowing that I was there to raise Theresa into the woman that she is today," Luis added. "She's gone through a lot in her life and she deserves nothing but happiness now, and I need to trust that you'll give that to her," he said.
"Trust me, Luis, I'd do anything to make Theresa happy. You have my word," Fox said seriously after hearing their point of view.
"That all we needed to know," Antonio said as they all stood up. After shaking hands with Fox, Luis and Antonio heading back to join the other men.
"What about you, Miguel? I haven't heard a word from you," Fox said with a smile, almost daring Miguel to say something to him.
"After what I did to your sister, I really don't think I have a right to threaten you," Miguel replied sheepishly while looking at Fox.
"Yeah, you don't," Fox said seriously, staring hard at Miguel. After a few seconds, he broke out into a big smile. "I'm just kidding," he said with a laugh. Miguel let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Yeah.yeah, I knew that," Miguel said unsuccessfully trying to sound confident.
"Sure you did," Fox replied with a smile. "Come on, I've got a bachelor party to return to," he said as he and Miguel headed back to their tables.
Later That Night.
"Well that's it. You're last night as an un-wed man," Julian said as the limo pulled in front of the Crane mansion.
"I guess it is," Fox replied.
"How does it feel?" Brady asked.
"Like I won a million dollars," he replied with a boyish smile.
"Oh God, I'm going to get out of here before you start singing love songs," Julian replied jokingly. "Are you two coming?" he asked as he got out of the limo.
"Yeah," Brady replied as he and Fox exited the limo.
"Guys, I'm going to go for a drive, I'll see you two later," Fox said as he headed to his jeep.
"All right, don't stay out too late. Theresa will kill me if her groom misses his own wedding because he overslept," Brady replied.
"Don't worry about it, I'll be back in time," Fox replied before entering his car and pulling out.
Fox drove around town aimlessly, just enjoying the serenity of the town. After fifteen or twenty minutes, Fox realized that he had somehow driven to Theresa's childhood house. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost midnight.
"Maybe Theresa's still awake," he said to himself as he parked in the driveway. He quickly went to the front door and rang the doorbell. Pilar opened the door.
"Fox," she said with surprise. "What are you doing here? You should be sleeping, you have a big day ahead of you," she said as she let him in the house.
"I know. I was driving around and I ended up here, so I decided to see if Theresa was awake," Fox replied.
"Isn't that sweet? You can't even go one night without seeing her," Pilar said with a smile. Fox blushed at her statement.
"Is she awake?" he asked shyly.
"I think she is. She just went to her room about ten minutes so she should still be awake. I'm going to go to bed, so tell her to lock the door when you leave," Pilar replied.
"All right, thanks," Fox replied as he started to make his way over to Theresa's old room.
"Fox?" Pilar called out before left the room.
"Yes?" he asked turning around.
"Ivy may never have thought this, but it's going to be an honor to call you my son-in-law. I couldn't ask for a better one," she said with a smile as she went over and hugged him.
"Thank- thank you," Fox said, surprised and touched by Pilar's admission. "I couldn't ask for a better mother-in-law," he said.
"Thank you," Pilar replied. "Now go ahead and see Theresa, I know you can barely wait," she said with a smile. Fox laughed one more time before heading to Theresa's room. When he reached it he saw Theresa sitting by her desk, looking in her mirror. He entered, unnoticed, and closed the door behind him while still watching Theresa.
"You look beautiful," he said softly, surprising her.
"Fox!" she exclaimed. "You're not supposed to be here, it's against tradition," she said.
"Screw tradition," he replied. "I had to see you," he added. Theresa couldn't help but soften after his statement. She walked over and brought him into a loving hug.
"Well, it's good to see you. I was already missing you," she said as she reached up and kissed him.
"So how was your party?" Fox asked once Theresa had pulled away.
"It was fun," Theresa replied as she led Fox to her bed. "I got a lot of interesting presents," she said with a blush.
"Do I want to know what they are?" Fox asked warily seeing the blush that came across her face.
"You'll find out soon enough," she replied with a knowing smile. "Anyway, how was your party?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Pretty good, aside from the part where your brothers basically threatened my life," he replied.
"Oh, God, what did they do?" she asked exasperatingly remembering how tough Luis used to be to her dates when they came to pick her up. Just picturing Luis and Antonio together was enough to make any little sister worry.
"Nothing much. They basically told me to take care of you and that they'd hunt me down if I ever hurt you," Fox replied with a shrug.
"Wow, they toned down," Theresa replied. "Luis used to tell my dates that he'd come after them with his gun," she said with a laugh.
"Yeah, I could see Luis saying that," Fox said with a laugh as he began to rub circles on Theresa's exposed stomach. "Anyway, enough about your brothers. I'd much rather be doing other things," he said as he started to kiss her neck.
"Oh really?" Theresa asked with a smile. "And what would that be?" she teased.
"I'll show you," Fox replied before climbing over Theresa and capturing her lips in a fiery kiss.
Theresa moaned at the intensity of the kiss and immediately wrapped her arms around Fox's neck. Fox began to kiss her all the way down her neck and started raise her tank top over her head.
"Wait, we can't do this," Theresa groaned. "Mama's in the kitchen, she'll hear us," she said.
"She went to sleep," Fox replied, barely removing his lips from her neck.
"Are you sure?" Theresa asked, desperately wanting him to be right.
"Yeah, she told me to tell you to lock up," Fox replied finally stopping his assault on her neck.
"Good," Theresa said before allowing herself to succumb to Fox's love.
"That was amazing," Theresa said with a goofy smile on her face almost an hour later.
"I know," Fox replied, still a little breathless. They laid on the bed, wrapped in each other arms, for a while, each just enjoying the company of the other.
"You have to start going," Theresa said softly while gently rubbing Fox's cheek.
"Why can't I just stay here," he asked.
"Because, Mama will have a fit if she realizes that you spent the night. Besides, you and I both know that neither one of us will be getting any sleep if you stay here. And I need my sleep, I have to look perfect," she said.
"You always look perfect," Fox said rubbing his hands through her hair.
"Compliments will get you no where," Theresa joked. "Come on, get dressed and I'll walk you to the door," she said as she climbed out of bed and threw on her nightwear. Once they were both fully dressed, she took his hand and led him to the front door.
"Call me when you get home," she said leaning against the doorframe.
"All right. I'll see you tomorrow, babe," Fox replied, reaching down to give her a soft kiss on the lips. "I love you," he said.
"I love you too," she replied before he turned and entered his car. She watched him drive off before closing the door and heading to her room to get some sleep.
Fox arrived at the mansion almost ten minutes later. He opened the door and prepared to go up to his room to get some sleep. Before he could even reach the stairs, a voice stopped him.
"Well look who decided to finally show up," Ethan said condescendingly as he saw Fox enter the mansion.
"Aww, isn't that nice, you decided to wait up for me," Fox said sarcastically.
"Where were you?" Ethan asked.
"In case you forgot, I had a bachelor party, most people tend to come home late after one of those," Fox replied with a roll of his eyes as he started going up the stairs.
"Julian and Brady arrived almost an hour ago," Ethan said.
"Thanks for the news report," Fox replied sardonically as he continued up the stairs.
"Where the hell did you go?" Ethan asked, angry that Fox was barely acknowledging his presence.
"None of your damn business," Fox replied not bothering to look at Ethan. He continued to climb the stairs and head to his room.
Ethan stood, seething at Fox's behavior to him. 'He doesn't deserve to marry Theresa,' he thought to himself. 'I have to talk her out of this. Tonight's my last chance,' he said with resolution. He quickly gathered his coat and keys and headed out of the mansion to Theresa's house.
Ten minutes later, Ethan stood outside the Lopez-Fitzgerald home contemplating whether or not he should ring the doorbell. 'If I ring the doorbell, Miguel or Pilar might answer it; and if they see me, they'll never let me talk to Theresa,' he thought.
Coming to a decision, Ethan walked to the side of the house. When he reached Theresa's bedroom window he simply pulled it open, knowing that Theresa never locked her window. He quietly stepped into her room and admired her for a few seconds as she slept. Realizing that someone could walk in at any minute, he quickly stepped out of his daze and walked to Theresa.
"Theresa.Theresa," he whispered while trying to gently shake her awake.
"Fox? Is that you again, baby?" Theresa asked groggily, not bothering to open her eyes. 'So that's where he was,' Ethan thought angrily to himself as he imagined Fox alone with Theresa in her room.
"Fox, I told you to go home," Theresa said tiredly with her eyes still closed.
"Theresa, it's not Fox, it's Ethan," he said trying to wake her up. It worked. Theresa's eyes snapped open at the sound of Ethan's name and she quickly reached over to turn on her room light.
"What the hell are you doing here? And how did you get in?" she asked as she climbed out of her bed and retreated away from Ethan.
"I came to talk to you, and I climbed through your window," Ethan replied.
"I can't believe you!" Theresa said in a loud whisper, not wanting to wake up Miguel or her mother. "I could have you arrested for breaking in and entering," she said.
"I just wanted to help you," Ethan replied trying to calm down Theresa.
"You could help me by leaving my room and staying the hell away from me," Theresa snapped.
"Theresa, you don't know what you're getting into by marrying Fox," Ethan said, choosing to ignore her last statement, however painful it was.
"I really don't think my marriage to Fox is any of your business," Theresa replied rudely.
"I just don't want to see you hurt."
"Then you shouldn't have entered my life in the first place," Theresa bit out, sending a pang of guilt and hurt through Ethan.
"I know that I hurt you, but I never did it intentionally. Fox, on the other hand, he would intentionally hurt you. Just look at the words he said to Ivy last month. If he did that to his own mother, what do you think he'd do to you?" Ethan asked, trying to make her understand.
"First of all, Ivy deserved every little thing that Fox said to her. If anything, Fox went a little too easy on her, considering they way she treated him. And secondly, Fox would never, in a million years, intentionally hurt me. He loves me and when I'm with him, I have no doubts that I'm the only woman in his heart, that's more than I could ever say when I was with you. Now I have no idea what's wrong with you or Gwen, but both of you are becoming thorns in my sides and I'm getting sick of defending my relationship with Fox to either one of you. Get out Ethan; get out of my house and my life. If you ever try to even talk to me again, I will have you arrested," she said strictly.
"Theresa, I-"
"Now!" Theresa said forcefully.
Ethan looked at Theresa sadly, realizing that he would never have her again. He put his head down dejectedly as he headed to her window. Theresa followed closely behind him, wanting to make sure that he was gone before she went back to sleep. Ethan climbed out of the window, but turned around before walking away.
"I've always loved you, Theresa. And at one point, I know you loved me too," he said, looking into her eyes that had now become cold and unaffectionate.
"And I'm still wondering how I managed to do that," she said coldly before slamming the window shut and locking it. She then pulled her curtains closed, blocking Ethan from seeing anything.
Ethan stood outside Theresa's window for almost ten minutes pondering over the greatest loss of his life. He probably would have stayed there all night if a noise from behind him hadn't caught his attention. He turned around and saw Chad approaching him.
"Chad? What are you doing here?" he asked confused.
"I called the mansion to see how you were doing, you know, with the wedding and all," he said sympathetically. "Anyway, Gwen told me that you weren't home and after thinking for a minute or two, I realized this is where you'd probably be," he ended.
"She's really getting married tomorrow," Ethan said sadly as he looked back at her window.
"You've known about this for months, Ethan," Chad replied.
"Yeah, but it doesn't make it any easier," he replied with a sigh. "I guess I just always thought she'd cancel it and come back to me."
"For what?" Chad asked somewhat rudely. Ethan was his friend, and he had been there for him whenever he needed, but he was really getting annoyed with his attitude toward Theresa.
"Excuse me?" Ethan asked, surprised by Chad's rude tone.
"You heard me," Chad replied. "Why the hell would Theresa come running back to you? You're freaking married! And for some reason, you seem to forget that fact."
"Chad, you know I only married Gwen because I thought she was pregnant," Ethan replied.
"That doesn't change the fact that you married her. No one forced you to propose, you did that on your own free will, so stop acting like someone held a gun to your head," he said irritably.
"Why are you acting like this?" Ethan asked confused.
"Because I'm sick of the way you've been acting. It's okay for you to get married and start a family, but it's not okay for Theresa? How the hell is that fair?" he asked.
"I'm not saying that I don't want Theresa to get married and start a family, because I do. I just always wanted to be the one that she did it with. And I know that it's too late now, I've hurt her too much, but did she have to move on with Fox?" he asked meanly. Chad rolled his eyes at the disgusted way Ethan said Fox's name before he replied.
"And what the hell is wrong with Fox?" he asked. "I've gotten to know him a lot, since I decided to participate in his wedding, and he's a really good guy."
"No he isn't," Ethan replied. "And I still haven't fully forgiven you for agreeing to be in that wedding," he said angrily.
"And I don't give a damn!" Chad replied, not liking the way Ethan was talking to him. "Who needs your damn forgiveness? And if I were you, Ethan, I'd watch what you say to me, because right now, I'm the only friend you've got," he said.
Ethan stared at Chad, and could tell that he had really pissed him off. He took a few calming breaths before speaking up again.
"You're right, I'm sorry," he said.
"Forget about it," Chad said, already letting the argument drop.
"But Chad, you have to understand. No one knows Fox like I do. He's one of the biggest screw-ups ever," he said.
"And what? You're 'Mr. Perfect'?" he asked sarcastically. "Ethan have you ever really sat down and thought of all the pain you caused Theresa?"
"Of course I have. I know I hurt her when I decided to marry Gwen," he replied.
"Not just that, I mean all the pain, starting from the first time you kissed her," Chad said. "First of all, you kiss her while you're still dating Gwen, only to tell her that it was basically a mistake. Then you date both her and Gwen at the same time just so that you could decide who you wanted to be with. You promise to be with her forever, but turn your back on her when she accidentally married Julian. And may I point out that the only reason she was with Julian was to get him to take you back into the Crane family. Then, to add salt to her wounds, you propose to Gwen in front of her and later flaunt your marriage and happiness in her face. From day one, Ethan, you have brought nothing but pain and tears to Theresa's life. But look at Fox. He makes that girl happier than she's ever been in her life. Before Fox, I couldn't remember the last time Theresa smiled genuinely without having secrets hold her down. Fox somehow managed to take away all the hurt and pain that you caused her, and just looking at him when he's with her, you can tell that he'd gladly give up everything dear to him if it somehow brought a smile to her face. Now I'm sorry that you have this big sibling rivalry with Fox, but you cannot stand here and tell me that Fox is a screw-up that doesn't deserve Theresa, because he'd do anything for that girl. And from where I'm standing, the only screw-up is you."
Ethan stood there, shocked and angered by Chad's words. One part of him wanted to attack Chad, wanted to hurt him for saying those words to him. Another part of him wanted to break down and cry at the honesty of his words. But he couldn't do either. He was frozen in place as he replayed Chad's words in his head over and over again. 'From day one, Ethan, you have brought nothing but pain and tears to Theresa's life.' Each time he heard the words in his head, they cut him like a knife. 'God, Chad's right. What right do I have to choose whom Theresa marries? Hell, with the way I treated her, I don't even deserve to call her a friend,' he thought.
Chad looked at Ethan and could see all the emotions running through his head. He saw the anger, hurt, pain, sadness, and finally, realization come across his face. After he had said the words to Ethan, he knew it would hurt him. And although he didn't want his friend to be in pain, he had to make him realize that he was the bad guy in this entire situation, not Fox. Looking up at Ethan again, Chad saw that he was barely holding back his tears.
"Hey, Ethan, let's get you out of here, it's really late," he said sincerely as he started to lead Ethan away from Theresa's window.
"What? Yeah, okay, sure," Ethan replied numbly. He barely felt himself being pulled by Chad toward his car. He didn't even realize when Fox put him in the passenger seat and settle himself in the driver's seat.
"I'll drive you home since I walked over here," he said, seeing the confused look on Ethan's face.
"No, no. I can't go to the mansion. Gwen will ask too many questions. Take me somewhere else, please?" Ethan pleaded.
"All right, you can stay at my place for the night," Chad replied before starting the car and driving away. Ten minutes later they arrived at Chad's studio.
"You can take the couch, while I stay in my room," he said. Ethan barely registered his voice. "Are you going to be okay?" Chad asked worriedly.
"Huh? Yeah, don't worry, I'll be fine," Ethan replied unconvincingly.
"All right," Chad replied. He knew he was lying but he was too tired to question him further. "I'll see you tomorrow morning," he said before retreating to him room.
Ethan sat on the couch, still caught up in a daze. Realizing that he wouldn't be falling asleep soon, Ethan got up and looked around the studio. He noticed various pictures of Chad and Whitney together. There were pictures of Simone and Whitney, and even one of Whitney, Chad, Eve, and T.C. together. Ethan stopped in his tracks when he saw a picture of Whitney, Theresa, and Fox. Fox's arms were around Theresa's waist and Theresa was looking at Fox with a huge smile on her face, obviously laughing at something that Fox had said.
*Flashback*
"But look at Fox. He makes that girl happier than she's ever been in her life. Before Fox, I couldn't remember the last time Theresa smiled genuinely without having secrets hold her down."
*End Flashback*
Ethan quickly put the picture face down, not ready to deal with them yet. He walked back over to the couch and saw another picture on the nightstand next to the couch. It was a picture of Chad, Whitney, Theresa, and himself, taken years ago. He grabbed the picture frame and stared at the picture. He couldn't stop the sad smile that came across his face as he touched Theresa's face.
*Flashback*
"I just don't want to see you hurt."
"Then you shouldn't have entered my life in the first place,"
*End Flashback*
Ethan didn't realize the tears that fell from his eyes until they completely blurred his vision. Lying down, Ethan brought the picture frame close to his heart and cried himself to sleep.
TBC.
Next Chapter - The Big Day!!!
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A/N - First, sorry it took so long for me to update, I just couldn't seem to find time. And after writing this, I realized the ff.net didn't accept NC-17 parts anymore, so I had to rewrite an entire section and delete the NC-17 section. Sorry about that. Secondly, I've realized that I've done everything I've wanted to do to this story. When I originally had this idea, I planned to eventually just have Ethan and Miguel track down Theresa and Charity and realize that they were happy on their own. However, as you know, it didn't go that way. Too many ideas kept popping into my head, and I decided to just take a different direction. However, I realize that I've basically gotten to the point where the story must end. I love writing this story, but I don't want to drag it out to the point where you, and I, get tired of it. So most likely, the next chapter will be the last, unless I decide to write an epilogue, which is very possible. So if I do, the epilogue will be the last chapter. You guys are the best, and I appreciate all the feedback you have given me and I hope you show the same support on my second fic, A Crane's Flight. Thanks to all of you!!!