[:-{cHaPtEr 2}-:]
wHaT cOuLd HaVe BeEn
Summary: Ivy and Sam reflect on how life would have been had they married each other instead of the others in their life. Gwen contemplates the situation with Ethan and complications arise that cause her to break down.
Ivy wheeled in while Sam was behind her carrying her things. She hated this horrid house, but it was where Sam lived and she didn't care. She sighed knowing that the person she had turned into was not someone that Sam could ever love. Ever since her marriage to Julian his presence has affected her personality. Turning her into someone that she always resented, cold, cruel, and evil. There was still that little part of her that was still the sweet Ivy that existed and that part is there because of her constant love for Sam.
"Ivy, I guess Grace isn't home right now, doesn't seem like anyone is home, actually. Anyways, I'll take your things upstairs and I'll help you up afterwards. Try to make yourself at home." Sam said as he ascended up the stairs.
I'll never think of this as my home, Sam. But this is the lifestyle you're happy in and I'll do anything to get you back. Ivy thought as she stared at the surroundings that was about to become her home.
She thought of the things that could have been had she not married Julian and married Sam instead. She didn't care that she wouldn't have had the luxury that she did when she was with Julian. She would never have had to fake her happiness and she would actually enjoy the time she spent in her house because she would be able to greet a man she loved when he came home.
When Ivy thought of the live that she could have had, it made her heart wrench and long for what could have been. She loved Sam with all her heart, she truly did. But he was married to Grace. As much as Ivy hated to admit it, she knew Grace was a good person and couldn't bear the fact that maybe Sam was better off with her instead of the tainted Ivy Winthrop ex-Crane.
"Ivy?"
"Yes, Sam?"
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know if you're alright."
"I'm fine, Sam. Except for the fact that I was humiliated beyond belief in the house I've lived in for over 20 years by some girl who has only lived there a few months. Honestly, who does Theresa think she is?"
Sam stays quiet for a minute and Ivy thinks that she has offended him. He speaks softly and says, "Well, it's Theresa's house now. She is the legal Mrs. Crane and has control and Julian; well he's too much of a coward to stand up to her. Besides, Alistair seems to have taken a liking to her. Aren't you glad to be out of that godforsaken house, Ivy?"
Ivy looks at the diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist and twists it around. Oh, how she would give up all the luxuries she had been lavished with just for a happy and normal life with Sam and Ethan. She looks down and stays silent. Honestly, she isn't exactly glad to be out of the house because she hasn't won Sam yet. If she couldn't have Sam, she wanted at least to be presented with opulent material items.
"I'm tired, Sam. Could I possibly trouble you in asking you to take me to where I'll be sleeping?" Ivy says finally.
Sam looks at her questioningly but does as she asked. He wonders if she still loves him. Not that it mattered, because he was with Grace and he loved her with all his heart. Still, he couldn't help wondering what life could have been like had he married Ivy. Would he, Ivy, and Ethan be one happy family? Grace had complications with her premonitions and Sam stuck by her. But he couldn't help but sometimes feel annoyed. This wasn't the life he had envisioned.
He wheels Ivy into the room she would be staying in and helps her get into bed. As he leaves and closes the door, those thoughts stuck in his mind and bugged him to no end.
* * * *
Gwen enters her bedroom and closes the door. She leans against, shutting her eyes, hoping that what had happened minutes ago, was just an illusion. But it did happen. Half of her wished that confrontation never took place; it only complicated matters even more. The other half was delighted to know that he still loved her and she returned the same heated passionate love.
She walks over to the large bed that she and Ethan shared and probably couldn't face him when he returned home. When she saw Fox, old feelings started stirring up inside her and she wanted desperately for them to stop. She sat on the foot of the bed, thinking and doing nothing else. She stared at her left hand, ring finger with a golden band diamond ring attached.
Most women would think that is the most beautiful ring that a man could present to the woman he loved. Gwen couldn't help but think that it was a sort of chain. A chain and ball holding her down to something she wasn't completely content with. She wanted nothing more but Fox. All she needed was Fox. But she was engaged and she couldn't break those vows.
The doorknob fiddled and in walked Ethan. His lithe body and familiar smell which Gwen felt was soothing was now making her nauseous. In her gut, she felt the slight pain of not getting what she wanted. Ethan walked over to her and kissed her. Her lips felt numb but she nevertheless tried returning the kiss. Ethan didn't seem to notice that his fiancé wasn't into it as she usually was. He caressed her hair and his hands slid down her body. Gwen squirmed underneath him and shut her eyes.
"Ethan..."
"Mmmm..?"
"I'm really, really tired right now. I don't think I can..." Gwen stared out the window trailing her sentence.
"Is everything okay, Gwen?" Ethan looked at her with love and concern in his warm eyes.
Oh, Ethan. You're a good man. But you're not the right one for me. I don't want to hurt you and jeopardize the condition both our families are in right now.
"Yes, I'm fine. But that fiasco with Theresa and Ivy, well I'm beat."
"I know. I always knew Theresa was fiery but she crossed the line when she kicked out my mother. I can't believe I used to love her. But I'm glad that I'm engaged to a woman who I love and adore." Ethan kissed her passionately once more.
Normally Gwen would be ecstatic to know that Ethan loved her more than Theresa but now she would give anything for Ethan to reconsider his feelings for Theresa so that she could be free to be with Fox. She returned Ethan's kiss without emotion or enthusiasm. Her lips were acting on their own while her mind was clearly not on Ethan.
"Well, since you're tired I suppose that we should probably go to sleep." Ethan said.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I'm out of it tonight."
"It's okay, Gwen, we've both had a long day."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, I love you."
Tears glistened in Gwen's eyes as that last phrase was said. She wasn't sure if she loved Ethan anymore. She knew in her heart she did love Fox but she was engaged to Ethan and she would have to commit to him. She made a promise and she couldn't back out of it.
"I love you, too." Ethan had fallen asleep a few minutes after that last phrase was exchanged and Gwen was free to sob.
Summary: Ivy and Sam reflect on how life would have been had they married each other instead of the others in their life. Gwen contemplates the situation with Ethan and complications arise that cause her to break down.
Ivy wheeled in while Sam was behind her carrying her things. She hated this horrid house, but it was where Sam lived and she didn't care. She sighed knowing that the person she had turned into was not someone that Sam could ever love. Ever since her marriage to Julian his presence has affected her personality. Turning her into someone that she always resented, cold, cruel, and evil. There was still that little part of her that was still the sweet Ivy that existed and that part is there because of her constant love for Sam.
"Ivy, I guess Grace isn't home right now, doesn't seem like anyone is home, actually. Anyways, I'll take your things upstairs and I'll help you up afterwards. Try to make yourself at home." Sam said as he ascended up the stairs.
I'll never think of this as my home, Sam. But this is the lifestyle you're happy in and I'll do anything to get you back. Ivy thought as she stared at the surroundings that was about to become her home.
She thought of the things that could have been had she not married Julian and married Sam instead. She didn't care that she wouldn't have had the luxury that she did when she was with Julian. She would never have had to fake her happiness and she would actually enjoy the time she spent in her house because she would be able to greet a man she loved when he came home.
When Ivy thought of the live that she could have had, it made her heart wrench and long for what could have been. She loved Sam with all her heart, she truly did. But he was married to Grace. As much as Ivy hated to admit it, she knew Grace was a good person and couldn't bear the fact that maybe Sam was better off with her instead of the tainted Ivy Winthrop ex-Crane.
"Ivy?"
"Yes, Sam?"
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know if you're alright."
"I'm fine, Sam. Except for the fact that I was humiliated beyond belief in the house I've lived in for over 20 years by some girl who has only lived there a few months. Honestly, who does Theresa think she is?"
Sam stays quiet for a minute and Ivy thinks that she has offended him. He speaks softly and says, "Well, it's Theresa's house now. She is the legal Mrs. Crane and has control and Julian; well he's too much of a coward to stand up to her. Besides, Alistair seems to have taken a liking to her. Aren't you glad to be out of that godforsaken house, Ivy?"
Ivy looks at the diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist and twists it around. Oh, how she would give up all the luxuries she had been lavished with just for a happy and normal life with Sam and Ethan. She looks down and stays silent. Honestly, she isn't exactly glad to be out of the house because she hasn't won Sam yet. If she couldn't have Sam, she wanted at least to be presented with opulent material items.
"I'm tired, Sam. Could I possibly trouble you in asking you to take me to where I'll be sleeping?" Ivy says finally.
Sam looks at her questioningly but does as she asked. He wonders if she still loves him. Not that it mattered, because he was with Grace and he loved her with all his heart. Still, he couldn't help wondering what life could have been like had he married Ivy. Would he, Ivy, and Ethan be one happy family? Grace had complications with her premonitions and Sam stuck by her. But he couldn't help but sometimes feel annoyed. This wasn't the life he had envisioned.
He wheels Ivy into the room she would be staying in and helps her get into bed. As he leaves and closes the door, those thoughts stuck in his mind and bugged him to no end.
* * * *
Gwen enters her bedroom and closes the door. She leans against, shutting her eyes, hoping that what had happened minutes ago, was just an illusion. But it did happen. Half of her wished that confrontation never took place; it only complicated matters even more. The other half was delighted to know that he still loved her and she returned the same heated passionate love.
She walks over to the large bed that she and Ethan shared and probably couldn't face him when he returned home. When she saw Fox, old feelings started stirring up inside her and she wanted desperately for them to stop. She sat on the foot of the bed, thinking and doing nothing else. She stared at her left hand, ring finger with a golden band diamond ring attached.
Most women would think that is the most beautiful ring that a man could present to the woman he loved. Gwen couldn't help but think that it was a sort of chain. A chain and ball holding her down to something she wasn't completely content with. She wanted nothing more but Fox. All she needed was Fox. But she was engaged and she couldn't break those vows.
The doorknob fiddled and in walked Ethan. His lithe body and familiar smell which Gwen felt was soothing was now making her nauseous. In her gut, she felt the slight pain of not getting what she wanted. Ethan walked over to her and kissed her. Her lips felt numb but she nevertheless tried returning the kiss. Ethan didn't seem to notice that his fiancé wasn't into it as she usually was. He caressed her hair and his hands slid down her body. Gwen squirmed underneath him and shut her eyes.
"Ethan..."
"Mmmm..?"
"I'm really, really tired right now. I don't think I can..." Gwen stared out the window trailing her sentence.
"Is everything okay, Gwen?" Ethan looked at her with love and concern in his warm eyes.
Oh, Ethan. You're a good man. But you're not the right one for me. I don't want to hurt you and jeopardize the condition both our families are in right now.
"Yes, I'm fine. But that fiasco with Theresa and Ivy, well I'm beat."
"I know. I always knew Theresa was fiery but she crossed the line when she kicked out my mother. I can't believe I used to love her. But I'm glad that I'm engaged to a woman who I love and adore." Ethan kissed her passionately once more.
Normally Gwen would be ecstatic to know that Ethan loved her more than Theresa but now she would give anything for Ethan to reconsider his feelings for Theresa so that she could be free to be with Fox. She returned Ethan's kiss without emotion or enthusiasm. Her lips were acting on their own while her mind was clearly not on Ethan.
"Well, since you're tired I suppose that we should probably go to sleep." Ethan said.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I'm out of it tonight."
"It's okay, Gwen, we've both had a long day."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, I love you."
Tears glistened in Gwen's eyes as that last phrase was said. She wasn't sure if she loved Ethan anymore. She knew in her heart she did love Fox but she was engaged to Ethan and she would have to commit to him. She made a promise and she couldn't back out of it.
"I love you, too." Ethan had fallen asleep a few minutes after that last phrase was exchanged and Gwen was free to sob.