Chapter 13
'Surprised to see me?' she said laughing.
'You could say that. You left and I told you not to come back.' He said angrily.
'I know but I really wanted to talk to you about everything that happened. Teresa could you leave us alone so we can talk'
'No Teresa you don't have to leave. Gwen you can't just come in here and expect me to drop everything
for you. Teresa and I had plans'
'Ethan it's okay. You need to talk to Gwen. I'll go do some work in ivy's office so she doesn't have that much while I'm not here.' she said leaving the room.
'Teresa please don't leave the mansion' he asked pleadingly.
'Okay. I'll talk to you later. Bye Gwen.'
Ethan watched Teresa leave and then turned his attention back to Gwen.
'What are you doing here?' he asked testily
'Well I originally came back to talk about our wedding-'
'All the plans were cancelled the day after you left' he cut her off.
'That's Okay. Ethan why did you even want to marry me?'
'What kind of a question is that?' he asked taking a seat in his desk chair.
Gwen sat down on his bed facing him. 'It's just that. you know how important my career is too me and how hard I have worked to please my father. And when all my hard work is about to fall through you tell me I have to choose between you and my fathers acceptance. That isn't fair. Now did you really want to marry me or not?'
'Yes Gwen I did want to marry you. But some things happened over the past year to change that. I proposed because it was the next thing to do in our relationship. I didn't want to end it at the time. Also our parents were expecting it, with the merge and all.'
'What has changed your mind now?' she asked quietly.
'A lot of things. The night that you left, when Crystal was shot and I was down at the wharf. I was with Teresa.'
'What?' she shouted.
'Teresa was the one who called me. And she was down there with me, comforting me. She was there for me when I needed her.'
'Ethan you could have taken me with you we were together that night.'
'I know that but… you don't want to hear this'
'Yes Ethan I do. I want to know why our relationship dissolved'
'That night when we were together I think I hallucinated because when I told you I loved you I saw Teresa's face.'
'You've got to be kidding me right?' Gwen asked completely shocked.
'I'm sorry but I'm not' he said lowering his head.
'So you mean to tell me that you thought I was Teresa when we made love that night. Oh god. I have never been so embarrassed. How could you Ethan?'
'No Gwen It was only for a few seconds. Honestly I knew it was you that I was with.' He got up and walked over to the bed sitting down next to her.
'Ethan how long have you and Teresa been together?' she asked not wanting to know the answer.
'Teresa and I aren't together' he replied shocked.
'Ethan from what you just told me it sounds like you are in love with her. Aren't you?'
'When you walked away from me that night I should have been heartbroken Gwen. We had been together forever, but I wasn't. when I sat down and thought about it I realized that I did have very strong feelings for her. We have grown very close over that past year. Then with you gone and spending time with her on the wedding I think my feelings grew into love. My feelings for Teresa have only just started to show. I would look at her and could stare at her for ages and just get lost in her beauty. I did things with Teresa that I would never even imagine doing with you-'
'Ethan I don't want to discuss your sex life with Teresa' she said bitterly.
'What! No Gwen I am not with Teresa in any way. Do you remember when I went up to the Crane cabin with Chad?'
'Yes you were discussing music'
'Well Teresa and Whitney were supposed to be staying at the lodge but their reservation was lost so Teresa, who still had the key to cabin from the last time she came up, said they could stay at the cabin. When they found that we were there, they decided to leave in the morning. Just after they left they got caught in an avalanche. We went after them and when I found Teresa she wasn't breathing. I had to do mouth to mouth. When we told her what had happened she got really depressed. So Chad and I dressed up as Italian waiters to make them laugh. I also sang to her and did my Elvis impersonation'
'You dressed up as Elvis?' she asked skeptically.
'Yes Gwen, I also sang with her.'
'I never knew you sang' she said quietly, 'I guess there is a lot of stuff I don't know about you'
'Because I kept it hidden from you, Cranes aren't supposed to have fun it is all about social appearances and being proper. I didn't feel comfortable doing that stuff in front of you. Whenever I am with Teresa I feel like I can just be Ethan and not Ethan Crane. I never had that comfort with you. I know that you probably don't want to be hearing this but I have to tell you'
'Thank you for being honest with me Ethan, It's okay I wasn't completely honest with you either. The reason that I was spending so much time away was because I met someone. But my father found out and was angry and said I couldn't jeopardize the merger. When I was with this guy I felt the same way you did when you are with Teresa. When you gave me the chance to leave, I took it. I just really wanted to be with him. And if I told my father that you had broken it off it would be okay. Apparently father has spoken to Julian and they are going to continue with the merger even without the marriage.'
'You're kidding.' He replied shocked
'Nope Julian did a huge speech about needing to base marriages on love not business. He said your heart wasn't in the marriage so he couldn't allow it to happen.'
'So what are you going to do now?'
'I'm getting married' she announced
'Wow that was quick, congratulations Gwen. I'm glad that you are happy' he said giving her a hug.
'Thank you Ethan, so you aren't angry at me?'
'No as long as you are happy'
'Thanks so what is going on between you and Teresa?' she asked.
'Straight to the point aren't you?' he said smiling.
'Would you have me any other way?' she retaliated.
'No I guess not. We are just friends. Teresa is the best thing that has happened in my life and she is my best friend. But she has no romantic feelings for me' he stated.
'So what are you going to do about this little dilemma?'
'Well Miguel is on my side and has arranged for me to take Teresa to her prom next Saturday'
'Does Teresa know this?'
'No she asked Miguel to find her a prom date and when I enquired how his search was going he picked up on my feelings for her and is helping me out'
'You know my fiancé is in town with me. Why don't you and Teresa come out to dinner with us tomorrow night? I can arrange for us to have an 'emergency' half way through leaving you and her alone in a nice restaurant. What do you say?' she asked raising her eyebrows at him.
'I say you are too good to be true. Your fiancé is one lucky guy' he said hugging her.
'Okay well since I interrupted your afternoon why don't I go ask Teresa and you go reheat your cold food.'
'Okay she's in my mothers office' he said and then left to reheat the food.
Teresa had been in Ivy's office for almost an hour. She was really worried about Ethan even though he was in love with someone else Gwen had hurt him when she left and she had no idea what was going on behind the closed doors of Ethan's room. She had walked past once or twice hoping to hear what was going on but couldn't hear anything so she returned to the office in an attempt to do work.
It wasn't working. There was only one thing on her mind and that was Ethan. He was always on her mind; she was in love with him after all. As hard as she tried she just couldn't push the feelings out of her heart.
But there was something else bugging her. Down on the beach when she was talking to Patrick and Ethan came back from swimming. Patrick had assumed that Ethan and her were together. She knew that they were close friends but Ethan hadn't corrected Patrick? He just went onto what they would do next. Why had he not corrected him? They weren't going out not even close to it. He was in love with someone else.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock at the door 'come in' she answered. She thought that it was probably Ethan coming to tell her about what had just happened but she was completely shocked when Gwen walked through the door.
'Hey Teresa can we talk?' Gwen asked taking a seat on the other side of the desk.
'Umm yeah sure' she replied
'I know that you are probably angry at me right now for leaving Ethan the way I did but from we just discussed, neither one of us were happy in the relationship. We are both in love with other people.'
'You mean you were with someone else while you were with Ethan?'
'Yes I have told Ethan this and he understands that we were both under pressure from our families. But it has all been sorted out.'
'How has it been sorted out?' Teresa asked
'Well my father was quite angry that we weren't getting married and thought that the merger wasn't going to go through. But Julian convinced him that a marriage was not necessary for the merger to take place especially one that was not based on love.'
'Julian said this?'
'Apparently Julian is a big romantic under his hard exterior. Who would have thought? Any way the reason I am here is because I am engaged and I would love for you and Ethan to have dinner with us tomorrow night? How about it?'
'Well if Ethan agrees I'll go along' she said reluctantly.
'Teresa I know we were never the best of friends but I would really like for you to be my maid of honor at my wedding. You are such a good friend to Ethan and I. I'd really love for you to do it for me'
'Gwen I can't do that.' she protested
'Why not? Most of my friends are so superficial. It would really mean a lot to me. I'd also love for you to help co-ordinate it with me. You see I loved the plans that you had for the wedding and I would pay you of course and you would have plenty of time and people under you.'
'Wow Gwen I don't know what to say'
'Say yes. Please' she begged.
'Okay' She agreed. Gwen immediately jumped up and went around to hug Teresa.
'Now Ethan is waiting for you to watch movies in his room. I understand that you are trying to cheer him up.'
'Yes he has been quite depressed lately'
'I know he said he was in love with someone else. I know her; she is a wonderfully generous person. A lot like you Teresa.' Gwen hinted.
Teresa looked at Gwen and then nodded. 'As long as Ethan is happy, that's all that matters.' she smiled sadly.
Gwen noticed the sadness in her tone and thought that perhaps Teresa had feelings for Ethan. Wow Ethan might be wrong. It would make things a lot easier.
'Well I have to be going I'll see you tomorrow night. And thank you for everything.' She said and walked out. Teresa watched as she left and took a moment to think about what Gwen had said, "she is a wonderfully generous person. A lot like you Teresa". 'So if she was a lot like me. Then why can't it be me?' Teresa asked herself and then left to find Ethan.

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