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Chapter 4 "Fox"
A defeated Ethan walks out, his shoulders hunched and his eyes filled with tears.
"I've been such a fool, Gwen," he murmurs brokenly.
"The biggest fool on the face of the planet, Ethan," a mocking voice whispers behind him.
Ethan turns around angrily, not surprised to see his half brother Fox.
"What do you want Fox?" he asks wearily, his eyes blazing.
"Well initially the plan was to offer my sympathy but from the look of things that's the last thing you need right now," Fox tells his brother, adding "My, God Ethan, why aren't you in there with your wife giving her your support? Are you so selfish that you can't see how much she needs you right now?"
"Gwen doesn't want anything to do with me," Ethan replies bitterly.
"Can you blame her, brother?" Fox replies. "Look, I don't know what went on with Theresa and Gwen tonight but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you were the reason for their fight. How dumb could you be Ethan, making out with Theresa at a public beach while Gwen struggled to save the life of your daughter? Noble, caring, decent Prince Ethan, who would have thought you could stoop so low?" he scoffs.
"I wasn't at that beach by myself, Fox," Ethan reminds his brother. "Theresa's the one who kept throwing herself at me every chance she had, if anyone is to blame for my daughter's death it's Theresa. She's a lying, manipulative bitch just like mother always claimed---" Ethan cries furiously staggering when Fox punches him in the face, splitting his lip then knocks him to the ground with another hard blow.
"Don't talk about Theresa like that ever again, Ethan. Everything she's done has been out of love for you. She went to Bermuda to try to convince Julian to reinstate you as heir, she confessed to murder to protect you from the electric chair, and she threw herself down that elevator shaft to save your life. And still none of that was good enough for you. Your pride was more important to you than the woman you claimed to love with your whole heart. My God, not only did you propose to Gwen a few minutes after having promised Theresa that she was the only woman in your heart, you proposed right in front of her. What kind of idiot proposes to one woman in front of the other?" he yells.
"I did what I though best at the time," Ethan replies, rising to his feet slowly, his right eye swollen shut and his lip bleeding like a stuck pig.
"What you thought best, huh? Funny how you couldn't honor your commitment to your wife and your unborn child yet had no trouble playing with Theresa's feelings, you did nothing to push Theresa away or to shatter her illusions about a future with you all the while knowing that you weren't going to leave Gwen," Fox shouts.
"Shut the hell up Fox, what gives you the right to lecture me about my life?" Ethan asks petulantly.
"I might not have the right to interfere in your life bro but I sure as hell have the right to interfere in my best friend's life. I've stood by and watched you break Theresa's heart over and over again and I'm sick of it. You've bounced back and forth between Gwen and Theresa for years, claiming to love them both and yet never being able to choose between them and thus destroying the lives of two wonderful women in the process" he informs his brother, gazing at Ethan with pity. Prince Ethan had tumbled from his white horse and Fox couldn't have been happier that his brother's true colors were finally coming out.
"You've been warned, stay away from Theresa, your marriage to Gwen almost destroyed her, Ethan, and I won't allow you to hurt her anymore," Fox warns his brother. "Stay away from her or I won't be responsible for my actions," he reiterates before walking away.
L.A Hospital, Cafeteria..
Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald cradled a cup of lukewarm tea in her hands as scenes of her earlier fight with Gwen replayed in her mind. Though Gwen had absolved her from blame, she still felt guilty. She knew that she bore a large part of the responsibility for everything that had happened and she hated herself for the role she had played in the death of an innocent child.
"Theresa," Fox murmurs, enfolding her in his arms. "Oh Resa don't cry, please," he begs, stroking her silky dark hair softly.
"I can't help it Fox, I feel as if my heart were breaking," she replies.
"Because of Ethan," he replies dejectedly, Theresa's utter devotion to his half brother grating on his nerves for some inexplicable reason.
"No, because of Sarah," she replies softly. "Oh Fox, why couldn't I accept the fact that Ethan was lost to me? If I had accepted his marriage to Gwen, if I hadn't thrown myself at him every chance I got or provoked that fight with Gwen tonight maybe Sarah---". Unable to continue she breaks down in Fox's arms. Fox pulls her tighter against him, cradling her as if she were a fragile piece of glass.
"Sarah's death was a terrible accident, Theresa and it is not your fault. Gwen knew what she was risking when she left the hospital to confront you and Ethan is by no means blameless in this fiasco, if he hadn't led you on-- -" he murmurs harshly.
"But it is my fault, Fox. I knew that Gwen's pregnancy was precarious and that still didn't stop me from chasing after her husband. I'm no better than Ivy, chasing after a man who wants nothing to do with me, God I've become a spoiled, selfish little witch who cares nothing about the pain inflicted on others so long as I get what I want," she murmurs bitterly.
"Stop it, Resa. Sarah's death was a terrible, terrible accident and you aren't to blame for it. I know you've made mistakes but you aren't an unfeeling monster and I better than anyone know how much you wanted Gwen's daughter to live. You came to L.A to get away from Ethan because you knew how much it stressed Gwen to have you nearby. You couldn't have known what was going to happen tonight anymore than you knew that Ethan and Gwen were going to show up here. Stop blaming yourself for something that can't be changed, Resa," he pleads softly.
"I can't help it Fox," she cries loudly.
"I know Resa, I know. But your guilt isn't going to bring Sarah back and it will only destroy you. Life goes on, baby. No matter how much we hurt, life goes on. Gwen is a strong, determined woman and I know that she will eventually recover. And you have to do the same," he states firmly, playfully tugging her hair. Theresa laughs softly and Fox smiles happily.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Fox," she murmurs a while later.
"Well, that's something that you wont ever have to worry about because I will always be by your side," he assures her.
"Do you promise, Fox?" she asks trustingly.
"I promise Resa," he replies vehemently not knowing that both their worlds would be turned upside down upon their return to Harmony and that his promise to Theresa would be relentlessly tested.
A/N- I love cliffhangers, don't you guys? Hope you are enjoying the story. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Chapter 4 "Fox"
A defeated Ethan walks out, his shoulders hunched and his eyes filled with tears.
"I've been such a fool, Gwen," he murmurs brokenly.
"The biggest fool on the face of the planet, Ethan," a mocking voice whispers behind him.
Ethan turns around angrily, not surprised to see his half brother Fox.
"What do you want Fox?" he asks wearily, his eyes blazing.
"Well initially the plan was to offer my sympathy but from the look of things that's the last thing you need right now," Fox tells his brother, adding "My, God Ethan, why aren't you in there with your wife giving her your support? Are you so selfish that you can't see how much she needs you right now?"
"Gwen doesn't want anything to do with me," Ethan replies bitterly.
"Can you blame her, brother?" Fox replies. "Look, I don't know what went on with Theresa and Gwen tonight but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you were the reason for their fight. How dumb could you be Ethan, making out with Theresa at a public beach while Gwen struggled to save the life of your daughter? Noble, caring, decent Prince Ethan, who would have thought you could stoop so low?" he scoffs.
"I wasn't at that beach by myself, Fox," Ethan reminds his brother. "Theresa's the one who kept throwing herself at me every chance she had, if anyone is to blame for my daughter's death it's Theresa. She's a lying, manipulative bitch just like mother always claimed---" Ethan cries furiously staggering when Fox punches him in the face, splitting his lip then knocks him to the ground with another hard blow.
"Don't talk about Theresa like that ever again, Ethan. Everything she's done has been out of love for you. She went to Bermuda to try to convince Julian to reinstate you as heir, she confessed to murder to protect you from the electric chair, and she threw herself down that elevator shaft to save your life. And still none of that was good enough for you. Your pride was more important to you than the woman you claimed to love with your whole heart. My God, not only did you propose to Gwen a few minutes after having promised Theresa that she was the only woman in your heart, you proposed right in front of her. What kind of idiot proposes to one woman in front of the other?" he yells.
"I did what I though best at the time," Ethan replies, rising to his feet slowly, his right eye swollen shut and his lip bleeding like a stuck pig.
"What you thought best, huh? Funny how you couldn't honor your commitment to your wife and your unborn child yet had no trouble playing with Theresa's feelings, you did nothing to push Theresa away or to shatter her illusions about a future with you all the while knowing that you weren't going to leave Gwen," Fox shouts.
"Shut the hell up Fox, what gives you the right to lecture me about my life?" Ethan asks petulantly.
"I might not have the right to interfere in your life bro but I sure as hell have the right to interfere in my best friend's life. I've stood by and watched you break Theresa's heart over and over again and I'm sick of it. You've bounced back and forth between Gwen and Theresa for years, claiming to love them both and yet never being able to choose between them and thus destroying the lives of two wonderful women in the process" he informs his brother, gazing at Ethan with pity. Prince Ethan had tumbled from his white horse and Fox couldn't have been happier that his brother's true colors were finally coming out.
"You've been warned, stay away from Theresa, your marriage to Gwen almost destroyed her, Ethan, and I won't allow you to hurt her anymore," Fox warns his brother. "Stay away from her or I won't be responsible for my actions," he reiterates before walking away.
L.A Hospital, Cafeteria..
Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald cradled a cup of lukewarm tea in her hands as scenes of her earlier fight with Gwen replayed in her mind. Though Gwen had absolved her from blame, she still felt guilty. She knew that she bore a large part of the responsibility for everything that had happened and she hated herself for the role she had played in the death of an innocent child.
"Theresa," Fox murmurs, enfolding her in his arms. "Oh Resa don't cry, please," he begs, stroking her silky dark hair softly.
"I can't help it Fox, I feel as if my heart were breaking," she replies.
"Because of Ethan," he replies dejectedly, Theresa's utter devotion to his half brother grating on his nerves for some inexplicable reason.
"No, because of Sarah," she replies softly. "Oh Fox, why couldn't I accept the fact that Ethan was lost to me? If I had accepted his marriage to Gwen, if I hadn't thrown myself at him every chance I got or provoked that fight with Gwen tonight maybe Sarah---". Unable to continue she breaks down in Fox's arms. Fox pulls her tighter against him, cradling her as if she were a fragile piece of glass.
"Sarah's death was a terrible accident, Theresa and it is not your fault. Gwen knew what she was risking when she left the hospital to confront you and Ethan is by no means blameless in this fiasco, if he hadn't led you on-- -" he murmurs harshly.
"But it is my fault, Fox. I knew that Gwen's pregnancy was precarious and that still didn't stop me from chasing after her husband. I'm no better than Ivy, chasing after a man who wants nothing to do with me, God I've become a spoiled, selfish little witch who cares nothing about the pain inflicted on others so long as I get what I want," she murmurs bitterly.
"Stop it, Resa. Sarah's death was a terrible, terrible accident and you aren't to blame for it. I know you've made mistakes but you aren't an unfeeling monster and I better than anyone know how much you wanted Gwen's daughter to live. You came to L.A to get away from Ethan because you knew how much it stressed Gwen to have you nearby. You couldn't have known what was going to happen tonight anymore than you knew that Ethan and Gwen were going to show up here. Stop blaming yourself for something that can't be changed, Resa," he pleads softly.
"I can't help it Fox," she cries loudly.
"I know Resa, I know. But your guilt isn't going to bring Sarah back and it will only destroy you. Life goes on, baby. No matter how much we hurt, life goes on. Gwen is a strong, determined woman and I know that she will eventually recover. And you have to do the same," he states firmly, playfully tugging her hair. Theresa laughs softly and Fox smiles happily.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Fox," she murmurs a while later.
"Well, that's something that you wont ever have to worry about because I will always be by your side," he assures her.
"Do you promise, Fox?" she asks trustingly.
"I promise Resa," he replies vehemently not knowing that both their worlds would be turned upside down upon their return to Harmony and that his promise to Theresa would be relentlessly tested.
A/N- I love cliffhangers, don't you guys? Hope you are enjoying the story. Reviews are greatly appreciated.