~Chapter 4~
Several days later Fox sat alone in the coffee shop one morning. The mansion was so chaotic that he just had to get out. Coffee usually cleared his mind, unfortunately, it wasn't doing much good today. He picked up a newspaper and began to read Harmony's local news. As usual, nothing exciting in Harmony. Or atleast they didn't write about it in the paper. Fox put the paper down and just as he did he looked up to notice Whitney walking in.
Whitney ordered a coffee and turned to find a seat. Fox caught her attention and Whitney came to sit down beside him.
"Fox, you're the last person I would've thought would be out this early."
"Well, shows how much you know about me. I'm actually a morning person." He took a sip of his coffee.
"Really, hmm, that does surprise me. I thought you had a reputation..."
"Yes, the reputation does precede me, huh? Anyways, it's no lie I used to be somewhat of a party guy. It's just that I never have needed a lot of sleep. Actually, I'm a very light sleeper, hardly sleep at all." He wanted to change the subject. Truth was that Teresa had caused him a lot of sleepless nights lately. She seemed to be all he could think about. "So, what have you been up to lately."
"Nothing exciting. Just the usual. Fighting with my sister, being disowned by my father, trying to prove my relationship to Chad is legitimate."
"The usual, huh? Sounds pretty exciting to me. So, your families still not coming around?"
Whitney shook her head no, "Dad and Simone aren't, but mom seems to be coming around a little. Of course, dad is making life for her a living hell since."
"I hate to hear that, Whitney. You and Chad seem to really have something, you know."
Whitney smiled at him, "Yeah, we do. Speaking of having something, I think I sense that you might have something for Teresa." Whitney took a sip of coffee and eyed Fox over the rim of her cup.
Fox thought about that for a minute, "Yeah, she is something isn't she? One in a million. We're just friends though. Truth is she'll never get over Ethan, and you and I both know that."
"That's were I think you're wrong, Fox. I don't think Teresa is in love with Ethan anymore."
"Come on, Whitney, don't try to feed me that line. Teresa will love Ethan and only Ethan. Til the day she dies."
Whitney shook her head, "You're wrong, Fox."
"Tell me this then, why does she mope around all the time. Staying locked up in the cottage. Not showering for days. How else would you explain it?" Fox said shrugging.
"Fox, she's lost a child. What do you expect? Now she's watching Gwen, Sheridan, and Kay all experience pregnancies in hopes of having healthy children and beginning their families. Can you imagine how hard that is on her?"
Fox had to agree on some level that Whitney was probably right, but deep down he still had a feeling that Ethan still owned her heart.
"Fox?" Whitney asked.
"Yeah?"
"I want to ask you one question. Will you promise me that you'll be one hundred precent honest with me?"
Fox thought about that for a minute, "Sure, why not?"
"I see the way that you look at Teresa, Fox, when no one is looking. You look at her as if she holds the key to the world. In a crowd, she's the only one you see." Fox looked down breaking his eye contact with Whitney. "I know you think that Teresa will always love Ethan, but you're wrong Fox. I've known Teresa my whole life. I know her almost as well as I know my ownself. Probably better. Teresa never holds back how she feels or hides her feelings. And that's the thing, I couldn't tell you the last time she talked about Ethan. When I'm with her you're the only one she talks about. She talks about how you've helped her so much. You've been there for her when no one else was. I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't always there when she needed me, but you were Fox. Can't you guys she that you're perfect for each other?" Whitney put up her hands, "Wait a second, don't answer that. My question is, do you love, Teresa? Do you love her Fox? Because I think you do."
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"I just can't take it anymore. He thinks about her all the time. I know he does. He watches every move she makes. It's like he's obsessed with her." Gwen let her hands fall into her hands and rubbed her temples.
"Gwennie, dear, you can't let the little Teresita get to you. She's a nobody. We've made sure of that. You just have to forget about her and move on." Rebecca stated.
"I know, I know. It's just that it's easier said than done. You don't see Ethan the way that I see him. He stares off into space or he just disappears into himself." Gwen was almost crying.
"Stop it, Gwennie! Stop it right now. You must not get yourself excited. You know what it could do to the baby. This baby has to live. Without it, there will be no Ethan to worry about. He'll run back to his little Teresita and you know that Gwennie."
"You're right." She looked up at her mom and took a deep cleansing breath. "I can't let myself get all worked up over Teresa. Once this baby is here, he'll forget all about her." Gwen rubbed her tummy.
"I'm so glad things turned out the way they have. Our plan couldn't have worked better you know. I mean what were the chances of you getting pregnant on the first attempt."
"Mother, keep you voice down. If anyone gets drift of our little scheme it'll be all over and I'll have to raise this baby on my own."
"Yes, yes, we mustn't let anyone get word of our scheme. We'd both be thrown out on our butts. No amount of blackmail that I have on Julian would be able to keep us here. Anyways, not to worry, we've gotten away crystal clear with everything else." Rebecca gloated.
"Still we need to be safe. We've been lucky so far, it's bound to run out sometime."
Several days later Fox sat alone in the coffee shop one morning. The mansion was so chaotic that he just had to get out. Coffee usually cleared his mind, unfortunately, it wasn't doing much good today. He picked up a newspaper and began to read Harmony's local news. As usual, nothing exciting in Harmony. Or atleast they didn't write about it in the paper. Fox put the paper down and just as he did he looked up to notice Whitney walking in.
Whitney ordered a coffee and turned to find a seat. Fox caught her attention and Whitney came to sit down beside him.
"Fox, you're the last person I would've thought would be out this early."
"Well, shows how much you know about me. I'm actually a morning person." He took a sip of his coffee.
"Really, hmm, that does surprise me. I thought you had a reputation..."
"Yes, the reputation does precede me, huh? Anyways, it's no lie I used to be somewhat of a party guy. It's just that I never have needed a lot of sleep. Actually, I'm a very light sleeper, hardly sleep at all." He wanted to change the subject. Truth was that Teresa had caused him a lot of sleepless nights lately. She seemed to be all he could think about. "So, what have you been up to lately."
"Nothing exciting. Just the usual. Fighting with my sister, being disowned by my father, trying to prove my relationship to Chad is legitimate."
"The usual, huh? Sounds pretty exciting to me. So, your families still not coming around?"
Whitney shook her head no, "Dad and Simone aren't, but mom seems to be coming around a little. Of course, dad is making life for her a living hell since."
"I hate to hear that, Whitney. You and Chad seem to really have something, you know."
Whitney smiled at him, "Yeah, we do. Speaking of having something, I think I sense that you might have something for Teresa." Whitney took a sip of coffee and eyed Fox over the rim of her cup.
Fox thought about that for a minute, "Yeah, she is something isn't she? One in a million. We're just friends though. Truth is she'll never get over Ethan, and you and I both know that."
"That's were I think you're wrong, Fox. I don't think Teresa is in love with Ethan anymore."
"Come on, Whitney, don't try to feed me that line. Teresa will love Ethan and only Ethan. Til the day she dies."
Whitney shook her head, "You're wrong, Fox."
"Tell me this then, why does she mope around all the time. Staying locked up in the cottage. Not showering for days. How else would you explain it?" Fox said shrugging.
"Fox, she's lost a child. What do you expect? Now she's watching Gwen, Sheridan, and Kay all experience pregnancies in hopes of having healthy children and beginning their families. Can you imagine how hard that is on her?"
Fox had to agree on some level that Whitney was probably right, but deep down he still had a feeling that Ethan still owned her heart.
"Fox?" Whitney asked.
"Yeah?"
"I want to ask you one question. Will you promise me that you'll be one hundred precent honest with me?"
Fox thought about that for a minute, "Sure, why not?"
"I see the way that you look at Teresa, Fox, when no one is looking. You look at her as if she holds the key to the world. In a crowd, she's the only one you see." Fox looked down breaking his eye contact with Whitney. "I know you think that Teresa will always love Ethan, but you're wrong Fox. I've known Teresa my whole life. I know her almost as well as I know my ownself. Probably better. Teresa never holds back how she feels or hides her feelings. And that's the thing, I couldn't tell you the last time she talked about Ethan. When I'm with her you're the only one she talks about. She talks about how you've helped her so much. You've been there for her when no one else was. I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't always there when she needed me, but you were Fox. Can't you guys she that you're perfect for each other?" Whitney put up her hands, "Wait a second, don't answer that. My question is, do you love, Teresa? Do you love her Fox? Because I think you do."
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"I just can't take it anymore. He thinks about her all the time. I know he does. He watches every move she makes. It's like he's obsessed with her." Gwen let her hands fall into her hands and rubbed her temples.
"Gwennie, dear, you can't let the little Teresita get to you. She's a nobody. We've made sure of that. You just have to forget about her and move on." Rebecca stated.
"I know, I know. It's just that it's easier said than done. You don't see Ethan the way that I see him. He stares off into space or he just disappears into himself." Gwen was almost crying.
"Stop it, Gwennie! Stop it right now. You must not get yourself excited. You know what it could do to the baby. This baby has to live. Without it, there will be no Ethan to worry about. He'll run back to his little Teresita and you know that Gwennie."
"You're right." She looked up at her mom and took a deep cleansing breath. "I can't let myself get all worked up over Teresa. Once this baby is here, he'll forget all about her." Gwen rubbed her tummy.
"I'm so glad things turned out the way they have. Our plan couldn't have worked better you know. I mean what were the chances of you getting pregnant on the first attempt."
"Mother, keep you voice down. If anyone gets drift of our little scheme it'll be all over and I'll have to raise this baby on my own."
"Yes, yes, we mustn't let anyone get word of our scheme. We'd both be thrown out on our butts. No amount of blackmail that I have on Julian would be able to keep us here. Anyways, not to worry, we've gotten away crystal clear with everything else." Rebecca gloated.
"Still we need to be safe. We've been lucky so far, it's bound to run out sometime."