~Chapter 18~
Teresa was alone in the cottage. She had spent most of the day cleaning. She was fussing over the magazines that had laid amuck on her coffee table. Something about this seemed so familair. Like she had lived it before. There was a knock at the door. Teresa walked over and opened the door. A blonde stood with her back to Teresa. She slowly turned around giving her a devious smile.
"Hello, Teresa, I just came to show you, baby Sarah. May I come in?"
That's when it hit her. She was dreaming. She was re-living the night she had accidently overdosed. She had to wake-up. She couldn't relive this again. She couldn't take the pain. But she couldn't wake up and she couldn't stop the scene that was unfolding before her. She was standing on the outside looking into her dream.
"She's a beautiful baby girl, Gwen."
Gwen looked down at her baby, "Yes, she is. You know, I was just thinking that it was probably good that we didn't have a little boy. Especially seeing as I always dreamed of naming him after Ethan."
"Gwen, I never intended..."
"I really don't see as it matters anymore, though. Little Ethan is dead. He's dead, Teresa. Dead!" Gwen yelled.
Teresa stood in the bathroom. She counted the pills as she swallowed them. She counted the fifth one and then stopped. What was the point? The pain would be gone soon enough. It was cold. So cold. She was lying on the ground. The pills lying on the ground around her. The picture, the picture of little Ethan lay shattered beside her.
"Wake up, Teresa. Please open your eyes."
It was Fox, he was here to help her. She watched as Fox tried waking her up. He worked frantically. Teresa sensed his pain and it broke her heart. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she couldn't.
"Please don't leave me, Teresa."
"I'm so sleepy, Fox. I see little Ethan. I want to go be with him."
She watched as Fox turned on the shower and stepped in with her, letting the cold water run over her. "Stay with me, Teresa. Please stay with me! I love you, Teresa. Damn it, Teresa, do you hear me? I love you." Fox cried.
Fox sat up in bed beside Teresa. At some point he had fallen asleep. He shook Teresa, trying to wake up her. "Teresa, wake up. It's Fox. Wake up, you're having a nightmare."
Teresa finally opened her eyes. Her body drenched with sweat. She oriented herself to her surroundings and then the pain hit. She leaned into Fox's chest and started crying. Fox pulled her close to him, "It's okay, Teresa. It was just a nightmare. I'm here. Shhh." He gently stroked her back.
Teresa slowly pulled away from Fox and looked him in the eyes, "Oh my God, Fox. I remember! I remember everything about that night. Gwen was there. She brought baby Sarah. Then I remember taking the pills. The next thing I remember was you being there. You held me, Fox. You kept telling me to stay awake."
Fox sat up straight, "You remember Gwen being here?"
She nodded her head, "Yes, she was here. She told me she brought Sarah to show off what a beautiful girl she was, but she only brought her here to rub her in my face, Fox." Her voice trembled.
"I knew it. I knew she came here that night with every intention of hurting you. Maybe not physically, but mentally. What did she say, Teresa?"
"She told me that it was a good thing that they didn't have a baby boy. Said she had always wanted to name her son after Ethan, and how I had taken that name from her."
"I'm sorry, Teresa."
"She then went on to say that it really didn't matter anymore."
"Why is that?" Fox asked.
"Because she said Little Ethan was..." Her voice cracked. She found it hard to get the word out.
"Because he's dead." Fox finished the sentence for her.
Teresa shook her head yes. "Fox, you know I have never liked Gwen, but I would never do anything so devious to hurt her."
He pulled her closer to him, "I know, Teresa, that's why it kills me so bad when I see her treat you like this." Fox's anger was getting the best of him, "Damn it, Teresa. I swear I'm going to make that bitch pay. She's caused you enough pain."
"I just want to drop it, Fox. She's not worth it to me anymore."
"It's not good enough for me, Teresa. Gwen had gotten away with everything for too long. It's time somebody exposed her for the person she really is."
Teresa stiffened in Fox's embrace. Fox sensed it. "Teresa, everything okay?" He asked.
She pushed away from him. "Oh my God." She covered her mouth with her hand.
"What is it, Teresa? What's wrong?" Fox asked worried.
"I remember." She stepped out of bed and crossed the room. She starred out the window. "I don't believe it." She turned back around to face Fox who was still lying on the bed.
He looked up at Teresa seriously. "Please, Teresa, what else do you remember?"
"You were so scared, Fox."
"Of course, I was, Teresa. I thought I was going to loose you."
"You begged me to stay with you."
He stood up from the bed and crossed the room standing in front of Teresa. The moonlight highlighting both of their faces. He looked deep into Teresa's eyes. "What else do you remember, Teresa?"
She searched his eyes. Something deep inside told her that Fox meant everything he told her that night. It was written all over his face. "You love me, Fox."
He caught the glimmer of a single tear as it rolled down her cheek. He slowly lifted his hand and brushed the tear from her face. "No more crying, Teresa. It breaks my heart to see you cry."
"Even when they're tears of joy?"
"That's all together different."
"Fox?" Teresa asked.
"Yes?"
"What took you so long?"
He smiled down at her, "You know, I've asked myself that question a thousand times, and I don't know the answer to it. But you know what they say?"
"What do they say, Fox?"
"Better late than never."
"Fox?"
He flashed his infamous Fox Crane smile, "Teresa, shut up."
Fox grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into him. When her body collided with his it almost took her breath away. Even in the shadows Teresa could see the intensity that was written all over his face. He grabbed a handful of her hair and tilted her head back. He brushed his lips along the curve of her throat. "Please tell me you want this half as much as I do, Teresa."
"I can't tell you that, Fox." She moaned.
"You'd better tell me now if you don't want this. I don't think I could stop myself if we went any further."
"No."
"No, you don't want this?"
"No, don't stop."
His mouth closed in on hers with such intensity that Teresa had to remind herself to breathe. Teresa wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Fox slowly lifted Teresa off the ground and walked with them over to the bed. He tumbled with Teresa down onto the soft blankets of the bed. He slipped the strap of Teresa's nightgown slightly off her shoulder and nibbled at the soft skin there. Then in one fluid movement Teresa was free of the confines of her nightgown.
Fox stood beside her. His eyes never leaving Teresa's naked body. He swiftly peeled off his boxers and threw them to the floor. He gently lay himself beside Teresa on the bed. He softly ran his hand down her face. "I never dreamt I would feel this way about anyone. I love you, Teresa. I know you may not be ready to tell me yet, but I want to show you how much I love you."
"Please, show me, Fox." Teresa whispered. And that's just what Fox proceeded to do.
Teresa was alone in the cottage. She had spent most of the day cleaning. She was fussing over the magazines that had laid amuck on her coffee table. Something about this seemed so familair. Like she had lived it before. There was a knock at the door. Teresa walked over and opened the door. A blonde stood with her back to Teresa. She slowly turned around giving her a devious smile.
"Hello, Teresa, I just came to show you, baby Sarah. May I come in?"
That's when it hit her. She was dreaming. She was re-living the night she had accidently overdosed. She had to wake-up. She couldn't relive this again. She couldn't take the pain. But she couldn't wake up and she couldn't stop the scene that was unfolding before her. She was standing on the outside looking into her dream.
"She's a beautiful baby girl, Gwen."
Gwen looked down at her baby, "Yes, she is. You know, I was just thinking that it was probably good that we didn't have a little boy. Especially seeing as I always dreamed of naming him after Ethan."
"Gwen, I never intended..."
"I really don't see as it matters anymore, though. Little Ethan is dead. He's dead, Teresa. Dead!" Gwen yelled.
Teresa stood in the bathroom. She counted the pills as she swallowed them. She counted the fifth one and then stopped. What was the point? The pain would be gone soon enough. It was cold. So cold. She was lying on the ground. The pills lying on the ground around her. The picture, the picture of little Ethan lay shattered beside her.
"Wake up, Teresa. Please open your eyes."
It was Fox, he was here to help her. She watched as Fox tried waking her up. He worked frantically. Teresa sensed his pain and it broke her heart. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she couldn't.
"Please don't leave me, Teresa."
"I'm so sleepy, Fox. I see little Ethan. I want to go be with him."
She watched as Fox turned on the shower and stepped in with her, letting the cold water run over her. "Stay with me, Teresa. Please stay with me! I love you, Teresa. Damn it, Teresa, do you hear me? I love you." Fox cried.
Fox sat up in bed beside Teresa. At some point he had fallen asleep. He shook Teresa, trying to wake up her. "Teresa, wake up. It's Fox. Wake up, you're having a nightmare."
Teresa finally opened her eyes. Her body drenched with sweat. She oriented herself to her surroundings and then the pain hit. She leaned into Fox's chest and started crying. Fox pulled her close to him, "It's okay, Teresa. It was just a nightmare. I'm here. Shhh." He gently stroked her back.
Teresa slowly pulled away from Fox and looked him in the eyes, "Oh my God, Fox. I remember! I remember everything about that night. Gwen was there. She brought baby Sarah. Then I remember taking the pills. The next thing I remember was you being there. You held me, Fox. You kept telling me to stay awake."
Fox sat up straight, "You remember Gwen being here?"
She nodded her head, "Yes, she was here. She told me she brought Sarah to show off what a beautiful girl she was, but she only brought her here to rub her in my face, Fox." Her voice trembled.
"I knew it. I knew she came here that night with every intention of hurting you. Maybe not physically, but mentally. What did she say, Teresa?"
"She told me that it was a good thing that they didn't have a baby boy. Said she had always wanted to name her son after Ethan, and how I had taken that name from her."
"I'm sorry, Teresa."
"She then went on to say that it really didn't matter anymore."
"Why is that?" Fox asked.
"Because she said Little Ethan was..." Her voice cracked. She found it hard to get the word out.
"Because he's dead." Fox finished the sentence for her.
Teresa shook her head yes. "Fox, you know I have never liked Gwen, but I would never do anything so devious to hurt her."
He pulled her closer to him, "I know, Teresa, that's why it kills me so bad when I see her treat you like this." Fox's anger was getting the best of him, "Damn it, Teresa. I swear I'm going to make that bitch pay. She's caused you enough pain."
"I just want to drop it, Fox. She's not worth it to me anymore."
"It's not good enough for me, Teresa. Gwen had gotten away with everything for too long. It's time somebody exposed her for the person she really is."
Teresa stiffened in Fox's embrace. Fox sensed it. "Teresa, everything okay?" He asked.
She pushed away from him. "Oh my God." She covered her mouth with her hand.
"What is it, Teresa? What's wrong?" Fox asked worried.
"I remember." She stepped out of bed and crossed the room. She starred out the window. "I don't believe it." She turned back around to face Fox who was still lying on the bed.
He looked up at Teresa seriously. "Please, Teresa, what else do you remember?"
"You were so scared, Fox."
"Of course, I was, Teresa. I thought I was going to loose you."
"You begged me to stay with you."
He stood up from the bed and crossed the room standing in front of Teresa. The moonlight highlighting both of their faces. He looked deep into Teresa's eyes. "What else do you remember, Teresa?"
She searched his eyes. Something deep inside told her that Fox meant everything he told her that night. It was written all over his face. "You love me, Fox."
He caught the glimmer of a single tear as it rolled down her cheek. He slowly lifted his hand and brushed the tear from her face. "No more crying, Teresa. It breaks my heart to see you cry."
"Even when they're tears of joy?"
"That's all together different."
"Fox?" Teresa asked.
"Yes?"
"What took you so long?"
He smiled down at her, "You know, I've asked myself that question a thousand times, and I don't know the answer to it. But you know what they say?"
"What do they say, Fox?"
"Better late than never."
"Fox?"
He flashed his infamous Fox Crane smile, "Teresa, shut up."
Fox grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into him. When her body collided with his it almost took her breath away. Even in the shadows Teresa could see the intensity that was written all over his face. He grabbed a handful of her hair and tilted her head back. He brushed his lips along the curve of her throat. "Please tell me you want this half as much as I do, Teresa."
"I can't tell you that, Fox." She moaned.
"You'd better tell me now if you don't want this. I don't think I could stop myself if we went any further."
"No."
"No, you don't want this?"
"No, don't stop."
His mouth closed in on hers with such intensity that Teresa had to remind herself to breathe. Teresa wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Fox slowly lifted Teresa off the ground and walked with them over to the bed. He tumbled with Teresa down onto the soft blankets of the bed. He slipped the strap of Teresa's nightgown slightly off her shoulder and nibbled at the soft skin there. Then in one fluid movement Teresa was free of the confines of her nightgown.
Fox stood beside her. His eyes never leaving Teresa's naked body. He swiftly peeled off his boxers and threw them to the floor. He gently lay himself beside Teresa on the bed. He softly ran his hand down her face. "I never dreamt I would feel this way about anyone. I love you, Teresa. I know you may not be ready to tell me yet, but I want to show you how much I love you."
"Please, show me, Fox." Teresa whispered. And that's just what Fox proceeded to do.