Chapter 4

The very next morning, bright and early.

Theresa arrived at the Crane Mansion to work on the wedding of the century. The very same wedding that she was dreading.

She knocked on the door and Phyllis, one of the housekeepers, let her in.

Theresa- "Oh, good morning, Phyllis."

Phyllis- "Good morning. Can I take your coat?"

Theresa- "Please. Um… You wouldn't happen to know if Ethan's up yet, would you?"

Phyllis- "Actually I don't. His door has been shut all morning."

Theresa- "All morning? Wow! It's already ten A.M. Usually he's up at the crack of dawn."

Phyllis- "Do you need me to wake him?"

Theresa- "Um… No, I'll do it. I'm sure he won't mind."

Phyllis- "Yes, ma'am."

Theresa- "Phyllis, no offense, but don't call me ma'am. It makes me sound old. I mean, after all, I'm only seventeen. Just call me Theresa."

Phyllis- "Yes, ma- I mean, Theresa."

Theresa smiled, as did Phyllis.

Theresa left the foyer and made her way up the stairs and to Ethan's bedroom. She put her hand to the door and tapped.

No answer.

Theresa turned the knob and let herself in. She poked her head around the door.

Theresa- "Knock, knock."

All of a sudden, Theresa received the shock of her life. Ethan… in bed with Gwen! Ethan's arms were wrapped around Gwen's back. He was kissing her. He was making love to her!

Theresa- "Ethan…?"

Ethan quickly broke the kiss that he was sharing with Gwen and looked up. He saw Theresa standing in the door way and could almost hear her heart break. Gwen looked up and seemed nothing short of embarrassed.

Ethan said nothing. Gwen, on the other hand, looked at both Theresa and Ethan in confusion at their silence.

Gwen- "Well, Theresa. This is unexpected."

Theresa seemed to be in a daze. Gwen's words grasped her back to reality.

Theresa- "Um…Sorry. I didn't mean to…um…I'm just going to wait outside. Excuse me."

Gwen- "Wait, Theresa." Theresa already had closed the door and walked out into the hallway in tears. She tried desperately to hide them, get rid of them. Gwen would be coming out to explain her presence in a few short minutes.

Gwen looked at Ethan for answers. Ethan looked at her with none.

Gwen- "I'll go talk to her. I'm pretty sure she didn't want to see that first thing in the morning."

Ethan lay there, underneath his lover, never feeling more guilt.

Gwen got up from the bed, wrapped around herself and went out into the hallway to find Theresa.

Gwen- "Theresa?"

Theresa had already run down all of the stairs, through the back doors, and out onto the back patio. There she sat, alone, wallowing, crying.

Unfortunately, Theresa couldn't hide forever. Gwen found her.

Gwen- "Theresa?"

Theresa turned at the sound of her name and wiped her tears from her face with her hands.

Theresa- "Oh, um…, good morning, Gwen."

Gwen- "Theresa, honey, are you alright?"

Theresa- "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just one of those days. You know, having one of those emotional fits."

Gwen- "Oh, listen, sorry that you had to walk in on us…"

Theresa- "Oh, it's alright. I had no idea you were back in town. I thought that you were still in Europe."

Gwen- "Well, technically, I'm still supposed to be there. But, I wanted to fly back for the night. I have to go back tonight. I have a major deal to take care of. But I also wanted to extend the wedding."

Theresa- "Extend the wedding?"

Gwen- "Yeah, I have some business to take care of and I need to extend it at least week. Is that okay?"

Theresa- "Well, I'm sure I can manage something."

Gwen- "You're the best."

Theresa forces a smile.

Gwen- "I just wanted to apologize again; we should have at least locked the door. I just came home so late last night, and I wanted to surprise Ethan. So I just hopped into bed with him and things got a little carried away…"

Theresa- "Oh, it's okay, Gwen. I'm just surprised that I haven't caught you two sooner."

Gwen- "Yeah, well, I guess I should go get changed. Are you sure you're okay?"

Theresa- "Yeah, I'll be fine. You go ahead."

Gwen smiles at Theresa. Just as she exits, Ethan walks in, he too, wearing a robe.

Ethan- "Theresa…?"

Theresa- "Hi, Ethan. Sorry about that. I just had some things to show you and I didn't know if you were sleeping or not. I guess that'll teach me to knock. Well, I have some stuff to do. I'll tell Phyllis to make you breakfast, then go get freshened up and call me when you're ready to discuss wedding plans."

Theresa looked at Ethan for confirmation. There wasn't any.

Ethan- "Theresa…" His voice sounded shattered.

Theresa- "Oh, did Gwen tell you that she wants to move the wedding back?"

Ethan- "Yeah… I was going to talk to you about that. Theresa, I think we need to talk."

Theresa- "Oh and we will. I'll go home and take care of some stuff and you eat breakfast and get dressed."

Ethan- "Theresa, please."

Theresa looked at Ethan with pain in her eyes.

Theresa- "Call me later."

She turned and walked out of the Crane Mansion. Ethan never called her back.

Since Ethan never called her back, Theresa took it upon herself to go to the Crane Mansion. After all, she didn't need Ethan's approval to go to work. But she couldn't get that image out of her mind. The image of Ethan and Gwen making love. Somehow, she felt betrayed. Those kisses that they shared the seemed too special to turn your back on. But it didn't matter. Ethan had clearly made up his mind; he was staying with Gwen; he didn't love Theresa.

This time when Theresa rang the bell, Ethan answered the door.

Ethan- "Theresa…"

Theresa let herself in and walked right past him.

Theresa- "Hi, Ethan. Did you want to go over wedding plans right now, or later? We could do it in the library if you want to right now."

Ethan could see that the last thing that Theresa wanted to do was talk about last night, so he just let it go.

Ethan- "Sure."

Theresa- "Okay."

Theresa and Ethan both marched up the stairs into the library.

Theresa and Ethan both took their seats on one of the leather couches. There whipped out some papers, samples, and packets from her bag.

Theresa- "Okay, so Gwen wants to move the wedding back. I guess that I will have to call the reception hall and cancel that date. I have to call the florist, the caterers, the band, the Crane tailor, hmmm… am I forgetting anyone?"

Ethan wasn't listening.

Ethan- "Hmm… Sorry."

Theresa- "Never mind. Is Gwen still around? I have some questions to ask her."

Ethan- "No, she left. She had some things to do in town. But she should be back by seven she said. Her plane is leaving at eight."

Theresa- "Oh…okay then. I guess it's just me and you."

Ethan couldn't control it anymore. He had to talk to her about it.

Ethan- "Theresa, we're going to have to talk about it sometime."

Theresa- "Talk about what?"

Ethan gave Theresa a shocked look.

Ethan- "What happened last night for instance. Or what happened this morning."

Theresa- "Why do we have to talk about it?"

Ethan- "Theresa, I kissed you."

Theresa- "No, Ethan, I kissed you. You were kissing Gwen, don't you remember?"

Ethan- "But Theresa, I did kiss you."

Theresa- "Yes, you did. And you've apologized. What more do you want to say about it that hasn't already been said?"

Ethan- "Okay then, what about what happened this morning? I know that hurt you to see us…"

Theresa- "Why would you say that?"

Ethan- "C'mon Theresa, I'm not blind. I saw you crying when you left the room, and I saw the tear stains on your face when you went downstairs."

Theresa- "Like I told Gwen, it was just one of those mornings. That's all."

Ethan- "Theresa, I'm your best friend. What kind of best friend would I be if I didn't know when you were lying?"

Theresa- "Ethan, what do you want me to say? What, that I'm happy that I saw you? That I know that you felt nothing in those kisses yesterday? You love Gwen, that's all there is to say, isn't there?"

Theresa didn't realize it, but she was crying. She was crying, yet again for a man who had no idea that she loved him. A man who was engaged to someone else.

There he was, Ethan was listening to a woman that he knew he loved, still didn't want to admit it. Ethan could not stop thinking about that kiss from last night. It felt like something in him was made whole. A part of him that he never knew existed. All he wanted at that very moment was to kiss her again. Make her tears stop. But, before he had a chance to stop himself, he cupped Theresa's face and kissed her with all that he felt. Theresa was shocked at first, but soon she realized what was happening. She gave into the kiss and didn't let go of him.

The kiss went on for only a few short minutes, but to Ethan and Theresa, it seemed like hours that they both needed. Theresa and Ethan finally pulled apart. Ethan's hands still on Theresa's face. Theresa's hands on Ethan's chest. Neither said anything.

Theresa looked at Ethan for answers. Nothing.

Ethan- "Theresa, I…um…I… I'm-"

Theresa- "No, Ethan don't. I'll save you the trouble. You're sorry. You don't know what came over you. You love Gwen."

Ethan- "Theresa, I just-"

Theresa- "Ethan, I think there is something that you should know, once and for all."

Ethan stared at Theresa, question in his eyes.

Theresa- "Ethan, did you ever consider that you are not the only one experiencing feelings here? Ethan, you pull apart from me and leave me in pain. Did you know that? You might be able to push your feelings down somewhere into the depths of you soul, but I can't. I have come to terms with my feelings. And I think it's time that you know what they are, so you can't do this to me anymore without thinking about it first."

Ethan waited, as did Theresa. She needed that last minute to gather her courage. Could she really do it?

Theresa- "Ethan, I…I…"

She stopped. Ethan still looked at her in confusion.

She tried again.

Theresa- "Ethan, I love you, with all of my heart."

There she said it.

Ethan looked at Theresa with wide eyes.

Theresa waited for Ethan to respond, but there was nothing.

This was something that Theresa had always feared. She told herself that she wouldn't tell Ethan until she thought that he would say those words back. But now, she knew that he wouldn't. For the third time today, Theresa was in tears. It wasn't until Ethan saw those tears that he responded.

Ethan- "Theresa… I… How can you love me? We're just friends."

Theresa- "Ethan, I have loved you since the first day I saw you."

Ethan- "No, Theresa, this is just some obsession. That's all."

Theresa- "Ethan, you know how special those words are to me. Do you really think that I would say them without meaning them?"

Ethan- "But Theresa…"

Theresa was crying, almost to the point of a breakdown.

Theresa- "Ethan, please don't dress this up. Just tell me, how do you really feel? I want to give this rest in my mind."

Ethan- "Theresa, you are the best friend that I've ever had. Theresa, you're funny, you're fun, and vibrant, and alive, and wild. And I do love you, Theresa, but I'm not in love with you. I'm going to marry Gwen. I love her. I'm sorry."

Theresa nodded her head and tried to wipe her tears away. She had finally heard those words for herself. Everyone told her that Ethan could never love her. Her mother, her brothers, Whitney. They were right. Ethan didn't love her, and he broke her heart. That was it, she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed all her stuff, threw it hastily into her bag and walked to the door without a word to or from Ethan.

Ethan- "Theresa? Where are you going?"

Theresa didn't answer him and ran down the stairs. She saw Phyllis and asked for her coat, immediately.

Ethan came running down the stairs, in search of Theresa. She was putting on her coat.

Ethan- "Theresa, wait."

Theresa walked out of the Crane Mansion.

Ethan- "Theresa!"

She was gone.