Isohyet. noun. a line on a map joining places of equal rainfall

~Kay~

Jess can be such a dork sometimes! She stands up the moment she sees the guy, and stares with her mouth open like some dead fish! It's so horrendous!

I must admit it though- she does have good taste, coz our new neighbour is, well… pretty easy on the eyes. Actually, he's extremely good to look at. Very cute. About a head taller than Miguel, blonde and has slightly slanted dark brown eyes, full lips, a great tan and a toned body any other girl could die for. But me?  I'd only die for Miguel. Miguel, Miguel, how am I going to make you mine?

"Hey, I'm Eden Summers, and you?" says the guy, shaking my sister's hand. Hmm… nice voice. Low and caramel…

Jess is about to reply when Miguel walks in with Charity perching onto his arm as usual.

"Jess, Kay… who are you?" asks Miguel politely, turning to the newcomer.

…Then the weird part comes. Eden Summers doesn't answer for a while. Coz he's busy gawping at our lovely Miss Charity. And she looks at him with wide doe eyes.

"Timmy!" she exclaims joyfully, then instantly looks ashamed. "I'm, I'm really sorry. I don't even know you."

Miguel eyes her suspiciously and relaxes when he detects her confusion.

"Do you two know each other?" he asks curiously.

I wish I could say: "Yeah Miguel. That guy is Charity's ex- boyfriend," but I can't. It would be really stupid to blurt out something ludicrous in front of an utter stranger like Mr Summers.

"I don't think so," replies Eden slowly, looking baffled himself. "It's funny though- my first name is Timothy…"

"Where are you from, Timothy?"

"Eden," corrects our neighbour. "Far north. Mount Zion? You mightn't know where it is. Small town like Harmony. It's probably not even on the map!"

Everyone laughs, but I've a feeling something isn't quite right. Don't know what though…

"Now, have you been to Mount Zion, Charity?" jokes Miguel, and she shakes her head smilingly.

"It's probably just a coincidence. I'm pretty good at guessing names!"

They laugh again; Jess twirling her hair around her finger like mad, (gosh sis, is that meant to attract him?) and Miguel shaking Summers's hand. They're warming up to him already. But I can't help thinking that the guy knows Charity. It's the way he looks at her…

Please, please, please God…no, Beelzebub, do something! She's not even Miguel's soulmate. He's mine! I plead silently to the forces of the Dark, which even though have not granted me my wishes to date, have at least tried to. Not like the other one that tells me to be a good girl, but gives nothing in return.

"…I'm Miguel, and this is my girlfriend and their cousin, Charity," says Miguel.

"Charity? I've never heard of another Charity before! Nice name! Then… you must be Kay?" He smiles at me with that luscious mouth, but I notice the quaver there. Ah 'new boy', you probably know me too! Then I scoff at myself- am I being a precognitive nutcase like Charity? Please!  

"Yeah, I'm Kay- short for Kathleen," I reply casually, looking him up and down. I take a quick peek at Miguel to see him grimacing in what seems a lot like disgust. Or maybe jealousy?

"Know what, guys? We've just been invited to Fox Crane's party- at his place, this Saturday…" I begin brightly, when Miguel cuts me off.

"So have I! Tell you what Eden- would you like to come along? I'm sure you'll enjoy meeting the other Harmonians!"

"Sure! Uh, I mean, if I'm invited…"

"Trust me- if he knew you were here, you would've been invited too! It seems everyone under 30 is invited!" chirps Jess. Oh gosh! I wish she'd just stick it up with superglue!

Mr New Neighbour soon takes his leave and returns next door. Miguel says he has a Voluntary Fire Fighters meeting and leaves minutes later- with a kiss for 'Clueless' Charity.

Leaving the three of us…

"You are so embarrassing, Jess! You were practically throwing yourself at him!" I hiss. She starts to whine in protest when I turn to her.

"And you! You're worse! You should be ashamed of yourself- blabbing on so- called 'coincidental' names like that to strangers! I can't believe you'd do something like that!"

She lowers her head. "I'm sorry, Kay. I'm really sorry I made you embarrassed, but I positively thought for a moment that I knew him! You know, it just struck me in the face like a…"

She drags on like a super slow train and I don't bother to listen. I wish I could strike you on the face, Charity Damnity…

But perhaps you do know him, Charity.

Do you…?

******

A/N: Choo choo… mild sex- scene ahead lol.

~Ethan~

"Come and dance with me," she whispers, beckoning me seductively. I smile warily and walk across to her. She whirls around and soon has me in a dancing position. We dance slowly for what seems like forever; her soft voice crooning all too familiar sweet nothings in my ear. So practiced, so… copied.

"Gwen, how do you know those things?" I ask her, but she gazes blankly at me. "I mean, the things you keep on saying. They're exactly the stuff that Theresa used to tell me when we were together… why it's almost as if you were there, listening in on us!"

She blushes, looks away and faces me again. "I wasn't conscious of that, darling. Did she really?" Without a warning, she turns off the music and wordlessly drags me to the bedroom.

"I nearly lost you, Ethan. I thought I lost you for good. But then, my dreams finally came true. My biggest wish was for you to be happy, and I'm… truly thrilled that I get to share your happiness." She takes off her clothes and drops them in a heap on the floor. Smiling, she disrobes me and adds my clothes to the pile.

She lets down the curtains around the four- poster bed and lies down on its ice- blue sheets, closing her eyes.

"Take me, Ethan. Take me because you're the only one I've ever loved."

Gwen, that's about the tenth night you've said that.

I move on top of her and make love to her. She tries to make sure it's slow, clinging to me firmly, moaning softly.

…And falls asleep in about two seconds.

"I love you too, Gwen," I murmur to her sleeping form. "You were my first love after all."

But perhaps not the greatest. That one was swept away in the wind like a beautiful autumn leaf. Gone forever. In time, Gwen may grow to be my life, but I know she can never provide the Fire. I shall have to live hereafter without its life- giving warmth. Beside a Snow Queen who has bound me to her with her wintry love.

I sigh and roll over, sweeping one curtain aside so that the glow of the moon lightly illuminates the room.

I wonder what you're doing right now, Theresa. I wonder whether you're asleep with a smile or frown on your face. I wonder how many tears of anguish you've cried since my marriage. The room blurs slowly. But I've cried too, Resa. Every night after I've lain in bed with someone who isn't you.

"Why did you have to go and wreck everything?" I growl hoarsely. "Why did you have to submit yourself to lying?" And why were you such a straightjacketed icicle of a man, Ethan Winthrop? I ask myself angrily. Now you'll pay for your cold refusal to be with her. You'll pay like someone totally broke, with a thousand debts.

I get out of bed and put on a dressing gown. It's clear I won't be getting any sleep tonight. As I look through the window, a glimmer of white catches my eye. I press my forehead onto the glass pane quickly.

Oh god.

What is she doing out there?

Running out of the mansion and into the gardens, I reach her and my eyes widen involuntarily at her sleep ridden eyes. I look down to see the hem of her dress (the same dress she wore once when we almost consummated our feelings for each other). It is caked with mud and fresh grass. I glance down further. Her bare feet are cut and bleeding freely. She must have walked on the nettle beds.

"Theresa! Theresa, what're you doing here?"

She doesn't reply but stares ahead, smiling sadly. "Half of my soul wandered away. I'm looking for it. He must be here, I'm sure he is…" She starts to browse around the bushes determinedly. 

My poor love. She's sleepwalking and she's walked two miles to find me. A sob escapes my lips, but I soon acquire a grip on myself. Theresa must be sent to a doctor immediately. Those cuts on her feet may become infected…

I shake her by the arms, begging her to wake up. She awakens with a start, looking around wildly. "Oh god, wh- what am I doing in the… Hotchkiss Estate?" She gasps and begins to weep.

I embrace her briefly and carry her into the hall. Calling the ambulance, I leave her with them. I return to the bedroom, lie back down beside a still sleeping Gwen.

And wait for sleep to carry me into yet another murky morning…

******

Okay everyone- the second section was pretty depressing to write (and read), but hey! Ethe can't be dancing around happily with Gwen, while Theresa's bawling at home, right? And first prize to MahoganyMiss for her correct guess: it was our lil' Tim- Tim alright lol! Vote count: 9 for Foxay, 8 for Therox and 5 for Foxney. Thankees so much to El Diablo Firestarter, Katykat1010, Kayox, MahoganyMiss, Salsa Shark, Foresa, foxayfan, Ti for their reviews of the previous chapter. They really inspire me to keep the story goin'! So plz. keep them rolling in- hugs and kisses to all!

Next chapter: Rebecca hints at Theresa re. Fox.