Fox and Teresa decided they would walk back to the Crane Estate. It wasn't
a long walk and it was a beautiful fall day.
"So, where will you be staying, Fox? Can I assume that you'll be occupying your old room at the mansion?"
"You know what they say about assuming don't you? It makes an ass out of you everytime." He joked.
She rolled her eyes. The same ol' Fox. "May I inquire then as to where you may be staying?"
"Actually, it's this quaint little cottage. I believe it use to be blue, though I may be wrong. Small, but cozy and nicely furnished..."
"Oh, no you don't! You're not staying at the cottage with me."
"Oh, come on, Teresa. Do you expect me to stay in the mansion with Julian and Rebecca running around like sex maniacs all the time? My virgin eyes just can't take it." Teresa had filled Fox in on the escapades of Julian and Rebecca in their letters.
"Oh, get real, Fox. You don't think I know all about your womanizing? For all I know, this is one of your little tricks to land me in the sack." She smiled.
Fox was truly hurt, "Come on, Resa. You know it's different with you."
Teresa saw that she had hurt his feelings. "I'm sorry. Look, let me talk to Ethan and I'll ask him about you staying there at the cottage. I don't want to do anything without talking to him first. He is my fiance after all and I don't know that he would like the fact that I agreed to let his womanizing brother stay with me without consulting him first."
"I guess I should have the maids prepare my room at the mansion then. Ethan doesn't want me in seeing distance of you, much less to share a house with you."
"Fox, I said I would talk to him."
He shook his head, "No, don't worry about it. I don't want to cause any problems between you and Ethan. I guess I wasn't thinking when I asked to stay with you."
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Positive. Just promise me, that if it gets too bad you'll leave the door to the cottage open. You know, I might have to make a quick escape."
"Promise. My door will always be open to you, Fox."
"Well, well, well," A snobbish voice said from somewhere behind Fox and Teresa. "If it isn't the little senorita herself."
Teresa rolled her eyes, she knew who it was without turning around, "Gwen, what the hell do you want?" Teresa asked through gritted teeth.
"Nothing, Teresa, I was just out running some errands. Didn't want to be rude and not say hello."
"Well, now, you've said it, so why don't you be on your way?" She turned around and crossed her arms.
Gwen looked to the man standing beside Teresa, "Fox, nice to see you again. When did you get back in town?"
"The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure, and I got back in town a couple hours ago."
"I take it Ethan doesn't know you're in town yet does he? He would definitely hate the idea of you and Teresa strolling around Harmony together. Why the rumors could be quite scandalous."
"Could you just go away, Gwen? Please!" Anger flashed across Teresa's face.
"Oh, Teresa, did I strike a nerve? You're quite testy today aren't you?"
"Go to hell, Gwen."
"News flash, Teresa, I'm already there. You've ruined my life and I intend on making yours miserable as well." Gwen shot back.
"Hold up. Let's all just calm down here." Fox stepped in between the two women. "Gwen, why don't you be on your merry way and leave Teresa alone?" Gwen stared at Fox for a moment and then she walked away.
Teresa waited until Gwen was out of hearing distance. "Thank you, Fox. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't stepped in. I swear sometimes I could ring her neck."
"That's enough, Teresa." Fox said upset.
Teresa shot him a confused look, "Is something wrong?"
"Yes." Fox turned to face her. "Why do you let her get to you so much?"
"I don't know, Fox, I guess it's because I'll never be able to live up to her. Ivy and Julian love Gwen. They absolutely think she hung the moon."
"Who cares what they think, Teresa. You are so much better than any of them. And if they can't see that then that's their loss."
"I just wish that Ivy would accept me again. We use to be so close at one time. That was until that letter was e-mailed to the tabloids. She's hated me ever since."
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't think of it as a great loss. She would stab you in the back at anytime, friend or foe. She knows Ethan's happy with you, yet she would sacrifice her son's happiness if she knew she could destroy you." Fox put his hand gently on Teresa's face. "Look,don't worry about any of them. Don't worry about what they say or what they do to you. All that matters is that you're happy and that you're with the man you love. As long as you have that, that's all that matters in the end. Right?"
She looked deep into Fox's eyes, "Yeah. I guess you're right." Somewhere deep in Fox's eyes, Teresa saw that same void she felt. She fought back the tears. Something told her that Fox was searching to fill that same void she was searching to fill.
"So, where will you be staying, Fox? Can I assume that you'll be occupying your old room at the mansion?"
"You know what they say about assuming don't you? It makes an ass out of you everytime." He joked.
She rolled her eyes. The same ol' Fox. "May I inquire then as to where you may be staying?"
"Actually, it's this quaint little cottage. I believe it use to be blue, though I may be wrong. Small, but cozy and nicely furnished..."
"Oh, no you don't! You're not staying at the cottage with me."
"Oh, come on, Teresa. Do you expect me to stay in the mansion with Julian and Rebecca running around like sex maniacs all the time? My virgin eyes just can't take it." Teresa had filled Fox in on the escapades of Julian and Rebecca in their letters.
"Oh, get real, Fox. You don't think I know all about your womanizing? For all I know, this is one of your little tricks to land me in the sack." She smiled.
Fox was truly hurt, "Come on, Resa. You know it's different with you."
Teresa saw that she had hurt his feelings. "I'm sorry. Look, let me talk to Ethan and I'll ask him about you staying there at the cottage. I don't want to do anything without talking to him first. He is my fiance after all and I don't know that he would like the fact that I agreed to let his womanizing brother stay with me without consulting him first."
"I guess I should have the maids prepare my room at the mansion then. Ethan doesn't want me in seeing distance of you, much less to share a house with you."
"Fox, I said I would talk to him."
He shook his head, "No, don't worry about it. I don't want to cause any problems between you and Ethan. I guess I wasn't thinking when I asked to stay with you."
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Positive. Just promise me, that if it gets too bad you'll leave the door to the cottage open. You know, I might have to make a quick escape."
"Promise. My door will always be open to you, Fox."
"Well, well, well," A snobbish voice said from somewhere behind Fox and Teresa. "If it isn't the little senorita herself."
Teresa rolled her eyes, she knew who it was without turning around, "Gwen, what the hell do you want?" Teresa asked through gritted teeth.
"Nothing, Teresa, I was just out running some errands. Didn't want to be rude and not say hello."
"Well, now, you've said it, so why don't you be on your way?" She turned around and crossed her arms.
Gwen looked to the man standing beside Teresa, "Fox, nice to see you again. When did you get back in town?"
"The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure, and I got back in town a couple hours ago."
"I take it Ethan doesn't know you're in town yet does he? He would definitely hate the idea of you and Teresa strolling around Harmony together. Why the rumors could be quite scandalous."
"Could you just go away, Gwen? Please!" Anger flashed across Teresa's face.
"Oh, Teresa, did I strike a nerve? You're quite testy today aren't you?"
"Go to hell, Gwen."
"News flash, Teresa, I'm already there. You've ruined my life and I intend on making yours miserable as well." Gwen shot back.
"Hold up. Let's all just calm down here." Fox stepped in between the two women. "Gwen, why don't you be on your merry way and leave Teresa alone?" Gwen stared at Fox for a moment and then she walked away.
Teresa waited until Gwen was out of hearing distance. "Thank you, Fox. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't stepped in. I swear sometimes I could ring her neck."
"That's enough, Teresa." Fox said upset.
Teresa shot him a confused look, "Is something wrong?"
"Yes." Fox turned to face her. "Why do you let her get to you so much?"
"I don't know, Fox, I guess it's because I'll never be able to live up to her. Ivy and Julian love Gwen. They absolutely think she hung the moon."
"Who cares what they think, Teresa. You are so much better than any of them. And if they can't see that then that's their loss."
"I just wish that Ivy would accept me again. We use to be so close at one time. That was until that letter was e-mailed to the tabloids. She's hated me ever since."
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't think of it as a great loss. She would stab you in the back at anytime, friend or foe. She knows Ethan's happy with you, yet she would sacrifice her son's happiness if she knew she could destroy you." Fox put his hand gently on Teresa's face. "Look,don't worry about any of them. Don't worry about what they say or what they do to you. All that matters is that you're happy and that you're with the man you love. As long as you have that, that's all that matters in the end. Right?"
She looked deep into Fox's eyes, "Yeah. I guess you're right." Somewhere deep in Fox's eyes, Teresa saw that same void she felt. She fought back the tears. Something told her that Fox was searching to fill that same void she was searching to fill.