"Absolutely not!" Ethan yelled.
"Come on, Ethan, it's only for a short time. He's looking for an apartment right now."
"I said no, Teresa."
"Ethan, you're being ridiculous."
"No, I'm not Teresa. You know who Fox is. I don't trust him and you shouldn't either. He'd take advantage of you in a heartbeat if he could. I won't allow him to stay with you at the cottage. Hell, Teresa, you won't even let me stay with you and we're engaged to be married."
"Fox is nothing like you think , Ethan. Why do you always think the worst of him?"
"Because it's true, Teresa." Ethan rubbed his temples. "Look, if you insist on Fox staying with you then that's fine, but if you do, the wedding is off."
Teresa looked at Ethan stunned. "Ethan, don't be like this."
"I'm sorry, Teresa. I have no choice. I will not allow Fox to live under the same roof as you, temporarily or not. It's just not acceptable. Furthermore, I don't want you hanging around him. Rumor has it you were seen holding hands walking through town today. Do you know who embarrassing that it? My fiance hanging all over my brother." He scolded Teresa.
"It's not like that, Ethan, and you know that. Fox and I have always been friends. Nothing else."
"Men and women cannot be friends, Teresa, that's common sense."
"You don't trust me when I'm with Fox, do you?" Tears came to Teresa's eyes.
"I don't trust Fox, Teresa. It's not you." Ethan looked at his watch. "I have a dinner meeting with a potential client. I'd better be on my way." He walked over and kissed Teresa on the cheek. "Thank about what I said, Teresa, I wouldn't want to have to call off our wedding. Not after all the arrangements have been made. You would never be able to live that down. Not a second time." Ethan kissed her again and walked to the door and grabbed his coat. "I'll call you later tonight. I expect you to be home." He walked out slamming the door behind him.
Teresa threw herself on the couch and broke down into tears.
A short time later there was a knock at the door. Teresa wiped away her tears and straightened her clothing. She walked over and opened the door to the cottage. "Fox."
"Hey, Teresa." He looked at her concerned. "Are you okay. You look like you've been crying?"
Teresa stepped back and allowed Fox to enter the cottage. "Ethan and I had an arguement."
"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Fox asked.
"Yeah, you can leave." She said quitely.
"Teresa, talk to me."
"I can't, Fox. Ethan told me if he found out that I was with you he would call off the wedding."
"That sonofabitch."
"Don't talk about him like that, Fox. Please." Tears again threatened to poor.
"Damn it, Teresa, I won't give up my friendship with you so easily."
"I have no choice, Fox. I love him."
"Obviously he doesn't love you, Teresa. If he did, he wouldn't make you choice between him and our friendship." Fox was becoming angry.
"Fox, I'm sorry."
"Stop it, Teresa. Maybe you're not the friend I thought you were."
"No, Fox, it's not like that..."
"Teresa, I hate the fact that you're with Ethan. I'm not going to lie. Not a day goes by that I don't wonder what it would be like if it were me in Ethan's place." Fox stopped for a minute. He hadn't meant to say that. Teresa looked at him stunned. The damage was already done Fox thought to himself. Why stop now? "I have never once tried to come between you and Ethan even though I know that there's someone better out there for you. When I hear you talk about something missing in your life it kills me, because I know what's missing. True love." Teresa didn't want to hear this. She tried walking past Fox but he stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Teresa, why do you think there have been so many obstacles for you and Ethan? Have you ever once thought that maybe someone out there was trying to tell you that maybe you weren't meant to be together? Think about it. You can't even be yourself with him. You have to put on a show, an act." He pulled her close to him. "I see the real you, Teresa. I see you for the person you really are. And I'm so much in love with you it hurts." Before Teresa could say anything, Fox's lips descended on hers. She thought about pushing him away, but for some reason her body just couldn't fight him away. She wanted this. Deep down she knew she had always wanted this. Just when Teresa was ready to deepen the kiss Fox pushed her away.
"Forget it, Teresa. When it comes to Ethan there's no arguing with you. You'll always side with him even when deep down you know he's wrong." Fox turned and exited the same way Ethan did. Slamming the door behind him.
Teresa sat down on the edge of the sofa and dropped her head into her hands. How had things gotten so complicated?
***Read and review as always! I truly thrive on them. Lydia, e-mail me with any ideas you may have for the story. Remember this is your idea. I don't want to leave you out!
"Come on, Ethan, it's only for a short time. He's looking for an apartment right now."
"I said no, Teresa."
"Ethan, you're being ridiculous."
"No, I'm not Teresa. You know who Fox is. I don't trust him and you shouldn't either. He'd take advantage of you in a heartbeat if he could. I won't allow him to stay with you at the cottage. Hell, Teresa, you won't even let me stay with you and we're engaged to be married."
"Fox is nothing like you think , Ethan. Why do you always think the worst of him?"
"Because it's true, Teresa." Ethan rubbed his temples. "Look, if you insist on Fox staying with you then that's fine, but if you do, the wedding is off."
Teresa looked at Ethan stunned. "Ethan, don't be like this."
"I'm sorry, Teresa. I have no choice. I will not allow Fox to live under the same roof as you, temporarily or not. It's just not acceptable. Furthermore, I don't want you hanging around him. Rumor has it you were seen holding hands walking through town today. Do you know who embarrassing that it? My fiance hanging all over my brother." He scolded Teresa.
"It's not like that, Ethan, and you know that. Fox and I have always been friends. Nothing else."
"Men and women cannot be friends, Teresa, that's common sense."
"You don't trust me when I'm with Fox, do you?" Tears came to Teresa's eyes.
"I don't trust Fox, Teresa. It's not you." Ethan looked at his watch. "I have a dinner meeting with a potential client. I'd better be on my way." He walked over and kissed Teresa on the cheek. "Thank about what I said, Teresa, I wouldn't want to have to call off our wedding. Not after all the arrangements have been made. You would never be able to live that down. Not a second time." Ethan kissed her again and walked to the door and grabbed his coat. "I'll call you later tonight. I expect you to be home." He walked out slamming the door behind him.
Teresa threw herself on the couch and broke down into tears.
A short time later there was a knock at the door. Teresa wiped away her tears and straightened her clothing. She walked over and opened the door to the cottage. "Fox."
"Hey, Teresa." He looked at her concerned. "Are you okay. You look like you've been crying?"
Teresa stepped back and allowed Fox to enter the cottage. "Ethan and I had an arguement."
"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Fox asked.
"Yeah, you can leave." She said quitely.
"Teresa, talk to me."
"I can't, Fox. Ethan told me if he found out that I was with you he would call off the wedding."
"That sonofabitch."
"Don't talk about him like that, Fox. Please." Tears again threatened to poor.
"Damn it, Teresa, I won't give up my friendship with you so easily."
"I have no choice, Fox. I love him."
"Obviously he doesn't love you, Teresa. If he did, he wouldn't make you choice between him and our friendship." Fox was becoming angry.
"Fox, I'm sorry."
"Stop it, Teresa. Maybe you're not the friend I thought you were."
"No, Fox, it's not like that..."
"Teresa, I hate the fact that you're with Ethan. I'm not going to lie. Not a day goes by that I don't wonder what it would be like if it were me in Ethan's place." Fox stopped for a minute. He hadn't meant to say that. Teresa looked at him stunned. The damage was already done Fox thought to himself. Why stop now? "I have never once tried to come between you and Ethan even though I know that there's someone better out there for you. When I hear you talk about something missing in your life it kills me, because I know what's missing. True love." Teresa didn't want to hear this. She tried walking past Fox but he stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Teresa, why do you think there have been so many obstacles for you and Ethan? Have you ever once thought that maybe someone out there was trying to tell you that maybe you weren't meant to be together? Think about it. You can't even be yourself with him. You have to put on a show, an act." He pulled her close to him. "I see the real you, Teresa. I see you for the person you really are. And I'm so much in love with you it hurts." Before Teresa could say anything, Fox's lips descended on hers. She thought about pushing him away, but for some reason her body just couldn't fight him away. She wanted this. Deep down she knew she had always wanted this. Just when Teresa was ready to deepen the kiss Fox pushed her away.
"Forget it, Teresa. When it comes to Ethan there's no arguing with you. You'll always side with him even when deep down you know he's wrong." Fox turned and exited the same way Ethan did. Slamming the door behind him.
Teresa sat down on the edge of the sofa and dropped her head into her hands. How had things gotten so complicated?
***Read and review as always! I truly thrive on them. Lydia, e-mail me with any ideas you may have for the story. Remember this is your idea. I don't want to leave you out!