Fox and Teresa stopped back in town to grab some lunch and a small deli
along the wharf before stopping by her mothers to pick up Little Ethan.
Teresa exited the restaurant first while Fox payed the tab. She pushed on
a pair of sunglasses to help cover the blackeye that Ethan had given her
the day before. As she stepped outside she ran right into Gwen.
"Well, I seem to be running into you a lot lately. Things not going well with you and Ethan? I never see you two together anymore."
"Gwen, I'm really not in the mood." Teresa tried to walk past her, but Gwen stepped to block her.
"Did you find another man to sink your teeth into?" Gwen hissed, noticing Fox inside the restaurant. "Ethan and Julian just not good enough for you? Now you have to try and ruin Fox's life?"
"Gwen, please." Teresa whispered.
"What is it, Teresa? Is Ethan no longer good enough for you? Not rich enough for you?" She paused for a second, "No, I know what it is! Just one more in the line of Crane's that you wanted to sink your little teeth into. Who's next, Teresa? Alistair? A little old for you taste, but then again, I never thought you'd sink to seducing Julian. But with you, Teresa, nothing shocks me anymore. Who after Alistair, Ethan's father Sam?"
"I did not seduce Julian and you know it!" Teresa's voice began to rise. "You know he got me drunk..." Tears started to well up in her eyes. She took a deep breath. She would not let Gwen she her cry. She was too proud.
"All I have to say, Teresa, is more power to you! The minute Ethan finds out that you're trying to land his brother in the sack he'll drop you like he did when he found out Little Ethan wasn't his. Then I'll be there to pick up the pieces yet again. Fox will eventually do to you what he always does to the women he beds. When he's through with you, he'll ditch you in a heart beat. On to the next one. Fox has never been able to stay with the same woman for very long. What makes you think it will be any different with you?"
That was it. Teresa had, had enough. "Shut up, Gwen. Just shut up!" She tore the sunglasses off of her face. "Do you see this?" She said pointing to her black eye. "Huh, Gwen? Do you see this black-eye?" Gwen stepped back. "Ethan did this to me. So if you want a man that beats you, then fine by me. You can have him! Do you hear me, Gwen. You. Can. Have. Him! I don't want him anymore! For all I care, you two can burn in hell together. You deserve each other. You're spineless, careless, egotistical..."
Gwen stuttered, "Teresa, you mean...No, that can't be. Ethan...he would never."
"What? You're precious, Ethan, would never hit a woman? Well, he did! And it hurt, Gwen. It hurt like hell. Look at my face, Gwen. Look, you bitch!"
"Oh, my God. You're not lying are you?" She said stunned.
"No, Gwen, unfortunately, I'm not. I know this probably makes you as happy as hell, huh? Somebody finally put me in my place. You're lower than I thought you were, Gwen. I would never wish this on you. Never in a million years. But that's the difference between you and me, Gwen. I have a heart, unlike you."
"No, Teresa, I would never..."
"Yes, you would Gwen. Any chance you've ever had to hurt me, you have. You and you're mother have hurt me so bad at times, and I've taken it. We'll not anymore!"
"Teresa, wait...You're overreacting." Gwen tried to calm her down.
"Shut up! I don't want to hear a thing you have to say." Teresa laughed evily. "You probably can't wait to run back to Ethan. It's what you've wanted all along, isn't it. Go on! I'm not stopping you."
Fox came walking out at that moment and saw Gwen standing there on the verge of tears, "What's going on here?"
"Tell him, Gwen." Teresa crossed her arms in front of her as Gwen stood there silent. "Go on, tell him how I'm seducing him and that after I'm finished with him I'll take my chances with Alistair. According to Gwen, Fox, I'm sleeping my way through the Crane family."
"Teresa, calm down." Gwen said.
"No, Gwen, I will not calm down. I am so sick of you, so sick of your mother and the whole damn bit about how I'm such a money hungry slut. That I'm not good enough or that my family isn't good enough. It stops now! Do you hear me? I swear if I ever hear you say one more bad thing about me or my family, I won't be the only one around here wearing a black eye!" Teresa walked passed Gwen knocking her with her elbow.
Gwen stood there for a second as if the breath had been knocked out of her, "Fox, I never imagined..."
"That's your problem, Gwen. You have always assumed the worst about Teresa. This whole thing has never been between just you and Teresa. It's been between you, Teresa and Ethan. Ethan has always been in the middle. Going back and forth between the two of you. Leading you both on. You blamed Teresa for your unhappiness and she blamed you. Both blinded both the fact that Ethan was telling both of you that he loved you the most. Ethan has always been the one causing rifts. Teresa's finally figured it out. Maybe you should wisen up now. "
"Fox, I just want you to know, that even though Teresa and I have never gotten along, I would never wish harm on her. Please, you have to believe me."
"I know you wouldn't, Gwen. Thank about what I said. The problem between you and Teresa has always been because of Ethan. When you finally realize that, you and Teresa may just find a friend in each other."
Gwen stood there for a moment thinking about Fox's words. He was right. It was never Teresa that was causing her unhappiness. It was Ethan. She sighed. It had always been Ethan.
**As always, read and review. Lydia, I know I'm straying a little from your original storyline, so if you don't like it, please tell me. I'm open to your ideas. This is, of course, your original idea. Let me know what you think.
"Well, I seem to be running into you a lot lately. Things not going well with you and Ethan? I never see you two together anymore."
"Gwen, I'm really not in the mood." Teresa tried to walk past her, but Gwen stepped to block her.
"Did you find another man to sink your teeth into?" Gwen hissed, noticing Fox inside the restaurant. "Ethan and Julian just not good enough for you? Now you have to try and ruin Fox's life?"
"Gwen, please." Teresa whispered.
"What is it, Teresa? Is Ethan no longer good enough for you? Not rich enough for you?" She paused for a second, "No, I know what it is! Just one more in the line of Crane's that you wanted to sink your little teeth into. Who's next, Teresa? Alistair? A little old for you taste, but then again, I never thought you'd sink to seducing Julian. But with you, Teresa, nothing shocks me anymore. Who after Alistair, Ethan's father Sam?"
"I did not seduce Julian and you know it!" Teresa's voice began to rise. "You know he got me drunk..." Tears started to well up in her eyes. She took a deep breath. She would not let Gwen she her cry. She was too proud.
"All I have to say, Teresa, is more power to you! The minute Ethan finds out that you're trying to land his brother in the sack he'll drop you like he did when he found out Little Ethan wasn't his. Then I'll be there to pick up the pieces yet again. Fox will eventually do to you what he always does to the women he beds. When he's through with you, he'll ditch you in a heart beat. On to the next one. Fox has never been able to stay with the same woman for very long. What makes you think it will be any different with you?"
That was it. Teresa had, had enough. "Shut up, Gwen. Just shut up!" She tore the sunglasses off of her face. "Do you see this?" She said pointing to her black eye. "Huh, Gwen? Do you see this black-eye?" Gwen stepped back. "Ethan did this to me. So if you want a man that beats you, then fine by me. You can have him! Do you hear me, Gwen. You. Can. Have. Him! I don't want him anymore! For all I care, you two can burn in hell together. You deserve each other. You're spineless, careless, egotistical..."
Gwen stuttered, "Teresa, you mean...No, that can't be. Ethan...he would never."
"What? You're precious, Ethan, would never hit a woman? Well, he did! And it hurt, Gwen. It hurt like hell. Look at my face, Gwen. Look, you bitch!"
"Oh, my God. You're not lying are you?" She said stunned.
"No, Gwen, unfortunately, I'm not. I know this probably makes you as happy as hell, huh? Somebody finally put me in my place. You're lower than I thought you were, Gwen. I would never wish this on you. Never in a million years. But that's the difference between you and me, Gwen. I have a heart, unlike you."
"No, Teresa, I would never..."
"Yes, you would Gwen. Any chance you've ever had to hurt me, you have. You and you're mother have hurt me so bad at times, and I've taken it. We'll not anymore!"
"Teresa, wait...You're overreacting." Gwen tried to calm her down.
"Shut up! I don't want to hear a thing you have to say." Teresa laughed evily. "You probably can't wait to run back to Ethan. It's what you've wanted all along, isn't it. Go on! I'm not stopping you."
Fox came walking out at that moment and saw Gwen standing there on the verge of tears, "What's going on here?"
"Tell him, Gwen." Teresa crossed her arms in front of her as Gwen stood there silent. "Go on, tell him how I'm seducing him and that after I'm finished with him I'll take my chances with Alistair. According to Gwen, Fox, I'm sleeping my way through the Crane family."
"Teresa, calm down." Gwen said.
"No, Gwen, I will not calm down. I am so sick of you, so sick of your mother and the whole damn bit about how I'm such a money hungry slut. That I'm not good enough or that my family isn't good enough. It stops now! Do you hear me? I swear if I ever hear you say one more bad thing about me or my family, I won't be the only one around here wearing a black eye!" Teresa walked passed Gwen knocking her with her elbow.
Gwen stood there for a second as if the breath had been knocked out of her, "Fox, I never imagined..."
"That's your problem, Gwen. You have always assumed the worst about Teresa. This whole thing has never been between just you and Teresa. It's been between you, Teresa and Ethan. Ethan has always been in the middle. Going back and forth between the two of you. Leading you both on. You blamed Teresa for your unhappiness and she blamed you. Both blinded both the fact that Ethan was telling both of you that he loved you the most. Ethan has always been the one causing rifts. Teresa's finally figured it out. Maybe you should wisen up now. "
"Fox, I just want you to know, that even though Teresa and I have never gotten along, I would never wish harm on her. Please, you have to believe me."
"I know you wouldn't, Gwen. Thank about what I said. The problem between you and Teresa has always been because of Ethan. When you finally realize that, you and Teresa may just find a friend in each other."
Gwen stood there for a moment thinking about Fox's words. He was right. It was never Teresa that was causing her unhappiness. It was Ethan. She sighed. It had always been Ethan.
**As always, read and review. Lydia, I know I'm straying a little from your original storyline, so if you don't like it, please tell me. I'm open to your ideas. This is, of course, your original idea. Let me know what you think.