4
Fox's foolish display intending to intimidate his half-brother thoroughly disgusted and disappointed Theresa. Her faith that Fox was unlike the other Crane men was quickly overshadowed by the behavior she witnessed. Fuming, Theresa cursed the idiotic nature of men and fumbled within her purse for her car keys. When she looked up and scanned the driveway, the sight of her missing car exacerbated her already furious demeanor. Cursing furiously under her breath, Theresa wished that she owned the single car, a black Mercedes, sitting in the driveway. The urge to get away was building dangerously.
Feeling the dam of emotion imploding within her, Theresa lifted her head to gaze at the sparsely clouded sky. Her eyes stung with pain as her pupils swallowed the bright sunlight and quickly filled with angry tears. Looking down quickly, Theresa watched her tears fall like rain drops as they smacked against the pavement. Her legs soon buckled beneath her as she fell to the ground. Unwillingly accepting the aggravation overwhelming her, Theresa curled herself into a tight ball and unleashed the frustration welled deep within her through a draining bout of uncontrollable tears.
Devastation sank into the pit of Fox's stomach at the sight of Theresa's vulnerable figure lying in the middle of the Crane driveway. His heart lurched with anguish at her heart wrenching cries while he walked quickly to her. Fox worried that Theresa had injured herself in her rush to leave the Crane grounds and blamed his moronic behavior for putting Theresa in the predicament in the first place. As his shadow covered hers, Theresa paused gasping for breath.
"Theresa?" Fox said quietly. "Are you okay? What happened? Did you fall?"
Theresa lifted her head slightly at the sound of Fox's voice and angrily cast Fox a look of reproach. "Go away," She murmured as she covered her head to eliminate the apologetic sight of him.
"So I guess you didn't fall," Fox asked scratching his chin and frowning.
"Go away," Theresa repeated again demandingly.
No," Fox said gently. "I'm not going anywhere until we get to talk."
"Do I look like I want to talk?" Theresa asked angrily- her body stilled curled into a tight protective ball.
Fox sighed at Theresa's muffled response. "You know, Theresa." Fox said as he crouched down to his knees. "You can lay there and throw a tantrum like a four year old, or," He said emphatically. "You can stand up like a mature adult and talk this through with me."
Theresa stiffened and narrowed her eyes as she slowly sat up. "You" Before Theresa could utter another word, Fox silenced her with the touch of his finger upon her lips. Theresa's eyes widened with surprise as Fox's leaned in to gently connect his lips with hers. Her body immediately sagged, the tension apparently eased. Just when Fox believed he had appeased Theresa's anger, he felt the hard smack of the back of her hand against his cheek.
"Ow!" Fox sputtered as he sat back on his heels with a dazed expression coloring his eyes.
"Do you think a kiss is going to amend this?" Theresa yelled, her fiery anger fueling the stinging of his cheek. "You've got a lot of nerve Fox." Theresa huffed as she hastily stood up. "You decided to make yourself look like an inane fool by boasting about our intimate moments, and single- handedly turned something that I thought was special into some kind of bragging right. If you're so intent on letting the world know our personal business, why don't you call up the tabloids and tell them too. I'm sure they'll have a field day! I can see the headlines now," Theresa laughed bitterly as she walked off heatedly. "Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Beds Former Stepson- the gossips are going to love that."
"Technically you weren't my step-mom because you never married Julian." Fox said slowly as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Ugh!" Theresa gasped infuriatingly as she launched one of her heeled shoes at Fox.
"Umph," Fox grunted as the tip of her shoe nailed him square on the stomach. "Nice throw," He mumbled as he doubled over in discomfort.
"I wasn't aiming for your stomach." Theresa retorted crossing her arms and pressing her lips together in a thin line.
Fox looked up warily at Theresa's narrowed eyes. "Lower?" He guessed wincing.
Theresa raised an eyebrow and glanced at her remaining shoe. "I still have one more shot," She said menacingly. "And I'm sure as hell tempted to take another chance."
Fox held his hands up defensively. "Please don't Theresa. I know I totally deserve it for being such an ass. I shouldn't have said those things to Ethan."
"But you did." Theresa said looking away.
"I know I did," Fox swallowed nervously. "But Theresa, if you just give me a chance. If we could just talk"
"Fox," Theresa interrupted as she looked him square in the eyes. "Not now."
"But Theresa" Fox entreated as he extended his hand.
Theresa shook her head and sighed. As much as she wanted to give into the alluring choice to talk with Fox, the simple sight of him reminded her of his sordid behavior. "Fox, to be honest, I can't even stomach the sight of you. Just leave me alone okay?" Without waiting for a response, Theresa turned and resumed her walk off the Crane grounds. Because she only had one shoe, her walk was most accurately described as more of a limp. The noticeable fact prompted Fox to attempt to bring Theresa back.
"Wait!" Fox called after her. "Theresa! You only have one shoe!"
When Theresa abruptly stopped in her tracks, the act gave Fox a small glimmer of hope. The smile that tempted the corner's of his mouth surrendered to a frown as he watched Theresa bend down to remove the shoe from her foot and launch it over her shoulder. "You can have it" Theresa yelled as Fox sullenly gazed at Theresa's shrinking figure as she walked further away from him. As Fox fell to his knees, defeat taunted him. "Idiot!" Fox said smacking his forehead.
"I agree." A familiar jovial voice concurred behind Fox. Standing up without hurry, Fox cocked his head in the direction of the voice. "It can't be," He said disbelievingly. As Fox turned his head to face the owner of the familiar voice, his jaw nearly plunged to the ground. "Dylan?"
"In the flesh buddy." Dylan grinned, his green irises twinkling in the sunlight.
Fox's foolish display intending to intimidate his half-brother thoroughly disgusted and disappointed Theresa. Her faith that Fox was unlike the other Crane men was quickly overshadowed by the behavior she witnessed. Fuming, Theresa cursed the idiotic nature of men and fumbled within her purse for her car keys. When she looked up and scanned the driveway, the sight of her missing car exacerbated her already furious demeanor. Cursing furiously under her breath, Theresa wished that she owned the single car, a black Mercedes, sitting in the driveway. The urge to get away was building dangerously.
Feeling the dam of emotion imploding within her, Theresa lifted her head to gaze at the sparsely clouded sky. Her eyes stung with pain as her pupils swallowed the bright sunlight and quickly filled with angry tears. Looking down quickly, Theresa watched her tears fall like rain drops as they smacked against the pavement. Her legs soon buckled beneath her as she fell to the ground. Unwillingly accepting the aggravation overwhelming her, Theresa curled herself into a tight ball and unleashed the frustration welled deep within her through a draining bout of uncontrollable tears.
Devastation sank into the pit of Fox's stomach at the sight of Theresa's vulnerable figure lying in the middle of the Crane driveway. His heart lurched with anguish at her heart wrenching cries while he walked quickly to her. Fox worried that Theresa had injured herself in her rush to leave the Crane grounds and blamed his moronic behavior for putting Theresa in the predicament in the first place. As his shadow covered hers, Theresa paused gasping for breath.
"Theresa?" Fox said quietly. "Are you okay? What happened? Did you fall?"
Theresa lifted her head slightly at the sound of Fox's voice and angrily cast Fox a look of reproach. "Go away," She murmured as she covered her head to eliminate the apologetic sight of him.
"So I guess you didn't fall," Fox asked scratching his chin and frowning.
"Go away," Theresa repeated again demandingly.
No," Fox said gently. "I'm not going anywhere until we get to talk."
"Do I look like I want to talk?" Theresa asked angrily- her body stilled curled into a tight protective ball.
Fox sighed at Theresa's muffled response. "You know, Theresa." Fox said as he crouched down to his knees. "You can lay there and throw a tantrum like a four year old, or," He said emphatically. "You can stand up like a mature adult and talk this through with me."
Theresa stiffened and narrowed her eyes as she slowly sat up. "You" Before Theresa could utter another word, Fox silenced her with the touch of his finger upon her lips. Theresa's eyes widened with surprise as Fox's leaned in to gently connect his lips with hers. Her body immediately sagged, the tension apparently eased. Just when Fox believed he had appeased Theresa's anger, he felt the hard smack of the back of her hand against his cheek.
"Ow!" Fox sputtered as he sat back on his heels with a dazed expression coloring his eyes.
"Do you think a kiss is going to amend this?" Theresa yelled, her fiery anger fueling the stinging of his cheek. "You've got a lot of nerve Fox." Theresa huffed as she hastily stood up. "You decided to make yourself look like an inane fool by boasting about our intimate moments, and single- handedly turned something that I thought was special into some kind of bragging right. If you're so intent on letting the world know our personal business, why don't you call up the tabloids and tell them too. I'm sure they'll have a field day! I can see the headlines now," Theresa laughed bitterly as she walked off heatedly. "Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Beds Former Stepson- the gossips are going to love that."
"Technically you weren't my step-mom because you never married Julian." Fox said slowly as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Ugh!" Theresa gasped infuriatingly as she launched one of her heeled shoes at Fox.
"Umph," Fox grunted as the tip of her shoe nailed him square on the stomach. "Nice throw," He mumbled as he doubled over in discomfort.
"I wasn't aiming for your stomach." Theresa retorted crossing her arms and pressing her lips together in a thin line.
Fox looked up warily at Theresa's narrowed eyes. "Lower?" He guessed wincing.
Theresa raised an eyebrow and glanced at her remaining shoe. "I still have one more shot," She said menacingly. "And I'm sure as hell tempted to take another chance."
Fox held his hands up defensively. "Please don't Theresa. I know I totally deserve it for being such an ass. I shouldn't have said those things to Ethan."
"But you did." Theresa said looking away.
"I know I did," Fox swallowed nervously. "But Theresa, if you just give me a chance. If we could just talk"
"Fox," Theresa interrupted as she looked him square in the eyes. "Not now."
"But Theresa" Fox entreated as he extended his hand.
Theresa shook her head and sighed. As much as she wanted to give into the alluring choice to talk with Fox, the simple sight of him reminded her of his sordid behavior. "Fox, to be honest, I can't even stomach the sight of you. Just leave me alone okay?" Without waiting for a response, Theresa turned and resumed her walk off the Crane grounds. Because she only had one shoe, her walk was most accurately described as more of a limp. The noticeable fact prompted Fox to attempt to bring Theresa back.
"Wait!" Fox called after her. "Theresa! You only have one shoe!"
When Theresa abruptly stopped in her tracks, the act gave Fox a small glimmer of hope. The smile that tempted the corner's of his mouth surrendered to a frown as he watched Theresa bend down to remove the shoe from her foot and launch it over her shoulder. "You can have it" Theresa yelled as Fox sullenly gazed at Theresa's shrinking figure as she walked further away from him. As Fox fell to his knees, defeat taunted him. "Idiot!" Fox said smacking his forehead.
"I agree." A familiar jovial voice concurred behind Fox. Standing up without hurry, Fox cocked his head in the direction of the voice. "It can't be," He said disbelievingly. As Fox turned his head to face the owner of the familiar voice, his jaw nearly plunged to the ground. "Dylan?"
"In the flesh buddy." Dylan grinned, his green irises twinkling in the sunlight.