CHAPTER 6
Fox quickly punched the man back knocking him to the ground. The man grabbed his head and made a few moaning sounds of pain. "Come on Theresa, let's go home." He wrapped his arm around her and led her to the car. They got inside the limo and Theresa looked over at him.
"Are you ok? He hit you pretty hard." She touched his cheek as he winced in pain.
"I'll be ok." He said looking in her eyes.
"Thank you for saving me."
"I don't know if you could call that saving you." He laughed.
"Well, whatever you want to call it, thank you." She said sincerely.
"Your welcome. No guy touches my girl." Fox only realized what he said after he said it. He got a bit flustered as he tried to correct himself, "I mean, my girlfriend...um, my friend, who is a girl."
Theresa just laughed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Despite that whole incident, I had a really nice time with you."
"I did too. Hey you know, you promised me some sex on the beach tonight." He joked.
"Raincheck?" Theresa asked giggling.
"Sure." He kissed the top of her head as they drove home. It was a quiet drive. Fox thought about his feelings for Theresa and where they were going. He knew he had never truly felt anything for anyone else before but with Theresa, it was different. She made him different. Every time she was around, she lit up his world. She'd walk in a room and he'd instantly have a huge smile on his face. And when she smiled at him, it melted everything inside of him. It scared him that he was feeling this way, especially so soon after meeting her. He thought about approaching her about it but knew it would only ruin their friendship...she was in love with Ethan and nothing could change that. "All you can do is be her friend...her very good friend." Fox thought to himself. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes until they reached the driveway of the mansion. When they did, he rubbed Theresa's arm to let her know they were home and she opened her eyes slightly. They got out of the car slowly and walked inside and up the stairs. Fox led Theresa to her room.
"Thank you again Fox, for a very fun night and for also protecting me." She looked up at him smiling a small smile leaning back against her bedroom door. He could tell by her eyes she was tired. They were a little puffy and she was blinking slowly. As much as he wanted to go into her room and stay up with her all night and talk the way they had been the past few nights, he knew she'd be passed out in a matter of minutes and he too was tired. Not to mention the fact that his head hurt from the punch.
"Well, I thank you for a wonderful night as well Theresa. Sweet dreams." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. She opened her door and closed it behind her. Fox stood there for a minute thinking of what it would be like to burst through the door and tell Theresa how he felt...
"Theresa...there's something I need to tell you."
"Yes, Fox?" She looked beautiful, she had put her hair up in a bun while little pieces had fallen out around her face. Her shoes were off and he noticed she painted her toenails a light pink and painted little yellow flowers on them. She was pulling her pajamas out of her dresser when she turned around. Fox walked closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Since the night I climbed into bed with you, I haven't been able to get you off my mind. The way you look at me, makes me feel like I'm somebody. Every time you smile at me, my heart jumps a thousand times a minute and I keep hoping you'll walk up to me and kiss me. I've never felt this way about someone before and I know you're in love with Ethan..." Before he could finish, he was cut off by Theresa's lips being pressed against his. He didn't resist and he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. He didn't know what he had said to make her do this but he didn't care, she did do it.
"Fox? Fox?" He came back to reality when he heard a voice calling his name and fingers being snapped in front of his face.
"Huh?" He asked confused.
"Where were you just now?" It was Ethan.
"Nothing, no where. What do you want?" He tried to play it off.
"You're home early, what happened to your night of dancing?" He crossed his arms and had a look that said "I knew she wouldn't want to spend that much time with you."
"It was cut short unfortunately by a man who hit on Theresa and tried to get her to leave with him."
"Is Theresa ok? I should go check on her and see how she's doing." Ethan put his hand on Theresa's doorknob and was about to open it when Fox stopped him.
"Ethan, does this bruise on my face look like the man got anywhere? No, because he didn't. I got there in time and I stopped him, in fact, he's probably still spread out on the ground where I knocked him out." Fox said proud of himself for protecting Theresa. "She's fine. A little shaken up, but fine. So leave her alone and let her sleep."
"Wow Fox, I'm shocked you'd take a punch and risk hurting your good looks." Ethan chuckled. "That's something I know you'd never do for a family member."
"Yeah, well there's a lot of things you don't know about me Ethan." Fox started to walk away when Ethan made a comment.
"Why don't you cut the act and leave Theresa alone. I know you're just looking to hurt her."
"You know Ethan, why don't you mind your own business for once? How many times do I have to say it...you are married, with a baby on the way. You chose Gwen over Theresa, that's something you have to live with and it's not my problem. Theresa is a grown woman and can make her own choices, and apparently, if you haven't noticed, she likes spending time with me. You had your chance to be with her and you passed on it, and now that she isn't following you around like a puppy dog anymore, you're jealous and you wish she still was. I'm not going to let her Ethan. She doesn't deserve to be treated the way you treat her, and if I ever have the chance, I will treat her like the goddess she is." Fox felt proud for saying what he did. Theresa didn't deserve to be hurt, in any way. Especially not by his half brother. He turned around and walked down the hall ignoring what Ethan had to say.
"Fox, are you saying you want to be with Theresa?" Fox continued to walk without answering him. He walked into his bedroom and shut the door. He grabbed some aspirin out of his medicine cabinet in the bathroom and took off his clothes until he was just in his boxers. He brushed his teeth and turned off the light. Hopping into bed, there was only one thought on his mind, and she would be on his mind all night.
-----
Theresa woke up the following morning to a knock at her door. She thought it would be Fox so she sat up and fixed her hair before yelling, "Come in!"
"Good morning Theresa. How did you sleep last night?" Ethan walked through the door looking as handsome as usual to Theresa. He was wearing a light blue striped shirt that was tucked into a pair of khaki pants. He had a slight look of worry on his face and she noticed.
"I slept just fine.Is everything ok Ethan? You look upset." She motioned for him to come sit with her on her bed.
"I'm fine...it's you I'm worried about."
"Me?" She was confused. Since when did Ethan care about how she was. He certainly didn't care when he chose Gwen over her, or all the times he told her she couldn't be around him anymore because his wife didn't like it. But now all of a sudden he was worried? Why?
"Fox told me what happened last night. I wanted to make sure you were ok."
"Fox." The thought of him made Theresa smile. "Well I'm ok Ethan. Fox took care of me. He protected me. I told you I was in good hands."
"For that I am thankful. But I still don't like the fact that you hang around him so much." He said shifting his body to face her more directly. "I mean what do you see in him anyway?"
"He's different Ethan. He's not at all how you think he is. He is sweet and kind and funny. I feel happy when I'm around him and I can trust him. We've become really close friends."
"He seems to think you're more than friends." Ethan tried to mumble the words to himself but Theresa heard.
"Me and Fox are just friends Ethan, you know how I feel about you." She reached out and touched his hand.
"Just friends." The words lingered in Fox's mind. He was standing outside Theresa's bedroom door. He heard everything she had said, and the words "just friends" felt like knives through his heart. He of all people knew how she felt about Ethan, and he knew she was in there right now, giving him that same smile that made Fox all tingly inside. He turned around and walked away from the door...
