How to Deal – Chapter 5

Fox walked lethargically into the church where everyone was gathered to watch his best friend marry her.

She frustrated him.

He knew that this marriage was just another part of her endless scheme to avenge him for breaking her heart over and over again.

But he loved her. Why did he continue to follow the infinite cycle of hurting her?

"She used you." the voice in his head said.

The voice.

The voice that told him over and over again for three years that Theresa used him... the voice that filled him with bittersweet anger... the voice that started the cycle.

He had sat through the wedding where his first love was married off to Chad. He finally reasoned that there was no way he was going to do the same thing to himself again.

"I've got to get to Theresa." he muttered anxiously as he made his way for the bride's quarters.
Theresa sighed as she looked into the mirror one more time. Was she ready to do this? Was she ready to marry a man that she didn't even love?

"If only I were marrying him." she thought.

"I'm always there." Fox's voice reminded her.

There was no way she was going to live in the anguish of lost love her whole life. She was determined to make the marriage work, even if it meant moving on past him.

"Ready to marry your escape route?" Fox asked as he appeared in her mirror.

A stunned Theresa spun around to face him. "He's not my escape route." she laughed.

"He's your way to forget about me." he replied plainly. "Would you prefer for me to call it a loveless marriage?"

"It won't be a loveless marriage." she said confidently, yet somewhat uneasily.

"It won't, will it?" Fox asked unconvinced.

"Dylan loves me and Alexa. I can see it in his eyes."

"Alexa?"

"Yes." Theresa smirked. "Remember? I was pregnant that night I fell over the cliff. You know, the cliff I fell over after I heard you say you loved Whitney."

Fox looked away, ashamed that he had caused her so much pain.

"Whitney." she repeated with scorn and disdain in her mouth. "Shouldn't you be out in California trying to break up her marriage to Chad?"

Still wordless, Fox didn't dare to meet her fierce look.

"Let me guess. You passed that chance up to break up another marriage that's about to happen. Mine. But let me tell you something Fox." Theresa said heatedly as she got up and walked over to him. "You took the wrong train because I'm not leaving this station."

"You don't love him." Fox said quietly.

"Ha, and I love you?" she laughed sarcastically. "I'm not the raw and naive girl that left this town three years ago. I sat and let you break my heart and waited for you to realize your mistake and it got me nowhere."

Remorse stung Fox as he saw all the pain and hurt he had caused in her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"I gave you plenty of chances and you missed them. Now you want me to open my arms on my wedding day?" Theresa berated him.

"I'm just trying to help you from making the mistake of marrying a man that you don't love! You're just trapping yourself into years of unhappiness!" he defended himself.

"You're trying to save me?" she chuckled. "Moody, aren't we?"

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"Two weeks ago you were yelling at me, obviously you hated me. Now you're trying to 'save me' from a loveless marriage!" Theresa began to shake her head as she paced the room. "It's almost as if we've switched places."

"How?"

"I was the one who tried to 'save' you from Whitney. I was the one who had the mood changes all the time. One minute I was angry with you and the next I was pleading with you."

"Now that I know how you felt," he hesitated, "I'm very sorry for the way I treated you."

Fox watched on as Theresa began to clap.

"Congratulations Fox." she grinned. "You finally know what it's like to have your heart broken."

Fox's eyes hardened as Theresa rejected him. "This is all a part of your whole vendetta."

"You're right Fox." she admitted. "It's my way to get over you."

A smile of triumph spread across his face as she admitted what he wanted to hear.

"That's what you want to hear. But the truth is Dylan loves me enough to never hurt me. He loves my daughter and even though he doesn't know Little Ethan yet, he loves him. He is what is going to get my son back and give me the happy family that I've always wanted."

"And where do you fit in that family, Theresa?" he asked. "Are you the loving wife who shares an indestructible bond with her husband, or are you just the dedicated stay at home mom?"

Theresa paused as his words rang in her head. Was this what she wanted? Did she want to begin a life with a man when another would always control her thoughts?

"I see you have nothing to say." he said angrily. "My time here was wasted. Don't ever expect me to offer us a second chance again."

"You're heartless." Theresa called behind him. "Just like your grandfather."

Fox stopped as she said those words to him. "You're frustrating." he said, then walked away.

Theresa watched as he walked away for good. She picked up her bouquet and made her way down to the front door where her soon to be husband awaited her.

Fox listened as the music played. Everyone waited for Theresa to appear.

"What's taking her so long?" he thought to himself. "Maybe she realized that she didn't love him."

Much to his dismay, she suddenly appeared and began to walk down the aisle.

She was beautiful but so frustrating.

"There he is." Theresa thought as she passed by a hurt Fox. "I hope he feels every bit of pain that I felt."

She finally focused her attention on the man standing at the altar for her. Dylan.

Or was it Fox? She shook her head as Fox's image faded into Dylan.

"When you waltz down that aisle to him, I'll be standing there." his voice tormented her.

She forced a smile as she climbed the steps and stood in front of her fiancée.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..." the priest's voice soon faded away.

Dylan happily gave her his hand as she began to slip the ring on his finger.

Or was it Fox's hand?

"My hand." his voice teased her.

She took in a deep breath as their marriage was sealed and titled her head to kiss him.

Or were they Fox's lips?

"My lips too." the voice chimed in.

Theresa turned around to face her family and friends who came to watch her marry this man, and Fox. She weakly grinned as she looked over at Dylan.

"What have I done?"