9—Secret Meeting

"Theresa! Please wait!" Ethan calls out, frustrated that he can't get up from the bed because of the machines hooked up to him.

Sighing outside his room, Theresa stops, and looks through the window of Ethan's room. "I can't go in there, Ethan. If I do, I'll never want to leave…"

Staring longingly at the woman who holds his heart, Ethan begs her with his eyes to come back to the room. Please, Theresa, I need to talk to you. He thinks to himself.

Feeling the tears fall down her face, Theresa feels herself give up the fight to stay away from Ethan, and walks back to his hospital room door. Pushing the door open slowly, her eyes never leave Ethan's as she moves into the room.

Looking at her tear-stained face, Ethan sighs. "Theresa." He says, feeling the love he has for her bloom in his heart. Stop it, Ethan, you're a married man. I may be a married man, but the only woman who holds my heart in her hands is standing right in front of me.

"Ethan, I'm sorry…I should go…I shouldn't be here…" Theresa mutters, beginning to turn around.

"No! Don't leave. Don't you leave me!" Ethan yells out, causing Theresa to stop and look back at him again. "You don't need me, Ethan. I put you in this position. You probably hate me for keeping you alive, and going against your wishes. I shouldn't be here!"

"Stop, Theresa. Please, sit down, we need to talk."

"What if Gwen sees us? She hates me as it is, she would never allow me to be here."

"It's late. She went home. It's just you and I right now. Please, Theresa, I need answers."

Giving up, Theresa sits down next to Ethan's bed. Not wanting to look into his face for fear of breaking down and crying, Theresa bows her head.

"I forgive you, Theresa." Ethan says, causing her to lift her head.

"You don't need to. I did this all to myself, it's all my fault. Everything is my fault. I'm my worst enemy. You know that, my parents know that, and now, I know it. I did this all out of selfish reasons to get out of a marriage that I shouldn't have been in to begin with…"

"Theresa…"

"How could you even love me anymore? You probably don't. I've done so many stupid things out of my love for you, and yet, it's never gotten me my dream. You and my children were my dream, Ethan. And now, that's gone, and I have to learn to accept that."

"Theresa…"

"I know you probably hate me for keeping you alive. You probably hate me even more for poisoning you. It was never my intention to do this to you. That was meant for Alistair. I couldn't stand being married to him anymore. He kept raping me constantly, I couldn't live that way. He's done nothing but hurt me since I've been with him, I had to find a way out. It was never my intention to have you eat the poison. I couldn't believe you stated me as your power of attorney. Gwen was so mad. I kept you alive not for me, but for your family and your children. I vowed I would leave you alone, and let you live a life without me, but I can't….I can't give up on you, not when I love you so much…"

"Theresa, stop, and listen to me!" Ethan says, finally getting Theresa's attention.

"I'm sorry, Ethan. I'm sorry…"

Taking a hold of her hand, Ethan makes Theresa look at him. "I understand. I know why you did what you did. You wanted to get out of the marriage, and you had to resort to whatever you could to make that happen. God, Theresa, I wish you weren't in this position. I wish you never married Alistair. I don't know what you were thinking in order to resort to that."

"You took my baby girl, Ethan…how do you think that made me feel knowing I couldn't watch my own baby girl grow up? You hurt me so badly when you did that."

"Theresa, you have to understand…"

"I can't understand! A mother should never be separated from her child. YOU know that, of all people! If I could never have you, all I would want is my children with me, and now I don't even have that!"

Bowing his head, Ethan sighs. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

"I miss my daughter, Ethan. Gwen won't even let me see her. MY DAUGHTER! God, this is all my fault. Every last thing is my fault. Now, Alistair has custody of my little boy. I have nothing left to live for."

"That's not true. You have so much to live for."

"No, I don't. I don't have you, I don't even have my children. The world would be better off without me."

Grasping her hand tightly, Ethan forces Theresa to look up at him. "No. Don't you dare say that! Don't you get it? I still need you! Even though we're not together, I realized something. You're still in my heart. You're still the woman I love."

"Don't do this, Ethan. I can't move on if you keep doing this to me. It's time….it's time we both stop this…"

"If you're giving up on me right now, then you're not the woman I thought you were. The woman I love would never give up on what she wants. The woman I love would never give up on ME, the man she claims to love."

"I do…I do love you, Ethan. I never stopped…but circumstances…."

"Circumstances are what they are, but that doesn't mean you should give up the fight to be happy. You deserve to be happy."

"No.."

"Yes. Look at me." He says, as he raises her face to meet his. "You will be happy. You will find someone to love…..someone who will treat you the way you should be treated…."

Shaking her head, Theresa cries. "No. The only one I want is you…and I can never have you."

Feeling his heart break, Ethan reaches over and takes Theresa's into his arms. Her tears seeping through his hospital gown. Kissing her head, Ethan sighs. "I love you, Theresa….I'll always love you…."

"Oh, no! NOT this again!" A voice suddenly says, causing Ethan and Theresa to look up.

Coming up

What will happen next?