Steffy felt like she was a teenager again at a sleepover. Only she was with a man almost twice her age. And he had practically saved her life. Why had she almost given up so easily? It's not like Ridge had never denied her before.

"I don't want to sound rude," Steffy said, "but why are you here?"

Bill replied, "If I remember correctly, last time I left you here alone you almost drown. And I don't think Liam's coming to save you this time."

It hurt. Bill didn't know it, but with his words he had opened the door to the past again. A past with the man who she thought was the man of her dreams. It was haunting her. Every time she turned out the lights, it was right there, the monster under the bed, the boogey man in the closet, the murderer outside the window.

"I love him, you know." Steffy said. "No matter what I do, I think I always will."

"Steffy, there's more than one kind of love. There's the kind where sparks fly, but afterwards there's coals leftover. There's the kind that's short lived, but you'll always remember. Then there's the kind that doesn't happen all at once. You have to work for it. If it's with the right person, it's perfect. That's the kind everybody wants but not everybody gets. But you're young and you think that all love lasts forever."

Bill didn't know where all that came from. He had thought it all before but he had never imagined telling somebody, especially not Steffy.

"Then what about Liam and me? Are we 'forever'? I believe that you used to support Liam and I being married."

"I'm far from the expert, but you and Liam are the coals left over. It's always going to be there for you two. You just have to learn how to ignore it."

"How do you suggest I mask it?" Steffy acted like she was playing along, but she really did want to know if any of this was real or if it was just Bill talking.

"You overpower it with something stronger." Bill didn't know if he was being too blunt. It had always been Steffy who had come onto him in the past. Was he coming on too strong? Was it obvious?

"I don't plan on covering up my love for Liam. I'm getting over it just fine."

"You almost committed suicide, Steffy; you don't get over something like that this quickly. Tell me why you didn't go to somebody for help. You're mom's a shrink for crying out loud!"

"I didn't have anyone to talk to. My mom doesn't understand things the way I do. Thomas is too busy with his girlfriend. My grandma hasn't been the best lately. Who did I have to turn to?"

"You could have come to me."

"Why would I go to you? No offense, but up until a few days ago, I absolutely hated you."

"Your feelings for people change remarkably fast." Bill commented. "Why didn't you come to me? You knew I would listen."

"I didn't think you would listen now that you accepted Hope."

"Between you and me," Bill urged her to lean close, "it's an act. I've tried to accept her, but she's far too Logan."

"I knew your wife wouldn't approve of me seeking you out."

"You need to stop trying to please people." Bill said. "Be yourself and don't give a damn about what others think."

Steffy was teary now. She wanted to tell him everything, just get it all off her chest.

"The real reason I didn't go to you is obvious." Steffy knew she was pushing him now, but she needed relief.

"Because I'm untrustworthy?" Bill guessed, figuring she had some long explanation in store.

"It's because you've screwed me over before. I couldn't be certain you wouldn't do it again."

Well, that was like a punch in the gut. Did she really see it that way? "How did I screw you over?"

"You broke promises." Steffy read the confused look on his face and said, "No Bill, this has nothing to do with Liam. It's just me and you. There's one thing I've wanted to ask you since the day you left me in this apartment heartbroken."

Bill didn't want to think about what he did to Steffy that day, his beautiful Steffy. Bill gave Steffy a nod that encouraged her to go on, even though he was sure he wouldn't want to answer her question.

"Did you go back to her out of love, loyalty, or guilt?"

Bill had asked himself the same question countless times. Did he make the right decision staying with Katie, even after she recovered? Where would they be now? Everyone, he, Katie, Steffy, Hope, Liam, Brooke, Ridge, would be somewhere else if he hadn't broken his word to Steffy. "I think it was all three."

Steffy was clearly disappointed. "I wish you weren't married. I wish Liam wasn't either. Well, I guess he isn't technically, but he made it clear he and Hope would stick this out."

Bill could tell that with her long day, Steffy was about to hold nothing back. Maybe he shouldn't either.

"Sometimes I wonder if I married the right woman. Katie and I are constantly fighting, some nights I don't even want to go home. But I do. I made a promise to her, to always love her and be by her side."

"But how do you love her? You lectured me about different kinds of loves. Now it's my turn." Steffy wanted to laugh at the quizzical look on his face. "I think you and Katie have the short lived kind. You guys were totally in love for while, and from what I understand now there's nothing left beside two rings holding the two of you together."

"That's not true," Bill defended. Was that right? Was that was all there was holding them together? Did Katie even love him anymore? Did he even love Katie anymore?

"Then what kind do you have? I know it's not the perfect kind or she wouldn't have forced you into therapy."

"She didn't force me into therapy; I went because she wanted us to."

"As I remember it, she said that you would go to therapy with her or she would walk out on you. Not like she had ever done that before or anything."

"I don't appreciate you bashing my wife." Bill said sternly.

"I'm not bashing your wife. I'm reminding you of what she did to you."

"I could remind you of what Liam did to you," Bill said, knowing it was unsympathetic. Maybe pushing Steffy away was the best thing to do.

"Go ahead," Steffy said, "Hit me with your best shot."

"I'm not going to torture you," Bill said, not sounding so tough anymore.

"I could torture you all I wanted," Steffy said, with a hungry look in her eyes. She would forget Liam. She would forget their marriage, his broken promises, and his 'perfect' Hope.

"Yes, because the most successful businessman in L.A. can be tortured by a little girl." Bill said sarcastically.

"Please," Steffy said, leaning closer, so close that her hair was toughing his face, "I could torture you all night long."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Thank you so much for having me over for dinner!" Caroline gushed to Brooke and Ridge as she and Thomas were about to leave.

"It was a pleasure!" Brooke replied.

"Thomas, if you find Steffy, text me to tell me she's all right."

"If Caroline and I get bored we'll stop by her house. But I doubt we'll need any extra entertainment." Thomas said and it made Caroline giggle. She leaned up and kissed his nose.

"I agree, I don't think we'll be bored anytime soon. Regardless, we will still probably go see Steffy for awhile. Thanks Ridge and Brooke, Thomas and I had a great time!"

As Thomas and Caroline got in the car Thomas asked, "Are we really going to my sister's house?"

"Why not, I haven't got to spend much time with her and your dad is worried about her. Why is your dad so worried anyway? Did something happen last time they fought?"

Thomas sighed as they pulled out of the driveway. He was one of the few that knew what Steffy did when she was mad at dad. "When Steffy feels abandoned by dad, she can sometimes turn to an older male figure in her life." Thomas tried to make it less obvious than 'my sister flocks to your uncle when she's sad'.

"And who is this older male figure?" Caroline asked, not having any idea who Thomas was talking about.

He really didn't want to tell Caroline, but he had to now. "Bill Spencer."

Caroline almost gasped. Her uncle? He was married. What did Bill and Steffy do when her dad let her down? Caroline prayed it wasn't what she was thinking.

/\/\/\/\/\

It was all coming back to Steffy now, why she loved Bill. As their kissing got more intense, Bill remembered too. He knew it was wrong, that he was taking advantage of her, but he couldn't go back now. Every fiber of Steffy's being was screaming for her to stop. She loved Liam. She loved Bill. She loved Liam. She loved Bill. She was so messed up right now, she didn't even care. Steffy pulled away slightly, just enough to look into Bill's dazzling brown eyes.

"I can't remember the last time I felt this good." She said, completely under Bill's spell.

Bill didn't know what to say, so he kissed her more. The kiss was more demanding, rushed.

Steffy pulled away again. "Bill," she whimpered, "Bill, I'm not going to break up your marriage."

"You said yourself that the only thing holding Katie and me together was two rings." Bill took off his ring and held it up. "Here, now what's holding me to her?" Bill tossed the ring off the bed and onto the floor.

Steffy was shocked, not so long ago this was all she wanted. "And a baby," Steffy said, wishing she hadn't said it but knowing she had to.

"Did you not hear me earlier? I don't want the baby. I don't love it. I tried, but I don't." He kissed her again, softer this time. "There's a way around everything if you're willing enough to find it. And I am." For the first time, Bill was the one throwing himself at Steffy and she liked it.

"So am I. I want to be your everything." She kissed him with so much passion she could burst. And he returned with the same attitude.

"Hold on," Steffy breathed as she pulled her lips away from his and ran into the closet.

/\/\/\/\/\

"My uncle is married. I don't think he would comfort your sister when she's lonely." Caroline said, watching raindrops race down the car window

"They had an affair. Multiple times I do believe. And he always seems to be there when Steffy is most susceptible."

Caroline didn't want to pop the question but her curiosities got the best of her. "Do you think he's at her apartment now?"

"I doubt it even though dad thinks he might be. She's still mad at him for leaving her for Katie a few months ago."

Caroline looked repulsed and confused.

"It's a long story. I'll explain later. Are you sure you still want to go to her apartment? I don't think Bill will be there but you never know."

"I need you to explain all this to me before I see Steffy again. There's too much I don't know. But I do know that we should get to her apartment before anything bad happens."

"I don't know all of it. Steffy tends to keep what her and Bill do together rather private. Maybe it's for the best we don't know everything."

/\/\/\/\/\

Steffy thought hard about what she was doing as she undressed. The last time this had almost happened, Bill had said the exact same things to her about leaving Katie. And look where they were now. But everything had changed, all of it was much more risky now with a baby and Liam in the picture. But she wanted this, more than she wanted Liam to come back to her, more than she wanted her dad to rejoin her family. Steffy returned in just her lingerie. Bill grinned. "Your mom isn't coming over anytime soon is she?"

Steffy laughed, "No visitors tonight. I've got company over, an old friend."

"More than just an old friend," Bill said. "Remember when I told you you'd never looked more beautiful? I think you were wearing a similar outfit. I think you may be even more beautiful now."

"That was a long time ago." Steffy walked closer to the bed, closer to her monster. She knew she still loved Liam, but with one kiss she was back in Bill's grip and Liam was fading from her rearview mirror. "I think I need a reminder of how beautiful you thought I was."

"No problem," Bill said. He pulled her onto the bed and kissed her. "You're irresistible." She kissed him back and the suspense was building. Would this be it? Could they finally be together?

Steffy couldn't stand it any longer. She ripped off his shirt and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Steffy."