"I can't lie to you Whit, I think there has been too much of that going around lately," He said taking her hand and leading her to the bench at the far end of the wharf.
They sat down facing towards one another. Whitney looked up at him expectantly waiting for his words. "You're right I knew about Father and Dr. Russell," he said finally. Whitney moved to get up not believing that another person she trusted kept something from her but Fox grabbed her hand.

"Let me go," she said angrily.

"I can't do that Whit not until you hear me out," he said desperately. Whitney sat back down, pulling her hand away from his grasp. She decide she would listen and then she would leave.

"Fine you have five minutes," she said looking at her watch.

"Look my father has never exactly been Mr. Discreet about his indiscretions but he always try to keep away from your family, I mean everyone in Harmony knows he's petrified of your father."

"Three minutes Fox," she reminded him. Fox was awed he had never seen Whitney act in this way. He figured he should make it quick before she walked away and never spoke to him again he couldn't bear the thought of that.

"It was that time in California, after you got shot. I was walking towards the hospital and I saw them kissing on the bench. I couldn't believe what I was seeing either, come on Dr. Russell lets just say it came as a huge shock. Whitney I didn't know how to tell you. You were going through so much already, the breakup with Chad, being shot and Theresa. I just didn't want to add on to your pain. The fact is I always envied your relationship with your parents, you guys were close, you could have actually have conversations and family functions, there was no betrayls and scandals and discontent. I didn't want to be the one to ruin that for you. My parents despised one another and that's all I knew but yours loved one another and at that point and time in your life love was the one thing you doubted and I couldn't be responsible for taking that away when you needed it the most. Whit, you have got to believe that I would have told given different circumstances but I was afraid of what it might do to you. I can understand why you wouldn't forgive me but I want you to understand why I did what I did. I lo--, I care about you Whit and your happiness means the world to me."

Whit looked at Fox his eyes weren't lying to her he meant every word he said. It was different from Chad's explanation of why he never told her he was married. There was alot more feeling into why he did what he did. She didn't blame him, she actually was thankful for what he did.

"I believe you Fox at that time I wouldn't be able to handle that kind of betrayal for my mother. I know it put you in a hard place knowing what you did, but promise me something Fox," She said taking his hand in hers.

"Anything," he said his breath quickening with the feel of her touch.

"Promise me that from now on you'll never keep anything away from me, even with my best interest at heart. I may look frail but you don't become a tennis champ being weak. I can take anything dished out to me even this, so promise that one thing."

"I promise, your friendship is to important to me to lose," he said and he meant it.

"Enough about my problems so how's it going I mean between you and Theresa," she said trying to put on a smile.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"Hello, the love of your life. The girl of your dreams, have you convinced her you're the man of her dreams and not Ethan." Fox longed to tell her that she was the girl of her dreams but now is not the time.

"Theresa and I have come to an understanding that there's someone out there better for us, anyway she's really down about this custody battle, she needs me more as a friend."

"So you two are not a couple?" She asked.

"Nope," he said.

"Well you'll meet the girl of your dreams soon enough." she said with a smile. Theresa and him weren't together, maybe just maybe there was a chance.

"You think so?" He asked.

"Definitely, you're a great guy and there are many girls out there dying for a piece of Foxworth Crane," she said with a laugh. "I can't tell you how many evil looks girls give me for even talking to you.

"Why is that?" he said bewildered.

"Because I get to be around you and they don't. To them you're this mysteriously sexy guy who any girl with any sense would love to get close to, especially recieve a kiss from."

"Is that so, well I haven't kissed any girl in a while so I think I might have forgotten how to do it," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"I seriously doubt that," Whitney said pushing her hair away from her eyes.

"Well you know what they say Whit practice makes perfect and if I'm going to meet the girl of my dreams I want to be able to do it properly."

"Fox what are you talking about?" she asked confused by their closeness and feelings of fluttering in her stomach.

"I'm saying we're friends, right?  I need your help on a certain matter. A proposition shall we say," he said this was going to be his only chance to show Whitney how he really felt about her.

"What is it Fox?"

"I'm not really into the whole high society scene but being a Crane has it's certain obligations. These snobby rich girls turn me off but I do need to have dates at certain functions," he said

"Okay, buy what does that have to do with me?," she wasn't understanding anything he was saying.

"I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend just for a while. There is nobody I'd really rather spend time with and it would be good for the both of us give you sometime to get away from it all and give me sometime to enjoy boring society parties," he said.

Whitney didn't know what to say.

"Why me Fox? Theresa would be so much better at it."

" She has too many things on her plate right now and I think you need time away from certain things at this point."

Whitney thought hard about it, it would certainly be fun to be the belle of the ball for once. Theresa always enjoyed it and she certainly would love to go away for long weekends to get away from all the lies that enveloped her in Harmony.

"You know what Fox?  I would love to pretend to be your girlfriend on one condition," she said finally.

"Shoot," he said his heart dancing with happiness.

"I help you find the woman of your dreams," she said.

"I already have" he said silently to himself. "I accept. So it's a deal?" he asked just to make sure.

"It's a deal," she stuck her hand out to shake on it.

"How about we seal it with a kiss just to practice on making it look real," he said.

"Um, sure.", she said nervously.

Fox leaned into her his hand cupping her face, Whitney closed her eyes, bracing herself for what she knew she'd feel and then his lips touched hers, slowly kissing her lips until he deepened the kiss their tongues met ,and Whitney was lost in the blissful moment until the kiss ended leaving them both affected and a lot of unanswered questions in the air.