Ch.26- Dead End Road

Theresa looked up at Ethan and managed to laugh. " I must look terrible." She said wiping her eyes.
Ethan looked down at her and smiled, "You could never look terrible."
"People are suppose to say that." She said sighing.
"No I mean it. You’ve never looked bad, even that night we were out on the pier and it started raining, you remember that?" He smiled.
"I wasn’t wearing waterproof mascara and it ran all over my face and my hair was soaked." She smiled. "Yeah I looked real good that night." She said shaking her head.
"You looked beautiful." Ethan smiled. "Even then."
"So did I make a total fool of myself in there?" Theresa said her smile going into a frown.
"No. You stood up for yourself, those women deserved what you gave them."
"I just can’t believe people are so horrible. "
Ethan looked at her, thinking of all Beth had said to him. Theresa’s eyes were puffy from crying, and it was apparent now that most of her makeup had been washed off by her tears, that she wasn’t sleeping right. The circle’s under her eyes were dark. Just like they used to when she was younger and they would have a fight. That was something he still knew about her, one of the only thing’s he knew.
"How much sleep have you had lately?" He questioned.
Theresa frowned and lowered her eyes, "Not a lot. The kid’s keep me awake, and when Kenji is at school, and Matt’s napping during the day, I have to sketch. "
"So did you sleep any last night?"
Theresa shook her head. "I think two hours. Kenji’s nightmares just won’t go away. " She sighed.
"You need rest Theresa. You know that." Ethan told her.
She shrugged. "I’ll be fine."
"I guess you’re wondering why I’m out here, after that fight we had the other day." Ethan finally said.
Theresa looked up at him her eyes stern. "You mean when you accused me of going after Chad because he’s a Crane?"
Ethan nodded slowly placing his hand on the balcony for support. "Yeah. Look I’m sorry about that. I was just upset. The truth is I was planning to ask you to come with me to this thing tonight, and when I found out you had asked Chad, I flipped. I mean when I came back to town Chad Harris was the last person I thought I’d find you with."
"I’m not with Chad. But if I were, it wouldn’t be any of your business." Theresa said as she fiddled with her hair.
"I know that. So much has changed. When I left town, you were so young. You hadn’t really got settled in your career or anything."
"I wasn’t a kid when you left Ethan. I was almost 21." Theresa defended then looked back up at him. "But you’re right, I was a different person. "
"It’s so odd. But Theresa I had this crazy idea that I could come back here, and we could just pick up where we left off. Then I saw you and I knew you’d changed."
Theresa frowned "You know, I always thought we were meant to be, I mean we started dating and it was perfect. But the funny thing is, things always kept coming up. Think about it Ethan, we put off our wedding for 2 years, then when we decided to get married, you left. Something was always keeping us apart. " She said turning her back to him. "Because it’s suppose to be that way." She finally said.
Ethan felt a sharp pain enter his heart. But as he looked back at Theresa, who stood so tall staring out at the sky he knew she was right. "I guess we just never really said goodbye." Ethan answered back .
"No. I guess not." Theresa said looking over her shoulder at Ethan.
"Do you think that’s what I need? Closure?" Ethan questioned, watching as Theresa chewed on her lip and tapped the balcony with her fingers. She was thinking, Ethan knew that was her way of thinking.
"I suppose. To be honest with you Ethan, I let go of us a long time ago. But I always did wonder what would happen if you came back."
"But now there’s Chad." Ethan sighed.
"Chad? What are you talking about? " Theresa asked turning to face Ethan again.
"You two care about each other. Everyone sees it Resa. "
"He’s a great guy. My best friend." She smiled, "When you left, he let me cry on his shoulder, even though he had a three year old running around he still made time for me. " She explained. "But we have both been so hurt. " She sighed.
"Chad ‘s a great guy." Ethan shrugged. "Even I can’t deny that."
"He’s the best." Theresa agreed.
"Theresa, do you love him?" Ethan suddenly asked wondering why those words had flew from his mouth. Looking at Theresa’s face as her eyes got wide he felt his stomach flop. What had he just done? That was a question he didn’t want to know the answer too.
"Love Chad?" Theresa said a laugh coming from her mouth. "Chad is a wonderful person. But there is nothing going on between us." She said her mind racing. Avoiding Ethan’s question would be the best thing, after all Chad was her best friend.
"Theresa am I the reason you can’t love? Did I make you stop trusting?" Ethan questioned his own voice cracking.
Theresa fought back more tears, but knew it was no use. Tears seemed to be a common thing in her life lately. "You’re a big part of it. I just feel like all the men in my life have left me. Papa and Antonio, then you. " She said pausing, "And then Luis was took from me. I can’t keep loosing people like that." She cried.
"Theresa you have to let you’re self love." He sighed. "I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you need to trust Chad." The words came from Ethan’s mouth slowly, and he knew once he had said them he couldn’t take them back.
"I don’t know." She sighed.
Ethan swallowed, "Theresa we are over. I know that now, but don’t let what I did to you stop you from loving. "
Theresa shook her head. "No Ethan, it’s not just you, you just added to that list. And I do trust Chad. I told you he’s a great friend."
"Therese you never looked at me the way you look at him. Do you know how hard it is for me to say these things? Let go of you?" Ethan questioned praying tears wouldn’t rise to his eyes.
Theresa nodded. " Yeah. I do Ethan." She sighed.
 

~*~*~*~

Chad looked over at Miguel. "I’m going out there." He said looking over at Gwen. "She needs me."
Gwen nodded. "Yeah you’re right she does."
"She’s gotta be so upset." He said shaking his head. "Resa’s dealing with so much. She doesn’t need people like that running there mouth’s. "
Miguel and Gwen glanced over at each other with a knowing look. "Chad, you’re good for my sister." Miguel said looking over at Gwen again as she nodded to him. "You’ve helped her so much."
"Yeah well, Resa is a great person. Doesn’t deserve to be hurt."
Gwen let a grin slip to her face, "No, she deserves to be loved."
"Yeah, she does." Chad agreed.
"By someone good and descent." Gwen finished.
"Theresa’s gonna find that too, she’ll find everything she needs someday." Chad said looking at Gwen and Miguel. He almost wanted to laugh at the duo who were looking at him with goofy grins. Those two belong together he thought to himself.
"I think she’s already found it." Miguel said as Gwen gently elbowed him. "What?" He said looking down at her.
"You are just a pretty face Mr. Lopez-Fitgerald, just another pretty face." She huffed.
Chad shook his head. "You two are something else. You know that."
"We want to see you and Theresa happy, and lets face it, the only way that’s going to happen is if you two just get it together. " Gwen finally said.
Miguel shot her a look. "And you hit me for being pushy?" He questioned.
Chad grinned. "I’m gonna go check on Resa now." He said walking away from the pair.
"Miguel looked at Gwen and smiled. "You think they’ll get together tonight?"
Gwen chuckled. "Let’s hope so. I mean they can only deny it so long right?"
Miguel threw his arm around Gwen’s waist. "That’s right baby, just like you can’t deny you’re love for me much longer." He grinned.
"Dream on sweet cakes." Gwen teased.
"Oh you want me, you know you do." Miguel laughed in a deep husky voice.
~*~*~*~*~

Ethan touched Theresa’s cheek, "So this is the end of the road isn’t it?"
Theresa studied his eyes, " The road ended two years ago Ethan. You just never faced it I guess."
"Yeah you’re right. I still love you though." Ethan said fighting back a tear.
Theresa shook her head. "No Ethan. You love the imagine of who I was. That girl that looked up to you , and leaned on you way too much.. I was so dependent on you Ethan, you loved that. I’m not like that anymore."
"Well can you do me a favor?" Ethan questioned, doing his best to smile.
"Sure anything."
"When you and Chad get married." He began.
"But." Theresa said and Ethan cut her off.
"Let me finish." He asked choking on his own words. "When you and Chad get married, and you will get married someday, send me a invite. " He smiled down at her.
"Chad and I."
"Don’t say it Theresa. You and Chad are just friends." Ethan chuckled. "Isn’t that how we started out?"
Theresa nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. It was totally different though."
"Yeah he deserves you, I didn’t. " Ethan finished.
Theresa looked up at him. "You’ll always be a part of me."
Ethan smiled. "That’s not enough though right?" He shrugged. "How about one last kiss?" Ethan questioned.
Theresa bit her lip. "I’m sorry, a kiss is just too much Ethan."
Ethan nodded. "A man can try right? How about a hug? We could both use one of those."
Theresa laughed. "Yeah I guess we could." She said as Ethan embraced her. He held her tight in his arms as she took a deep breath. She smiled to herself as she realized he was still wearing the same cologne he did back then. Ethan never changed. She felt his brush her hair with his hand, it felt strange to have him hold her again, her heart wasn’t racing like it use to, she was over him and it felt really good.
"Theresa, You OK out here." A voice said.
Theresa and Ethan moved away from each other as Chad appeared his eyes moving from Ethan to Theresa. "What’s going on out here?" He asked his face going pale.