Chapter 4
Paloma put down the book she was reading and hurried to answer the door. Pulling it open she smiled in delight at Ethan Martin as he shouted his greeting and barreled into the house past her in search of his mother. She looked back at Ethan who was holding Bella in one arm and her diaper bag in the other.
"Hello Ethan." She smiled, reaching for Bella. "Did you guys have fun in the park?"
"We had a wonderful time didn't we sweetheart? We bought Halloween costumes for Friday." Ethan said reaching out to gently caress her soft black hair. She swung her head in his direction and reached out for him again, but his shook his head. "No sweetie I have to go. But I'll be back later."
Bella didn't appreciate that, fully understanding by the tone of his voice that he was leaving. Her little face scrunched up and a second later a piercing wail erupted from her and Ethan's heart clenched painfully as he stared sadly at her.
Paloma looked at him sympathetically. "Are you sure you do not want to stay with her? Until she is asleep at least? Then she will not notice you leaving."
Ethan seemed to briefly consider but just then Theresa appeared and was headed towards them, Little Ethan clutching tightly to her hand.
"No ... um ... I'll be back to get Ethan Martin later." He said quietly. Leaning forward he kissed his daughter on the top of her head. "I'm sorry sweetheart."
He was gone before Paloma could ask him to reconsider, jogging towards her car and driving away. Her brows furrowed as she stared after his car puzzled. Bella's crying reached a fever pitch then and she felt Theresa reach out to take her daughter.
"Oh baby, don't cry." She said softly as she carried her into the living room. "Daddy will be back tomorrow. Don't cry now."
Paloma stood at the door watching her sister for a second more before following her into the living room. Sitting in a chair next to the couch she smiled as Bella quieted and leaned her head against her mother's chest.
"Esta cansado."
"Yeah I think so." Theresa said, shifting her hold on Bella, so she could remove her coat and outer garments. "You're very tired aren't you sweetheart? She'll be asleep before I finish her bath."
Paloma nodded and watched Theresa smile and play with her daughter for a while before bringing up what she guessed was going to be a sticky subject.
"What is wrong between you and Ethan?"
Theresa paused as she played with Bella, to look at her sister. "Nothing's wrong."
Paloma rolled her eyes. "Come on Theresa I am not
. A week ago Ethan was always happy to be here, showing up and playing with the children and you would all spend time together. Now he does not even come inside and he takes them out to spend time with them. What happened?"
Her sister sighed and turned Bella to sit in her lap. "We had an argument."
"Well that much I figured. What about?"
"Noah."
"Really?"
"Yes, he was angry about my seeing Noah."
"Jealous?"
"Who knows." She said shrugging, looking over to where Ethan Martin was playing. "Not that it matters because we're not together and I no longer care what he ... the married man ... thinks."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure." She said looking sharply at Paloma. "Why?"
"I am just making sure." Paloma said. "You two have a very convoluted history. You will not believe how much I have heard about it since I came back from Puerta Arena. So to me it would be understandable if there were still lingering feelings."
Theresa laughed. "My lingering feelings all dried up when I realized that Ethan was nothing but a liar and a fraud. I'm finally cured, aren't I Bella?" She asked the baby kissing her. "Finally moving on with my life."
"And he does not want that."
"I guess not."
"Maybe it means something." Paloma said hopefully. She had never experienced them being together, but from what she had heard they had been very good ... very happy until tragedy had struck. And for some reason she knew that the two of them apart wasn't right. Just that one conversation with Ethan had confirmed her suspicions. He still loved her sister and she knew her sister's feelings weren't really gone. She was just hurt.
"It doesn't mean anything." Theresa denied. "He did the same thing when I started going out with Fox. But he never left Gwen. Ugh..." She said disgusted. "Can you hear how I sound? He never left Gwen. How pathetic was I to be sitting around waiting for a married man to leave his wife."
"But you two were supposed to be together before he got married."
"Yes, but he still married her ... and they're still together now." Theresa sighed. "Ethan and I were never meant to be."
Paloma looked at her hard. "Is that what you really believe? Or are you trying to convince yourself of that?"
"I honestly don't know." Theresa said, smiling as Bella yawned. "But either way it doesn't matter right? Ethan's married and I'm dating Noah. We've both moved on."
"But ..."
"There are no buts anymore Paloma." Theresa said simply. "It is what it is. Fate just didn't want us together."
"Forget fate ... what do you want?"
She paused, and stared at her sister, unsure how to respond.
"Theresa?"
"I don't know what I want." She said, a little surprised at her words.
"Maybe you should think about that some more before you make any decisions." Paloma suggested before picking through the diaper bag.
"Maybe."
"Ohhh this is so cute." She laughed pulling out a furry costume. "It is a teddy bear costume."
"Oh it is adorable. It looks so familiar." She said furrowing her brow trying to remember. "I know ..."
Paloma glanced at her when she trailed off and saw a ghost of a smile on her face.
"What is it?"
Theresa smiled, losing herself in a memory. "That costume looks exactly like a bear that I won Ethan at a carnival when we were first dating."
"Aw."
"Yeah." She agreed, the memory fresh in her mind.
"What happened to the bear?" Paloma asked curiously. "Maybe you can give it to Bella."
The smile faded from Theresa's face then. "Gwen destroyed it."
"What a rotten thing to do."
"She's a rotten person." Theresa said coldly getting to her feet. "I'm going to give Bella her bath and put her down." She paused as she got to the stairs. Turning she looked back at the costume in Paloma's hand. "I know what I want now."
"What?"
"I want someone who will love me as much as I love them. Ethan didn't. I spent five years fighting for us. Mama, Luis, Ivy, everyone was against us at some point or the other, but I never gave up. I kept fighting and fighting, but I kept bumping into obstacles and I could blame Rebecca or Gwen or Ivy, but the truth is, the biggest obstacle I had was Ethan himself. Because he wasn't willing to fight as hard as I was. He allowed them all to come between us. I'm never going to be in a relationship like that again. Where I'm the only one fighting to be together."
"What about Noah?" Paloma asked, feeling her sister's sorrow. "Are you going to be able to love him as much as he loves you?"
"I don't know ... but I'm going to try."
--- End Scene ---
"So Ethan what do you think?"
Ethan glanced up from his position in the corner of the room, where he'd been staring unseeingly into the fire to see Gwen, spinning around wearing a catwoman costume. He raised his brow in question for a second before he remembered that tonight was the Seascape Charity Halloween Party.
Gwen gave another twirl and laughed spinning her tail as she did it, while he raised his glass and downed the remaining brandy. He couldn't remember exactly how much alcohol he'd drunk so far, but from the lightness in his head he imagined that it had been a substantial amount.
"Ethan?" Gwen asked again, when she realized that he was staring right through her. "What do you think?"
He focused on her momentarily before answering. "It's nice."
"Nice?" She repeated, as he stood and walked over to the bar where he poured himself another glass of brandy. "That's all you have to say? Nice? And why aren't you dressed?"
"I'm not dressed, because I'm not going." He said carefully as he took a drink.
"Not going? Ethan what are you talking about? It's Halloween. We always go to this party. Crane Industries sponsors this party, you have to make an appearance."
"I beg to differ." He said, going back to his chair.
Gwen stared at the back of his head. Watching as he raised his glass and drank his brandy. She marched forward and abruptly wrenched the glass from his hands spilling brandy on the carpet.
"You're not doing this to me Ethan. You're going to that party." She insisted. "Now stop being childish and go upstairs and get ready."
"I'm not going Gwen." He said softly.
"Yes you are." She snapped. "Ethan we're married in case you've forgotten that after all your little trips to Theresa's house. And as your wife your owe it to me to make an appearance tonight. You owe it to your job to make an appearance. So go up stairs and put on your costume and then we'll leave."
"I SAID I'M NOT GOING." He shouted getting to his feet. Snatching his glass from her he moved back to the bar and refilled it, almost to the brim.
"So that's what you're going to do tonight?" She shouted angrily. "Sit around getting drunk?"
"What on Earth is going on here?"
Turning, Gwen saw her mother enter the room wearing a nun's costume. She sighed and shook her head slightly. "Nothing's wrong mother."
"Well you could have fooled me. I could hear you two arguing from upstairs. The servants can hear you." Rebecca said coming forward. She glanced at Ethan only to see him wearing an amused expression on his face. "It's not amusing."
"No, but your costume is." He smiled. "Interesting choice."
"What are you inferring?" She asked giving him a look.
"Well come on Rebecca we all know you're a ..."
"Mother could you please leave." Gwen said interrupting giving him a dirty look. "Ethan and I have things to discuss."
"Gwennie I already know what you were discussing. The servants know what you're discussing." She waved her hand towards Ethan. "Why isn't he going?"
"I was just trying to find that out, now could you please leave?"
"Of course sweetie." She said giving Ethan a look. "But you are right about one thing. The Cranes are sponsoring this event and it will look very bad if one of it's top executives does not put in an appearance. Not to mention you know your father's company also donates money to the children's charity that the event is raising money for. As her husband Ethan, you should be at the event."
"Not interested." Was all he said.
"Why not?"
"I'm just not up to it tonight Rebecca." He said simply.
"Well Gwen should be used to that by now." She muttered half under her breath, but Ethan heard her anyway.
"What are you talking about Rebecca?" He asked her his eyes narrowing.
"Mother shut up."
"Well Gwennie if you're not going to say anything about it then someone else has to." Her mother said innocently before turning to Ethan. "According to my daughter you two haven't had sex in over a month. Why don't you want to have sex with my Gwennie?"
"What?"
She walked over the bar to pour herself a drink. "There's something wrong when a man won't have sex with his wife?"
Ethan turned to look angrily at Gwen. "You talk to your mother about our sex life?"
"I didn't mean to." She said unconvincingly. "I accidentally mentioned it one day in conversation."
"Accidentally?"
"Yes." She reaffirmed. "But now that it's out there ... Why aren't you ever interested in having sex lately?"
"I'm not discussing our sex life with your mother here." Ethan said clearly.
"Oh poo, we're all adults here." Rebecca said sitting. "Now we can just discuss this and maybe I can give you two a few pointers if ..."
"Mother!" Gwen shouted appalled. "Ethan's right, you don't need to be here for this conversation. Please leave."
"Well all right." Her mother pouted as she stood. "But if you need any help ..."
"Mother!"
"All right!" She said quickly leaving the room.
Once the door closed behind her, Gwen turned to Ethan. "So what's the problem Ethan? Why don't you want to make love to me anymore?"
"There's no problem Gwen. I've just been tired." He said moving to sit on the couch.
"Maybe you wouldn't be so tired if you weren't going over to Theresa's house every evening."
She paused, waited for some a response, but Ethan simply stared at her, casually taking a drink from his glass, which only served to make her angrier. His ongoing silence and non response whenever she brought up Theresa was beginning to wear on her.
"Is that the problem Ethan? Theresa?" She snapped. "Maybe you're not just taking Little Ethan over there to see your child with her. Maybe the real reason that you're so tired all the time, is because you're going over there to be with Theresa? Is that it Ethan? Are you having sex with Theresa and that's why you have no energy left to make love to your wife?"
"I KNEW IT!" Rebecca said bounding back into the room. "I knew it had something to do with that little tartita."
"Mother."
"No Gwennie, you're right. No man is ever too tired to make love to his wife for over a month unless there's some other woman involved."
"Well it must be true since I don't see Julian crawling into your bed." Ethan said glancing at her disdainfully.
Her eyes widened at his blatant disregard for her, before she pulled herself back together. "Yes Julian has a mistress, which explains his absence from my bed ... how do you explain yours? Was my Gwennie right? Is Theresa your mistress once again?"
"Whether she is or she isn't is none of your concern Rebecca." He spat.
"But it is mine." Gwen said stepping up to her mother's side. "And why would you be so defensive if it wasn't true. So is it Ethan? She asked looking at him. "Are you sleeping with Theresa?"
"I'm not going to argue with you Gwen." Ethan said coldly. "I already explained my reasons for not being up for sex. But if you want to jump to conclusions and make assumptions, you can. Feel free. But don't expect me to be a part of it."
"That's not an answer Ethan." She said pouncing on the obvious. "Just like you didn't answer me a few weeks ago when I asked you if you loved Theresa. And if I remember correctly it was around that time that you suddenly because ... tired."
"Maybe I got sick of your constant insecurities." He snapped getting to his feet. "Every time something is not to your liking you bring up Theresa and try to find some way to blame this all on her."
"Because it's usually all her fault Ethan. Now answer me do you love Theresa?"
"You're going to have to learn to deal with your insecurities Gwen. Because I'm sick of taking flack for why you're not happy with some aspect or the other in our marriage." He said coldly glancing from her to her mother. "But take note ... if I were sleeping with Theresa ... I wouldn't bother coming home."
--- End Chapter ---