The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
| REACHING OUT BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 21 |
PREVIOUSLY:
[Tea smiles at him, causing him to smile in return.]
Todd: Enough of that. Get out here so we can get this over with. I have other things planned before I take you back.
Tea: Like what?
Todd: After we get settled on the beach, I'll tell you.
Tea: I don't think my wheelchair will go very far.
Todd: I'll carry you.
Tea: I don't know.
Todd: You said you were okay with that a few minutes ago. Everything I have planned involves me carrying you.
Tea: Really?
Todd: It does now.
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chapter 21:
[Minutes later, Todd is carrying Tea from his van toward the place on the beach that a few moments earlier he laid out a blanket for them.
As he reaches the area, he continues to hold her.]
Tea: Put me down.
Todd: Water's supposed to be good for you, right?
Tea: Don't you dare!
Todd: It might be fun. You need to have some fun.
[Todd senses Tea's discomfort and finally places her gently on the blanket. He sits next to her as they both face the ocean.]
Todd: So, you're never going to have fun again?
Tea: I don't think I could, even if I wanted to, right now.
Todd: That's not true. You've had fun with me. You've laughed a few times since I showed up. You just always end up with that guilty look on your face. You shouldn't feel bad for enjoying yourself, or wanting to enjoy yourself.
Tea: I can't help it.
Todd: Sure, you can.
Tea: Fine. I don't want it. I don't deserve happiness.
[Todd laughs loudly. Tea looks at him, not understanding what he finds humorous.]
Tea: What's so funny about that?
Todd: Somehow we traded places.
Tea: Good. I get to be the one who throws you out all the time, now.
Todd: I didn't throw you out...not all the time.
[Todd leans closer to Tea so that he's breathing on her neck.]
Todd: There were some times... Remember?
Tea: I remember pain...lots of pain.
Todd: You said I didn't hurt you. You said you liked it.
[Tea closes her eyes for a moment, knowing what he's referring to, but wishing he hadn't brought it up.]
Tea: Let's just watch the sunrise.
[Todd leans away from her again. After a few minutes he lays down and stares up at the sky. Tea waits a few minutes before she can't control it any longer and finally speaks again, needing to make certain that he doesn't have the wrong idea.]
Tea: I did enjoy it. You know that. I don't want to discuss that, though, okay? It's a part of the past. Let's just leave it there.
Todd: Do you ever think about it?
Tea: I have a lot of other things to think about right now. I need to focus on those things.
Todd: Like dying?
Tea: I never should have told you that.
Todd: Because, now I really never will let you out of my sight?
Tea: You have to. You have to let me go.
Todd: I did that once before.
Tea: More than once.
Todd: Whatever. I don't feel like doing that again right now.
Tea: You don't have a choice.
Todd: I'm in a selfish place right now.
Tea: You've always been in a selfish place.
[Todd turns his head to the side and looks at her.]
Todd: You know, you're really ruining the romance of the moment.
Tea: What romance?
[Todd raises his head and looks at the ocean with the sun beginning to appear in the distance. Tea follows his gaze.]
Todd: I've never understood why chicks find that romantic. It happens every day.
Tea: But, it isn't every day that...
Todd: That you sit on a deserted beach, in Puerto Rico, watching the sun come up with the guy you've been married to a couple of times and, despite everything, still kind of think he isn't a complete creep?
Tea (smiling): I'd say that, in fact, doesn't happen every day.
Todd: It's happening today. It could happen every day for the rest of our lives.
Tea: Be realistic.
Todd: I am. I'm loaded. I don't need to go back because of any stupid job.
Tea: What about your newspaper?
Todd: I'll let Briggs run it.
Tea: What about your daughter?
Todd: She doesn't want me around anymore.
Tea: Your sister?
Todd: Doesn't want me around anymore, either.
Tea: What happened between you and Viki?
Todd: You knew she was ticked off at me before.
Tea: But, I also knew that if you approached her with sincere regret, she would forgive you.
Todd: Apparently not.
Tea: Did you really try?
Todd: So, I'll just stay here and hang out with you. At least I know that you still care about me and want me around.
Tea: I never said...
Todd: You didn't have to. I know you want me to stay. You don't have to ask. You don't have to beg...as much as I know you're tempted to.
Tea: I want you to leave.
Todd: I don't feel like being responsible for ending your life.
Tea: You wouldn't be.
Todd: If I leave, you'll off yourself. You already told me that.
Tea: I was upset earlier. I had a nightmare. I wasn't thinking clearly.
Todd: And, now you are and you don't want to off yourself anymore? Come on, tell me that you aren't planning to end it all. Tell me that you're not sitting here wishing you could walk out there into that water and put another dagger in my heart.
Tea: It wouldn't change anything for you.
Todd: It would change everything for me.
Tea: Because you wouldn't have me to fall back on anymore?
Todd: Because I wouldn't have you when everything is falling apart and I feel like if something doesn't happen soon, I won't last much longer.
Tea: Todd...
[Todd sits up again next to her.]
Todd: You keep me alive. I'll keep you alive. I'll be the reason that you don't end it, that you don't want to end it. I'll be the reason you smile. I'll be the reason you laugh. I'll be whatever the hell it is that you need me to be to get you through this and whatever else you ever need to get through for the rest of your life. And, it's going to be a long life. It's going to be full of...
Tea: Don't promise me things that you'll never deliver on. I've had enough broken promises already.
Todd: I promise that I'll love you. I'll never break that promise. I haven't so far. I never stopped loving you. You never stopped loving me. Stop pretending that you can permanently give up on us. I know that you can't. We're stuck. We love each other. It sucks, but that's the truth. We love each other.
to be continued...
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2001 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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