The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
| REACHING OUT BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 30 |
PREVIOUSLY:
Todd: Just tell me that you want to live with me again. You can torture me later with all the talking.
Tea: I will live with you again.
Todd (smiling): I knew you would.
Tea: If...
[Todd's smile disappears, concerned about what conditions Tea will place on their being together.]
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chapter 30:
Tea: Don't look at me like that. I'm not going to make unreasonable demands on you.
Todd (not believing her): Sure, you're not.
Tea: I'm not. I'm agreeing to live with you. I just need certain reassurances.
Todd (lowering his voice): I already told you that I love you.
Tea: I know.
Todd: You haven't exactly said how you feel, yet.
Tea: That's another thing that I don't think I'm ready for.
Todd: You always did make me say it first.
Tea: I guess you've always just been braver than I have.
Todd: So, you do feel something?
Tea: Yes.
Todd: Something like...
Tea: I'm really not ready for this, Todd. Can you accept that?
Todd: Can you at least tell me that you don't hate my guts?
Tea: I don't hate your guts.
Todd: Now, tell me that you love me.
Tea: This was a mistake.
Todd: Okay. Fine. You can't say it yet. I can wait.
Tea: We really shouldn't do this. You need things that I can't give you right now. I need things that...
Todd: I can give you what you need, Tea. And, what I need is to be around you.
Tea: You don't need to be burdened with me right now.
Todd: You're in a wheelchair, it's no big deal. It's not a burden.
Tea: I'm talking about more than physical limitations.
Todd: You had to put up with my baggage before. I'll put up with yours, this time. You need a reason to want to live. I'm it.
Tea (smiling): You do make me...
Todd: What?
Tea: I should get dressed.
[Todd kneels down next to Tea's wheelchair, a serious expression on his face.]
Todd: What do I do for you, Tea?
[The intensity of her emotions is too much for her. She looks away from his intense gaze.]
Todd: Don't do this. Don't shut me out again. Let yourself feel this. Let yourself love me. I won't let you down this time.
[Tea moves her chair away from him. She approaches the door to her room and calls out to her brother.]
Tea: Del?
[Del pushes open her door. His heart breaks at the pain he sees in her eyes.]
Tea: Make him leave.
Todd: Get out, Del.
Tea (to Del): I don't want him here anymore.
[Del looks between Tea and Todd. He senses that Todd didn't hurt her. He guesses that the fear he sees in Tea's eyes isn't fear of Todd, but fear of how she feels about Todd.
Del makes eye contact with Todd. He can see fear in the other man's eyes, too...fear of losing someone he cares deeply about.]
Del: You should go, man.
Todd: You don't know what's going on.
Del: I'm a trained observer. I think I have a pretty good idea what this is all about. Go for a walk. Go back to your hotel and take a shower. Go anywhere, just go somewhere that's not here. You need to give Tea a break.
Todd: She needs me to stay.
Del: I'll take care of my sister.
Todd: You don't know what she's thinking about.
[Tea finally makes eyes contact with Todd again. He knows from her expression that she's worried that he'll tell her brother that she's been having suicidal thoughts.]
Todd: If you're going to kick me out of your life again, he has to know.
Del: Know what?
[There is silence for several moments as Tea and Todd stare at each other.]
Del: If there's something I need to know about my sister, you better tell me, Manning.
Todd: She wants to off herself.
[The tears that Tea had been trying to hold back finally begin to fall. She moves her wheelchair away from her brother, embarrassed to have him know how weak she is.]
Del: No way, man. Tea would never even think about that.
Todd: She told me.
Del: Just now?
Todd: Before you got here.
Del: And, you're just telling me this now? Did you tell the staff?
Todd: As long as I'm here, she won't do it. I won't let her.
Del: Are you sure you're not here trying to help her?
Todd: I just told you about it, didn't I? If I wanted her to do it, why would I tell you?
[Del looks at his sister, who is sitting with her chair facing the room's only window, her back to both men.]
Del: Tea, tell me he's lying.
[Tea doesn't respond.]
Del: Tell me that Manning is playing some kind of sick game.
[When Tea continues to not respond, Del approaches his sister. He reaches his hand out and lightly touches her shoulder. She pulls away from his touch.
He tries speaking softly to her in Spanish. Tea finally looks in his direction, fire in her eyes.]
Tea: You can get out, too. You both can get out. I don't want either of you to come here ever again. Go on. Get out! Get out! Both of you, get out!
to be continued...
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2001 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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