| AGAIN II BY TORRI |
CHAPTER 7 |
Part 7
In spite of every action
To the contrary,
I do love you.
In spite of every pain
I have caused you,
You are the only one.
In spite of every word
Spoken out of anger,
And tear shed
Out of hurt,
I trust you.
I spite of every instance
I have pushed you away,
You are the one I hold
Closest to my heart.
The ride to the Country Club had been a blur. In fact, the last 45 minutes had been a blur. It started with the frightening telephone call from Nick, and ended with her departure from a jealous Todd. She would deal with him later.
She was the first to arrive, securing a table in the back corner of the restaurant. Each person that came into the place, she carefully scanned, searching for anyone unusual. Paranoia was usually Todd's department, he was starting to rub off on her. She played with her wedding ring, her hair, her watch, anything to keep her hands busy; her body in constant motion.
Viki appeared in the doorway, accompanied by Kevin. As they are being seated, Viki spots her sister in law, and strolls over to her table. Looking down and distracted, Tea does not hear Viki approach the table. The light changes, as Viki casts her shadow over the table. Tea suddenly freezes, clearly afraid. She looks up slowly, and breathes a sigh of relief.
"Oh, Viki, you scared me."
"I'm sorry. Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm just a little, uh, distracted," Tea says, standing to hug her.
"I can see that. How have you been?"
"Good, and you?"
"Fine. So, where's that wayward brother of mine?"
"He's home with Starr."
"I heard that the two of you were granted visitation. How wonderful for you."
"We're enjoying our time with her," Tea says with a smile.
"So, when am I going to get the chance to see that house of yours? You know, I was a little perturbed that Rachel and Nick received a dinner invitation, and I'm still waiting for a telephone number."
"Oh, Viki, I am so sorry." She looks over Viki's shoulder, seeing Nick, and waves him over. Viki turns to see whom she's waving at. "I promise that Todd and I will have you over very soon. In fact, what are you doing Sunday for dinner?"
"I don't have any plans."
"Good. I will call you with directions to our house, and you can have dinner with us."
"Sounds good to me. I see that your lunch companion is here, so I'll excuse myself." She turns to face Nick, who had been patiently waiting for them to finish their conversation. "Nick, so good to see you." She kisses him on the cheek, careful not to leave a lipstick stain.
"Hey, Tea."
"Hi. What's going on?"
"I got a call earlier this morning from one of the detectives that worked on the case." He pauses, watching her every move. His eyes roam over her body, taking in the familiar gestures that indicate her fear. "Hey, relax."
"How can I relax, huh? This is the last thing I need right now. Sh*t, we're just starting to get things together," she says, her voice breaking.
"We'll take care of this. I already have someone who's going to track him. You'll be safe, I promise you. Look at me," he lifts her head to look in her eyes, "does Todd know?"
"No."
"You need to tell him."
"You don't know him."
"I know that he loves you, very much. I know how you felt about his keeping things from you, so why would you turn around and do the same thing to him?"
"You're right. I just don't know how to tell him. He has a temper, and I don't want him to rush out and do anything stupid-"
"And you don't want him to be mad at you, right? He'll be more hurt if you don't tell him the truth now, and something happens later."
*****
Kevin strains his ears so that he can hear the conversation between Nick and Tea. He hardly touches his salad, and tunes Viki out. Finally, fed up, she puts her fork on the side of her plate, and pushes it away from her.
"Kevin, this is supposed to be a working lunch. Working."
"Would you just look at her. She's all over that guy, Nick, or whatever his name is. Who is he anyway?" Viki assesses his behavior, wondering if he's jealous that Nick and Rachel, his one time companion, are in love; or of Todd's happiness with Tea. Probably a little of both she concludes.
"Kevin, why don't you just drop it." She sighs heavily, bracing for another debate with him.
"They're in town, for what, two weeks, and she's already got the men lining up."
"Kevin!" Viki exclaims, her anger bubbling over. "I thought that you were more mature then this. When are you going to let this stupid vendetta that you have with Todd go? I am sick and tired of having to come between the two of you."
"I don't know why you're getting mad at me, he's the one who faked a personality disorder and lied to the whole town. Not me."
"You know, Kevin, sometimes you can be such a child. Yes, Todd has done some horrible things, but just as I will always love and forgive my children, I will always love and forgive Todd. You are both very dear to me, and I would never, ever abandon any of my children, or my brother. And that, son, is something you are going to have to live with." The table shakes, as Viki abruptly rises from the table, hitting the arms of the chair against it.
"Wait, mom, where are you going?" He stands in front of her, blocking her path to the door.
"I am going back to the office. This was to be a working lunch, and since neither of us is getting anything done, I don't see the point of us being here. I will see you later." Kevin watches helplessly as his mother storms angrily out of the restaurant.
*****
The Manning Estate
Midnight
She had been gone for almost twelve hours. No phone call; nothing but silence. He sat on the front porch, swinging, thinking, and tossing the moon that she had given him on their wedding day, from one hand to the other. Starr had been asking for Tea all day, to which he responded that she would be back soon. That is what she told him.
She's cheating on you Toddy. Face it. I told you never to trust her, but you just wouldn't listen. She's got you whipped. Where has love gotten you in the past?. You're soft, Toddy. Now, I'm going to have to clean up your mess.
Todd brings his hands to his head, trying to shake Pete's voice. "Stop it!" He shouts.
Exercise had always helped to silence the voices, so he decides to run on the treadmill. He changes into a pair of shorts and drapes a t-shirt over his shoulders. He runs a quick three miles before hitting the weights. Pete's voice quiets, but the anger is still very much alive.
*****
Tea sat in the garage for the longest time, wondering how she could explain things to Todd; imagining what condition she would find him in, or the house for that matter. After her meeting with Nick, she went shopping, then took a walk in the park.
She lay her head against the steering wheel, willing herself not to cry. Here goes nothing. She reaches for the door handle, and climbs out of the car.
*****
She heard a thumping noise coming from the exercise room. Oh, god, he's hitting the punching bag. It was at times like this, that she was glad that she had insisted on having one installed. He could hit it when he was angry, instead of destroying the house.
She watches him from the doorway. Sweat drips from his chest and chin, soaking through his shorts. He knows she's there, without even looking. He grabs his shirt, and uses it to wipe his face. "Glad you finally decided to come home," he says, still not looking at her, and walking toward the sauna.
She takes a deep cleansing breath before following. He hears her open the door, but keeps his eyes closed and his head against the wall. She sits next to him, silently.
Not able to take the silence any longer, he is the first to speak. "I never should have trusted you."
His words sting, but she knows that she deserves it. "We need to talk, Todd."
"Yeah, go ahead and tell me you're leaving, just like everybody else."
"I am not leaving you! Todd I love you so much, it scares me. I have never, ever felt this way about anybody and I never will again."
"Sounds like a goodbye speech to me."
"No. I owe you an explanation. I probably should have told you awhile ago, but I didn't know how." He opens his eyes and looks at her. Her eyes are shiny with unshed tears.
"Well, I'm waiting," he says, unable to hide the anger in his voice.
"You know who Annarosa is, don't you?"
"Yeah, voodoo girl's mother. She's dead, right?"
"Yes. It was ruled a suicide. Supposedly, she drowned herself. Very few people know what really happened. She and I were best friends, closer then sisters. She was married to my older brother, Enrique."
"Yeah."
"She had an older brother, Alfonso. I was 16 when we first met, and I was taken with him immediately. He was older, and dangerous and mysterious."
"I don't want to hear about you with some other guy," he spits.
"I'm just trying to be completely honest with you." She realizes that this is going to be harder than she had anticipated. It was virtually impossible to get him to listen when he was like this.
"Fine," he says, gripping the edge of his seat.
"We started seeing each other, against Annarosa's wishes. She had warned me about her brother, but I wouldn't listen. I ended up getting pregnant."
Todd's eyes pop open. "What? And you don't want to have my kid." He storms out of the room.
Sh*t. She would chase him through the entire house if she had to, but she was going to tell him everything. She found him in the jacuzzi, his shorts thrown carelessly to the side. The jets are at full strength, making it impossible for him to hear her approaching from behind.
"Todd, I want to have your children more then anything, but there's more that you have to know." She talks to the back of his head, knowing full well that he would hear every word that she said. "I told Annarosa that I was pregnant, before I told anyone else. She begged me to terminate the pregnancy and not tell Alfonso, but I, of course, didn't listen. I told him later that night, and instead of being happy, we had a violent fight. He nearly killed me that night."
"What?" Todd faces her, seeing the tears stream down her cheeks. He wants to hold her, but the anger is still there.
"He killed our baby," she sobs. "He broke my arm and leg, several ribs. I was bruised from head to toe, and he left me for dead. Nick was the one that found me."
"Tea, I-"
"You don't have to say anything. You didn't know. Apparently, Annarosa had called Nick, fearing for my safety. If he hadn't gotten there when he did, I know I would have died."
He reaches out to her, stroking her hair. "I've been such a jerk." She sobs into his wet chest, letting go of years of pain.
"No," she sniffs, pulling away, "I, there's more. After Alfonso was finished with me, he went to see Annarosa. This is where things get fuzzy. We think that he forced her to write a suicide letter, kidnapped her, and eventually killed her. Nick saw them on the docks, and before he could do anything, she fell into the water. Nick said that he couldn't tell whether she jumped in, or if she was pushed."
"Is this why you and Roseanne don't get along?"
"Yeah. I pressed charges against Alfonso. Roseanne adored him, and not knowing the whole story, she blamed me for his imprisonment as well as Annarosa's death."
"I don't get it."
"Roseanne was very young at the time. That night, not only was Annarosa found dead, but Alfonso was arrested. She doesn't know the timetable. She thinks that Alfonso's arrest is the reason behind her mother's death. She was looking for someone to blame, and since I was the cause behind her uncle's going to jail, she assumed that I was the reason behind her mother's death."
"Why haven't you explained things to her?"
"I don't know how. I have a feeling that no matter what I say, she will always find some way to blame me." Her body stiffens from the awkward position that she has been sitting. "I'll be right back, okay."
She leaves before he can protest. She changes into a bathing suit, so that she can join him in the water. She needs his physical support to tell him the part that she has been holding back.
She steps into the water gingerly, allowing her body to adjust to the hot temperature. She sits in front of him, and leans her head against his chest. He massages her tense shoulders. "Todd, there's more." He stops. "Please, don't stop, I need to feel you right now." He does as she asks, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I know that you've been wondering why I've been so hesitant about having children."
"Yeah."
"Well, since we've been intimate, we have not used protection. I'm not on the pill."
He closes his eyes and inhales deeply. "Tea, don't tell me-"
"The doctor said that it would be very difficult, if not impossible for me to become pregnant. When he beat me that night, he also did a number on my insides. I can't remember all that the doctor told me, I was 17, but what sticks out is his saying I may never be able to have children."
She feels his tears fall onto her neck, and the change in his breathing pattern. "It's okay Tea, we can adopt. I mean, I understand. I, I don't love you any less."
"I know, I just didn't want to disappoint you like this. I know how badly you want more kids."
"Delgado, you did not disappoint me. Disappointing me would be telling me to get the hell out of your life. This, we can handle."
She closes her eyes, feeling his arms wrap around her waste. She takes another deep breath. "Nick found out today that Alfonso is going to be released from prison next week. He told me, when he was sentenced, that when he got out, he was going to find me."
"What?"
"He said that no matter where I ran, he would find me and make me pay for ruining his life. Todd, he will do exactly that."
"If he comes anywhere near you, I'll kill him!" Todd yells. "I swear to god. I will kill him! We'll hire 24 hour a day guards. There is no way that he's going to touch you, I promise."
"I know you'll do your best, but he's very resourceful."
"Yeah, and so am I. Don't be scared, okay." He kisses her neck and squeezes her tighter. "You always said that together, we can do anything, right?"
"Yes."
"We'll get through this too."
"What if he goes after Starr?" She starts sobbing again.
"Shh, I'll take care of everything. Trust me." He wipes her tears away, soaking her face even more.
"I love you so much, Todd," she says between cries.
"I love you too. Shh," he whispers in her ear.
"I need to feel you inside me, Todd. I want you so bad. Make this nightmare go away."
He turns her head, and kisses her cheek. She reaches around him, pulling him, so that their lips can touch. She inserts her tongue deeply into his mouth. They intermingle, she softly bites his lip. She feels him growing hard against her back. He slides her bathing suit off of her shoulders, leaving her breasts exposed. Her nipples eagerly respond, as he gently cups them, teasing them. He coerces her to her feet, her back still facing him. He slips her suit the rest of the way off, and tosses it next to his shirt.
She sits in front of him again. He moves his hands down the front of her body, wanting only to please her, to quiet her demons. He plays with her soft, curly hair. He finds her clitoris, touching it softly, until he hears her moan. His hands travel lower, and he inserts a finger inside her. With a slow rhythm, he moves it in and out. As she becomes wetter, he becomes more aroused.
She positions her body, so that she is sitting on top of him and he is able to penetrate her wetness. He slips in easily, and they both moan as their sexes make contact. She takes over, wanting only to please him, moving her body in a wavelike motion. He continues to fondle her breasts, and stimulate her clitoris. She begins to speed up, her body on the brink.
He covers her mouth with his, as they both release their passion. He does not withdraw immediately. Instead he holds her tightly, assuring her that nothing would come between them.
2001 COPYRIGHT BY TORRI
FanFiction Home
Home
