The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
| ONE LAST TIME BY TIMA |
CHAPTERS 58 - 60 |
ONE LAST TIME
chapter 58:
Tea: I have accepted that our relationship ended long ago.
Todd: How long ago? Before you seduced me and I put my kid inside you? If that's what you're talking about, the proof that you're wrong about that is drinking from you right now.
Tea: Actually, she's fallen asleep.
Todd: If you have to sleep, that's the way to go.
Tea: Todd Manning!
Todd: See, I make you smile. You have to be with me.
Tea: You won't be able to change my mind this time.
Todd: I've changed it every time before. I can do it this time, too.
Tea: Do you want to hold her?
Todd: Changing the subject won't work.
Tea: It always worked for you in the past, when you wanted to avoid talking about something you weren't ready to discuss.
Todd: Only temporarily. You always found a way to sneak the words in on me.
Tea: Do you want to hold her?
Todd: While you get dressed?
Tea: I'm not going back to the penthouse with you. You need to accept that.
Todd: Okay.
Tea: Okay?
Todd: You're not going back to the penthouse. I totally accept that. There's nothing there that I need anymore anyway.
Tea: You're not coming with us. Your life is here. Our life isn't.
Todd: What life do I have here without you?
Tea: You have your newspaper.
Todd: That's just a thing.
Tea: That thing was always more important to you than I was.
Todd: You're jealous? Of a newspaper?
Tea: While we were married, you spent more time with your newspaper than you did with me.
Todd: My newspaper never talked back.
Tea: If you want someone who doesn't talk back...
Todd: Why would I want that?
Tea: Because, apparently, you don't appreciate what I'm saying to you.
Todd: You told me that you want to be with me.
Tea: I told you that I can't be with you.
Todd: You told me that if you could have whatever you wanted you would want to be with me.
Tea: We can't start over by pretending that nothing else exists.
Todd: Why not?
Tea: It wouldn't work. Our pasts always come back to haunt us, no matter where we go.
Todd: We'll do a better job of hiding this time.
Tea: It's impossible.
Todd: The only thing impossible in all this is you.
Tea: Me? I'm impossible?
Todd: Admitting it is supposed to be the first step, right?
Tea: You, my friend, are the impossible one.
[Tea stands up and hands Valencia to Todd. Her heart melts as she watches her ex-husband smile as he looks down at their infant daughter in his arms.
Todd looks up and into Tea's eyes.]
Todd: I want to be a family.
Tea: I don't want to be together just because of the baby.
Todd: I wanted to be with you before I knew she was mine. No more lies. You know I did.
Tea: You refused to try.
Todd: Because I didn't want to screw this up for you. I know what it's like to finally have someone it's almost okay to believe loves you. You needed that a lot more than you needed me. Now, everything is different.
Tea: Because the baby is yours.
Todd: Because I thought I might never see you again. When you came back to Llanview, I wasn't avoiding you because I hated your guts. When I hate people's guts, I let them know. I enjoy letting them know. I couldn't see you again because I knew this would happen. I knew you'd suck me back in again, just like you always do.
Tea: I can't be sucked back in again. I can't risk it. Do you understand that?
Todd: I understand. It's still happening.
Tea: Why are you so desperate this time? Is it only the baby?
Todd: I just told you it's because of you. What more do you want from me?
Tea: The truth.
Todd: The truth is I'm driving you and Valencia wherever you're going.
Tea: Okay, you can drive, but we're taking my car.
Todd: Mine is faster.
Tea: Mine is safer.
Todd: So, we're together again?
Tea: Nothing has changed. I'm only agreeing to your driving us home.
Todd: When we get there, I'm not leaving.
Tea: Then, you'll be sleeping on my grandmother's sofa, because she only has one bed and I don't think it would fit the three of us.
Todd: She could sleep on the sofa.
[Tea gives him an unamused look as she begins to pack. Todd sits on the edge of the bed and watches his daughter sleep in his arms.]
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ONE LAST TIME
chapter 59:
[Hours later, outside Tea's grandmother's apartment...
Tea is searching through her oversized purse for her key while Todd holds their daughter in her baby carrier.]
Todd: We can forget this stupid idea and just go to a hotel.
Tea: This is where Valencia and I live, temporarily.
Todd: Whatever! If you don't have the key, you have to let me take you to a hotel.
Tea: Abuela will probably be home soon.
Todd: Probably? Valencia doesn't think probably is good enough. She wants to go to a hotel.
Tea: Why are you so anxious to leave?
Todd: Your grandmother probably hates my guts, even more than before.
Tea: She's never hated you, exactly.
Todd: She's happy that I knocked you up?
Tea: I wouldn't use the word happy.
Todd: Pissed?
Tea: She's disappointed, more with me than with you. She had hoped that I would have done things in a different order. You know...meet a man, fall in love, marry, then have a baby.
Todd: We only screwed up the order of part of that.
Tea: But we divorced before we had the baby. She thinks we should have married again before the baby was born.
Todd: Did you tell her you thought the kid was some other guy's back then?
Tea: Believe me, she made it quite clear all those months that she wanted me to marry Simon.
Todd: She probably still does.
Tea: No, now she wants it to be you.
Todd: So, we're getting hitched again?
Tea: If you want to have a wedding, and my grandmother wants to have a wedding, you can both go ahead and have a wedding. I won't be there.
Todd: She's not my type.
Tea: Neither am I, remember?
Todd: You never let me forget.
[The ex-spouses are interrupted as Tea's grandmother arrives. Tea and Abuela converse in Spanish as Abuela uses her key to open the door.
After Abuela enters the apartment, Tea turns toward Todd, who's still standing in the hallway holding their daughter.]
Tea: Are you coming in?
[Todd hands the baby carrier to Tea.]
Tea: Come in. I'll make it clear to Abuela that she's not to pressure you to do the right thing.
Todd: I would. You don't want it.
Tea: I'll make that clear to her. She'll blame me, not you.
Todd: You didn't want me here to begin with.
Tea: As long as you're here, come in. Spend more time with your daughter.
Todd: Do you think she really wants that?
Tea: I think it would make her very happy if you stayed.
Todd: If she's happy, her mom's happy, right?
Tea: It seems to work that way.
[Todd walks passed Tea and enters the apartment.]
Todd: Are we having Puerto Rican glop for dinner?
Abuela: Puerto Rican glop?
Tea: Sancocho.
Abuela: My Tea makes wonderful sancocho.
Todd: Really?
Abuela: I taught her when she was a little girl.
Todd: You've been holding out on me, Delgado.
Tea: I haven't made it in years.
Abuela: Tonight, my Tea will make us all sancocho. I'll see if we need anything from the store.
[Abuela leaves them alone in the living room as she enters the kitchen.]
Tea: Congratulations!
Todd: For what?
Tea: Manipulating my grandmother into inviting you to stay for dinner.
Todd: Punish me by making me stay and eat your cooking.
Tea: That would be a good punishment.
Todd: Doesn't she know you can't cook?
Tea: I'm her granddaughter, she thinks I do everything well.
Todd: She'll know the truth once she's eaten your food.
Tea: I'll tell her that I want to spend more time with you. She'll insist on cooking dinner for us, in the hopes that we'll reconcile.
Todd: Now who's manipulating?
Tea: I suspect you are, since you just got your way again.
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ONE LAST TIME
chapter 60:
[Tea leaves her grandmother as she happily moves about the kitchen making dinner for her family. Tea smiles as she enters her grandmother's bedroom and finds her ex-husband watching over their daughter as she sleeps in her crib.
Todd isn't aware of Tea's presence until she moves into position next to him.]
Todd: Does she always sleep this much?
Tea: Maybe she knows her papi needs her to sleep so he can watch her.
Todd: Do you watch her sleep?
Tea: Sometimes. I have to admit, it makes me feel closer to you when I do.
[Todd turns and faces Tea, a smirk on his face.]
Todd: Really?
[Tea turns and walks toward the door.]
Tea: Dinner will be ready soon.
Todd: Wait!
[In the doorway, Tea stops and turns toward him.]
Tea: I thought we were sharing a genuine moment. Thank you for reminding me never to let my guard down with you.
Todd: I'm not doing this to score points with you.
Tea: It's hard to tell sometimes.
Todd: Looking at her makes it feel...less lousy.
Tea: I know.
Todd: You don't know. You don't get what it's been like for me. Starr used to let me watch her sleep all the time. Now she's in another state and doesn't want anything to do with me. Jack isn't my kid anymore.
Tea: You could fight for shared custody. Why haven't you?
Todd: No kid should be stuck with me as a dad.
Tea: Valencia will be proud of you.
Todd: Only if you let her.
Tea: I would never stop her from adoring her papi.
Todd: Because you adore me, too?
Tea: Don't start.
Todd: I never stopped.
Tea: Yes, you did...many times. Too many times for me to risk trusting you again.
Todd: It's too late. You trust me. You're the only one who does.
Tea: I trust you with our daughter. I don't trust you with my heart. You'll have to accept that.
[Tea becomes nervous as Todd moves closer to her, but she doesn't move away.
As Todd touches his hand to the side of her face, she uncontrollably leans into his touch. Todd notices and responds by bringing his face closer to hers.]
Tea: We can't do this.
Todd: Too late.
[Their lips meet in a tender kiss.
Moments later...
Their kisses intensify as Todd begins maneuvering Tea toward the bed, while unbuttoning her blouse. As Tea feels the back of her legs touch the bed, and her blouse sliding off her shoulders, she finally tries to end their romantic moment.]
Tea: Todd...
Todd: Let it happen.
Tea: My grandmother...
[Todd immediately lets go of her body and steps away from her. Tea sits on the edge of the bed as she refastens her blouse.]
Tea: Did you forget where we are?
Todd: You took your time reminding me.
Tea: I didn't realize you would forget that easily.
Todd: We can get out of here. We can go to a hotel.
Tea: My grandmother is cooking. You already agreed to stay.
Todd: That was before you started seducing me.
Tea: Me? Seducing you?
Todd: That's what I said.
Tea: That's not what happened.
Todd: Whatever!
[Todd leaves the bedroom and returns to the living room. Tea follows him.]
Tea: Are you staying for dinner?
Todd: I don't have a choice, unless you changed your mind about the hotel.
Tea: I haven't changed my mind about anything.
Todd: Then, why did you invite me here?
Tea: You invited yourself. I only went along with it because I knew you'd follow us, anyway.
Todd: You don't want me here?
Tea: No.
[Todd swiftly moves toward the door.]
Tea: Wait!
[Todd turns back toward her, his smirk again evident.]
Tea: Don't look so pleased with yourself.
Todd: You want me here.
Tea: My grandmother...
Todd: Hates my guts.
Tea: She wants you to stay for dinner.
Todd: Only because she knows that's what you want.
Tea: Nothing can happen. Nothing will happen.
Todd: You say that every time, and every time...
Tea: Every time...I end up alone.
Todd: That's not always my fault.
Tea: I know, but I can't risk losing you this time.
Todd: You'd rather not have me, than have me and lose me?
Tea: Yes.
Todd: I'd rather have you.
Tea: You can say that now because you don't have me. If you did, your choice would be different.
Todd: I have you. You just proved that to me a few minutes ago.
Tea: That was hormonal.
Todd: Your hormones want to be with me.
Tea: But my heart doesn't.
[Tea's heart breaks at the look of defeat on Todd's face.
Tea's grandmother appears in the living room. She quickly senses the tension in the room.]
Abuela: Dinner is ready.
Todd: I'm not hungry.
Abuela: Not even for my sancocho?
[Todd and Tea share eye contact, each reminded of a time years earlier when love was complicated for them but not as impossible as it seems to both of them right now.]
Tea: Stay...for dinner.
Todd: What about after dinner?
Abuela: We'll play cards.
[Todd and Tea both look toward Tea's grandmother, reminded that she's sharing the room with them.]
Todd: Poker?
Tea: Todd!
Abuela: I hope you brought your wallet, young man.
Tea: Abuela!
Todd: I get it. This was all a setup so the old lady could hustle me.
Abuela: I believe in being honest.
Todd: I believe in winning.
Abuela: As do I.
Todd: We'll see who the better man is.
Abuela: Or, senora.
to be continued...
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2002 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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