The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
| ONE LAST TIME BY TIMA |
CHAPTERS 64 - 66 |
ONE LAST TIME
chapter 64:
[Tea enters the living room and finds Todd sitting at a small desk against the wall as he holds Valencia in one arm while using his other hand to look through the papers on the desk.]
Tea: Todd...
Todd: I was just looking for something to read to Valencia.
Tea: She has books in the bedroom.
Todd: You want to go in there with us?
Tea: I think staying out here is a better idea.
Todd: Because you're afraid you'll start seducing me again?
Tea: If you continue to invade my privacy, there's no chance of that.
Todd: Is there a chance if I go back to keeping you in the dark about that kind of stuff?
Tea: You know I have feelings for you. I always will. Valencia...
Todd: She doesn't think I'm scum.
Tea: Of course she doesn't.
Todd: Neither do you. You're the only two people left on the planet who don't hate my guts.
[Tea takes a seat on the sofa. Todd joins her.]
Tea: What about Viki?
Todd: I disappointed her again.
Tea: What did you do this time?
Todd: I was just being myself.
Tea: I see.
Todd: I can't get it right with anyone...except you.
Tea: You haven't been very successful with me, either.
Todd: Are you going to be a liar?
Tea: When have I ever lied to you?
Todd: You want the whole list?
Tea: I have never lied to you, not about anything important.
Todd: You told me that we'd be together. Isn't that important?
Tea: When have I said that recently?
Todd: It doesn't matter when you said it. You promised me, more than once. You also promised you'd never split on me.
Tea: I remember you promising me that, when you were trying to get me back, after one of the many times you threw me out. For a brief moment, I had hope that I wouldn't have to feel so alone all the time. That hope didn't last very long. It never does.
Todd: You're the one who was always leaving me.
Tea: You broke my heart. Do you understand that? I offered you everything I had and you declined, so many times.
Todd: You declined, too...right after we reclined. Do you think it was easy for me to do that kind of stuff with you?
Tea: I never understood why it was such a challenge. It obviously wasn't an obstacle for you with anyone else.
Todd: I thought you had this figured out already.
Tea: I've never been able to figure you out. Just when I think I almost have the puzzle all put together you pull it from me and mix all the pieces up again.
Todd: I don't want you to get bored.
Tea: Maybe I need some boredom, for a change.
Todd: You hate being bored, that's why you keep coming back to me. I surprise you.
Tea: You frustrate me.
Todd: We can go get a hotel room and I can un-frustrate you.
Tea: That part of our past relationship won't be happening ever again.
Todd: Why not?
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ONE LAST TIME
chapter 65:
Tea: You know perfectly well...
Todd: What I know is what you want.
Tea: What do you think I want?
Todd: You want to leave the baby here with your grandmother while you come with me.
Tea: Our daughter is our responsibility...no one else's.
Todd: Not forever. Just for a couple of hours.
Tea: That would be a mistake.
Todd: Maybe, but you'll regret it if you don't do it.
Tea: I won't be leaving with you, but maybe it is time for you to leave.
Todd: If you're not coming with me, I'm staying.
Tea: I haven't invited you.
Todd: Your grandmother did. We have an all-night poker game scheduled.
Tea: This won't work.
Todd: Don't worry, she'll be okay with losing what we're wagering.
Tea: And, what's that?
Todd: You.
[Todd quickly stands up.]
Todd: I'll put Valencia in her crib.
Tea: Todd...
[Todd ignores his ex-wife as he takes their daughter into the bedroom.
Tea returns to the kitchen.]
Abuela: Your young man is still here?
Tea: My young man seems to think he's playing poker with you and that the winner gets me.
Abuela: He has already won you. You can't hide your feelings for him, they shine through each time you look at him.
Tea: I'll have to work harder on that.
Abuela: Why are you so determined to remain alone?
Tea: I've always been alone. Trying again with Todd won't change anything, not for very long, anyway.
Abuela: You should trust the man you love.
Tea: I tried that. I ended up alone.
Abuela: So has he.
Tea: Not always.
Abuela: You tried with another.
Tea: Why are you on his side?
Abuela: I've seen you with him. I see how you look at him. More importantly, I see how he looks at you. In the past, Del told me of the looks that pass between you and your young man. Now, I see it myself.
Tea: What did Del say exactly?
Abuela: I recall him commenting that, at times, he felt he disappeared when you and Todd would look at each other. If your brother could see your love for this man, you won't be able to hide it from anyone, especially Todd.
Tea: This isn't love. It's insanity.
Abuela: Many have confused the two.
Tea: Was it like this for you?
Abuela: I have had passionate involvements.
Tea: Plural?
Abuela: Si.
Tea: I'm sure you broke many hearts in your younger days.
Abuela: I may be old but I still turn a head, or two.
Tea: Is there someone special?
Abuela: We are discussing your life.
Tea: I'd rather discuss yours.
Abuela: I sense that you are in a great deal of pain. That's what love is for...to heal your hurts.
Tea: It doesn't work that way for me...or for Todd. Love causes pain for us. It causes agony. Neither of us wants that.
Abuela: He seems to feel differently.
Tea: Trust me, if Todd knew how much I needed his love right now, he'd be rushing out the door.
Abuela: You need to trust him.
Tea: I trust Todd with my life. I trust him with our daughter. I would trust him with just about anything. But my heart... I tried trusting him with my heart in the past. It hurt so much opening my heart to him. It hurt even more when he slammed his own heart shut in response. He thinks it's enough if he tries occasionally, if he gives me glimpses of his heart. He doesn't understand how painful it is for me every time we get too close and his walls go up again.
Abuela: He sees your walls. He understands.
Tea: You were right. I'm no good at this. He knows it, too. I can try to push him away physically, but even that I'm never successful at for long. But, my heart is always his, and he knows it. He knows that he can count on me to love him forever no matter what he does, no matter what happens between us. I'll always defend him. I'll always understand him, or at least try. When he really needs me, I'll be there for him every time. But, when I need him, I'm always alone. I want him to be the one person who never lets me down but he has, so many times. He always will. I know he doesn't intend to hurt me like he does. He doesn't even realize he's doing it most of the time. He can't control it. He may want to love me, but he can't. He doesn't know how.
Abuela: You need to show him.
Tea: I tried. My heart is worn out from trying.
Abuela: You must never give up on love.
Tea: I haven't given up on love. I've only given up on deluding myself that Todd could ever love me the way I need him to. He doesn't realize it yet but through Valencia he's finally given me love that doesn't hurt...love that I know will last forever. She is the reason that Todd and I need to stop hurting each other. She needs to be our priority now, not the insanity of trying to have a relationship together.
[Standing outside the kitchen, an eavesdropping Todd turns and returns to the bedroom.]
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ONE LAST TIME
chapter 66:
[Todd quietly enters the bedroom, not wanting to awaken his sleeping daughter.
After watching Valencia peacefully sleeping for several minutes, he whispers to her.]
Todd: I've hurt everyone I ever loved, even the ones I tried really hard to protect. I knew the first time I saw you, the best thing I could do for you was to walk away. When I love people, they get hurt. When people love me, they get hurt.
[Todd reaches into the crib and lightly touches a finger to the small pile of dark hair on the top of his daughter's head.]
Todd: You look just like I knew you would when I started imagining you years ago. I'm not sorry that you're here. I'm just sorry that you got stuck with me as your dad. I know how much it sucks when your dad's a creep who can never get it right.
Tea: You got something right.
[Todd quickly turns around, startled by the sound of his ex-wife's voice.]
Todd: You shouldn't sneak up on people.
Tea: That precious little girl is the one thing that together we got right.
Todd: And, you shouldn't eavesdrop.
Tea: I just came in here to tell you that my grandmother is ready for your poker game.
Todd: Tell her to forget it. I'm not in the mood anymore.
Tea: What's wrong?
Todd: Nothing. I just don't feel like taking advantage of an old lady right now. Is that so wrong?
Tea: Something has changed. What is it?
Todd: I was in here the whole time thinking about stuff.
Tea: Like what?
Todd: Like, how Valencia deserves the best. And, like, how that's not me.
Tea: You are the best...for her. You'll love her unconditionally. That's what she needs the most.
Todd: What about you?
Tea: My love is unconditional, of course.
Todd: It always has been.
Tea: Your mood is so different from what it was earlier. What happened to make you shift moods like this?
Todd: I was born with hair-trigger moods. You know that.
Tea: That is true.
Todd: Let's get out of here.
Tea: I told you earlier...
Todd: We'll take her with us. We'll go wherever you want to go, just the three of us.
Tea: She needs to sleep.
Todd: She can sleep anywhere.
Tea: I need to sleep.
Todd: I won't do anything that keeps you from doing that. I promise, Tea, I won't try anything. I just need to watch her sleep tonight.
Tea: You can do that here.
Todd: Your grandmother will think I'm weird.
Tea: Why do you care what she thinks?
Todd: I don't, but you do.
Tea: You could have Valencia in the living room with you. That way, you can play poker and watch your daughter sleep at the same time.
Todd: You don't want me to stay, you've made that clear.
Tea: My grandmother wants you to stay...Valencia wants you to stay...
Todd: What about you?
Tea: I'll be sleeping the whole time, at least until Valencia wakes up demanding to be fed again.
Todd: Do you want me to stay?
Tea: Valencia...
Todd: Not Valencia. Not that old lady out there. Do you want me to stay?
Tea: We did bring my car. You don't have any way to get back.
Todd: I've got millions of ways. I'm rich, remember?
Tea: Right.
Todd: Tell me the truth. Do you want me to stay?
Tea: No.
[Without saying anything more, Todd walks passed Tea, exiting the bedroom. Seconds later, he exits the apartment.]
to be continued...
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2002 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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