Chapter 1:
Sheridan looked out at the town of harmony from the roof top of the Seascape Restaurant, in two days she would be leaving for Paris.
Flashback* Luis chose to save her life over the man he thought was his father* ‘How could someone so noble and caring turn out to be so cruel and deceitful, it doesn’t make any sense, none of this makes sense. I thought you were different Luis...damn i...how could I have been so wrong about you. Why did you have to use me’ Sheridan tried to rid her thoughts of Luis but it was no use, she thought about him every day, every night, and every minute. As much as she tried, she
couldn’t bring herself to hate him, instead she could feel herself falling deeper and deeper in love with him. ‘What’s it about him, why can’t I just forget about him!’ She suddenly turned around to leave and was stunned to see Luis standing there.
“Luis” They stood there staring at eachother for a few moments. “what are you doing here?” she finally asked. “I’m not sure, I went for a walk and just ended up here...what about you, what are you doing here?”
For a moment Sheridan forgot that she was angry at him, but only for a moment.
Flashback*
Oh I intend to use the very rich Ms. Crane for my own ends.*
Sheridan fought back the tears that were stinging her eyes. “Nothing..I was just about to leave” she said with an angry tone. “No I’ll leave, you were here first” he said harshly. He immediately regretted his comment when he noticed a tear stream down
Sheridan’s cheek. Luis gently placed his hand over her arm. “I’m sorry...are you okay?” he asked concerned. “Stop pretending like you care” She pulled her arm away and turned around.
“I do care about you Sheridan” “More lies, you never cared about me, I can’t believe I ever let myself be
fooled by you” “What is wrong with you, why are you acting this way. If you don’t want to see me anymore then just say it, stop pretending like your mad at me, because I didn’t do anything wrong!” They glared at each other in anger but their hearts ached inside.
“I don’t want to see you anymore, I don’t ever want to see you again” Her voice was shaky, she was on the verge of tears again. Luis sensed the hurt in her voice and noticed her hands were trembling, she was lying to him. Sheridan turned around to leave but Luis grabbed her arm. He pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately on the lips. He pulled away and
stared into her eyes. “Tell me you didn’t feel anything” Sheridan couldn’t even begin to describe the emotions she felt when Luis kissed her, he sentchills through her body with his every touch.
“I can’t”“why? because you felt something” “Why are you doing this to me” she said tearfully. Sheridan broke away from him. Before Luis could say another word she was gone. He was left standing there more confused and frustrated than ever.
Sheridan’s cottage-
Ethan entered the cottage and saw Sheridan stuffing things into a small suitcase. “Sheridan what’s going on?” “I’m leaving, I can’t stay here another minute” she said without looking up. “Where are you going, your flight isn’t until two days from now” Ethan was
confused. “I’m going to go stay at a hotel outside of town...don’t worry I’ll see you before I leave for Paris.” He cut her off, “But why, what happened...wait let me guess, you saw Luis again didn’t you?”She stopped what she was doing and sat down on the couch.
“Yes...we have this weird way of always ending up at the same places. I was on the rooftop of the seascape and he showed up there...it was as if I was drawn there tonight, drawn to him....” Her voice trailed off. She got up off the couch. “That’s why I have to leave, I can’t face him again, it hurts too much to be around him...What’s wrong with me, why do I feel this way Ethan!” she cried out in frustration. “I should hate him for what he did but I don’t, he hurt me, he used me but deep down inside I still care about him...I...I love him Ethan....how can I be in love with a man that doesn’t love me back?” By now the tears were flowing endlessly. Ethan felt helpless, he
hated seeing his Aunt in so much pain. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. “I’m hurting Ethan...more than I’ve ever hurt in my life... sometimes I feel like it’s unbearable.”
Luis’ House
Luis sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hand. Pilar walks in and notices the blank look on Luis’ face, she sensed something was wrong. “Are you alright son?” Luis hadn’t noticed Pilar come in to the kitchen. “Oh...hey mama..yeah everything is fine” “Are you sure, you seemed really distracted when I came in” Pilar sat down at the table, across from him, “Have you talked to Sheridan about why she’s angry with you?” Luis let out a bitter laugh, “ No...What’s with that woman mama, I can’t figure her out. Everytime I try to talk to her I’m left more confused....I still don’t know what I did to make her so angry...the only reason I can come up with is that she gave into the pressure her family was putting on her to stop seeing me.” “I don’t think so Luis, something else must have happened to upset her, Sheridan conceals her feelings well but I see the hurt in her eyes” Pilar’s words stung Luis, he couldn’t stand it if he hurt Sheridan even if it was unintentionally.
“I’m just so confused right now mama...I think I love her” “Then tell her how you feel ”“I can’t, she hates me” “Talk to her Luis, you can’t let her go back to Paris without knowing what happened between you two...you will always be left wondering.” “Your right” Luis got up and grabbed his jacket, “I have to tell her how I feel and find out if she feels the same way...thanks mama” Luis got to Sheridan’s cottage, all the lights in the house were out, but he decided this couldn’t wait until tomorrow. He knocked on the door but there was no answer. ‘Maybe she’s at the mansion’ Luis looked at his watch, it was almost 10p.m. At the Crane Mansion Ethan answered the door, “Luis what are you doing here?” “Is Sheridan here?” “Haven’t you hurt her enough Luis, why can’t you just leave her alone!” Ethan replied angrily.‘Hurt her?’ Luis thought, ‘what did I do to hurt her’“I need to speak to her, it’s important” “You can’t see her, I won’t let you use her anymore” “Use her? ” Luis looked confused. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about”
“I don’t know what the hell your talking about, I never used Sheridan, I would never use her...You know I thought you Cranes were crazy before but now I’m convinced your all out of your minds” “Stop lying, Sheridan heard what you said that night on the wharf”
“What did I say?” “You were talking on your cell phone with someone and saying how you were going to use Sheridan for your own ends, to get back at our family”
“What?! I never said those things, After Sheridan and I spoke at the wharf I went back to the Station”
“Well she came back to talk to you and that’s when she heard your phone conversation” Ethan was getting really pissed off now. “I still don’t know what your talking about, I don’t remember talking to anyone on the cell phone that night besides Sheridan...when was this anyway?” “I don’t know, what difference does that make?” “I’m not sure, but I was at the station for a whole hour after I talked to Sheridan...Look I don’t know who Sheridan saw at the wharf talking about
using her, but it sure in hell wasn’t me!” Now Ethan was puzzled, ‘could Luis be telling the truth...this isn’t making any sense, maybe this whole thing is just a big misunderstanding’ he thought. “I have to talk to Sheridan, I have to find out what really happened” “Well she’s gone” “Gone where?” “She’s staying at a hotel just outside of town, wait I’ll give you the address. “Thank you”
Sheridan’s hotel room-
Sheridan took a long hot shower, she was rummaging through her suitcase when something caught her eye. It was a picture of her and Luis at the youth center, she didn’t even realize she had packed it. She started thinking about all the time she had spent at the Youth Center with him, she thought back to the arguments they used to have and smiled. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Sheridan opened the door and was shocked to see Luis standing there. They stood there staring at
each other again, Luis was mesmerized by Sheridan’s beauty, She was wearing a white silk slip with lace trim and a matching rob. “Luis, what are you doing here, how did you know I was here?”“Ethan told me..can I come in?” Sheridan moved aside and let Luis in. “Well what are you doing here?” she asked again.
“Ethan told me why you’re mad at me, I didn’t use you Sheridan” “How can you lie like that Luis, I saw you, I heard you” She said in disbelief. “I don’t know who you saw saying those things Sheridan, but it wasn’t me, I would never use you, you know that” “Are you saying I’m seeing and hearing things” she remarked sarcastically. Luis had to think of some way he could prove that it wasn’t him she heard on the wharf.“Okay what time was it when you came back to see me at the wharf?” “What difference does it make what time it was!?”"Just tell me” “It was around 10:30” “I wasn’t even there at that time, I went to back to the station at 10 , I didn’t get back to the wharf until 11:00”“Your lying” “Okay then call the station and find out, even better why don’t we go down there right now and I can show you the time log for that night”
Sheridan’s eyes were welling up with tears. She sat down on the bed and rested her head on her hand. She tried thinking some kind of explanation, if that wasn’t Luis she saw on the wharf then who was it. “Wait...some thing just accured to me, after we talked on the wharf and I went home Julian came to see me....he was trying to convince me to stop seeing you...he also said there would be consequences if I continued to see you...” “You think Julian had something to do with this" “I don’t know...my father and Julian are definitely capable of anything”
Sheridan stood up again.“Even hiring someone to impersonate me?”She nodded yes. “Sheridan I would never use you, you have to believe me” “I do...I’m sorry I doubted you Luis..” she said in a soft voice.
“It’s okay, I probably would have reacted the same way you did if I were in the same situation”
Sheridan turned around and looked out the window at the pouring rain. Luis stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Sheridan closed her eyes, enjoying their closeness, she suddenly turned around and looked into his eyes. There was a long silence. they were longing to kiss eachother again. Luis gently caressed Sheridan’s cheek, “Do you have any idea how touching you makes me feel,” he said softly.“ I do, because I feel the same way” “ There’s another reason I came here tonight” "What?” “I came to tell you how I feel about you...I love you Sheridan” Sheridan
felt her knees go weak, she let the tears she was holding back escape her eyes. "I love you too Luis” she whispered. Luis wrapped his arms around Sheridan’s waist and pulled her close to him. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
It was the sweetest, most unforgettable kiss they had ever experienced. Luis pulled back and looked in her eyes. He never felt this way about anyone. He kissed again more intensely and Sheridan responded yearningly. He began rubbing her lower and Sheridan wrapped her arms around his neck, they were pressed up against each other in a passionate embrace. Sheridan felt like her whole body was on fire. They couldn’t fight their urges any longer. “I can’t wait
another minute to make love to you Sheridan, I want you now” he said kissing her neck. “I want you too” she whispered. Sheridan took off her rob and Luis pulled off his shirt. He slipped the straps of her nighty off her shoulders letting it fall to the floor. He gently kissed her shoulders and they made their way to the bed.
He laid down on top of her kissing around her abdomen slowly making his way upwards. Luis entwined his hands with hers and pinned them up against the pillow. “Luis” She softly moaned his name when she felt the touch of his lips on her breast. The feeling of his hot breath on her neck made Sheridan crazy with desire for him. Their lips
finally met again, he kissed her deeply and stared into her eyes as she gently ranher fingernails down his back. He then continued their kiss. They
shared a night of unforgettable passion that would lead to a lifetime of love.
THE END