Chapter 23: Too Hot To Handle

Luis walked into his apartment and flipped the switch on the wall just inside the door. Light immediately illuminated the room, but Luis didn't notice. All he saw was the blank look in Sheridan's eyes as he told her he cared about her. His confession hadn't phased her in the least. He didn't know why he was surprised really. She had never given him any reason to think her feelings went any deeper than just wanting to have a good time. No, he amended, she had wanted to have fun. Wasn't that what she said she had come to Harmony for? She wanted to have some fun. Fun, he thought bitterly, that was all he had wanted at first too. But then somehow he'd started to care about her and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to turn the feelings off. They had started even before he'd slept with her. Hell, Ethan had seen it before he did. He'd called him on it the night of the pool party when he had blown up at seeing her talking to Josh. Luis had never answered him because at the time, he hadn't even realized it was true. In fact, he didn't know that what he felt for Sheridan was more until they had spent the night together. That was the moment he knew he felt more that he wanted more than just to have a good time. He hadn't had time to tell her though because Ethan and Theresa had showed up.

After that was when everything started to go downhill. They had managed to talk a bit after Ethan and Theresa left. She'd told him that Princess Sheridan story. But they hadn't had time to talk about what happened between them because Ethan had called and told them her parents were in town. Luis cursed as the events started to replay in his head then realizing he was still standing in the doorway, he slammed the door shut, turned, and walked into the kitchen to grab himself a beer. He knew the beer wouldn't help anything, but he was hoping it would help dull the pain in his chest. He couldn't remember ever feeling as bad as he was feeling right now. Not even catching Beth with Josh had hurt this much, he thought. Nothing had ever hurt this much. It was as if someone had taken a dull knife and cut him, leaving an open unhealable wound in its wake. Luis shook his head then took a sip of his beer and leaned back against the couch. He couldn't seem to get her face out of his head. Four days.

She was leaving in four days and there was nothing he could do about it. He'd told her he cared for her and she hadn't so much as blinked after he'd stated the words. His brother Antonio and his sister Theresa would say that he'd gotten what he deserved. After two years of avoiding getting serious with any one woman, he'd finally met his match. Why the hell did he have to go fall in love with a woman that was more relationship shy than he was? He knew his reasons for avoiding getting seriously involved with anyone. They seemed from getting burned. But what were her reasons? He remembered her saying she had recently broken up with a guy she had been with for two years? but her tone had held no trace of pain so he had assumed it had been her choice to end things. Then again there were times - like tonight - when he saw this wounded bird look in her eyes a wounded look that said someone had broken her heart. He knew that look, he'd seen it many times before, particularly after he had caught Beth and Josh in bed together, but what had put that look in Sheridan's eyes?

She acted so strong as if nothing ever got to her, but tonight he'd seen her break down. He'd held her in his arms as she'd cried in pain. What had caused those tears? Her leaving? Or something else? "Dammit." Luis said sitting up and slamming his beer on the coffee table in front of him. He had to get her out of his mind. She was leaving and no amount of wishing was going to change it. He would just have to forget about her. Surely, the pain he was feeling now wouldn't stay with him forever? He would get over her eventually. Wouldn't he?

Sheridan dragged herself up to her bedroom and collapsed onto the queen-size bed - her emotions drained. She had cried more tears tonight than she had ever cried before. When she had seen Luis sitting at a table inside The Lobster Shack, the reality of what she had agreed to earlier in the week had hit her full force. She didn't want to leave Harmony, but there was no way she could stay. It would cause Luis and his father way too much trouble. No, it was better for them if she left. But how could she leave without telling Luis how much he meant to her? He had admitted he cared for her and she allowed him to think that she didn't care for him. She had thought of nothing else since he had walked away from her at the park and now she was regretting letting him go without at least telling him that their night together had meant more to her than just a night of hot sex. It had meant so much more. She didn't have to tell him exactly how much more she just had to tell him it meant something. She didn't want to leave him with that hurt look in his eyes. She didn't want that to be the last memory she had of him.

She slowly scooted backward off the bed then turned and walked toward the window at her left. She looked out at the pool below and remembered the first time she met Luis when he had dove into the pool and drenched her with water. He had been cocky and arrogant, but at the same time he had a playfulness that disarmed her anger before it had even risen to the surface. She could still see the beads of water that clung to the side of his face and his muscular chest. The man had the hottest body, but she knew that isn't what made her like him so much. It had nothing to do with his looks. It had to do with the person he was. Theresa had warned her about Luis being more than just a playboy. She had said that he had a heart of gold and after tonight Sheridan had to agree with her. She had seen a side to him tonight that she hadn't wanted to see. His caring side. He cared for her. He'd told her he did and she couldn't forget the emotions those four words caused within her. I care about you. The moment he said them her heart had down about a thousand back flips inside her chest. That was when she knew that she cared for him too. But she hadn't been able to tell him. She'd frozen with the realization that he had gotten to her.

She swore, after her breakup with Mike, that she wouldn't get involved with anyone again, but that was before she met Luis. One look at him and she had known. She had known that he was the man that was going to change her life - and he had. More than he would ever know. Sheridan sighed and moved away from the window, knowing what she wanted to do yet still not sure she had the courage to do it. Luis had done so much for her over the past two weeks and all she had done was constantly cause him problems. And tonight she had hurt him. She knew she had because she'd seen it in his eyes. She'd seen the quiet pain that she was sure he never let anyone see and it had split her heart in two. But how could she fix it? She was leaving in four days and she had no doubt that her father would be watching her to make sure she didn't go to him. Still she had to see him. She had to talk to him and explain things. He deserved that much. He deserved to know that he wasn't alone in his feelings.

He deserved to know that those same feelings ran through her body as well. But how could she tell him? How could she sneak out without her father seeing her? She knew without a doubt in her mind that if she snuck downstairs in the middle of the night, he would be waiting for her. And if he was, it would cause even more problems than she already had to deal with. But she had to see Luis. Just one last time. She had to see him and tell him what she felt for him. She had to because if she didn't, it would eat at her for the rest of her life and she couldn't bare that kind of torture. Sheridan walked toward the nightstand at the side of her bed and pulled the phonebook out of the top drawer. After finding the number she wanted, she picked up the phone and dialed. "Yes, I need a cab. 1275 Harmony Oak Drive. It's the Crane Residence. I'll be waiting at the end of the driveway. I'm going to Harmony Heights Apartments on Bryant Avenue. Okay, thank you."

She hung up the phone, placed the phone book back into the drawer, shut it, then turned and walked toward the door. She opened it slowly, listening for any sign that someone was awake, and upon hearing none she quietly made her way out of the room and down the backstairs. She listened at the door to the kitchen and when all she heard was silence, she turned the doorknob and entered. Then froze when she saw that she wasn't alone. "Sheridan," Her mother's asked as she lowered the cup in her hand. "What are you doing down here? It's almost," she stopped and glanced at the black and white clock on the wall. "One-thirty." "I...I -" "You were going to sneak out, weren't you?" Sheridan gulped unsure how to answer that. Her mother had seemed to be on her side where Luis was concerned, but she couldn't be positive she would let her out to see Luis tonight. It would be going against her father's wishes and her mother had never done that before.

"Mom," she said walking further into the kitchen and stopping just in front of the table. She was going to be honest with her mother. Right now, she really had nothing to lose. "I have to see him. I hurt him tonight. I made him think I didn't care about him and I need to go explain that I do." Her mother nodded. "I knew something had happened tonight. When you and Ethan came back, you seemed upset, but I didn't want to press the issue because of your father. I had distracted him when I saw Luis get up from the table so he didn't know that he went after you. You know your father would have a fit if he knew you had talked with him tonight." "I know, mom." "But you plan to sneak off to see him again? He must be very important to you to risk your father's temper. Do you love him?"

Her mother had said something similar the other day and Sheridan had denied it. But she couldn't deny it now, not without feeling as if she was lying. So instead of falsely denying it, she answered honestly. "I don't know. I care about him. More than I've ever cared about anyone before. I've never felt what I feel for him for anyone else and it scares me, but at the same time it makes me feel like..like I've got the world in the palm of my hands. Tonight after I left the restaurant and Luis came after me, we talked and he told me he cared about me and he asked me not to leave. I didn't answer him and he walked away. That's when I felt as if the world had just slipped right through my fingers. I didn't like the feeling mom. It hurt. It hurt so much." "Then you need to go to him." Her mother said getting up from her seat at the table and walking toward her. She wrapped her arms around her and Sheridan had never felt so happy in all of her life. "Go to him and explain how you feel. If he means that much to you then you must be honest with him Sheridan."

"Thank you!" Sheridan whispered as a tear made its way down her cheek. "Thank you for understanding why I need to go." "I do. More than you know. Now go." She said releasing her and almost pushing her toward the back door. "Before your father comes down and sees you." "Okay, I love you mom." Sheridan said right before she opened the door and walked out into the cool night air. She practically ran to the end of the driveway and couldn't contain her relief at seeing that the cab was already there waiting on her. The moment she got in the cab she knew she was doing the right thing in going to see Luis. She only hoped he didn't turn her away. She had no idea what she would do if he did.

To Be Continued...