Brad looked around the restaurant trying to find his lunch date. A hand shot up a second before he spotted her. Heading over to where she sat, he was surprised to realize they weren't going to eat alone. "Hi Ella. Stan." he said taking a seat beside Eleanor.

"Drop that scowl. Stan is here to ensure that you sign the papers before they are notarized"

His eyebrows shot up "What papers?"

"The ones that say I'm giving you back your Shares."

"Very funny" Brad chuckled and when they both just stared at him he stood up. "Nope. No way Eleanor. I'm not signing anything"

Grabbing his arm Eleanor pulled him down to his chair "Stop overreacting. They're just shares and legally they belong to you"

"No. Legally they belong to you because I have mine. Remember? If you add yours, it would mean I'd have more than fifty percent which in turn means all the important decisions would be left up to me. I'm too young to have that responsibility on my shoulders" Brad argued.

"Too young? You're twenty five you dumbass. It's time you start taking things seriously if you want take care of Ashley in the future."

He groaned "But Eleanor why don't you just give them back to Theo?"

"Because I don't want Bitchet to come back and claim them as part of her divorce settlement. See what I did there with her name? Bitch and Bridget totally go together. I wonder if a can come up with more"

"Eleanor!" Brad nudged her with his shoulder and she almost fell off her chair. Helping sit up he said "I don't want them. Aren't you supposed to keep them for a year?"

"Yeah. About that. Stan came up with that clause"

"What?" Brad whipped his head towards the other man who hadn't said a word until then. "Why?"

"Because I didn't want your mother to claim them. She would have made our lives a living hell. So I told Eleanor to keep them until we were sure Ingrid had left"

"That's harsh Stan. Even for you. Do you know how many sleepless nights Theo spent over them?"

"Yeah well it was for the best. Besides legally you're just the one guarding them for someone else"

Brad sat up straight "Who?" Eleanor slapped him upside down on the back of his head.

"Marjorie dummy. I'm giving them to her"

"Oh okayyy..... Wait. How long do I have to keep them?"

Stan and Eleanor shared a look making Brad groan. "For the next fifteen years until she's twenty one"

"Seriously? That's like for the rest of my life. You guys can't be serious"

"Sign the damn papers Brad. Stan has things to do and I'm hungry"

"I have a feeling I'll regret this someday"

"Crybaby" Eleanor said handing him a pen. After Stan had left they ordered lunch and spent the rest of the time catching up. She learned that Brad was in the process of buying his own house then after that he was going to propose to Ashley. Eleanor smiled knowing she'd done the right thing by giving Brad those shares. If he was going to start a family, then he would need them.

-----------------

Theo watched his brother and Eleanor having lunch from across the street. He had resorted to following Brad because no one would tell him where Eleanor was. After dropping off Marjorie, she had left without saying a single word to him. It hurt him to think she wasn't going to give him a chance to correct his mistakes. He missed her terribly and he spent all night thinking of what he could do to get her back. She'd taught him what true love really was. He couldn't continue living without her. It was pure torture. His daughter kept asking him when Ella would go back home. Marjorie had started going back to her shell, locking herself in her room. Not even Artie could cheer her up.

He wanted Eleanor back. For his sake and his daughter's. He'd never thought of following Brad until Jason suggested it. Most people would consider what he was doing to be stalkerish but he was out of options. Brad didn't have to know he was being followed. All he wanted was to follow Eleanor home. Then what?  He asked himself. What would he do after that? He didn't have time to think of an answer because they both left the restaurant. Brad kissed her on the cheek and they both went in different directions. Brad to his car and Eleanor just walked. Theo waited for her to call a cab or get in a car so he could follow her but she just kept walking. A few feet ahead she turned disappearing to a corner. Cursing he got out and crossed the street without looking.

A car narrowly missed him while the driver blared his horn cursing him. Theo ignored him running to where Eleanor had gone. Taking the corner too sharply, he bumped into a woman who gasped, dropping the groceries she was carrying. Any other day he would have helped her pick them up, but today he didn't even stop to say he was sorry. Not when he could see Eleanor far up ahead taking another corner. Damn he couldn't lose her. He got to the corner she'd taken and stopped. It was another street with so many people. He tried searching for her with his eyes but it was useless. She'd disappeared. He turned around cursing loudly. The mothers passing by with their children threw him a glare while covering their kid's ears. "Sorry" he muttered. Defeated he went back to his car.

"Why the Fuck are you following me?" a voice stopped him just as he was opening the door. He spun around and came face to face with Eleanor. Theo was too stunned to talk so he just gaped at her. "I asked why you're following me. If this is about those damn shares I already gave them back to Brad, so leave me alone" she turned starting to leave and he snapped out of shock grabbing her arm.

"I need to talk to you"

"Let me go. We have nothing to talk about"

"It's okay if you have nothing to say to me, but I have a lot to tell you. Please give me thirty minutes"

"I don't want to hear your lies Theo, Now let me go" she tried pulling on her hand but he wouldn't let go. Looking at her, he realized how much he'd missed her. It hurt that the only thing he could see in her eyes was hatred, pain and anger. He wanted her to love him again. No he needed her to. Without knowing it, she'd saved him from a life of misery. All Bridget had done was take and take and take and given nothing in return. She had almost destroyed him, leaving a bitter man who only lived for his daughter. If it wasn't for Marjorie, Theo didn't know where he could have ended up. Eleanor had rescued him and given him something priceless. Hope. Hope that he was worth loving. Hope that he could really love. And dammit he wasn't going to let her slip from his fingers. Not even if hell froze over.

Looking around he spotted a hotel just ahead. "Come on" he said pulling her.

"What? Let me go Theo. Where do you think you're taking me?"

"Will you stop fighting me" he said looking back at her.

"No. Let go of me or I'll scream"

"Do it" he challenged her while still pulling her behind him. Eleanor tried jerking her hand from his grasp but cried out when his grip hardened. "Damn woman" Theo said then turning he hoisted her on to his shoulder. She shrieked making everyone around them stare in amusement. "She's my wife" he told them explaining his behavior.

"I am not his wife. Put me down you idiot" Eleanor yelled beating on his back.

"Women" he shook his head and Theo smiled when other men nodded in agreement. Some people had even taken their phones out and were snapping away photos. It would have bothered him in the past but now all he cared about was making Eleanor understand why he did what he did. "Do you have a room?" he asked the receptionist who gave him a worried look since Eleanor was still beating on his back. "Oh don't worry. Nothing we can't solve behind closed doors" realization dawning on the young woman, she smiled.

"I wish you luck" she said handing him a key card after he'd paid. In the elevator a middle aged woman sighed saying "kids these days"

--------------------

Theo dropped her on the bed like a sack of potatoes. Eleanor got up and tried to walk past him but he was too fast, locking the door and standing in front of it. "Damn it what do you want?" she screamed at him in frustration. She hadn't seen him for a while but her body hadn't forgotten how he made her feel. If anything it reacted more strongly then. That's why she didn't want to be in a closed room with him. Outside she only approached him because they were on the streets, in the open. In here, it would be too hard for her to resist him. Especially in the jeans and leather jacket he wore. He looked good enough to eat. Argh not now. She chastised herself.

While she was having lunch with Brad, she'd spotted his car through the window. He was horrible at spying and she had immediately figured out why he was there. So after saying goodbye to Brad, she'd decided to lead him on a wild goose chase. Instead of getting in a cab, she'd taken corners, knowing they would lead her back to the restaurant. Doubling back, she waited for him by his car. He was so distracted that he hadn't even noticed her. What she didn't think was that he would carry her to a hotel room and lock them inside. God help her but it would take a lot to resist him. She had been trying to convince herself that sooner or later she would get over him but it was impossible. How could she when she thought about him day in day out even after he'd broken her heart?

"Eleanor please hear me out."

"Why? So you can sell me some bullshit story again? No thanks. Out of my way"

"We're not leaving this room until you hear what I have to say. Take your pick. Listen to me and be out of here in thirty minutes or spend the whole night being stubborn" he crossed his hands over his chest. Eleanor glared at him, trying hard not to drop her gaze to his chest. She didn't want to see how his muscles flexed with every movement he made. Especially when her legs were wrapped around his shoulders. Huffing at that memory she turned around and sat on the bed.

"Fine. I'm listening"

Exhaling, he moved from his spot and sat beside her. "I'm sorry" he said. "I did tell Jason to seduce you so you could sign over the shares back to me"

"And I would have given them back because he told me to?" Eleanor quipped.

"I don't know. The plan was for you to fall in love with him so you'd do whatever he told you to. I don't know, I was sure he could persuade you at least"

"Do I look like a Fucking cocker spaniel to you?"

He smiled "No. But seeing you with him made me realize that I actually liked you. After that chocolate party we had, I decided that I didn't care about those shares"

"Yeah right" she scoffed not believing him.

"Listen Eleanor, I grew up with Ingrid who didn't give a shit about us. I had to explain to Brad countless times that we didn't need her because we could survive without her. Then when I married Bridget, I thought that she was the person who would love me for me. But I found out she was cheating on me, I lost all hope and became a cynic. To me every one has a motive for doing something. My mother only gave birth to us so she could control our father. Bridget did the same with Marjorie." he placed his hand on her cheek, turning her to face him.

"It was so easy to believe you were with my father so he'd leave you those shares. But as days went by you changed my opinion. You made me see that it wasn't all about money. You were kind to my daughter despite all my insults. How could I not fall in love with you Eleanor? You're kind and have a big heart. Please forgive me for being so stupid. I miss you. Marjorie can't stop asking me when you'll come back home. Please don't punish me anymore, I can't take living without you. Please" he touched his forehead to hers. Eleanor looked at him hating that what he was saying was true. It was written all over his face and in his eyes.

Today he'd come to her bare. Without any masks. He was vulnerable, pouring his heart out to her like that. The Theo Sullivan she'd met at the funeral was gone, leaving a man who loved her. A man who wanted nothing but to be loved back. The question was could she risk herself like that again? Thinking he was toying with her had almost killed her. She couldn't go through that again. Not when she knew how painful a broken heart was. She couldn't survive it a second time. He had his daughter to fall back on. She had no one. No. No she just couldn't do it. Getting up, she grabbed her sling bag and left. Theodore Sullivan had the power to break her and she couldn't let him. Flying into an open elevator, she pressed the ground floor button. Love is a risk worth taking my love. Always remember that. That's what her mother used to tell her when she was a kid.

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Theo rested his elbows on his knees, dropping his face into his hands. She'd left. Even after he'd explained everything to her, she'd still left. He felt like his heart was being ripped out. Why was he so stupid? His pride had cost him the love of his life. What was he going to do without her? How was he going to live? He hadn't given up because he thought that once he told her everything, she would forgive him. But now? There was no hope. He'd hurt her too much and she wasn't willing to forgive him. A tear slipped from his eye and he swiped angrily at it. He had been foolish so this was his punishment. He was going to live for the rest of his life knowing one mistake had cost him Eleanor. Resigning himself to his fate, he got up just as the door burst open.

"I hate you, you know that?" Eleanor said banging the door close. She threw her bag on the floor not caring where it landed and walked towards him with a purpose. She launched herself at him, making him fall back on the bed with her on top of him. "I hate you. Just as much as I love you you idiot" she bent her head slamming her lips on his. Theo who until then couldn't believe she'd come back, wound his hands around her kissing her back.

"I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry" he chanted in between kisses.

"I swear if you pull anything like that again, I'll kill you myself" Eleanor told him then went back to kissing him.

"Never." shifting them, he trapped her beneath them. "Does this mean you forgive me?"

"Do you want me to write it on a banner for you?" Eleanor retorted

"No" he replied bringing his face closer to hers. When he was a breath away, he stopped "Will you marry me?"

She pushed him away, jumping to her feet "No. No way" she said making his stomach drop. "I want a real proposal. On a yacht or the Eiffel Tower. Or on a cruise ship, hell in the middle of the road with a mariachi band. But am not going to accept this half assed proposal" Theo sighed in relief, pulling her so her body covered his.

"Anything you want. Just say it and I'll give it to you"

"Are you sure about that? This might come back to bite you in the ass someday"

"So long as you're there to soothe the pain away then I'll be fine"

"Look who's getting all sappy with me now"

Theo tightened his hands around her "That's what you do to me Eleanor. You make me want to put the world on your feet my love"

"I don't want the world Theo. I only want you."

"And you have all of me my darling" lifting his face up, he kisses her.

"And Marjorie too." she added breaking the kiss. Theo smiled at her.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

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THE END!!!!!

Sooo how did you like Theo and Eleanor's story? Marj is my favorite person here. Who's yours?
Dare I say Marcus knew what he was doing when he left Eleanor those shares?

Vote, comment, share.

Btw am kidding. This is not the last chapter. I repeat this is not the end. We still have to find Bridget and I would love for you to guess where she is. I wanna see if I have a twin mind somewhere among you.

Hint: it's somewhere you wouldn't have thought of in the fast place. Let your imagination run.