decision cont.

She knew she was driving erratically. Steering one minute, swiping tears off her face in the next. The darkness did nothing to help her, but she couldn't have very well stayed after the rant that had escaped from her mouth. The seriousness of the situation that had just transpired swept over her.

She'd let Ethan go.

Catching a sob in her throat, she willed the tears to cease. Why should she waste them on Ethan Crane? The man had obviously not loved her. Love wasn't broken because another choice flaunted itself in your face. Love stood fast over all obstacles. His love should have remained throughout Theresa's devious trickery. But no. Given the first opportunity, Ethan had proven he couldn't be trusted with that love.

It was at that moment that her car began to sputter. Wiping away the last of her tears, she looked to see the car had run out of gas. "Great! Just what I need," she muttered. Her hands shaking, Gwen swerved over into the gravel, putting her Mercedes into park. Getting out, she slammed the door in anger.

"Ugggh," she screamed, not knowing what else to do. "How can he be so stupid. Picking Theresa over me! He'll regret the day he was born," she ranted, already walking away from her car with no end destination in mind. It seemed like forever until she saw the sign for the town's Bed and Breakfast Inn.

Remembering it was owned by the Chief of Police's wife, Gwen hesitated in going in. Looking around her, she didn't really see many more opportunites to get help since the only other building surrounding her were residential homes. At least this was a business. Sighing, she walked up the driveway and up the stairs. Standing at the door, she didn't know if she was supposed to knock or just walk in.

She choose to knock. Knowing her mascara had probably run and she looked a mess, Gwen stepped back to wipe her face when the door opened.

Looking up, her eyes met the crystal blue ones of a young man. Gwen stepped back, caught by how his questioning eyes looked into her own. Who was this boy, she wondered, though just by looking at him she knew her label was absolutely off. This was no boy standing in front of her. This was a man. A man with crystal clear eyes, dirty blond hair that fell into his eyes, and a body...

"Ma'am," he asked, stepping forward as she took another step back. What was she running for? She came here looking for help. It wasn't as if he was a monster. No. He was just some guy who happened to open the door.

Noah Bennett tried to gauge the state of the woman standing in front of him. When he'd opened the door, she had been looking down. Once their eyes had met, she had seemed startled, even frightened by him. He searched his memory, trying to recall her face. He knew he'd seen her before, but he couldn't place where.

"Ahh," Gwen began, not knowing how to finish her sentence. She simply closed her mouth.

Noah stepped out onto the covered porch of his mother's inn, watching as the woman stumbled back. He immediately shot forward, putting one arm around her waist and bringing them flush together. He smiled down into her startled face.

"What are you doing," Gwen shrieked, her eyes the size of saucers she imagined. She struggled against him, but it only caused the opposite of her desired effect. She couldn't seem to get out of his grasp and a hot wave of heat went over her face as their bodies touched in several places.

His smile quickly disappeared. "Hey, lady, I'm trying to help you," Noah told her, having to use his other arm to bound her tighter to his body. When her panic only increased, he simply picked her up and turned them around, setting her near the doorway of the inn. "You were about to fall down the stairs," Noah told her, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder.

Gwen peered around him to see he was standing precariously close to the edge of the porch, a spot she was positive she had just tried to walk over. She could feel the blush of embarrassment on her cheeks but tried to disguise it in indignation. "You have no right to put your hands on me like that," she yelled, even knowing that he had probably saved her from any number of injuries.

"Noah? What's all that noise," a soft female voice came from inside. Gwen turned in time to see an older woman approach from within. She immediately recognized her as Chief Bennett's wife, but she still couldn't remember her name.

"It's nothing mom," Noah said as he brushed by Gwen to reassure his mother everything was okay. "I was... I was just helping--," he turned towards the woman, holding a hand up. "I don't know her name, but she got real mad when I tried to help her."

"When you attacked me is more like it," Gwen defended weakly.

"Gwen? Gwen Hotchkiss," Grace asked, surprised to see the woman on her inn's porch. "What are you doing her at," she looked at her watch, "ten o'clock at night? Is your mother with you?" Grace tried to look out the door but her son's chuckles stopped her.

"What is so funny Benji," Grace asked her son.

Noah's laughter quickly died at the use of his child name. Everyone had called him Benji up until he'd reached the sixth grade. Then, it had become Benjamin, his full first name. It wasn't until his Freshman year of high school that he'd felt he needed a change.

Benji was the little boy who played tag with anyone who was out. Benjamin was the young adolescent who had gotten into scrapes whenever and wherever he could find them. For high school, he wanted to start new. He'd began using his middle name, Noah, and had been known as that ever since.

He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been called Benji.

"Don't call me that mom," he told her. He was sure his cheeks were as red as Gwen's now. Gwen. "Did you say Gwen Hotchkiss," he asked his mom, turning to look at the woman who'd practically thrown a fit by his simple act of help. "You're not Gweny "Don't-Need-A-Penny" Hotchkiss, are you?" Noah smiled as her face became more familiar.

Though she had changed, and a lot by the looks of things, he could tell it was the same girl who had snubbed many of his friends during their formative years. He remembered all the times his buddies would try to get with "The Rich Girl" and failed miserably, most of the thanks going to Gwen herself. She'd always held herself above everyone she'd met.

Everyone but Ethan Crane.

Again his smile disappeared as memories of Ethan Crane washed back into his mind. Being away from home so many years, it was easy to forget all the unpleasant memories from growing up in the small town of Harmony. Ethan Crane had been one of them. He'd never liked the guy and probably never would. But Gwen sure had. She'd followed Ethan around like he was a puppy.

"Still trailing after that rich boyfriend of yours," he asked. He heard the hint of anger in his voice, but he couldn't help himself. It was one thing for Gwen to play Queen over the lowly subjects, but a whole different story when he actually put himself out to make friends with a guy his age only to be brutally rebuffed.

"Noah, that wasn't nice," Grace said, smaking him on his arm. "Gwen? Why don't you come in. It's getting a little chilly out. I swear, you'd think it was January instead of June."

"T-that's alright," Gwen said, never taking her eyes of the woman's son, Noah she had called him. "I should just...get back to my car. Sorry for disturbing you. Goodbye Mrs. Bennett," Gwen felt bad at still not recalling the woman's first name. "You too, Benji." And with that, Gwen whirled and was off the porch, walking back to her car.

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