Sullivan took Ophelia's hand and led her into the house. Polly greeted them as if they had been gone for days, not a few hours, and Ophelia appreciated the distraction from her jumbled thoughts. She spent longer petting Polly than she normally would have to gain a little space.

Sullivan's kiss had been perfect, and she had little doubt that making love with him would be just as perfect. However, the fact that it made her want to cry didn't seem the right response for what was about to happen. She should be nervous and excited, but the reality was she was dreading the moment that would come afterward when he would walk away.

"Are you having second thoughts, Ophelia?" Sullivan asked. There was no disappointment or anger in him, and he seemed more tender and patient than usual.

"Yes." Ophelia stood from petting Polly and looked at him. "I want it as much as you do, but not like this."

Sullivan frowned. "Like what?" he looked around, judging his surroundings. Ophelia knew what he was thinking. He thought it wasn't exactly the ritz with rose petals on the bed, but it wasn't a sleazy hotel or the back of a car either.

"It's not about the location or the timing." Ophelia took a deep breath. It was time to be honest and tell him the truth. That she loved him, and it would hurt too much in the morning. She opened her mouth to speak, but his phone rang.

Sullivan was going to ignore it, but Ophelia shook her head. "No, you need to answer it. It could be about Reyna."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "What!" he demanded.

Ophelia could only hear his side of the conversation, and he was telling whomever it was that she had arrived safely, they had gone to dinner, and now they were getting back to the house.

"What? Why?" Sullivan responded with a frown. "Fine," he added, then headed toward the kitchen, opening a laptop that was on the counter. He typed in a few things then Ophelia watched as his jaw fist clenched simultaneously.

"This was ten minutes ago!" he yelled into the phone. After a minute, Sullivan held the phone out to Ophelia, who was watching him wide-eyed from across the kitchen.

"Hello," she answered, doing her best to keep her tone even. The only other time she had seen Sullivan as upset as he currently was, was when he was mad about her hotel room being given away.

"I can't talk to him. He's seeing red, which is not productive for anyone." Sawyer greeted her. "Have you seen it yet?"

"No," Ophelia said, walking toward the computer as Sullivan stepped aside and started to pace.

There, on the screen in front of her, was the kiss that she and Sullivan had just shared. There was also one of them at dinner.

Why did Sullivan have to have such a large laptop? The size of the screen made it so much worse for some reason. It was an inane thought, but one she had none the less.

"Keep reading and read it aloud so Sullivan can hear. I don't think he took the time to read it." Sawyer insisted.

The title was, 'One is Romance, Two is Company, and Three is a Crowd,' Ophelia started to read about how she and Sullivan had been seen having a private dinner and then a romantic walk home. The story continued, hinting that Ophelia had been seen taking advantage of Reyna's unknown illness to romance Carson, and it had photos of her and Pops, going in and out of the rental house together, eating together, and hugging. However, the final insult was the mention she had been in Sawyer's arms the previous month while on set, and there were photos of them on set together with Sawyer's arms around her too.

"Oh, Sawyer, I'm so sorry." Ophelia could imagine how this would look to Lieutenant Moore.

"It's not me I'm worried about, Ophelia, but it's like you to worry about others first," Sawyer said in a tender voice.

"Reyna! Pops! Have they seen this yet?" Ophelia cringed at the thought.

"No, not yet. I'll keep it from them as long as I can." Sawyer's voice was grim.

Ophelia handed Sullivan the phone as tears started to blind her. It was happening again. She should have never come home. "I need a minute," she said to no one in particular as she walked away from Sullivan. She wanted to go for a walk, but she couldn't because someone was watching them.

Ophelia wandered into the living area and sunk into the couch, burying her head in her hands as the tears came. There was no holding them back, and she hadn't cried this hard since her mother had left when she was six. It was as if she was losing her family all over again.

After a few minutes, she felt Sullivan sit next to her and Polly rest her head in her lap, but she jumped up when he tried to pull her close. She didn't want comfort. She wanted to be in love and to be loved. She wanted peace!

"I have to go. I'll disappear, and this will go away. I'm so sorry this is happening again and to your family!" Ophelia bit her lip to make herself stop babbling.

"I hadn't even thought..." Sullivan shook his head.

"You don't see the similarities to this and what happened when I was in high school!" Ophelia took a deep breath. "I do. It's the same thing all over again, only this time it is hurting all of you, not just me!" She rammed her finger into her own chest hard as if to punish herself.

Sullivan stood and walked toward her, grabbing her arms. "None of this is your fault, Ophelia! You have done nothing wrong!" He shook her a little.

When she refused to look at him, he took her face in his hands and made her. "None of it's true. You said you were in love, but that it wasn't Sawyer, and you love Pops like a father."

"And you?" Ophelia felt her tears start again. "We were about to have sex, and that would have made part of it true." She marched back towards the computer and scrolled to the photos of herself and Sullivan.

"Look, it's all there!" she turned it so that he could see the photos.

"We're having dinner and kissing. That does not mean we are having an affair." Sullivan shook his head.

"No, not that!" Ophelia took a deep breath. She had to be calm for this part. Closing her eyes, she called on every bit of strength she had to tell Sullivan she loved him.

"Remember that day on the beach when I explained how I knew I was in love?" Ophelia forced herself to meet Sullivan's confused gaze.

"Yes."

"I left out the part that when you're in love with someone one, their pain is like your own, and you'll do anything to protect them, even if it means leaving." Ophelia slammed the laptop closed. "I'm leaving in the morning."

"What are you trying to say, Ophelia?" Sullivan asked in a quiet voice.

"The reason I couldn't go upstairs with you, and the reason I have to leave is that I am in love with you, Sullivan. I have been from the first moment I met you. I thought it was a crazy crush at first, but the way you would irate me most days, I knew that couldn't be true. Then one day, I asked myself the question, and I laughed at myself. How could I ask myself such a stupid question? How could I be so stupid as to fall in love with Sullivan Richards?" Ophelia's voice broke on the last question, and she turned her attention to a heavily panting Polly. "I love Polly because I can't love you, so I give all my love to her and hope that she shares it with you."

The tears started, but this time they weren't sobs. They were as silent as Sullivan.

Ophelia couldn't bring herself to look at him.

After what seemed like forever, he spoke.

"In the morning, you will take Polly and drive her home. Take the long way and stop at a few spots to enjoy the sites. We will all meet back In L.A., where we will figure this out together." Sullivan walked to her and took her hand. "I can't say what I feel right now, but I do care."

If he couldn't figure it out, then he didn't love her.

Ophelia took a deep breath and dried her eyes. "I understand." She nodded and then left him. She would leave before daylight if she could and put Oak Island behind her for good.