In the design office, Thomas admitted he had never felt so blindsided. He'd thought he, Hope, Beth, and Douglas would have a wonderful family together. Ridge told Thomas to make sure he wouldn't spiral, and he wondered if Thomas would take Steffy's advice and end things with Hope.
In Eric's office, Steffy and Hope argued about Thomas. Steffy accused Hope of loving the sex and attention but being incapable of being serious about Thomas. Claiming it was untrue, Hope said she just wasn't ready to get married, and it wasn't Steffy's business. Steffy accused Hope of being just like her mother, and Steffy ordered Hope to stay away from Thomas.
Steffy left, and Brooke arrived and found her daughter frustrated. Hope claimed that Steffy was making things worse. Brooke asked if there was anything she could do. Hope said she needed to handle it on her own. She wanted to get through to Thomas and make him understand.
Ridge arrived and noted that Thomas had gone home, devastated. Ridge said Hope couldn't have been surprised by the marriage proposal; Thomas desired to have a family with her, and she was wearing his ring around her neck. Hope claimed that had been a compromise, and Brooke said it had been Thomas' idea.
Hope explained that she hadn't wanted to wear it because it might give the wrong impression that she was ready to be someone's wife again. She'd grown to like the idea of the ring and their exclusivity. She wasn't interested in meeting any other men. She knew that Thomas wanted her to wear it on her finger, but she thought he'd understood where she was emotionally and that she needed more time.
Ridge figured that if she hadn't wanted to marry Thomas, she should have made it clearer. Brooke said Hope had told him repeatedly that she wasn't ready for the next step. "I never said never," Hope insisted. Ridge questioned, "Oh, so you were keeping the door open?"
Hope claimed that she'd thought Thomas had understood that she wasn't on the same page just yet, but she'd been wrong. Ridge said Thomas had been listening and had been surprised that she'd turned him down. Brooke asked if Hope should have agreed when her heart wasn't completely in it. Ridge disagreed, saying that would make it worse.
Hope said it killed her that Thomas was upset. Ridge replied that Thomas was heartbroken. Ridge didn't want it to set his son back. Hope said that it wouldn't because Thomas had grown. She believed that they'd make it through if people like Steffy would butt out. Hope claimed Steffy had threatened her. Brooke said they knew Steffy had told Thomas to end it, but Steffy had no right to dictate Hope's life.
Ridge said Steffy was looking out for her brother. Hope disliked Steffy's delivery, citing that she had called Hope self-centered and had brought up Brooke's past. Brooke wasn't the slightest bit surprised. Ridge reasoned that the family was in a good place and said, "Let's not start a war."
Hope asked Ridge to advise Steffy not to toss gas on the fire. Hope wondered if Steffy preferred Hope to say yes and then change her mind down the line. Brooke concluded that Hope had responded properly and done what was best for herself and Thomas. "You can't go into a marriage with all these doubts," Brooke reasoned. Hope agreed. It was why she wouldn't say yes without being completely sure. Hope concluded that if Steffy loved Thomas, she would try to understand that and stay out of it. Instead, Steffy was saying that Hope was leading him on.
It sounded like a reasonable assumption to Ridge, who asked if Hope was doing that. Hope stated that it couldn't be further from the truth. Brooke replied that Hope wasn't that kind of person. Ridge didn't get the disconnect between Hope and Thomas, and Brooke said Thomas wasn't respecting Hope's timeline. Ridge didn't even know what that meant, but in his view, all Thomas had done had been to respect Hope.
Ridge added that Thomas had thought it had been time, and he wanted to know if Thomas was misreading Hope for the second time. Ridge asked if Hope and Thomas' wires were crossed or if they were from different planets. Hope told Ridge to stop because her and Thomas' connection was beautiful, and she didn't expect everyone to understand it.
Hope believed she and Thomas could work it out if others stayed away, like Steffy, who'd made it her mission to keep Hope away from Thomas and who'd insulted Brooke's past by saying Hope had gone "full Logan." Brooke scoffed and guessed Steffy had been upset and lashing out. Hope said it was no secret that she was not Steffy's favorite. "Don't do that. You guys always had problems with each other," Ridge corrected, but Hope said Steffy sought out opportunities to criticize and belittle Hope. Hope decided that she would not allow Steffy to drive a wedge between Hope and Thomas.
At Thomas' house, Thomas recalled the times he'd told Hope how he felt about her and the times he'd proposed marriage to her. He gulped, recalling her turning him down again, saying she wasn't ready for a forever commitment and couldn't be his wife.
Steffy arrived to check on Thomas. He said he hadn't wanted to stay at Forrester and risk running into Hope because it would be too painful. Steffy empathized with Thomas, who still didn't understand. He said all Hope had said was that she'd still been processing her divorce. Steffy replied that Hope had asked for space, and he'd given it; he'd given Hope anything she'd ever wanted. Steffy saw Thomas as an incredible boyfriend, and she insisted everything Hope could ever want or dream of was within him; however, Hope hadn't accepted his proposal for the second time.
Thomas wondered if he should have given it more time. Steffy asked him to stop doubting himself. For her, Hope was the one with the issues, and if she didn't appreciate him then, she never would. Steffy asked if he'd spend his life wondering if he was good enough. She insisted that he was worthy and fantastic, and it had to be true if his sister was saying it. She urged him to release his emotion, maybe punch a pillow or cry it out; once he got it all out, he needed to end it with Hope once and for all.
Thomas uttered that he'd thought Hope loved him. Steffy replied that he'd been just a rebound, and Hope didn't love him the way he loved her. He stated that he'd thought he'd given her enough time. Steffy countered that Hope didn't know what real love was and just wanted him to chase her -- like Brooke. He replied that he'd just wanted to get engaged and have a future commitment. He hadn't been expecting them to get married the next day, though he probably would have because he loved Hope.
Steffy replied that Thomas was a mature adult, unlike Hope, who'd been unraveling since "their relationship" had ended. Steffy saw Hope as acting like a teenager, seducing Thomas and pushing him away, and Steffy said it was entertainment for Hope. He said he hadn't thought of it that way. Steffy asked how many times he'd open his heart and be rejected. Steffy stated that it was hurtful and humiliating, but any woman would be lucky to be with him -- anyone but Hope.
Steffy continued to tell Thomas that Hope was stringing him along, and Steffy wondered if he'd had enough. Thomas said it wasn't about what women he could get; he couldn't imagine his life without Hope. Steffy said it was because the wounds were still fresh, but he could get through it. Steffy referred to Caroline, whom Thomas had survived losing, and Steffy believed he'd survive the end of things with Hope, too. Steffy said he shouldn't settle for someone who didn't think he was good enough.
Steffy reasoned that Hope wouldn't even wear the ring on her finger. Thomas replied that Hope wasn't what Steffy was saying she was; Hope wasn't a stereotypical Logan woman or her mother. Thomas said Hope was different and genuinely loved and cared for people, and he loved her. Steffy got that but said he needed to cut Hope loose. Steffy advised him to take Douglas out of town. "Go to Paris," Steffy said, urging him to end his relationship with Hope.
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