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.
At Thomas' house, Steffy urged Thomas to leave town and make a happy life with his son. In her view, he wouldn't have that with Hope, who didn't want that kind of future. Thomas uttered that he'd thought she did. Labeling Hope as manipulative, Steffy said Hope wanted him to believe it, and it was a part of the game. Steffy figured Hope had known she'd break his heart, but she'd turned him down, anyway, because that was what Logans did. Steffy asked him to look at the chaos Brooke had brought into Ridge's life. Steffy believed Hope was doing it to Thomas, too, and Steffy urged him to find his pride and leave Hope.
Steffy asked Thomas to think about staying there, working next to Hope and being reminded of what Hope would never allow to be. Thomas replied that he loved Hope. Steffy knew it but said Hope wouldn't love him the way he loved her. Steffy knew that Thomas had a dream of how he'd wanted it to be, but the reality would get worse if he didn't wake up. Douglas would be disappointed all over again. Steffy begged him not to do it to Douglas. Thomas nodded when Steffy said he had to do what was best for his son. He replied that Douglas was always his first priority, and he'd heard what Steffy had had to say.
In Eric's office, Hope tried to convince Ridge that Steffy was up to more than concern about Thomas. Ridge dismissed the idea that Steffy was using it to fight with Hope. Hope insisted that Steffy had been agitating from the sidelines. Ridge replied that Steffy didn't want her brother hurt, which was exactly what had transpired. Brooke said it hadn't been on purpose. Knowing that, Ridge said he'd advocated for the relationship.
Hope told Ridge that Steffy was insulting her and Thomas by calling him Hope's plaything. Hope refused to allow Steffy to use their past to get between Hope and Thomas. Hope asserted that she'd call Steffy on it every time because she wasn't Steffy's personal punching bag. Ridge wondered if Hope was done yet, and Hope guessed he was ready to defend Steffy.
"You knew it was coming," Ridge replied, adding, "You attack my daughter right in front of me, so you know there was gonna be some pushback, right?" Hope claimed she'd been hoping he'd see the other side. Ridge said that he saw all sides, and blaming Steffy wasn't fair. He asked about his son, who was hurt. "That boy loves you," Ridge said. Ridge said Thomas stated it every five minutes, and it was all Thomas talked about. Ridge noted that Thomas had given her a ring, and she'd worn it around her neck, which had been very strange.
Brooke replied that Hope had said why she'd done it. Ridge acknowledged it but said he was hurting for his son due to what Hope had put Thomas through. Hope claimed she'd been honest with Thomas from the start, but Ridge wondered if she'd been honest with herself.
Ridge asked what Hope had really wanted out of the relationship and if she'd been remotely close to what she'd known Thomas wanted. Ridge called Hope out on knowing Thomas' intentions, which he hadn't hidden from her. Ridge asked what Hope's intentions had been and if it had been some sort of diversion for her. Hope said it wasn't remotely true.
"I don't know that. How do I -- do you know that? I don't know that at all," Ridge said. Ridge couldn't feel sorry for Hope. He was too concerned about his boy and what Hope had done to his boy's life. Hope just stared at him.
Brooke recommended that she and Ridge let the kids work it out without interfering. Ridge asked if she didn't want him to defend his son. He decided that neither he nor Brooke could be objective, but they could all agree that Thomas had been all-in from day one. Hope claimed it was what she'd loved about him -- that she'd never have to question his devotion. Ridge noted that the devotion wasn't enough. He asked what was holding her back.
Brooke replied that Hope was not ready to be Thomas' wife. Ridge wondered if there was something in Thomas' past that Hope couldn't forgive. Hope shook her head. Ridge asked if there was something that would always be between them. Brooke yelled, asking if Ridge could blame Hope after everything Thomas had done to Hope.
Confused, Ridge said Brooke had told him that Thomas was getting better. Brooke affirmed it but said they were discussing Hope, who "couldn't marry him. At least not now." Ridge added, "Or ever." Ridge stated that Thomas had done everything for Hope. Claiming to know it better than anyone, Hope started to say something about "our relationship." Ridge cut her off with a correction, noting that from what he saw, there was no relationship or anything left.
Hope replied that it was her life and her relationship, and she and Thomas would handle it alone. Hope believed that Ridge had good intentions but insisted that Steffy wanted a war and would do anything to get Hope out of Thomas' life.
Later, Hope had received a call and said she needed to talk about some HFTF business with Thomas. Ridge quipped that Thomas had gone home, upset about "something." Hope figured Ridge blamed her, but she asked for a chance to at least talk to Thomas.
Entering, Steffy guessed Hope wanted a chance to get her way again and have Thomas on her schedule and terms. Hope said Thomas knew it wasn't true, and Steffy retorted that Hope was speaking for him those days. Hope claimed that only she and Thomas knew how they felt, and he wanted her in his life. Steffy doubted it.
Done debating with people who didn't understand what she and Thomas shared, Hope decided to talk to him herself. Steffy directed Hope to the design office and said he wanted to talk to her, too. Hope seethed as she advised Steffy to stay out of it. Hope left, and Steffy murmured that Hope was in for a rude awakening.
Later, Steffy ended a call, checking on the jet. Ridge asked if she had a trip, but she claimed to just like to check in every now and then in case something unexpected came up. Brooke asked what Steffy had meant by "rude awakening," but, tight-lipped about it, Steffy thought Brooke, who'd been against the pairing, would be happy about Steffy's stance on Hope and Thomas. Ridge claimed Brooke had been working on it and coming around.
Brooke admitted that Thomas had made strides, but Hope had to choose if she really wanted a life with him. Steffy reasoned that Hope would have accepted the proposal if that were the case, but Steffy got that the Logans would circle the wagons. Brooke said Hope was grown and didn't need her mother to help her decide about Thomas. Steffy doubted Hope and Thomas would get married. Steffy said it was over for them. Figuring Steffy spoke as if she knew something, Brooke accused Steffy of having a vendetta against Hope.
In the design office, Thomas was asking someone on the phone to "Tell him I'll explain when he gets here." He ended the call and flashed back on times with Hope. He recalled kissing with the ring between them, and he thought of Steffy urging him to end the relationship.
Hope arrived and said she felt terrible. She asked Thomas not to listen to Steffy, who was trying to get between them. She begged him not to let Steffy do it. Thomas asked if Steffy was wrong. Hope asserted that it wasn't about Steffy, their parents, or anyone else. It was just about them. She claimed that they hadn't let people stop them before and shouldn't that time, either.
Thomas clarified that he'd proposed again, and Hope had turned him down -- again. Hope stammered that she'd explained that she wasn't ready for that level of commitment yet. "I'm still just trying to..." she said. He nodded, saying she was still trying to process her marriage to Liam and her divorce. She added that she was trying to do what was best for the kids, who'd been through many huge adjustments.
She sobbed that not saying yes didn't mean she didn't want to spend every day with Thomas. It didn't mean that she didn't want to see him, laugh with him, or make love to him. She put her hands on his chest and assured him that they had something special. He made her feel the way she had never felt with any man. She felt valued, appreciated, and seen. She noted that he always said he was a one-woman man, and she felt lucky to be that woman. She implored him not to let Steffy undermine them. Hope loved him and didn't want to lose him.
In Eric's office, Steffy warned that Hope was in for a rude awakening. Brooke said Steffy was talking about Brooke's daughter, and Steffy quipped that Hope was more like Brooke every day. Ridge tried to intervene in the conversation, but Brooke asked if being like her was a bad thing.
Steffy stated that Brooke had at least claimed to be out for love, but Hope didn't even pretend to love Thomas. Brooke replied that Hope did love Thomas. Ridge tried to intervene again, but Steffy didn't let him. She refused to allow Hope to continue the Logan tradition, and she refused to stand by while Hope hurt Thomas.
Brooke warned that she was trying hard not to be offended, but she couldn't take all the Hope bashing. Steffy quipped that it wasn't bashing if it was the truth, and Hope was turning into Brooke by using Thomas. Steffy asked how many times Hope would turn Thomas down while wearing his engagement ring on a chain around her neck. It was totally unacceptable, needed to end, and could be ending at that moment.
Brooke asked why Steffy was so invested. Ridge, Brooke, and Steffy all claimed to want the best for Thomas, and Brooke advised Steffy to stay out of it and let Hope and Thomas figure out their own relationship. Ridge agreed when Steffy said she was defending her brother. He told Brooke that Steffy wasn't going after Hope at all. "Oh, yes, I am. I want Hope out of Thomas' life for good," Steffy interjected. She was done with Hope leading Thomas on and toying with him. Steffy decided that the only brokenhearted person would be Hope, not Thomas.
Brooke asked if Steffy didn't care if Hope got hurt. Steffy said that she'd warned Hope about playing with Thomas' emotions, and all of them knew it was because Thomas was vulnerable to Hope. Steffy yelled that Hope should be all in or out, but Hope didn't care because all Logans cared about were their own needs and wants.
Brooke asked Ridge if he'd let Steffy talk to her like that. Steffy said her dad didn't have to tell her to do anything. Ridge requested that Steffy step back because attacking Brooke wasn't helping. Steffy quipped about Brooke's history, and he asked what Steffy was trying to accomplish. Steffy explained that Hope was causing Thomas the same pain Brooke had caused Ridge, and Steffy wouldn't allow it.
Brooke said Steffy's perception of Thomas and Hope was wrong, and Hope wasn't a tramp who chewed up men like her mother. Steffy asked where the lie was, and Brooke said the issue with Hope marrying Thomas wasn't love. "How about all the things he did to Hope in the past? How about that?" Brooke asked. Ridge quickly inserted that Thomas wasn't that man anymore, and Steffy added that Hope even agreed.
Brooke defended the kind Hope who didn't lie or toy with people's emotions. Steffy quipped that Brooke thought Hope was perfect, but while Brooke thought Hope was too good for Thomas, it was the other way around. Steffy hoped she'd gotten through to him and that he'd end it that day.
In the design office, Hope said everything she and Thomas had overcome to be together had been worth it. He replied that he'd thought so. Asking him not to speak in the past tense, she said he made her feel as she'd never felt before. "But you won't marry me," he replied, shrugging.
Hope whimpered in frustration and yelled that she needed more time. She asked if she really had to explain. She yelled that Thomas knew her history with Liam and about her divorce, and she'd just needed a moment to breathe and discover who she was. "I thought that we were on that same journey together!" Hope exclaimed. She begged Thomas not to let Steffy destroy what they shared, because Hope couldn't lose him.
Hope pleaded with Thomas not to listen to Steffy, who wasn't speaking truthfully about Hope. Hope claimed that refusing the proposal didn't mean she didn't want to be with him. She loved what they had together. "What do we have together, exactly?" Thomas asked. He asked if they were going steady, building a foundation for the future, or if Hope was taking revenge on Steffy, Liam, Brooke, or whomever. Hope gasped in disbelief, and he asked if it was Hope taking a walk on the wild side with the bad boy. She claimed he knew it wasn't true.
"I don't know anything, Hope. That's why I'm asking the question...How long do I have to wait? Will you ever love me the way I love you?" Thomas questioned. He'd been asking himself ever since she'd turned him down if she'd ever love him the way he loved her, with no conditions or reservations. She asked him not to start doubting her feelings. She loved the man he'd become, and she didn't have the words to describe how she felt and how he made her feel. She claimed she'd never experienced it before, and it was exhilarating. She didn't want it to change.
Thomas replied that the problem was that everything changed and progressed. Hope reasoned that there wasn't a set timeline they had to follow. He asked her if she preferred to be breezy and just live in the moment. Hope yelled that he was making it sound casual; however, there was no one else for her, and she adored him. She just wasn't ready to be married.
Thomas asked when Hope would be ready. He wondered if it would be months or years. He asked if she'd ever be ready or if she ever believed she'd be ready at any point. That was why he was leaving. Hope looked surprised. He explained that it was too painful for him, and Steffy might be right. He said it hadn't been Hope's fault, but seeing the ring around her neck had become too hard. It hurt too much, and he loved her too much to put himself through it.
Hope claimed that she hadn't worn it to be cruel, and cruelty would have been to accept it, knowing she wasn't ready for marriage. Thomas noted that she'd taken it and worn it on her neck. She said it had been a nice gesture to have it close to her heart as she'd been deciding. He noted that she'd never had an intention of marrying him from the start, but when he'd given it to her, he'd seen hope for the future. Hope replied that he'd been the one to put it there.
Thomas replied that it had been because he'd expected Hope to one day wear it, but he'd realized that if she'd wanted it from the start, she would have accepted it when he'd given it to her. To Hope, he sounded like Steffy, and he replied that Steffy might be right. Hope told him to stop. Hope restated that she loved him. "Just not enough to marry me," he replied.
Thomas told Hope that he couldn't keep doing it. It hurt too much, and at some point, he needed to take care of himself. Hope replied that he didn't need to protect himself from her, and she hadn't gotten into it to hurt him or whatever other lies Steffy had told. Hope believed she'd been thinking about them, the kids, and the future. She recognized that she hadn't always done that in the past, and she wasn't trying to make that same mistake.
Thomas lamented that he'd loved Hope and wanted her. He would have done it for the rest of his life, but it was too painful. The back-and-forth was too painful. He loved her very much, but he couldn't do it anymore. That was why he was leaving that day.
Hope said Thomas couldn't go. She asked about Douglas and said they were a family. Thomas acknowledged that they'd led their son down a path, and Douglas was happy and desired his parents to get married. Thomas felt he needed to find some way to break the boy's fall. She uttered that they could work through it together. She asked about HFTF.
Thomas decided that he couldn't work with Hope any longer. He informed her that he'd go to Paris. Hope guessed he could take a break at International and email her sketches, but he couldn't just walk away from the line he loved. He asserted that it wasn't how it worked, and he couldn't be around her any longer. He couldn't work for her or be near her because it hurt too much. He had to leave. He hoped that there might be someone out there who could love him as much as he loved her.
Hope scoffed, asking if he heard himself. It didn't sound like him to her. "Someone else? You just proposed to me!" she seethed. He yelled that she'd turned him down -- twice. She yelled back that she still needed time. "You're out of time, Hope," he stated.
Hope growled, angry that Thomas couldn't see that Steffy was behind it. Thomas said Steffy wasn't a puppet master controlling him. Steffy had pointed out something true. Thomas said he needed to be a man with dignity for his son and not be humiliated all the time. He didn't think Hope was doing it on purpose, but it was how it happened. He wondered if it was a losing battle with too much to overcome. He didn't know, but he had to go. He wanted Douglas with him.
"No," Hope sobbed. She stated that she loved Thomas, and he couldn't leave like that. "You know, the most painful part of this whole thing has been...I love you. And I knew that you loved me the whole time, but you wouldn't say it. And the first time that you actually told me you loved me was when you were rejecting me. Goodbye, Hope," Thomas concluded.
Hope implored Thomas not to do it. He told her that he'd always love her, and he left.
In the salon, Hope held the ring on the chain and shed tears. Brooke arrived, and Hope sobbed that Brooke could breathe a sigh of relief because the ring would never be on her finger. She stated that Thomas had left her. Hope uttered that she really loved Thomas.
Brooke said that love wasn't enough sometimes if things weren't meant to be. She was surprised to hear about the breakup because Thomas had been dead set on having a life with Hope for years. Hope replied that she'd thought she could count on him, too, but he was abandoning them and what they shared. Growling at the ring, Hope announced that she hadn't been able to say yes, but she'd wanted Thomas in her life.
Hope believed that Thomas wouldn't be doing it if Steffy hadn't poisoned him against her. Brooke said Steffy claimed to be a protective sister, but Hope called bull, saying Steffy had attacked Hope's entire family. They agreed that Douglas wouldn't take it well.
Douglas arrived. Hope was surprised to see him, but he said Thomas had arranged for Douglas to be there. Hope decided that there were things she needed to talk to him about, and Brooke left to give them space. Hope started to call Thomas to invite him to the conversation. Stopping her, Douglas said Thomas had already told him that Hope had turned down the proposal again. "He's not the only one who got his hopes up," Douglas added.
Douglas asked why Hope had made it seem as if they could be a family. She replied that they'd always been, but he concluded that they really weren't if she wouldn't marry his father. Hope agreed that she didn't want to get married yet, but she said it didn't mean she wouldn't in the future or that she didn't love Thomas -- nor was it a reflection of how she felt about Douglas.
Douglas knew that Hope loved him, and he thought she "kinda" loved his father, too -- just not enough to marry him or make them a real family. He asked why and what was wrong. He asked why they weren't good enough and if she didn't love them enough.
Hope claimed to love Douglas very much. Douglas asked what the problem was. He said his dad had done everything for Hope; he'd even designed the line, and each day, Thomas told her how he felt. Thomas just wanted to make them a family. Hope replied that they were already a family, and she'd always be his mother. "My mother died. Caroline Spencer. She's the one who gave birth to me. Dad was good enough for her," Douglas stated.
Hope figured Douglas was disappointed in her. He claimed that it wasn't so much him that was disappointed as it was his father, who didn't think she loved him. She said she did, but Douglas noted that she wouldn't wear Thomas' ring or marry him. Hope promised to work through things even if Thomas had to take a little time and space. She said she'd always be there for Douglas and be a part of his life. "Not now," Douglas responded, declaring, "I want to go with Dad."
Hope said it wasn't that simple because she and Thomas shared custody. Douglas didn't want to hurt Hope, but he wanted to go with his father if his father was leaving. Hope began to say that she understood that Douglas felt that way. Douglas interjected that things had been tough for him and Thomas. His father had had struggles and had worked to get beyond them. Thomas was Douglas' hero. Douglas asked her not to stop him from going or to make him go through court stuff again. Douglas stated that he and his father needed each other.
"Goodbye," Douglas said. Hope asked him to wait and said they could talk. She yelled that she loved him. Douglas ran into her arms, and he said, "I love you, Mom." He gazed at her with pleading eyes. In her silence, he walked out. Hope threw the ring and screamed.
In Eric's office, Ridge was alone with Steffy. He asserted that he didn't like it when Steffy went after Brooke like that because it didn't accomplish anything or change anything. Ridge was trying to let it slide because Steffy was going through things. Steffy claimed one thing had nothing to do with the other, and she didn't like Brooke defending Hope. Thomas arrived and announced that it was done; he'd ended things with Hope.
Brooke arrived and let Thomas know that Douglas was there. Thomas asked if the boy was with Hope. Nodding, Brooke noted how devastated Hope was. Steffy said Hope was facing the consequences of her own actions. Brooke added that it was due to Steffy's interference.
Brooke asked Thomas if it was really necessary. Confused by Brooke's about-face, he told her that she'd gotten what she'd wanted. Ridge said Brooke hadn't wanted Hope and Thomas to hurt. Thomas said he wasn't with Hope anymore, and that was what Brooke had wanted for years. Steffy grinned. Brooke insisted that she hadn't wanted that outcome, but she'd warned that he might end up disappointed.
Ridge said Thomas' whole world had crashed. Steffy claimed it was because Hope had used him, but he'd come to his senses. Thomas appreciated Steffy but said he wouldn't have her attacking Hope. To Brooke, Thomas stated that he'd wanted to spend his life with Hope, provide for her, and protect her, but Hope didn't want it. Thomas believed it was how Brooke wanted it, but Brooke insisted she hadn't wanted to see Hope and Thomas in anguish.
Brooke yelled that none of it would have happened if Steffy hadn't involved herself. Brooke asked if Steffy had thought about the children, and Brooke wondered what would happen when Douglas found out that his father was leaving his mother. Brooke asserted that the boy would be crushed, but Steffy said Hope should have thought of that before using Thomas like some kind of sex toy.
Douglas arrived, and Thomas asked if he'd talked to Hope. Douglas said he'd expressed his disappointment and indicated that he wanted to go with Thomas. Brooke asked if Thomas was going away. Nodding, Thomas announced that he was going away for a while, but he didn't know how long he'd be gone. Thomas would go to Paris with Douglas.
Brooke stated that Thomas couldn't just take the child, and Hope had a say. "I told her I need to go with my dad," Douglas said. Hugging them, Ridge said he understood. Steffy hugged them and expressed happiness and pride. Thomas thanked her for everything and said he'd let them know when they got settled. Thomas told Brooke goodbye, and Steffy walked them out. Brooke shed tears, imagining what Hope could be feeling.
Back in the salon, Hope flashed back on what Douglas had said and times with him. She recalled telling Thomas that she didn't want to hear Steffy's name anymore. Steffy arrived, announcing that she'd just walked Thomas and Douglas out. Hope said she was in no mood. Steffy gloated that Thomas had finally seen Hope for who she was. She was happy because Douglas and Thomas were gone, and Hope was out of their lives.
At R.J.'s beach house, Luna was looking over some paperwork, but her mind drifted to the aftermath of the night she'd spent with Zende after unknowingly being drugged. As she daydreamed, Zende arrived for a meeting with R.J. R.J. was out running, so that gave Zende a chance to talk to Luna in private. He told Luna that he hoped she was not still "stressing out" over the night they'd spent together. Luna explained that she was.
Zende asked if Luna was still considering telling R.J. the truth about what had happened. Luna claimed that she had decided not to tell R.J. because she wanted to preserve the relationship that Zende and R.J. had. "You guys are like the next generation of Forresters," Luna said. Zende appreciated Luna's silence, but he always wanted Luna to know that he was "crazy" about her.
Both Zende and Luna shared their regrets about having had sex. Zende assured Luna that he never would have had sex with her if he had had any indication that her ability to consent had been compromised. Zende wondered if there was any part of Luna that thought about him and what could possibly be between them.
In the executive suite at Forrester, Brooke was upset that Thomas seemed to have reacted before taking "a second to think it over." Ridge noted that Thomas and Hope's woes had been brewing for quite some time. Still, Brooke didn't think that Douglas understood "the enormity" of the decision to join his father in Europe. Ridge seemed convinced that Hope had brought the situation on by rejecting Thomas' proposal -- twice.
Brooke asked what would have happened if Hope had accepted the proposal and later changed her mind. Ridge admitted that would have been a bad result, too, but he didn't think that having Thomas wait around until Hope figured things out was a great option, either. Ridge suggested that Thomas and Hope were just at different points in their lives. "If you have to talk someone into loving you, then it's never gonna work," Ridge remarked. He then added, "Having loved someone like you for so long... I know that if it's not there in the beginning, it's never gonna be there."
Brooke broke the moment of tenderness by pointing out that Steffy had been "mean" to Hope. Ridge asked that Brooke not blame Steffy for everything. Ridge pointed out that Hope had broken Thomas' heart. Brooke remained unconvinced that Thomas taking Douglas to Paris was the right decision. Ridge reminded Brooke that Douglas had chosen to be with Thomas.
"Thomas has left me. He is taking our son to Paris. You've gotten your way, and yet you are still standing here, rubbing my face in it," Hope said coldly at a slow, measured speed. Steffy smirked lightly and replied that since Hope had hurt Thomas, it was "the best thing that could have happened." Hope inched closer to Steffy and blasted her for interfering. "You had your chance, but you couldn't commit. Now, it's time for you to learn a lesson," Steffy responded.
Steffy warned that Hope should not mess with her or her family. "Brooke may have stolen my father, but you will not steal my brother," Steffy said icily. Hope insisted that she wasn't trying to "steal" Thomas. Steffy repeated her belief that Hope was treating Thomas like "some kind of sex toy." Hope insisted that there was more to her relationship with Thomas than sex.
Steffy mocked Hope's decision to wear Thomas' ring as a "stupid necklace," but Hope quickly pointed out that putting the ring on a chain had been Thomas' idea. Steffy again asserted that Hope had never had any intention of marrying Thomas. "You wanted to play with his emotions, put him on a leash, [and] control him with sex the same way your mother did with my father and my grandfather," Steffy snarled. Hope raised her hand to slap Steffy, but Steffy grabbed Hope's arm mid-air. "Don't even try it," Steffy snapped.
Hope said that she and Thomas had been planning for their future, a future that would never be because of Steffy's meddling. "You are just a sad, human wrecking ball who had to go and destroy something beautiful that your brother and I were building together," Hope said, her voice cracking with emotion. Steffy said that she did not care about Hope's feelings. Hope shared that Ridge had been rooting for her relationship with Thomas. Steffy rolled her eyes and dismissed that as Ridge having fallen for the "Logan propaganda."
Steffy called Hope disgusting. She noted that Liam had told Hope not to "mess with Thomas," yet Hope had. "Why? Because you're a pathetic little slut," Steffy claimed. Hope applauded and asked if Steffy was trying to be her grandmother, Stephanie. Hope insisted that she would not stoop to Steffy's "sad and pathetic" level. "You've torn my life apart -- congratulations," Hope barked. Hope said that it was "sick" that Steffy seemed to take such pleasure in tearing her brother's family apart. "Mark my words: you are going to regret this. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but you're gonna regret it," Hope said coldly as she leaned in toward Steffy.
