>> Hope: You told Thomas to end things with me? Steffy, you had no right.
>> Steffy: To what? Defend Thomas?
Protect him? If Thomas is hurting, I'm gonna
go to battle for him every single time.
>> Hope: And I never meant to hurt him, Steffy.
I was trying to be honest with him. That I am not ready for
another marriage. >> Steffy: Okay, so you're just
toying with his emotions? >> Hope: You know what I think
would've hurt him more, Steffy? Is if I had accepted his
proposal and not meant it. Like, the fact that you think
I'm toying with him by being honest with him--
>> Steffy: I do think you're toying with his
emotions, I just said that. You love the attention.
You love the devotion. >> Hope: That is not true.
>> Steffy: Okay. >> Hope: I am showing your
brother respect by being fully honest with him.
And I would hope that you would maybe appreciate
the self-awareness to know that I am not
yet ready for that level of commitment.
>> Steffy: Yeah, no, I don't think you're self-aware to
realize that you are using him. You don't love Thomas.
You never have. ♪♪♪
>> Thomas: Hope didn't accept my proposal.
Am I a fool, Brooke? Tell me the truth.
You know your daughter the best, so...
How does she really feel about me?
[ door opens ] >> Ridge: Oh, hey.
What's going on? Thomas?
You all right? ♪♪♪
>> Carter: You know, I gotta say, man.
It feels good being here not worrying about Sheila anymore.
>> Liam: It does. It does.
Now, we get to worry about Thomas instead.
>> Carter: You're really concerned, aren't you?
That if Hope can't commit to Thomas that he'll, what, he'll--
he'll lose it again? ♪♪♪
>> Liam: I mean, look, I can-- I can admit-- I can admit that
I've seen some apparent change in Thomas.
Fine. I guess.
But this is-- this is what he does.
>> Carter: Liam, Liam, Liam, I work with the guy every day.
>> Liam: I know. >> Carter: There is no doubt
he's a different man than the guy he was before, all right?
But you-- you do-- Okay, you have a point.
A small point, but you have a point.
He is with Hope now and if things end badly, how is--
>> Liam: How is he gonna react? Exactly.
Now, I don't wanna think the worst...
Actually, I do-- I do wanna think the worst because I think
we have very good reasons to. ♪♪♪
>> Ridge: So, who's gonna fill me in?
It's obvious something's going on here.
>> Brooke: Thomas is wondering what I think about my daughter's
feelings for him. >> Ridge: What you think?
What do you-- Why do you need to know what
she thinks? You know what you think.
I mean, you guys have been closer than ever.
>> Thomas: Yeah, I was wondering if we have a future together.
Dad, I, um, I proposed to Hope again.
And I knew that she loved me and she finally said so.
I love her and she said she never wanted what we had
to end. However,
she turned me down again. ♪♪♪
>> Steffy: I can see what you're doing, Hope.
>> Hope: No, you don't know how I feel.
Or what Thomas means to me. >> Steffy: Okay, I know you
refuse to accept Thomas's proposal.
I know that you're playing with his emotions even though he has
struggled in the past. He was obsessed with you, Hope.
But you don't seem to care now. Do you realize how selfish
that is? How heartless?
Huh. Well, I think I got through
to Thomas, so... >> Hope: Hm.
And you really think what's best for him is to end
our relationship? >> Steffy: I do.
Once and for all. ♪♪♪
>> Ridge: Ah, Thomas, I'm so sorry.
I can see how disappointed you are.
>> Thomas: Disappointed, stunned, and I thought we were
on the same page. >> Brooke: I know how you feel
about this, Thomas. I know you're upset,
but Hope is upset too. She doesn't want to hurt you.
>> Thomas: You never answered my question.
How does she really feel about me, Brooke?
I mean, look, I-- I thought I knew.
I thought what she was saying was true, but
now I don't know anything. I feel--
I'm second-guessing everything. I feel like maybe I've been
deluding myself. Steffy definitely thinks so.
>> Ridge: Steffy? >> Thomas: Yeah,
I told her what happened. >> Ridge: Well, she must have
some good advice for you. >> Thomas: She told me to move
on with my life, without Hope.
♪♪♪ >> Liam: Well, look, as much as
Thomas may have changed, maybe, it's still--
Old habits are easy to fall back on, right?
Especially in moments of distress, moments of
pain, right? And if Hope eventually does
reject him, I just-- All I'm saying is it could get
ugly, and it would get ugly fast.
>> Carter: Given his past, I can't say I disagree.
>> Liam: Thank you. I just don't understand why she
would put herself in this position in the first place.
>> Carter: It would all be healthier if Hope stayed away,
not risking Thomas backsliding. And I-- I get why Steffy is
concerned he might be set up for another fall.
I mean, it's weird, right? It's weird that Hope is wearing
his ring on her necklace and not her finger, and that's gotta
be eating away at the guy. >> Liam: Thank God it's not
on her finger. >> Carter: It can't be on her
necklace forever. She'll eventually have to
either accept his proposal or turn him down, and you seem
pretty convinced it'll be the latter.
>> Liam: Because it has to be. Because the former is-- is
a non-starter. And that's true even if it ends
up ticking Steffy off a bit.
>> Carter: Ticking Steffy off? I didn't get the impression she
wants them together. >> Liam: It's not the she wants
them together. I just think that she would
prefer that over Hope breaking Thomas' heart again.
Look, it's weird, okay? Hope is in this, like, weird
position where-- Well, she can't marry him.
That would be a disaster. She also can't turn him down
because that too would be a disaster, right?
It risks setting him off. Making him, you know,
fly off the handle again. But more than that, it risks
Steffy and her wrath. And, you know, nobody wants to
make an enemy out of Steffy. >> Hope: You would really
do that? You'd tell your brother to
give up on me? >> Steffy: Oh, I did.
For his own self-respect, sanity, and dignity.
>> Hope: Steffy, we have been good for each other.
>> Steffy: Yeah, you see, that's that selfish side kicking in.
This has been good for you, Hope.
Your relationship has been completely one-sided.
>> Hope: Well, that would be your interpretation,
and you would be wrong. Thomas does not feel that way.
>> Steffy: Okay, you know what Thomas struggled with
in the past. What he had to overcome.
Like any normal person in this situation, they would've
run away. They would have put up firm
boundaries the moment Thomas expressed interest again.
But not you. No, you wanna continue
to lead him on. >> Hope: That is not true.
I'm not leading him on. >> Steffy: Okay,
that's what you think. But I know Thomas is finally
seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
He finally sees you for who you truly are.
Someone who's never gonna commit.
You're never going to give him what he wants.
You're just going to take and take and take.
And when you're finally done with him,
you're going to walk away. And you're going to leave him
to pick up the pieces. >> Hope: You know, Steffy,
I wouldn't fool yourself. You know nothing of
my relationship with Thomas. We make each other
better people. We make each other laugh.
He is one of my best friends, Steffy.
>> Steffy: Okay. >> Hope: You really
don't care about him at all, do you?
Wow. Look, your brother has grown
and has proven himself to be someone I can count on.
He's someone that cares about me.
>> Steffy: Not anymore. ♪♪♪
>> Carter: Thank you. And could I have another?
Thank you. Liam, worrying doesn't help.
Okay, so either Hope is going to accept Thomas's proposal or
not, but ultimately-- >> Liam: She can't do it.
She can't do it. There's just too much at stake.
Including Steffy. >> Carter: Who wants to protect
her brother from getting hurt if Hope were to--
>> Liam: It's not just-- It's not...
It's protection, yes, it's not just protection.
Steffy is like fiercely determined to keep Thomas from
backsliding, and this is the kind of thing
that could do that. >> Carter: And like you said,
Hope better watch out. You don't wanna be on
Steffy's bad side. >> Brooke: Steffy told you
to walk away from my daughter? >> Thomas: More like run.
>> Ridge: Well, she was being protective, right?
It's your little sister. And she, um,
she can see how upset you are. We can all see it.
>> Brooke: Yes, and we feel terrible about that.
But if Hope isn't ready to make a commitment, would you really
want her to accept your proposal?
>> Ridge: Can I have a moment alone with my son, please?
Is that alright? >> Brooke: Oh, yeah.
Of course. I'm sorry, Thomas, really.
I really am. I don't know what to tell you
about my daughter. >> Ridge: Sorry, son.
I hate this. I hate seeing you confused
like this. >> Thomas: Maybe I'm not
confused. Maybe Steffy's right.
>> Steffy: Thomas heard me. He really heard me.
>> Hope: And then I'll make sure he hears me too.
>> Steffy: Yeah, I think he's done with you.
>> Hope: Just because I didn't accept the proposal
doesn't just mean our relationship is over.
>> Steffy: Do you hear yourself right now?
This relationship, or whatever you want to call it,
is entirely on your terms. >> Hope: That isn't fair.
>> Steffy: What you're doing to Thomas isn't fair.
You're acting like it's some kind of game.
>> Hope: Oh, my gosh. Steffy, do you really have
to butt into everything? >> Steffy: Well, that's what
I do. >> Hope: Did you forget that,
like, I was just married? And maybe walking down the
aisle isn't exactly on the top of my priority list right now?
>> Steffy: That and neither is Thomas.
Will he ever be? You're not capable of
considering his needs. You're not putting him first.
This relationship, it needs to be over.
It shouldn't have even started in the first place.
Now he needs to be with a woman who truly loves--
>> Hope: I love him. I do.
And we share a son. And that alone should be enough
for you to back off. How dare you?
How dare you interfere?
>> Carter: I should head back to the office. >> Liam: Yeah, me too.
>> Carter: Thanks for lunch, man.
>> Liam: Thanks for letting me, uh, kvetch at you.
>> Carter: Well, people say I'm a decent listener.
>> Liam: You are. You-- you-- you are
a-- a decent listener. Uh,
speaking of, I know Ridge is your best friend.
You're not gonna-- you're not gonna go back to the office--
Like, you're not gonna tell him everything I just said,
are you? >> Carter: I'm not a gossip.
>> Liam: Oh, thank God. >> Carter: And I think you have
a right to be concerned. And I think Steffy has
a good reason to be too. Nobody wants a jilted Thomas.
>> Liam: Jilted Thomas is coming.
And probably sooner than later. And, you know, all we can do is
cross our fingers and hope Steffy just takes charge and--
and reins him in. I mean, that's kind of what
Steffy does. She's a fascinating woman, but
she's also an intense woman. And if she walks into a room,
she... takes command of it.
Expertly. Beautifully even.
>> Carter: Yeah, she's very commanding.
She's also very married. ♪♪♪
>> Ridge: Sorry, son. I know how much you wanted
a life with hope. It's all you've been
talking about. And Brooke and I were just
talking about the same thing, how the two of you, you could
lead this family, you could lead this company.
And I-- I've wanted that all along.
I want a life with Hope. I want a family with her.
I wanna excel here at work together and that's what
I thought we were going to do, but...
She just won't. She won't accept my proposal.
She won't be my wife. >> Ridge: Maybe she needs
more time. >> Thomas: Yeah...
I don't know. Steffy has been telling me
for a long time. Hope doesn't wanna commit
to me. She's never going to. She's just playing with
my feelings, I mean... has Steffy been right all along?
♪♪♪ >> Hope: Why must you insist
on interfering? >> Steffy: His mental health?
His well-being? I mean, gee, I wonder.
>> Hope: Okay, well, Thomas has been doing better than ever,
and you know that. So, how about you just leave us
alone and let us live our lives?
>> Steffy: His well-being, Hope, I was just with Thomas.
He's devastated. I'm not going to sit back and
watch you use him. >> Hope: You clearly have no
understanding about what we share, because if you did,
you would not be doing this right now.
I care about him. >> Steffy: You really care
about him? >> Hope: Yes, I do.
>> Steffy: Well, if you do, then leave him.
Stop stringing him along. >> Hope: That is not
what I am doing. >> Steffy: You are using him.
You're, like, using him like some kind of disgusting
sex toy, it's gross. >> Hope: Oh, my God,
that is not what we share. >> Steffy: Thomas loves you.
>> Hope: And I love him. >> Steffy: He is completely
devoted to you, Hope. And you're not giving him
anything in return. You just expect that Thomas
should always be there for you. Don't you see how cruel
this is? You are taking Thomas
for granted. He's put his heart out
on the line. Gosh, he's asked you to marry
him, and you just keep turning him down.
It's sad. >> Hope: I said no to marriage.
I did not say no to him. Thomas, Douglas, Beth and I,
we are a family, and nothing is going to change that.
>> Steffy: I'm well aware. Which makes the situation
even more unforgivable. God.
It really happened. You have gone full Logan.
You are exactly like Brooke. Selfish.
You're self-centered. You're throwing yourself
at a Forrester. You don't care about
tearing a family apart. You don't care about
hurting people. Well, I'm not going to let that
happen anymore. If Thomas hasn't decided to end
things with you, I'm gonna make sure he does.
You are done using and abusing my brother. Do you hear me?
Those days are over. It's over, Hope.
♪♪♪ >> Announcer: Here's a look
at what's ahead. >> Steffy: Thomas,
you do not deserve this. >> Hope: She is trying
to drive a wedge between Thomas and me and I will not
allow it. >> Steffy: You hurt my brother.
It's the same way your mother did with my father,
my grandfather. >> Hope: How dare you?
>> Steffy: Don't even try it.