Tuesday, February 03, 2009, Episode #5493

Rick insists that he is in love with Phoebe.

In Rick's office, he and Stephanie continue their debate. He insists he is in love with Steffy, but Stephanie thinks he is only pursuing Steffy to hurt Ridge and urges him not to make Ridge and Taylor suffer this way. She asks for his word that he'll stay away from Steffy, but Rick can't give her that. Stephanie begs him to spare her son a life full of anguish, pointing out that Ridge sees Phoebe any time he sees Rick. Rick insists that Phoebe's death was an accident. Even if that's true, Stephanie retorts, Ridge has lost the life of his daughter. "How do you sleep at night?" she asks. Rick pauses for a moment and then answers, "I don't sleep at night!" admitting that he still relives the accident in his dreams every night. Yet in spite of that, Stephanie notes, he still hates Ridge. Rick insists he doesn't hate Ridge. Stephanie thinks Eric might believe that, but she doesn't, since she knows what Rick is capable of. She thinks Rick should end it with Steffy if he's sincere about not hating Ridge. Rick states that he tried, but he couldn't end something so beautiful and so pure. Stephanie asks him to consider how much Eric has forgiven him so far and to ask himself if he really thinks Eric will forgive his son for having an affair with his granddaughter. She also asks him to think about how Taylor will react; even if Taylor doesn't blame him for Phoebe's death, she certainly would blame him if he ruins Steffy's relationship with her father. Rick says that's not what this is about, but Stephanie disagrees and challenges him to prove her wrong by committing a single, selfless act that's so simple, yet so hard. "Let Steffy go," she urges.

Stephanie begs Rick to do the right thing.

Rick sighs at Stephanie's request. Stephanie puts forth that he might think his love for Steffy is beautiful and pure, but she thinks it's destructive, and she is sure that's how everyone else will see it. She doesn't want him to force Steffy to choose between him and her family. Rick insists that he's not taking advantage of Steffy, but Stephanie says that he and Steffy are into something they're not really prepared for. Rick reiterates that he's not trying hurt Ridge and begs Stephanie to believe that, but she can't. She predicts that Ridge will be consumed with anger once he finds out what Rick did, and Steffy would be filled with so much guilt from seeing how miserable her father is. "Is that what you want for her?" Stephanie asks, suggesting that Steffy might eventually come to hate him for selfishly taking her away from everyone and everything she loves. Rick argues that choosing love is not selfish, but Stephanie points out that he's been in love with a few girls since going to Paris, including Ashley, Phoebe and Taylor. "Don't you find this behavior rather disturbing?" she asks. Rick insists that his love for Steffy is "right and real." Then give Steffy what she needs, Stephanie pleads. Rick says he would do anything for Steffy, but Stephanie asks if that includes letting Steffy go. She recalls loving him as a boy and wonders where that sweet young child went, blaming Eric and Brooke for how he turned out. She begs him once more to walk away from Steffy, since she's sure the truth will come out eventually and people will be hurt. She asks him not to turn his relationship with Steffy into some "tragic little love story" and asks him again, "Let her go."

Steffy asks Ridge if he could ever forgive Rick.

Back at Forrester, Ridge tells Steffy that he will never forgive "that bastard" Rick for what he did to Phoebe. Steffy suggests that he might change his mind in time, but Ridge tells her that some wounds run too deep, and he feels like he lost a piece of his soul when Rick took his little girl from him. Seeing how hurt her dad is by the memories, Steffy tries to comfort him. Ridge then tells her that he knows that Rick kissed her, and more importantly, he knows that Rick only did it to get a rise out of him, and that makes him even more adamant about protecting her from Rick in the way that he couldn't protect Phoebe. Steffy insists that he always protected Phoebe, but Ridge laments that it obviously wasn't enough. Steffy tells him not to blame himself; she knows Phoebe wouldn't blame him. Brooke comes in to tell Ridge that the buyer from Hong Kong is in Eric's office asking to speak to Ridge personally about the delays to the new collection. Ridge reluctantly agrees that he has no choice but to handle it and goes to meet with the man and tells Steffy that he'll be back soon.

Brooke talks with Steffy about Ridge and Rick.

After Ridge leaves, Brooke thanks Steffy for coming when she called earlier. She knows Ridge isn't one to wallow in his grief, but seeing the dress he designed for Phoebe was just a sad reminder of what happened. Steffy wishes she could find some way to help her dad heal and forgive Rick. She knows her dad still blames Rick for Phoebe's death, but shes Rick differently now and wishes her dad would, too. Brooke doesn't want to think it's impossible, but she fears that Ridge has so much anger toward Rick. She's asked Ridge not to hate Rick, but it's so hard under the circumstances, and she's afraid that she doesn't see Ridge changing his attitude toward Rick any time soon, if ever. Still, she appreciates how supportive Steffy is being of Rick. She knows that must be hard since Steffy and Phoebe were twins, and losing that bond must have been difficult. Steffy says that she hasn't lost it, since Phoebe and she are still a part of each other. That's how she knows that Phoebe understands what happened and doesn't blame Rick. While she agrees that Rick, like everyone, has done things he should be sorry for, she doesn't think that makes him a bad person.