Thomas and Hope's bubble is popped by Xander (Bold and the Beautiful spoilers Jan. 2-5)

The Bold and the Beautiful will pick up where it left off on Thursday, Dec. 28. Remember, Thomas presented a ring to Hope and we've been waiting to see what she's going to say. Here are the spoilers for the week at a glance:

• Tuesday, Jan. 2: Hope's surprised by Thomas' proposal. Xander tells Finn a story about Thomas.
• Wednesday, Jan. 3: Thomas is surprised by Hope's answer to his proposal. Steffy gets defensive with Finn when they discuss Thomas.
• Thursday, Jan. 4: Bill and Poppy go on a date. Finn's fearful for Hope after hearing conflicting stories about Thomas from Xander and Steffy.
• Friday, Jan. 5: Hope and Thomas learn of Xander's accusations, separately.

Here's the thing. The story could take us in another direction and have Hope's answer to Thomas' proposal actually be a surprise to us watching at home as well. But the likelihood of that is small. For months now she's been talking about taking things slow with Thomas and has been unwilling to define their relationship so the idea that she'd say yes seems unfathomable. Hope wasn't even willing to say that she loves Thomas so it would be wild for her to be getting engaged at this time.

To be honest though Thomas being surprised by Hope saying no would also be wild considering she's refused to say that they have a future with each other beyond this moment in time. But perhaps The Bold and the Beautiful writers will throw us a curveball or at least have Hope say that she's not getting engaged while she's still married to Liam. Or maybe this could be an opportunity for us to learn when she and her ex finally filed those divorce papers instead of using Beth and media scrutiny as an excuse not to end a marriage they both say they're done with.

But regardless of her answer, Thope's bubble is definitely going to be popped now that Xander is back in town and bringing with him the reminder that Thomas is responsible for Emma's death. Justin Barber's niece died tragically. She was racing to tell Hope the truth that Steffy's daughter, Phoebe, was actually her daughter, Beth, who was thought to be dead. Thomas had been speeding behind her and he ran her off the road. She died on impact after her car crashed. He left her on the side of the road and didn't check on her so it's unclear whether Thomas knew he'd killed her.

Xander, however, has referred to what happened as murder instead of an accident much to Finn's alarm who wasn't aware of this incident. Presumably, the story Xander is going to be telling him about Thomas is about that incident, the events that led to it, and the dangers inherent in his obsession with Hope. The Forresters consider Emma's death a tragedy, but they don't classify Thomas' actions as murderous. I'm intrigued to hear how Steffy tells the story because no matter how you share this tale her brother is responsible for what happened to Emma and he didn't help her, he just left. That wouldn't sit well with anyone let alone Finn.

I also want to see if the soap is about to walk back Hope's knowledge of the incident because if I remember correctly she knows about it but it hasn't affected her decision to continue to have Thomas in her life. Finn may be concerned about Hope's safety but she's fully aware of the person her lover was before, she lived it. As Liam pointed out once, Thomas doesn't seem to be capable of doing anything that'll have her kicking him out of her life. She always brings him back into her orbit despite all the warnings she's been given and her own feelings on the things he's done.

Will a reminder of Emma finally be the thing that gets Hope to walk away from a man that she can't seem to say she's in love with but won't cut out of her life? We'll have to see. Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for more The Bold and the Beautiful news and coverage!