Chapter One
Tears were still welling up in her eyes as she left the park. She had managed to put on a good show in front of him but now the reality was hitting her hard - she had not only lost her boyfriend but her best friend. The person she grew up with and who knew everything about her.
"How could you ruin that for us, Shawn," not realizing she had spoken out loud.
"Belle, what's wrong? What's happened?" a concerned Philip asked her. Completely lost in her own thoughts, Belle had run right into him.
"Nothing, except my entire world has changed in one afternoon!" she screamed at him. She could not stop the tears from coming down now. It was like a dam has burst and she could not longer hold them back. Philip gathered her up in his arms and just let her cry. He didn't know what had happened but knew without a doubt it concerned Shawn and Jan.
When Belle could finally control the flood of tears, Philip asked again what had happened.
"I found out what was going on with Shawn and Jan."
"Did Shawn finally tell you then?"
Belle spilled everything out in one breath. "Yes. He was brave enough to finally come out with it. Jan's pregnant and Shawn said it was his! He's lying Philip. He has to be! It doesn't make sense. You saw us on the island. That's where he said it happened with Jan but how could he be saying all those things to me and sleep with her. It's not like I wasn't willing. The Shawn I grew up with wouldn't do anything like this, especially not to me. He would never hurt me like this."
"Belle, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say."
"Tell me this is all a very sick joke or a horrible dream. Tell me anything to make the last few hours make sense because right now nothing is the way it should be." The tears began to flow again.
"Come on Belle. Let me take you home."
Belle let herself be lead to Philip's car. The tears stopped, replaced by numbness. She just stared out the window as Philip drove. He called her name three times before she realized she was home. Philip lead her to the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse.
When they got off the elevator Belle heard laughing coming from her apartment. Who would have the nerve to be laughing at a time like this. Didn't everyone know that her whole would had come falling down around her ears. Then she realized it was Brady and her mother laughing.
"Philip, don't let them know what's going on."
"Are you sure? Don't you think they would want to know?"
"I know and I'll tell them, I just don't want to answer any questions right now. And besides it's nice to hear my mother and Brady laughing together. I don't want to stop that right now."
"O.K. Do you want me to come in?"
"No better not. That will just lead to a lot of questions about why you brought me home instead of Shawn." Belle hugged Philip. "Thanks for bring me home ... and for being you."
"Hey, what are friends for? I'll check on you later, O.K.?"
"Yeah, that will be all right. Thanks again." After a final hug Philip got back on the elevator while Belle but on the best smile she could manage and opened the door.
"Hey, Tink," Brady called to her, "Want to help me wipe the floor with Mom in Monopoly. We were just about to play."
He called Marlena "Mom" again without hesitation, as if he had done so all his life. It was great to hear that but Belle couldn't keep the smile up for much longer. She needed to get to the privacy of her room, before anyone got suspicious.
"No thanks, Brady. I have a ton of homework to catch up on. I'll just lock myself in my room and get started."
"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat first. It's hard to study on an empty stomach," Marlena said while setting up the monopoly board.
Food was the last thing Belle wanted. She knew she couldn't choke down anything now. "No thanks, Mom, I'm fine. Talk to you guys later." With that she ran up the stairs to her room before anyone started to ask her anything else. After their talk about Shawn last night she didn't want to chance them bringing it up again.
Once in the sanctuary of her room Belle turn the stereo on. "...I'll be your crying shoulder, I'll be..." Belle hurried to switch stations. Why out of all the songs in the world did that one have to be playing at that exact time she turned the radio on today. Images of the Last Blast and dancing with Shawn came instantly to mind, then their first kiss in the lagoon, then unbidden, the image of Shawn kissing her changed to Shawn and Jan kissing in the same lagoon!
The tears came again. Belle laid on her bed, sobbing until, exhausted she drifted off to sleep.
Tears were still welling up in her eyes as she left the park. She had managed to put on a good show in front of him but now the reality was hitting her hard - she had not only lost her boyfriend but her best friend. The person she grew up with and who knew everything about her.
"How could you ruin that for us, Shawn," not realizing she had spoken out loud.
"Belle, what's wrong? What's happened?" a concerned Philip asked her. Completely lost in her own thoughts, Belle had run right into him.
"Nothing, except my entire world has changed in one afternoon!" she screamed at him. She could not stop the tears from coming down now. It was like a dam has burst and she could not longer hold them back. Philip gathered her up in his arms and just let her cry. He didn't know what had happened but knew without a doubt it concerned Shawn and Jan.
When Belle could finally control the flood of tears, Philip asked again what had happened.
"I found out what was going on with Shawn and Jan."
"Did Shawn finally tell you then?"
Belle spilled everything out in one breath. "Yes. He was brave enough to finally come out with it. Jan's pregnant and Shawn said it was his! He's lying Philip. He has to be! It doesn't make sense. You saw us on the island. That's where he said it happened with Jan but how could he be saying all those things to me and sleep with her. It's not like I wasn't willing. The Shawn I grew up with wouldn't do anything like this, especially not to me. He would never hurt me like this."
"Belle, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say."
"Tell me this is all a very sick joke or a horrible dream. Tell me anything to make the last few hours make sense because right now nothing is the way it should be." The tears began to flow again.
"Come on Belle. Let me take you home."
Belle let herself be lead to Philip's car. The tears stopped, replaced by numbness. She just stared out the window as Philip drove. He called her name three times before she realized she was home. Philip lead her to the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse.
When they got off the elevator Belle heard laughing coming from her apartment. Who would have the nerve to be laughing at a time like this. Didn't everyone know that her whole would had come falling down around her ears. Then she realized it was Brady and her mother laughing.
"Philip, don't let them know what's going on."
"Are you sure? Don't you think they would want to know?"
"I know and I'll tell them, I just don't want to answer any questions right now. And besides it's nice to hear my mother and Brady laughing together. I don't want to stop that right now."
"O.K. Do you want me to come in?"
"No better not. That will just lead to a lot of questions about why you brought me home instead of Shawn." Belle hugged Philip. "Thanks for bring me home ... and for being you."
"Hey, what are friends for? I'll check on you later, O.K.?"
"Yeah, that will be all right. Thanks again." After a final hug Philip got back on the elevator while Belle but on the best smile she could manage and opened the door.
"Hey, Tink," Brady called to her, "Want to help me wipe the floor with Mom in Monopoly. We were just about to play."
He called Marlena "Mom" again without hesitation, as if he had done so all his life. It was great to hear that but Belle couldn't keep the smile up for much longer. She needed to get to the privacy of her room, before anyone got suspicious.
"No thanks, Brady. I have a ton of homework to catch up on. I'll just lock myself in my room and get started."
"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat first. It's hard to study on an empty stomach," Marlena said while setting up the monopoly board.
Food was the last thing Belle wanted. She knew she couldn't choke down anything now. "No thanks, Mom, I'm fine. Talk to you guys later." With that she ran up the stairs to her room before anyone started to ask her anything else. After their talk about Shawn last night she didn't want to chance them bringing it up again.
Once in the sanctuary of her room Belle turn the stereo on. "...I'll be your crying shoulder, I'll be..." Belle hurried to switch stations. Why out of all the songs in the world did that one have to be playing at that exact time she turned the radio on today. Images of the Last Blast and dancing with Shawn came instantly to mind, then their first kiss in the lagoon, then unbidden, the image of Shawn kissing her changed to Shawn and Jan kissing in the same lagoon!
The tears came again. Belle laid on her bed, sobbing until, exhausted she drifted off to sleep.