CHAPTER TWO
THE LIVING DECISION
Hope shifted into a more comfortable position. It had been simply ages since she feel asleep in this position on the couch. She felt the head that was resting on her chest swift slightly – and she smiled as she felt Bo move to be more comfortable on her. Her hand rose and gently played with his short hair. Her hand stopped dead still – her fingers had wormed their way past his shoulders. How did Bo's hair grow over night? Also why would it? He no longer favors the long biker look. He loves to keep it cut short.
She was afraid to open her eyes – to see the person whom was so intimately close to her. She was afraid to learn whom she cheated on Bo with. Even through she could feel the material of her long sleeved baby t shirt against her skin. She knew that person's head was too large to be Ciara's. Willing herself to slowly open her eyes – she had to deal with the situation she was in. She just prayed it was a family member against her.
All she could see was raven brown hair, so much like her own, against her chest. Right above her breast – where her heart was. Hair just like her own. It had to be only one person. Carly. Breathing in a light breath of relief. She hadn't betrayed Bo after all. Her hand rose, and gently touched the other woman's head.
Hate to do this to you, Carly. But, I have to make sure you get the rest that your body needs. Lowering her head, "Carly," She softly said in the sleeping woman's ear. "Carly," She moved quickly back as Carly jerked up.
"Oh God, H-hope?" Carly was confused as she stared wide eyed into the blue eyes before her.
"Ssh, ssh." Hope said in a low and calm voice. "Yes, it's Hope."
"N-n-o it's you Lawrence, you are just tricking me." Carly began to hyperventilate as she backed away from her dead husband. The husband whom she herself had killed with a letter opener. She wanted to stand to her feet and run away – but her knees had locked together.
"Carly," Hope said moving forward. But she suddenly was pushed backwards. Carly landed heavily on top of her. Carly's wild emerald eyes were locked onto her own. She knew that Carly wasn't thinking clearly. She was in full on panic mode. "Carly," She breathed out as the breath got knocked out of her with Carly's sudden weight on her.
"Leave me alone, Lawrence." Carly cried as she used her finger nails on his arms. "Just leave me alone!"
Hope managed to free her arms from her sides. She managed to grab hold of Carly's failing arms. Pinning them against her she pulled Carly closer and tighter against her. Carly continued to struggle against her, "Carly, you need to stop this. Please." Hope felt Carly's hot breath on her face. She knew the only way to stop the struggling woman was to get her underneath her. She tried to be gentle as she could as she maneuvered them into a roll.
"Oh God, please Lawrence don't do this." Carly wept.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Carly." Hope gently said as she still held fast Carly's arms. She hated to put pressure on the woman's legs to prevent them from lifting. But in order to calm Carly down, she had to put all her pressure onto her. "It's me, Hope, Carly. Hope Williams Brady. You are safe."
"Oh God, Bo where are you?" Carly cried out. "B-bo …." She closed her eyes and waited for the fate that Lawrence had in store for her.
Hope felt the fighting woman beneath her finally give up the fight. She eased up her gripe. Ever ready to add the pressure again if the need rises. "Bo is here, Carly. He's all around you. He's protecting you with his spirit. "It's me Hope."
"H-h-h-hope?" Carly's eyes slowly opened, and Hope was relieved to see them clear. Carly felt the weight finally leave her body as Hope pulled away. She took the offered hand and sat up. "I'm so sorry that you had to see me like this."
Hope stood to her feet – still holding onto Carly's hand firmly. She guided Carly to her feet, and quickly wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist. "I didn't mean to frighten you, Carly. It's just the position that we were in was uncomfortable. I don't want you waking up in morning with any knots or pain."
Carly just slightly allowed the other woman to led her towards the stairs. The stairs squeaked as the two women made their way upstairs. She soon found herself in the master bedroom. She felt Hope gently help her sit down on the end of the bed. "I think we should be about the same size," she heard Hope say.
Before Carly knew it, Hope handed her a pair of sky blue silk pajamas. She carefully removed her clothes – after Hope went into the bathroom. She was soon sitting on the end of the bed with the pajamas on her hot skin. They felt heavenly. The bathroom door opened and Hope came out in a yellow pair of silk pajamas. "Now let's get into this comfortable bed – and finish our sleep." She watched as Hope pulled the covers aside, "Come and get in bed."
"I shouldn't." Carly shook her head. "It's your bed."
"I don't want to have this discussion now, Carly." Hope sighed tiredly. "It's Bo's bed now. Also it is yours."
Carly shook her head, "No. I had only fallen asleep on top of the comforter the night that you found me." She blushed. "Anytime Bo and I come together – we use the guest room."
"Thank you for letting me know." Hope said in a relieved voice. "Now get in bed." She nodded towards the pillow and sheets. She watched as Carly stood to her feet, and made her way over to her. She waited until the grateful woman laid down back stiff on the sheets. She pulled the light weight covers up to Carly's neck. She walked around, and got in her side, pulling the sheets up around her. She turned so she could lay on her side – facing Carly.
She saw the other woman was too stiff to be comfortable. She scooted over and slipped her arm across Carly's waist. "Get back to sleep, Carly."
Carly twisted her head and stared into the open blue eyes of Bo's soul mate. "Why are you being so nice too me? You should be hating me, and ripping me a new one."
"I would never hurt the second woman whom Bo truly loved." Hope put her across the other woman's slightly medium size waist. "When Bo and Shawn Douglas believed me to be dead – they managed to move on with their lives. They managed to find the courage to open their hearts once more."
"I never meant to replace you." Carly closed her eyes.
Hope waited for the other woman to continue, but then she watched the rise and fall of Carly's chest. Leaning forward she listened to the other woman's even breathing. "Dream of happy times, Carly. You more than anyone deserve that much. We'll discuss more on the lines that you just brought up at a later date."
Hope moved closer and wrapped her other arm across Carly. Resting her head against the green eyed woman's, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep herself.
…...
Hope felt movement at her side, and she snuggled closer to the body next to her. She craved more sleep. She couldn't understand why Bo wasn't allowing her. Usually he loved just holding her for as long as she wanted.
"H-hope." A definite female voice spoke in her ear.
Her memories came back to her then. Which was good, because she was going to say Bo's name. It wouldn't do in this situation. Not with this woman whom was in her arms. "Let's just sleep for another hour or two, Carly." She softly said not even opening her eyes.
"We can't." Carly said apologetically. "I have to get to work."
"No you don't." Hope pulled the other woman a little closer to her. Her eyes slowly opened and she met the sad green eyes. "You don't lie well, Carly Manning." Sighing, "Which is a very good thing."
"I need to get back to the apartment building, before Daniel sends out a search party." Carly sighed.
"He won't." Hope shrugged. "What else do you have?"
"Why won't he? I haven't talked to him since telling him that I was coming by the house." Carly's brow furred. "I wasn't planning on staying here last night."
"I called him and informed him that I was going to have a talk with you. I informed him not to worry – that you weren't in danger due to me." Hope sighed. "He knows that you'll still with me – seeing how you haven't returned to Adrienne's."
"So now you are my keeper. Grrrrrrreat." Carly sighed. "I can't believe I allowed my life to get to the point where I can't be alone. That I can't handle my own problems in life." Lifting herself onto her elbow, shifting and Hope's hand came for the ride. "Seriously, you can let me go now, Hope, I'm not going to run away."
"Can't we just try to get a few more hours of sleep?" Hope growled low in her throat. "It's only six am, Carly. I just got you into this nice and comfortable bed."
"Look Hope, thank you for talking to me finally. I know that you are on your way to becoming my friend. I don't need you to protect me in Bo's stead." Carly sighed, "It's time I leave now. You enjoy your marriage bed with Bo, and I'll see you around town."
Hope sighed deeply as she used her free hand to lean up off the pillow. "Why are you so afraid to allow someone to willing want to protect you?" Shrugging, "You would be right in someone's corner the moment you realize that they needed help." Her tilted against the oak head board. "Why can't you accept the same help?"
"It's my life." Carly shrugged. "I willing made the mess that I made out of my life. So, it's up to me to work it all out."
Hope finally sat up, moving closer to the other woman. "Go get a shower, Carly. We have much too do today." She slowly let the woman inch away from her. She watched as Carly got out of bed and walked to the master bathroom. After the door clicked shut, she sighed, "I'm sorry too do this too you, Carly. But, it has too be done." Standing to her feet she walked over to the bedroom door and shut it behind her. She locked the door from the outside with the key that she got from the table that was next to the wall. As an added caution, she shoved a chair underneath the door handle.
Hope quickly took a shower in the upstairs guest bathroom, glad that she had brought her clothes from the bedroom. After blow drying her hair, and applying her make up – she looked at herself in the full mirror. "Time to face the music, Hope Williams Brady." Her lips quirked to the right. "Ten to one, I may have an angry Carly Manning on my hands."
She opened the master bedroom door, to find …. Carly sitting in the chair with only a towel on. "Why aren't you dressed?"
"I just have what I had on yesterday." She looked around the room, "They aren't even in here." Her flashing bemused green eyes met Hope's; "I wasn't going too climb out of the window, you know, Hope."
"You are known to be a runner." Hope shrugged, "I didn't want you to escape is all." Her head tilted, "Your clothes are being washed. I threw them in with my and Bo's things." She lifted her hands, "I have fresh clothes for you."
"How did you get my clothes? I took everything, when Bo left for L.A." Carly quizzed as her head tilted to the right.
"I called Daniel, and requested that he get your stuff from Adrienne's." Hope said walking towards the bed with Carly's suitcase.
"I see." Carly said in a dead voice. Sighing, and allowing the towel to lift, and fall with her breaths. "I'll be out of Salem by the end of the morning."
Hope blinked. "You aren't going anywhere, Carly. You are going to move back into the house."
Carly shook her head, "I told you, Hope, that I wasn't. Even when Bo returns from L.A. Also I can't remain in the house without Bo here, he wants people around me too protect me from Vivian."
"That's why Ciara and I are moving back in the house with you." Hope said putting the suitcase onto the bed. Opening it, "Now what would you like to wear today?"
"Why is is okay for Ciara to live in the house, with me, with you. But, it's not okay for her to live here with me, with Bo?" Carly frowned darkly. She hadn't removed herself from the chair. Her right hand only rose to hold the towel against her chest.
"I made a mistake. I freely admit that, Carly." Hope tapped her hands on the suitcase. She walked over and sat down on the bed, next to the chair, "I have to ask for your forgiveness, Carly." Sighing, "I'm not usually the jumping down another woman – whom Bo had been previously involved with throat."
Carly sighed, "I never blamed you, Hope. I always knew that when you and I were face to face that you would scream at me for loving Bo. For turning Bo's soul from you." Swallowing, "When Jennifer wrote to me with the news that you were alive, I was happy for Bo. I knew that he had his deepest prayer answered – his Fancy Face, his soul mate was back in his arms."
"I never hated you for your time with Bo," Hope leaned forward and putting her hand on the other woman's hand, which was still against her chest. "I thanked you for it. I thanked God for bringing you into Bo's life when he desperately needed you." Her blue eyes darkened, "But then Billie happened."
Carly's right eye bow rose, "I never knew Billie that well. I knew she had a major crush on Bo, but I wasn't too worried about it." Sighing, "But then everything happened with Vivian. I died, Bo moved on. A little too soon for my taste – but he needed too."
"Carly, if Billie didn't use her slut ways, then no way in hell Bo would have moved on from losing you!" Hope said in a passionate voice. "When he learned that you were alive, he broke it off with Billie."
"I didn't remember him." Carly said, a single tear rolled down her right cheek. "How could I not remember him?"
"I didn't remember him either, when I returned to Salem." Hope said in a gentle voice. Leaning forward and wiping the second tear from the other woman's cheek.
"You were brained washed." Carly said. "I was just buried alive." She swallowed as she thought of her time in the small coffin – knowing that six feet of dirt was on top of it. Her eyes closed as she began to hyperventilate. "B-bo!" She cried out in fear.
Strong, but very thin arms wrapped around her and pulled her towards them. Her arms wrapped around the thin back as she gave into her fear. Trying to breath through the lack of oxygen, she was trying to claw her way out of the coffin.
Hope had grabbed the blanket from the back of the chair to wrap around Carly's back and side, after she had pulled the other woman into her. She was glad that she had the foresight to do so, seeing how the towel had slipped downward as Carly had wrapped her arms around her back. Hope had quickly moved the blanket around the other woman's sides to cover her as she comforted the hysterical woman.
Carly's screams finally came to an end. Hope had been shushing the entire time – having had to raise her tone to be heard over the screams. She was relieved that Carly's system was finally coming back to the present time. "It's all right, Carly. I have you." She whispered in the other woman's right ear. Her hold on the fragile woman tightened.
Carly took a few deep breathes as she began to realize that she wasn't in the coffin anymore. But, she knew the comfortable body that she was leaning against was not Bo's. It was too feminine to be Bo. Her head lifted from the offered shoulder and she pulled away, hands which weren't her own pulled the warmth of the blanket closer to her. Her hands lifted and took the blanket herself. "Thank you," She stood to her feet, allowing the blanket to fall around her legs. "I should be getting dressed."
Hope stood up, "I'll leave you to it." Walking to the door, "Carly, I'm happy that you are trusting me."
Carly just looked at Hope for a long moment, then she ducked her head.
Hope left the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. "This is going to work. I'm going to make this work." She laid her palm on the oak door. Breathing in and out, she turned and walked down the hallway.