One More Day-Chapter 3
Brady lay back in his bed, tossing a football in the air, thinking of Chloe. He sighed and tossed the ball into the corner of his room. He got up and walked over to his stereo and turned the loud rock music down, putting on a soft classical CD. He yawned and looked at the clock. It was 11:30. He had nothing better to do than sleep. Besides, the sooner he went to sleep, the sooner tomorrow would come and he could see CHloe. He got back in bed and turned off his bedside lamp. Minutes later, he was asleep.
A little bit later, Brady awoke with a start. He heard a banging noise and could almost make out what sounded like someone calling his name. He slowly got out of bed and cautiously crept into the hall. When he got closer to the living room, he finally realized someone was banging on his door.
"Brady!"
That's Chloe! Brady thought. He ran to the door and pulled it open.
"Chloe..."
Chloe was standing there, tears streaming down her face. She lifted her face to Brady's.
"Chloe...what--?" He was cut off as she fell into his arms. Brady kicked the door shut and held her. She sobbed in to his shoulder. He didn't ask questions. He just let her cry. Finally, she sniffled and leaned away from him a little.
"C'mon." he said softly. He led her into the living room and sat her down on the couch. He sat beside her. He took her hand in his. His other hand reached up and gently wiped tears from her eyes.
"What happened, Chloe?" he asked gently. "Was it Philip?"
She looked up at him and nodded, bursting into sobs again. Brady took her into his arms. "Shh...it's ok." he soothed.
He stroked her hair. It killed him to see her in so much pain. He had to know what was going on.
"Chloe...Chloe sweetie." He gently pushed her back a little. "Do you think you can tell me what happened?"
Chloe wiped her eyes, sniffling. "Brady...Oh God it was horrible!"
Brady grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shaky, shivering body.
"Tell me what happened." he said quietly.
Chloe nodded.
"Everything was fine," she started. "We were at the movies and I was thinking about...about how I'd rather be with you. And sitting there I realized that I didn't even like going out with Philip anymore. It was beginning to be more like routine than anything. I had more fun with you than I did my own boyfriend. I'm not happy with Philip anymore. So I knew I-I had to break up with him. And I had to do it tonight." She paused. Brady didnt say anything, just waited for her to go on.
"So, after the movie was over, and we were in the car...I told Philip we needed to talk. I just- I just came out and told him I wasn't happy with him anymore and that I couldn't see him anymore. At first, I thought he took it ok. But then..."
She stopped and begam crying again as she remembered.
"He's never been like that before. I never knew he'd ever..."
"Ever what, Chloe? What happened?" he asked her softly.
She took a shaky breath. "Then he- he just started driving. I don't know where he was taking me. He was angry then. He hadn't said anything, but I could tell he was so mad." Chloe continued telling Brady what happened as the horrible scenes replayed in her mind.
***
Philip drove, his face red with anger.
"Where are we going?" Chloe begged him to tell her.
Philip didn't say anything. He just kept driving. Finally, he screeched to a stop in the middle of what CHloe figured must be some woods.
He turned to her. Chloe could see the anger and fury in his eyes.
"It's Brady, isn't it?" he yelled.
Chloe shook her head frantically.
"Don't lie to me, you bitch! I should have known. I should have known better than to let you hang around my son of a bitch nephew. I should have known something was going on!."
All of a sudden, he slapped her. Chloe screamed.
"Has he fucked you yet?" He asked. "Have you given him some of that pussy that you wouldn't give me?"
"Philip, no!" Chloe was frantically shaking her head.
"Well, I think maybe I better take it before he does, don't you think?"
"No, Philip please!"
Philip grabbed her and kissed her roughly.
"No use fighting, baby. You know I'm going to win." He roughly tried to push her shirt over her head.
Just then, Chloe noticed a glass Pepsi bottle in the cup holder between the seats. Swiftly, she grabbed it. Before Philip knew what she was doing, she slammed it against the back of his head.
It didn't knock him out, but it dazed him long enough for Chloe to get free. She jumped out of the car and ran as fast as she could.
***
"I ran and ran." Chloe told Brady now. "He didn't follow me. He surely would have caught me. But I ran, I had no idea where I was going. Finally I recognized the road you live on and I came here. Oh God, Brady..."
Brady held her. Chloe felt so safe in his arms.
"I'm so sorry Chloe." he whispered.
"What if he tried to hurt me again? What if...?"
"No, I won't let him get near you." He wiped the tears from her eyes again. "I promise you that."
"Thank you."
"You know I'll always be there for you, Chloe."
"I know. Thank you, Brady." She looked up into his eyes. She saw concern and love in those deep blue eyes. He was being so sweet and caring.
"Brady, I love you." She said suddenly.
Brady's breath caught in his throat.
"Chloe..."
"I don't mean that I love you just because your my best friend or just because your being so good to me now. I mean I love you because I want to be with you. I realized that tonight. You always treated me better than Philip And you know me inside and out. I was always telling myself I'd rather be with you because your more fun. And that's true. But its not the only reason. But it's because I love you. I can't deny that any longer."
Brady was hearing words that he thought he'd never hear.
"I don't know...if you feel the same or not but..."
Her words were cut off as Brady kissed her. A slow, deep kiss filled with emotion. When he finally pulled back, he said hoarsely, "I love you too, Chloe. And I swear, I'll never let Philip hurt you again."
"I know you won't." Chloe felt better. Brady loved her. That was all she needed to hear to make her feel safe.
Brady started to get up. "Do you need anything?"
"No!" She caught his arm. "Just stay here. Just hold me Brady." Brady held her in his arms again.
"Stay with me. Don't leave me."
"I won't." he assured her. "I promise I will always be here. I'll never leave you, Chloe. Never."
Brady lay back in his bed, tossing a football in the air, thinking of Chloe. He sighed and tossed the ball into the corner of his room. He got up and walked over to his stereo and turned the loud rock music down, putting on a soft classical CD. He yawned and looked at the clock. It was 11:30. He had nothing better to do than sleep. Besides, the sooner he went to sleep, the sooner tomorrow would come and he could see CHloe. He got back in bed and turned off his bedside lamp. Minutes later, he was asleep.
A little bit later, Brady awoke with a start. He heard a banging noise and could almost make out what sounded like someone calling his name. He slowly got out of bed and cautiously crept into the hall. When he got closer to the living room, he finally realized someone was banging on his door.
"Brady!"
That's Chloe! Brady thought. He ran to the door and pulled it open.
"Chloe..."
Chloe was standing there, tears streaming down her face. She lifted her face to Brady's.
"Chloe...what--?" He was cut off as she fell into his arms. Brady kicked the door shut and held her. She sobbed in to his shoulder. He didn't ask questions. He just let her cry. Finally, she sniffled and leaned away from him a little.
"C'mon." he said softly. He led her into the living room and sat her down on the couch. He sat beside her. He took her hand in his. His other hand reached up and gently wiped tears from her eyes.
"What happened, Chloe?" he asked gently. "Was it Philip?"
She looked up at him and nodded, bursting into sobs again. Brady took her into his arms. "Shh...it's ok." he soothed.
He stroked her hair. It killed him to see her in so much pain. He had to know what was going on.
"Chloe...Chloe sweetie." He gently pushed her back a little. "Do you think you can tell me what happened?"
Chloe wiped her eyes, sniffling. "Brady...Oh God it was horrible!"
Brady grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shaky, shivering body.
"Tell me what happened." he said quietly.
Chloe nodded.
"Everything was fine," she started. "We were at the movies and I was thinking about...about how I'd rather be with you. And sitting there I realized that I didn't even like going out with Philip anymore. It was beginning to be more like routine than anything. I had more fun with you than I did my own boyfriend. I'm not happy with Philip anymore. So I knew I-I had to break up with him. And I had to do it tonight." She paused. Brady didnt say anything, just waited for her to go on.
"So, after the movie was over, and we were in the car...I told Philip we needed to talk. I just- I just came out and told him I wasn't happy with him anymore and that I couldn't see him anymore. At first, I thought he took it ok. But then..."
She stopped and begam crying again as she remembered.
"He's never been like that before. I never knew he'd ever..."
"Ever what, Chloe? What happened?" he asked her softly.
She took a shaky breath. "Then he- he just started driving. I don't know where he was taking me. He was angry then. He hadn't said anything, but I could tell he was so mad." Chloe continued telling Brady what happened as the horrible scenes replayed in her mind.
***
Philip drove, his face red with anger.
"Where are we going?" Chloe begged him to tell her.
Philip didn't say anything. He just kept driving. Finally, he screeched to a stop in the middle of what CHloe figured must be some woods.
He turned to her. Chloe could see the anger and fury in his eyes.
"It's Brady, isn't it?" he yelled.
Chloe shook her head frantically.
"Don't lie to me, you bitch! I should have known. I should have known better than to let you hang around my son of a bitch nephew. I should have known something was going on!."
All of a sudden, he slapped her. Chloe screamed.
"Has he fucked you yet?" He asked. "Have you given him some of that pussy that you wouldn't give me?"
"Philip, no!" Chloe was frantically shaking her head.
"Well, I think maybe I better take it before he does, don't you think?"
"No, Philip please!"
Philip grabbed her and kissed her roughly.
"No use fighting, baby. You know I'm going to win." He roughly tried to push her shirt over her head.
Just then, Chloe noticed a glass Pepsi bottle in the cup holder between the seats. Swiftly, she grabbed it. Before Philip knew what she was doing, she slammed it against the back of his head.
It didn't knock him out, but it dazed him long enough for Chloe to get free. She jumped out of the car and ran as fast as she could.
***
"I ran and ran." Chloe told Brady now. "He didn't follow me. He surely would have caught me. But I ran, I had no idea where I was going. Finally I recognized the road you live on and I came here. Oh God, Brady..."
Brady held her. Chloe felt so safe in his arms.
"I'm so sorry Chloe." he whispered.
"What if he tried to hurt me again? What if...?"
"No, I won't let him get near you." He wiped the tears from her eyes again. "I promise you that."
"Thank you."
"You know I'll always be there for you, Chloe."
"I know. Thank you, Brady." She looked up into his eyes. She saw concern and love in those deep blue eyes. He was being so sweet and caring.
"Brady, I love you." She said suddenly.
Brady's breath caught in his throat.
"Chloe..."
"I don't mean that I love you just because your my best friend or just because your being so good to me now. I mean I love you because I want to be with you. I realized that tonight. You always treated me better than Philip And you know me inside and out. I was always telling myself I'd rather be with you because your more fun. And that's true. But its not the only reason. But it's because I love you. I can't deny that any longer."
Brady was hearing words that he thought he'd never hear.
"I don't know...if you feel the same or not but..."
Her words were cut off as Brady kissed her. A slow, deep kiss filled with emotion. When he finally pulled back, he said hoarsely, "I love you too, Chloe. And I swear, I'll never let Philip hurt you again."
"I know you won't." Chloe felt better. Brady loved her. That was all she needed to hear to make her feel safe.
Brady started to get up. "Do you need anything?"
"No!" She caught his arm. "Just stay here. Just hold me Brady." Brady held her in his arms again.
"Stay with me. Don't leave me."
"I won't." he assured her. "I promise I will always be here. I'll never leave you, Chloe. Never."