A smile came to Billie's face when Bo asked if she'd be his girl. "I'd be honored to be your girl, Mr. Brady," she stated. "But there is the small matter of your wife. You do intend to divorce her? I can't be your girl when you are married to someone else."
"Yes, Hope did say she'd have her lawyer contact mine. I am sure her lawyer is my cousin, Justin Kiriakis, her new main squeeze."
"Do you really think that Hope and Justin are ... involved?"
~*~o~*~
Justin winced when Hope urged him to share his feelings for her. He couldn't hold it in any longer. He had to tell Hope the truth.
"Hope, I always want to be honest with you. You're my dearest friend..." he answered. "But you're right. There's more."
Hope stared into Justin's eyes as he told her the complete truth. "I have feelings for you. Very strong feelings," he stated. "Feelings that go above and beyond friendship."
"Hope, what I am trying to say is, I am in love with you," Justin revealed.
Hope didn't say anything for a moment. She looked stunned. "Please say something," Justin urged. "How do you feel about me?"
~*~o~*~
"No, Lawrence," Carly replied. "Daniel's my friend and I deeply respect him, but I do not love him."
He searched her eyes and saw that she spoke the truth. She wasn't in love with Daniel, but that was little comfort. She had betrayed him when she had broken their marriage vows. Yes, he had been a complete ass, and he had pushed her into another man's arms, but it still hurt. Now there was a chance that the daughter she had thought was Daniel's might possibly be his. He wanted answers, and he wasn't a very patient man.
"A DNA test needs to be performed."
"No, Lawrence," Carly protested. "Whoever did this to you is still out there. You're in danger... and you need to heal."
"I got these injuries escaping the prison Vivian had me held in for all those years. I can take care of myself, Katerina. I need to know if Melanie is my daughter."
"Lawrence, you are in no condition..."
"You just don't want me to be Melanie's father. You do not want to consider the possibility," he accused as anger flashed in his greenish hazel eyes.
~*~o~*~
Bo chuckled and tried to make light of it. "Who knows," he quipped. "But after last night, they are probably going to hook up."
"Bo, you shouldn't be so concerned," said Billie. "Justin's a good guy... and if he makes Hope happy, that's a good thing."
She reached out and took his hand in hers and gently kissed it. "If you're not too hung over, would you take me out for breakfast?" she asked. "I'm absolutely starving."
"Sure, let me grab a quick shower, then I'd be happy to take you out for breakfast," Bo said with a smile.
"It's a date then," Billie said happily. After all this time, her and Bo were finally back together.
~*~o~*~
"Hope, I don't know how to tell you this," Justin said. "So, I am just gonna come right out and say it. I am in love with you."
"You're what?" she said with surprise. "Justin, did you... just say that you're... in love with me?"
"Yes," he said. "I have been for some time. But I don't want you to get upset or worried. I know you still love Bo... and he has your heart. I don't expect anything. I just wanted to be honest with you."
Hope stared at him in shock. "I wasn't expecting this. You and I are really close friends. The best of friends," she said. "I never thought..."
"I know. I never let my feelings be known. You're my cousin's wife. But Hope, it's getting really hard to hide how I feel. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, Justin. You've done nothing wrong," Hope said gently as she took his hand. "You've been nothing but kind to me."
"All I want to do is kiss you," Justin admitted. "I want you so much."
Hope pulled back, instantly stunned. "I need to go pick up Ciara now from Julie's. Will you drive me?" she asked.
"Sure," he said. "Let me get grab a quick shower. Then we'll go."
~*~o~*~
Carly hesitated. She didn't want to tell Lawrence something that was going to make him even more furious. She knew that Lawrence was having a difficult time keeping his temper in check. "Lawrence, I-."
"Tell me the truth, Katerina," he urged.
Very cautiously, she admitted her feelings for Daniel. "It's true. A part of me will always love him," she told him softly.
"I was afraid of that," Lawrence breathed. "That's how I lost you in the first place..."
"No, it's not!" Carly exclaimed. "You lost me because you became a ruthless asshole... and your aunt incessantly meddled in our lives! You didn't lose me because of Daniel!"
"Don't blame me for what Vivian did," Lawrence said angrily. "She made my life hell as well!"
"Lawrence, I don't know how we'll ever get passed this."
"We have to get passed this. We have children. We have Nicholas, our son... and he doesn't deserve this. He thinks his father's dead, killed by his mother's own hand. And you have a daughter, who may or may not be mine. We need to know the truth," Lawrence insisted. "As soon as I am well, we'll have the DNA test done... and then, if you want me out of your life so you can be with Daniel, then I'll go."
~*~o~*~
Bo arrived at the Brady Pub with Billie on his arm. He found them a nice cozy booth near the counter and waited until she was seated before he took his own place on the bench. "Everything looks good," Bo said as he looked over his menu. "Suprisingly, I have a really big appetite, despite the fact that Hope and I are over. Billie, I think you have something to do with that."
Billie looked up from her menu, glancing across the table when Bo made his statement. "Bo, I'm not sure what to think of that," she said cautiously. "Are you only with me because you can't have Hope now?"
"Of course not," he said as he reached across the table and took her hand into his. "I've always loved you, Billie. I'm just sorry that it took me so long to see that you and I belonged together."
Their intimate discussion was interrupted when Bo's mother, Caroline Brady approached their table. "Bo?" she said in surprise when she saw him sitting there, holding Billie's hand in his. "Where's your wife? Where's Hope?"
"Hi, Ma," Bo said as he looked up into his mother's eyes. He saw confusion and concern in the gentle depths.
"It's okay," Bo assured her. "Hope and I - it didn't work out. We're getting a divorce."
"Ohhh Bo," Caroline said with visible sadness. "I knew you were having troubles, but I didn't know..."
"It's okay, Ma. Our break-up was mutual. We've decided to go our separate ways, but we are going to do what's best for Ciara. Last night, Hope moved out," Bo explained.
"So, what's going on with you... and Billie?" Caroline asked.
"Billie and I are together again," Bo announced.
~*~o~*~
After Justin's shower, he drove Hope over to pick up Ciara at Julie's. "Ciara is going to be so excited to spend some time with her Grandpa Victor," Justin said in the car.
"Yes, they are very close," Hope agreed. She was rather absent-minded at the moment. All she could think about was her break-up with Bo and the fact that Justin had fallen in love with her. How had that happened ... and when?
As they pulled up in Julie's driveway, they saw a police car parked right outside. "Ohhh my God!" Hope gasped. "I hope nothing happened to Ciara... or Julie!"
Hope rushed out of the car with Justin by her side and hurried up to the front door. They saw a distraught Julie talking to a policeman. Tears streaked Hope's stepmother's face.
"Julie, what happened?" Hope asked frantically. "Where is Ciara?"
~*~o~*~
"A part of me will always love Daniel," she had said.
Lawrence couldn't believe it. As he lay in the bed, his body ached all over. He turned over in the bed, gazing at Carly who lay beside him. Her hair was tousled and it was obvious she had gotten very little sleep the night before.
"I'm sorry, Lawrence," she said. "I know that isn't what you wanted to hear."
"How are you feeling?" she asked as she tried to change the subject. She was drained, and she didn't feel like fighting with him.
"Like I got hit by a train," he answered. "I am going to survive all my wounds, aren't I?"
"Yeah, I do believe you're going to live," she said as she sat up in bed and began to examine the wounds upon his bare chest. He was covered in numerous bandages. She softly touched his bare flesh, accessing the various cuts and bruises.
"You always did take great care of me," he said with a smirk. "I bet I will heal in no time, with your tender, loving care."
"Lawrence," she chastised. "We are not together. We are not a couple."
"You're still my wife," he reminded. "And I don't intend to let you go. I won't give you up to Daniel, Katerina. Not without a fight."
"Well, I can see that your ego wasn't injured," Carly said in a stiff little growl. "What makes you think I still want to be with you?"
"Because those terrible things that happened that tore us apart weren't my fault. It was all Vivian's doing. You still love me."
She stared at him in disbelief. "Admit it. You still love me," Lawrence prompted.
