Chapter 16
"Liar!" Belle shouted, hurling a poor innocent Buddy Bear at his head.
"Belle, I am so being honest!", Shawn protested, catching the bear.
"I don't believe you."
"Look, your question was what was the movie I cried during. I swear to you, it was American Pie. One scene was just so beautiful, it moved me to tears...when Shannon Elizabeth is practically naked and--"
"Shawn!" Belle screamed, hitting his shoulder. "I don't want to hear this."
"Okay, okay," Shawn nodded and turned his head towards Belle. "Can we talk about you being practically naked then?" he said with a mischievous grin.
"Shawn..." she warned. She couldn't help smiling when Shawn gave another sexy grin and pulled her onto his lap. It was about five in the morning and the couple still couldn't fall asleep. They talked for hours...about college, about MTV, about food...everything. Just like their regular conversations...except now it seemed special, because they finally came out of the I-Love-You closet. While talking, Shawn had seen the rain outside from their window, and knowing that Belle was a sucker for some calming rainfall, dragged her outside to watch the sunrise on the porch. Belle brought the Buddy Bear down, even though she didn't tell Shawn why. She was too embarrassed to admit that she couldn't sleep without it and Belle brought it just in case she fell asleep outside.
Shawn wrapped his arms around Belle's waist and kissed her neck lightly. "You feel so good to me," he murmured.
Belle swallowed nervously and her heart pounded. Shawn did things to her feelings that she never thought possible. Most of it was because he was her first love. But being so damn charming definitely had something to do with it, too, Belle thought to herself, smiling. Shawn continued to kiss her neck and Belle turned around to face him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Shawn groaned when Belle rolled her hips against him and she giggled nervously into Shawn's neck.
"What?" Shawn said, smiling. Belle perfectly imitated Shawn's groan complete with the eyes closing. "Oh, you're just hilarious, Isabella," Shawn said...he leaned next to her ear and whispered, "I can't help that you make me feel this way."
They kissed gently but Shawn obviously wanted more when his tongue found its way to Belle's. Belle all of a sudden broke away, bursting into a fit of laughter as the rain turned to a light drizzle.
"Wow. Um...really wasn't hoping for that reaction, Belle," Shawn said.
Belle kept her legs around him and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry! It's just, like, Shawn Brady's tongue is...like...in my mouth!" Belle stammered nervously.
"That should be your dream come true, Perfect Girl," Shawn growled lowly. Belle felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter quickly...why did Shawn always have to be so sexy? Well, I won't complain, Belle thought to herself quickly.
"It is," she whispered. They kissed again and Belle pulled back quickly.
"Did you hear that?"
"Um...no," Shawn said, leaning back towards Belle.
"What if it's Brady? What if he catches us?"
"Baby, it's five in the morning, he's sleeping," Shawn murmured. Belle smiled at the fact that Shawn just called her "baby" and they kissed again, their passion growing by every second. All those years of pent-up sexual tension and love poured through that kiss. Shawn lost all sense of control...now that he had Belle, he wanted every inch of her. He let his lips trail down her chin, her throat and across her collarbone. Belle moaned slightly but her eyes flew open when she felt Shawn's hands find their way underneath her shirt. When they worked on her bra's hook, she grabbed onto Shawn's arms. "Shawn...Shawn!"
Shawn looked up at Belle and she saw passion in his eyes. He saw fear in hers. "Oh, god," he whispered, pulling his hands out from her shirt immediately. "Belle, I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" he stammered.
"Shawn, it's okay. You stopped, that's all that matters. I'm just sorry that I made--"
Shawn shook his head rapidly. "Belle, don't apologize. We move to the next step when you're ready. I don't want you to regret anything...I want our first time together to be perfect."
Belle grinned and kissed Shawn gently. She turned around to sit back on his lap and settled her back against his chest. Shawn set his chin on Belle's shoulder and squeezed Belle's waist with his arms.
"Shawn, that's so swe--" Shawn gave her a warning glance. "Very not sweet. Horrible." Shawn laughed and Belle kissed him on the cheek. "It's your turn, by the way."
"What?"
"Our question game. My question was what was the movie you remember crying to, so it's your turn."
"Oh. Hm...will you make out with me?"
"Shawn!"
"Okay, okay! Um...describe your future in five years."
"Oooh, good one. I want to hear what your answer would be."
"Now, now, Belle, that's not playing by the rules."
"I thought this was our week not to play by the rules, Brady," Belle retorted. She looked up at the window of Brady and Jason's room. She thought she saw her brother's shiloutte in the window but she shook it off. Talk about paranoia.
"Fair enough. OK. I live in this big, like, rock-star mansion. JT lives next door with Mom and Dad. I'm a famous piano player."
"And?"
"Uh...and I have a big pool."
"And?"
"And...um...a dog."
Belle rolled her eyes in frustration. "Am I anywhere in that rock-star mansion?"
Shawn grinned. "Oh, yeah. You're definitely there."
"Good," Belle smiled.
"You're one of my many love slaves."
"Shawn-Douglas Brady!"
"What?!," he said, laughing as Belle smacked him on the chest. "You ask and you shall receive. Your turn."
Belle snuggled against Shawn and took a deep breath. "OK. I live in a nice light brown Victorian house. It's big, but like not too big, you know? I'm married to this handsome dark-haired, brown-eyed man--"
Shawn grinned. "Named Shawn Brady, I assume."
"I was thinking more like Freddie Prinze Jr." She squealed in laughter as Shawn mock-gasped and started tickling her. "Mercy! I totally meant Shawn Brady." Shawn relented but his eyes widened when Belle continued. "We have a golden retriever named Ginger and, uh, two little girls...twins...Chrissy's a minute older and has blond hair like me. Jenny's the brunette, just like you. We totally have the whole white picket fence thing and a huge backyard with a swingset. We have a mini-van for the kids, but you know a nice car for you when you want to go out and not look like a Mom. Um...we also--"
"Woah, Belle, did I tell you this had to be 100 words or less?" Shawn said, fidgeting a little.
Belle turned around and looked into Shawn's eyes, suddenly realizing something. "Oh, god, I totally freaked you out didn't I?"
"Um..."
"Honesty, Shawn."
"Yeah, a little."
Belle looked down and bit her lip. "So--so, you never--never thought of...us in the... future?"
"Of course I have, Belle. I've thought about you in every way possible. As a girlfriend, a wife..." Belle smiled up at him. "...and the ever-so-popular love slave, you know, when I'm lying in bed at night and..."
"Ew! Shawn! I don't want to hear this!" Belle shouted, covering her ears. Shawn grinned and grabbed her arms, bringing them back down.
"I'm just kidding, Belle." Sorta, he thought. "I love you. Maybe I don't think of the future to the extent to you do, which freaked me out for a minute. But I like it. I like you thinking of me like that. Like someone you want to be with forever."
Belle kissed him and smiled. "Forever." She heard a slight bang.
"Ok, I definitely heard something that time," Belle whispered.
"Me too." Belle and Shawn jumped five feet away from each other, both looking around for Brady to come jumping out of nowhere. All of a sudden, Belle saw someone in the car...it looked like the person was sleeping. But why? Then she recognized the girl.
"Shawn...it's Chloe."
Chapter 17
Brady mumbled in his sleep peacefully. He stirred when he heard a door open and nearby hurried footsteps. Before he knew it, he was pinned up against the wall and staring into Philip's enraged eyes.
"Good morning, sunshine," Brady grumbled sleepily.
"Don't you even try to play cute with me, you son of a bitch," Philip growled.
Brady grimaced. He was not in the mood for Philip's attitude, especially right after waking up. If he wanted to play, Brady would play right back. "What's a matter, Phil? Girlfriend didn't put out last night?"
"You asshole! I'll kill you!" Philip screamed, pushing Brady up against the wall again and then punching his face with all of his strength. Brady, caught off-guard, fell to the floor.
"Damn, Philip, what the hell is the matter with you?!" Brady yelled, fumbling to get up.
"You wanna know what's wrong, Brady? I'll show you what's wrong, pal!" Philip threw another punch but didn't get him as bad as the first time. Brady grinned and rubbed the side of his face.
"That's all you got, K-Man? C'mon, if you want to play with the big boys, you gotta do it right."
"Screw you, Brady," Philip whispered. "SCREW YOU!" Tears welled up in Philip's eyes. He always had a temper when it came to people messing with Chloe. After changing into some clothes, he tried taking it out on a nearby tree in the back, but that hurt his fists a lot more than it helped. Finally, he decided Brady's face would be a lot softer than bark and a lot more fun to punch. But when Philip got an image of Chloe's tears...Chloe calling after him...he knew punching Brady wasn't going to solve anything. He was so tired...he just wanted to sleep...or wake up from this nightmare.
Brady crossed his arms, pissed that Philip thought he could come in here, throw some punches and then stop. If you're gonna dish it out, you're gonna have to take it, Brady thought. As Philip wondered if Chloe was sleeping peacefully in their room, Brady grabbed Philip's collar and gave him his turn up against the wall.
Philip then got an image of Chloe and Brady kissing. Hell, maybe fighting Brady wouldn't solve anything. But right now, Philip couldn't think of anything that would feel better.
Mimi moaned deeply when Jason started kissing her neck. They were downstairs for god knows how long, just kissing on the couch. "Practicing," as Jason called it. "For when she wants to impress her true love with her wonderful kissing skills."
"Sssh," Jason said, sitting up.
Mimi sat up too. "What? You told me to do that. You said guys like it...even if I did fake that moan," she giggled.
"No, I mean, do you hear that?" Mimi stopped laughing when they heard Philip and Brady yelling.
"Do you wanna go check it out?" Mimi asked.
"Yeah," Jason said. Mimi followed Jason as they rushed up the stairs and Jason turned his head to look at Mimi.
"What?"
"Did you really fake that one?"
"Jason..." Mimi rolled her eyes and went ahead of him as he called after her.
"Because I was kissing really good. Right? Mimi?"
Brady punched Philip again and again until he got bored of punching and threw him up against the mirror, cracking the glass. Philip yelled in pain and shoved Brady into the dresser, before throwing a fist towards his nose.
Brady shouted cuss words left and right as blood began to trickle down and glared up at Philip. Brady pounced on him, throwing punch after punch, pissed that Philip had the upper hand. He heard Mimi scream behind him, but he kept on going, even though Philip got in some hits. In a few seconds after the scream, Brady was being pulled off Philip, who curled up on his position on the floor.
"God, Brady, cut him a break!" Jason yelled, struggling to hold Brady back. Mimi ran over to Philip's side. "Jeez," she whispered. "Philip, are you all right?" she asked gently, brushing his hair off his forehead.
"Check my back for glass," he said. Mimi did, and despite a few scratches, there was no embedded glass. "Are you sure you're ok, Phil?"
Brady finally let up fighting and shoved Jason off of him. He sat down on the bed and put his hands in his head. Jason looked around the room and let out a low whistle, sinking in the bed besides Brady.
"Dude, you totally trashed our room. Are we going to have to pay for this?" Brady glared at Jason, who scooted over a little to the edge of the bed. "Or I can just stop talking." Brady nodded and went to grab a tissue to check if his nose was still bleeding as badly as before.
"I'm fine, Mimi, I swear," Philip groaned. "Nothing broken, that's a good sign, right?" He said, forcing a smile on his face as Mimi helped him up. Brady grimaced at his reflection in one of the mirror shards on the floor. He sighed when he realized how much he lost it...he didn't even know why he was fighting Philip. He just got so mad when a little punk thought he could beat up Brady Black. Brady threw the bloody tissue in the trash and walked over to Philip.
"Listen, Phil. You really caught me off guard this morning..."
"Get away from me, Brady," Philip growled lowly.
"...and I was just defending myself." He looked over at Mimi, who rose her eyebrows skeptically. "OK, sometimes I was and sometimes I just got caught up in getting the upper hand. But it was really dumb of me. I'm sorry, buddy." Jason glanced over at Mimi and saw that she was almost as shocked as him that Brady Black actually apologized. Even more surprising, Brady held out his hand to be shaken by Philip.
Philip looked at Brady's hand and shook his head in disgust. "Do you really think I'm going to forgive you for ruining my life?"
"Dude, I just got in a fight with you, I wouldn't exactly call it life-threatening."
"Yeah, Phil, you might have gotten beaten up some, but you're fine, right?" Jason asked.
Philip nodded. "Physically, I'm hurtin, but I'll be ok. But aren't you a little curious of why I picked this fight with you, Brady?"
Brady looked down and swallowed. "I think I probably already know."
Philip tilted his head to the side and smiled bitterly. "That's why I would never give you a sign of respect if my life depended on it," he spat out, nodding to Brady's hand.
Brady sighed as Jason and Mimi glanced at each other in confusion. "Phil, it wasn't that big of a deal, all right? Don't get so melodramatic about it. A kiss is just a kiss."
"Rot in hell, Brady," Philip muttered before leaving the room. Mimi and Jason stood there awkwardly before Mimi spoke up.
"Brady, what--"
"Screw this," Brady said as he went out the door. Mimi threw up her hands and sighed dramatically.
"I wonder what happened."
"I'll tell you what happened."
"What?" Mimi asked excitedly.
"Brady and Phil stuck us with cleaning duty," Jason sighed, pointing to the mess left behind by the fight.
"How did she get in there? Don't you have the keys?" Belle asked as she and Shawn hurried over to the car.
"Yeah, but I think me and Jase left it unlocked after we carried in the last of the luggage."
The two slowed down when they approached the car. Chloe fell asleep sitting up in the driver's seat and her hair was put up in a sloppy ponytail, with pieces hanging down all over the place. Chloe's face was pale as a ghost and her clothes were all rumpled and wrinkled.
"God, Shawn, is she all right?"
Shawn opened the passenger door and lightly shook Chloe. She murmured lightly and her eyes fluttered open. "Philip...?"
"No, it's me. Shawn."
Chloe bolted up in her seat and tried to look past Shawn's shoulder. "Philip? Where is he?"
Belle squeezed herself in between Shawn and the doorway of the car. "He's probably sleeping inside, Chloe."
"Probably?" Chloe asked, with a slight panic to her voice.
"Chloe, what happened?" Belle asked in a soft tone.
Chloe looked up at Shawn and he nodded without her having to say anything. "I'm gonna go check on Philip," he said to Belle who smiled gently. Shawn pulled Chloe into a bear hug and kissed the top of her head, before leaving for the condo. Belle climbed into the passenger side and shut the door, turning to look at Chloe with patient eyes.
"Oh, God, Belle, I made a horrible mistake..." Chloe sobbed.
"Chloe, you don't have to tell me what happened. Just let me know if you're going to be okay," Belle said, hoping she was hiding the desperation in her voice.
"Belle--I feel so lost. I--I don't even know how I slept. When Philip left to go back in the condo, I just cried myself to sleep. He didn't--he didn't even come and check to see if I was okay all alone out here," Chloe said, trying to get the words out as best she could. Her voice cracked on the last word and she twisted away from Belle. She tried not think about what happened, not wanting to break down in front of her friend. Finally, Chloe envisioned Philip's face--his expression of betrayal, hurt and anger--and she just let the tears flow out. She tried to cry out his face, his pain, but it refused to leave her mind. She had always held back her emotions, always held back what she was feeling. But Chloe couldn't hold back anymore. The foster homes, the emotional and sometimes physical abuse from the families, Chloe could built up walls to protect herself from that. She could escape in fantasy worlds where she'd be singing opera all day and all night. Where love conquers all and Philip will forever be her Prince Charming. But Chloe couldn't escape from her own mistakes. And this was one mistake that she didn't know that she could forgive herself for. Maybe it was just a meaningless kiss...but the pain in Philip's eyes was haunting...and Chloe never wanted anyone to feel as much pain as she had in her past. And the fact she saw someone she loved look at her with disgust...it destroyed her heart.
Belle reached from Chloe's hand and chills went down her back. Chloe was shaking uncontrollably and Belle stared at her, helpless. Chloe sniffed and sighed shakily, staring through the windshield at the condo.
"He hates me, Belle. He really hates me," she whispered, as her body shuddered.
Belle shook her head quickly, frantic to keep Chloe from losing it. "Philip would never hate you, Chloe. Never. He loves you," she said, trying her best to convince her. "He loves you more than the world. Philip...he's never had love before, Chloe. Not from girls, not even from his family really...but i--it's different with you. You're nothing like he's ever had in his life before. He needs you Chloe, like air. And he won't be able to breath without you in his life," Belle said gently, as her own eyes welled with tears. She would give up everything for Chloe to just stop looking...looking so lost and alone.
Chloe slowly lowered her head in Belle's lap and Belle stroked Chloe's hair. Finally, Chloe broke down, letting the sobs run through her body, letting the memory of the night before escape through her tears. The cries shuddered through her body and Chloe gasped, needing to talk. "Philip can breath without me just fine, Belle. I feel like I'm the one who can't breath. Can't think. I--I've lost everything because of one stupid mistake," Chloe shouted through her sobs. She wish she could just stop crying, stop shaking. But the lump in her throat wouldn't go away. The ache in her heart wouldn't go away. The mistake she made would never go away. The only thing...person...that she wanted to keep was gone...
"Philip...don't hate me," Chloe whispered. She repeated it through her sobs as Belle cried silently with her, stroking her hair and pretending it was helping.
Chapter 18
Brady sat on the beach as his stomach grumbled. He was starving but definitely didn't want to get back to the condo any time soon. He wiped the area underneath his nose and was relieved it stopped bleeding completely. Brady sighed and looked at the sky. He felt horrible...he tore up a relationship, beat up a friend and probably broke the heart of an innocent girl.
"And all in less than a day," he muttered to himself. "Great job, Brady."
"So, is this a one person conversation or can I join in?" A light female voice asked. Brady looked up to see a pretty girl wearing a tank top and blue jeans. She had long blond hair that curled at the ends and piercing blue-green eyes.
"Heather?" Brady grinned in a happy shock.
"The one and only." Heather Walker was a girl that Brady dated on and off for years. She went off to Salem U. and talked to Brady sometimes through e-mail but it was never the same. She was too concentrated on school and Brady...still needed to figure himself out.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were at Salem U."
"Well," she responded. "Salem U. gets spring break sometimes, too, ya know. Me and a couple of my friends are staying at a hotel nearby. I went for a walk on the beach and saw--an old friend." Brady rolled his eyes of her choice of words. "Hey, um, what happened to your face?" she asked, plopping down on the sand next to Brady.
"Long story."
"You got in between some guy and his girl, huh?"
"OK, story's not so long, I guess."
Heather smiled sadly. "Who's the girl?"
Brady shook his head as he played with the grains of sand beneath his feet. "You wouldn't know her, she's new to Salem."
"One of Belle's friends?"
Brady laughed in disbelief. "Why are you so good at this?"
Heather lightly punched Brady on the shoulder with a smirk on her face. "Because I know you, Brady."
Brady clenched his jaw and sighed. "No, Walker, you really don't. You don't know me."
Heather stood up and began to walk in a circle around Brady. "Oh, I beg to differ. Nobody knows poor Brady Black, except his perky little sis. You're dark...mysterious...dangerous. Except that I've seen you when it's just you and me...definitely not dark. More like dorky. Endearingly dorky. Mysterious...eh...you can put on a good 'I screw with people's minds' game, but I don't buy it as your personality. Just a defense. And dangerous? Only in your dreams, Brady. Wearing black sweaters doesn't equal dangerous." She sat back down with a triumphant grin. Brady sighed and put his chin in between his knees.
"Well, Heath, you pinned me. So, once you strip away the dark, the mysterious and the dangerous...what do you see?" Brady asked bitterly.
Heather looked up in surprise and stammered for an answer.
"Exactly...you see what everyone else sees when I put my defenses down. Nothing. A nobody."
"No, Brady. What I see is someone who lost himself. You were happy, you were trustworthy, you were sweet and caring." Brady grimaced at Heather's words. "What happened to that version of Brady? Because I miss him."
An awkward silence filled the air when Brady's shaky voice broke it.
"Me too."
"So Brady ran outta here, too," Jason completed, as he and Shawn, who recently walked in the room, swept the rest of the broken glass into the trash can.
Mimi finished straightening out the dresser with a gasp. "God, these boys definitely went all out."
Shawn stretched his arms over his head and frowned. "Hey, um, where did the guys go?"
"Well, Brady's out on the beach talking to that chick he knows," Mimi said, pointing out the window. "We have no idea where Philip is."
"You guys just let Philip walk on out of here?"
"Hey, man," Jason said, putting the trash can in the corner of the room. "You would let Philip go after you saw that fight."
"Yeah, Jase, I bet you were really scared of the guy who got his ass kicked," a groggy voice said behind them.
"Phil!" Shawn shouted, running over and giving him a hug. He coughed and stepped back, a little embarrassed by being affectionate. Philip smiled tightly and walked over to Jason's bed.
"I tried to sleep for a couple of a minutes, but I've got a mother of a headache."
Mimi looked at Philip at pity and sighed, glancing out the window at Brady. She wondered what part Chloe had in all this.
Jason reassuringly patted Philip on the back as Shawn smiled. "Hey, man," he said. "Whatever happened with you and Chloe, I mean, it's gonna be okay between the two of you, right?"
Philip glanced over at Shawn and sank down on the bed. "I--" he cleared his throat before his voice cracked. "I don't know...I want to forgive her...but I don't know if I can forget--" Philip immediately looked down when he felt hot tears spill down his cheeks. Mimi exhaled miserably and walked over to give him a hug.
"It's ok to cry, Phil. Just let it go."
Philip gave a smile to assure her he'd be fine. He paced himself over to the window and watched as Brady talked to a blond girl that looked familiar.
Jason slowly walked over to Philip's side. "What if Chloe apologized for whatever she did to you, right now? What would you say?"
Philip sighed and tried not to get a lump in his throat. "I--I don't...I guess it all depends on what she would say."
"Want to give me a shot then?" The soft, shaky voice startled Philip and he whipped around to find a tearstained Chloe leaning against Belle in the doorway.
Belle paced back and forth in the living room with her hands clasped behind her back and glanced nervously to the stairs.
"God, Belle, would you sit down already?" Mimi groaned. "You're making me scared."
Shawn fidgeted on the couch. He wanted to pull Belle in a reassuring kiss but that ruin their sneaking around idea in a hurry. Even though their little game didn't seem as important as Philip and Chloe being okay.
"I just want to know what they're saying," Belle wondered, stealing another glance upstairs.
"Hey, how did you find Chloe anyway?" Jason piped up.
"What?" Belle asked a little too quickly. Shawn cleared his throat.
"Well, you said you found her in the car. Why were you outside by yourself in the rain at five o'clock in the morning?"
Belle looked at Shawn and he shrugged slightly. "Uh...um. I was...uh...taking out the trash." Shawn rolled his eyes and tilted his head back.
"At five in the morning?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Yes...um. I couldn't sleep, so I went in the kitchen and...uh...saw the trash...which, um, smelled. Like, really bad. So I took it out," Belle completed her mess of a sentence proudly.
Jason nodded suspiciously, not missing the repeated glances in Shawn's direction. He didn't know what it meant, but he wanted to find out. "So...Shawn, where you? All of a sudden, you walked into our room a little out of breath."
"I was looking for Philip, to see if he was okay," Shawn answered on instinct.
Jason crossed his arms. "How did you know something was wrong? You walked in the bedroom after the fight."
Shawn sighed, not wanting to tell them Chloe sent him after Philip. Jason the New-Born Detective would figure out him and Belle were up together at five in the morning. Then Jason the Sex Fiend would think there's only one thing that can keep two people of the opposite sex up that late.
Thank God for Mimi. "Jesus, Jason, who cares? This isn't some big conspiracy. He probably heard Brady and Phil crashing around in the room." She stood up and went over to Belle, hugging her to stop her from pacing.
All of a sudden, Shawn stood up and crossed his arms. "Hey, where were you this morning, Jase? You said you walked in the room with Mimi and broke the fight up."
Mimi grew nervous when Belle pulled back and gave her a curious stare. She hoped Jason came up with a good lie.
"I was making out with Mimi," Jason answered nonchalantly.
Shocked silence filled the air until the words sunk in.
"What?!" Shawn, Belle and Mimi shouted.
"Liar!" Belle shouted, hurling a poor innocent Buddy Bear at his head.
"Belle, I am so being honest!", Shawn protested, catching the bear.
"I don't believe you."
"Look, your question was what was the movie I cried during. I swear to you, it was American Pie. One scene was just so beautiful, it moved me to tears...when Shannon Elizabeth is practically naked and--"
"Shawn!" Belle screamed, hitting his shoulder. "I don't want to hear this."
"Okay, okay," Shawn nodded and turned his head towards Belle. "Can we talk about you being practically naked then?" he said with a mischievous grin.
"Shawn..." she warned. She couldn't help smiling when Shawn gave another sexy grin and pulled her onto his lap. It was about five in the morning and the couple still couldn't fall asleep. They talked for hours...about college, about MTV, about food...everything. Just like their regular conversations...except now it seemed special, because they finally came out of the I-Love-You closet. While talking, Shawn had seen the rain outside from their window, and knowing that Belle was a sucker for some calming rainfall, dragged her outside to watch the sunrise on the porch. Belle brought the Buddy Bear down, even though she didn't tell Shawn why. She was too embarrassed to admit that she couldn't sleep without it and Belle brought it just in case she fell asleep outside.
Shawn wrapped his arms around Belle's waist and kissed her neck lightly. "You feel so good to me," he murmured.
Belle swallowed nervously and her heart pounded. Shawn did things to her feelings that she never thought possible. Most of it was because he was her first love. But being so damn charming definitely had something to do with it, too, Belle thought to herself, smiling. Shawn continued to kiss her neck and Belle turned around to face him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Shawn groaned when Belle rolled her hips against him and she giggled nervously into Shawn's neck.
"What?" Shawn said, smiling. Belle perfectly imitated Shawn's groan complete with the eyes closing. "Oh, you're just hilarious, Isabella," Shawn said...he leaned next to her ear and whispered, "I can't help that you make me feel this way."
They kissed gently but Shawn obviously wanted more when his tongue found its way to Belle's. Belle all of a sudden broke away, bursting into a fit of laughter as the rain turned to a light drizzle.
"Wow. Um...really wasn't hoping for that reaction, Belle," Shawn said.
Belle kept her legs around him and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry! It's just, like, Shawn Brady's tongue is...like...in my mouth!" Belle stammered nervously.
"That should be your dream come true, Perfect Girl," Shawn growled lowly. Belle felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter quickly...why did Shawn always have to be so sexy? Well, I won't complain, Belle thought to herself quickly.
"It is," she whispered. They kissed again and Belle pulled back quickly.
"Did you hear that?"
"Um...no," Shawn said, leaning back towards Belle.
"What if it's Brady? What if he catches us?"
"Baby, it's five in the morning, he's sleeping," Shawn murmured. Belle smiled at the fact that Shawn just called her "baby" and they kissed again, their passion growing by every second. All those years of pent-up sexual tension and love poured through that kiss. Shawn lost all sense of control...now that he had Belle, he wanted every inch of her. He let his lips trail down her chin, her throat and across her collarbone. Belle moaned slightly but her eyes flew open when she felt Shawn's hands find their way underneath her shirt. When they worked on her bra's hook, she grabbed onto Shawn's arms. "Shawn...Shawn!"
Shawn looked up at Belle and she saw passion in his eyes. He saw fear in hers. "Oh, god," he whispered, pulling his hands out from her shirt immediately. "Belle, I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" he stammered.
"Shawn, it's okay. You stopped, that's all that matters. I'm just sorry that I made--"
Shawn shook his head rapidly. "Belle, don't apologize. We move to the next step when you're ready. I don't want you to regret anything...I want our first time together to be perfect."
Belle grinned and kissed Shawn gently. She turned around to sit back on his lap and settled her back against his chest. Shawn set his chin on Belle's shoulder and squeezed Belle's waist with his arms.
"Shawn, that's so swe--" Shawn gave her a warning glance. "Very not sweet. Horrible." Shawn laughed and Belle kissed him on the cheek. "It's your turn, by the way."
"What?"
"Our question game. My question was what was the movie you remember crying to, so it's your turn."
"Oh. Hm...will you make out with me?"
"Shawn!"
"Okay, okay! Um...describe your future in five years."
"Oooh, good one. I want to hear what your answer would be."
"Now, now, Belle, that's not playing by the rules."
"I thought this was our week not to play by the rules, Brady," Belle retorted. She looked up at the window of Brady and Jason's room. She thought she saw her brother's shiloutte in the window but she shook it off. Talk about paranoia.
"Fair enough. OK. I live in this big, like, rock-star mansion. JT lives next door with Mom and Dad. I'm a famous piano player."
"And?"
"Uh...and I have a big pool."
"And?"
"And...um...a dog."
Belle rolled her eyes in frustration. "Am I anywhere in that rock-star mansion?"
Shawn grinned. "Oh, yeah. You're definitely there."
"Good," Belle smiled.
"You're one of my many love slaves."
"Shawn-Douglas Brady!"
"What?!," he said, laughing as Belle smacked him on the chest. "You ask and you shall receive. Your turn."
Belle snuggled against Shawn and took a deep breath. "OK. I live in a nice light brown Victorian house. It's big, but like not too big, you know? I'm married to this handsome dark-haired, brown-eyed man--"
Shawn grinned. "Named Shawn Brady, I assume."
"I was thinking more like Freddie Prinze Jr." She squealed in laughter as Shawn mock-gasped and started tickling her. "Mercy! I totally meant Shawn Brady." Shawn relented but his eyes widened when Belle continued. "We have a golden retriever named Ginger and, uh, two little girls...twins...Chrissy's a minute older and has blond hair like me. Jenny's the brunette, just like you. We totally have the whole white picket fence thing and a huge backyard with a swingset. We have a mini-van for the kids, but you know a nice car for you when you want to go out and not look like a Mom. Um...we also--"
"Woah, Belle, did I tell you this had to be 100 words or less?" Shawn said, fidgeting a little.
Belle turned around and looked into Shawn's eyes, suddenly realizing something. "Oh, god, I totally freaked you out didn't I?"
"Um..."
"Honesty, Shawn."
"Yeah, a little."
Belle looked down and bit her lip. "So--so, you never--never thought of...us in the... future?"
"Of course I have, Belle. I've thought about you in every way possible. As a girlfriend, a wife..." Belle smiled up at him. "...and the ever-so-popular love slave, you know, when I'm lying in bed at night and..."
"Ew! Shawn! I don't want to hear this!" Belle shouted, covering her ears. Shawn grinned and grabbed her arms, bringing them back down.
"I'm just kidding, Belle." Sorta, he thought. "I love you. Maybe I don't think of the future to the extent to you do, which freaked me out for a minute. But I like it. I like you thinking of me like that. Like someone you want to be with forever."
Belle kissed him and smiled. "Forever." She heard a slight bang.
"Ok, I definitely heard something that time," Belle whispered.
"Me too." Belle and Shawn jumped five feet away from each other, both looking around for Brady to come jumping out of nowhere. All of a sudden, Belle saw someone in the car...it looked like the person was sleeping. But why? Then she recognized the girl.
"Shawn...it's Chloe."
Chapter 17
Brady mumbled in his sleep peacefully. He stirred when he heard a door open and nearby hurried footsteps. Before he knew it, he was pinned up against the wall and staring into Philip's enraged eyes.
"Good morning, sunshine," Brady grumbled sleepily.
"Don't you even try to play cute with me, you son of a bitch," Philip growled.
Brady grimaced. He was not in the mood for Philip's attitude, especially right after waking up. If he wanted to play, Brady would play right back. "What's a matter, Phil? Girlfriend didn't put out last night?"
"You asshole! I'll kill you!" Philip screamed, pushing Brady up against the wall again and then punching his face with all of his strength. Brady, caught off-guard, fell to the floor.
"Damn, Philip, what the hell is the matter with you?!" Brady yelled, fumbling to get up.
"You wanna know what's wrong, Brady? I'll show you what's wrong, pal!" Philip threw another punch but didn't get him as bad as the first time. Brady grinned and rubbed the side of his face.
"That's all you got, K-Man? C'mon, if you want to play with the big boys, you gotta do it right."
"Screw you, Brady," Philip whispered. "SCREW YOU!" Tears welled up in Philip's eyes. He always had a temper when it came to people messing with Chloe. After changing into some clothes, he tried taking it out on a nearby tree in the back, but that hurt his fists a lot more than it helped. Finally, he decided Brady's face would be a lot softer than bark and a lot more fun to punch. But when Philip got an image of Chloe's tears...Chloe calling after him...he knew punching Brady wasn't going to solve anything. He was so tired...he just wanted to sleep...or wake up from this nightmare.
Brady crossed his arms, pissed that Philip thought he could come in here, throw some punches and then stop. If you're gonna dish it out, you're gonna have to take it, Brady thought. As Philip wondered if Chloe was sleeping peacefully in their room, Brady grabbed Philip's collar and gave him his turn up against the wall.
Philip then got an image of Chloe and Brady kissing. Hell, maybe fighting Brady wouldn't solve anything. But right now, Philip couldn't think of anything that would feel better.
Mimi moaned deeply when Jason started kissing her neck. They were downstairs for god knows how long, just kissing on the couch. "Practicing," as Jason called it. "For when she wants to impress her true love with her wonderful kissing skills."
"Sssh," Jason said, sitting up.
Mimi sat up too. "What? You told me to do that. You said guys like it...even if I did fake that moan," she giggled.
"No, I mean, do you hear that?" Mimi stopped laughing when they heard Philip and Brady yelling.
"Do you wanna go check it out?" Mimi asked.
"Yeah," Jason said. Mimi followed Jason as they rushed up the stairs and Jason turned his head to look at Mimi.
"What?"
"Did you really fake that one?"
"Jason..." Mimi rolled her eyes and went ahead of him as he called after her.
"Because I was kissing really good. Right? Mimi?"
Brady punched Philip again and again until he got bored of punching and threw him up against the mirror, cracking the glass. Philip yelled in pain and shoved Brady into the dresser, before throwing a fist towards his nose.
Brady shouted cuss words left and right as blood began to trickle down and glared up at Philip. Brady pounced on him, throwing punch after punch, pissed that Philip had the upper hand. He heard Mimi scream behind him, but he kept on going, even though Philip got in some hits. In a few seconds after the scream, Brady was being pulled off Philip, who curled up on his position on the floor.
"God, Brady, cut him a break!" Jason yelled, struggling to hold Brady back. Mimi ran over to Philip's side. "Jeez," she whispered. "Philip, are you all right?" she asked gently, brushing his hair off his forehead.
"Check my back for glass," he said. Mimi did, and despite a few scratches, there was no embedded glass. "Are you sure you're ok, Phil?"
Brady finally let up fighting and shoved Jason off of him. He sat down on the bed and put his hands in his head. Jason looked around the room and let out a low whistle, sinking in the bed besides Brady.
"Dude, you totally trashed our room. Are we going to have to pay for this?" Brady glared at Jason, who scooted over a little to the edge of the bed. "Or I can just stop talking." Brady nodded and went to grab a tissue to check if his nose was still bleeding as badly as before.
"I'm fine, Mimi, I swear," Philip groaned. "Nothing broken, that's a good sign, right?" He said, forcing a smile on his face as Mimi helped him up. Brady grimaced at his reflection in one of the mirror shards on the floor. He sighed when he realized how much he lost it...he didn't even know why he was fighting Philip. He just got so mad when a little punk thought he could beat up Brady Black. Brady threw the bloody tissue in the trash and walked over to Philip.
"Listen, Phil. You really caught me off guard this morning..."
"Get away from me, Brady," Philip growled lowly.
"...and I was just defending myself." He looked over at Mimi, who rose her eyebrows skeptically. "OK, sometimes I was and sometimes I just got caught up in getting the upper hand. But it was really dumb of me. I'm sorry, buddy." Jason glanced over at Mimi and saw that she was almost as shocked as him that Brady Black actually apologized. Even more surprising, Brady held out his hand to be shaken by Philip.
Philip looked at Brady's hand and shook his head in disgust. "Do you really think I'm going to forgive you for ruining my life?"
"Dude, I just got in a fight with you, I wouldn't exactly call it life-threatening."
"Yeah, Phil, you might have gotten beaten up some, but you're fine, right?" Jason asked.
Philip nodded. "Physically, I'm hurtin, but I'll be ok. But aren't you a little curious of why I picked this fight with you, Brady?"
Brady looked down and swallowed. "I think I probably already know."
Philip tilted his head to the side and smiled bitterly. "That's why I would never give you a sign of respect if my life depended on it," he spat out, nodding to Brady's hand.
Brady sighed as Jason and Mimi glanced at each other in confusion. "Phil, it wasn't that big of a deal, all right? Don't get so melodramatic about it. A kiss is just a kiss."
"Rot in hell, Brady," Philip muttered before leaving the room. Mimi and Jason stood there awkwardly before Mimi spoke up.
"Brady, what--"
"Screw this," Brady said as he went out the door. Mimi threw up her hands and sighed dramatically.
"I wonder what happened."
"I'll tell you what happened."
"What?" Mimi asked excitedly.
"Brady and Phil stuck us with cleaning duty," Jason sighed, pointing to the mess left behind by the fight.
"How did she get in there? Don't you have the keys?" Belle asked as she and Shawn hurried over to the car.
"Yeah, but I think me and Jase left it unlocked after we carried in the last of the luggage."
The two slowed down when they approached the car. Chloe fell asleep sitting up in the driver's seat and her hair was put up in a sloppy ponytail, with pieces hanging down all over the place. Chloe's face was pale as a ghost and her clothes were all rumpled and wrinkled.
"God, Shawn, is she all right?"
Shawn opened the passenger door and lightly shook Chloe. She murmured lightly and her eyes fluttered open. "Philip...?"
"No, it's me. Shawn."
Chloe bolted up in her seat and tried to look past Shawn's shoulder. "Philip? Where is he?"
Belle squeezed herself in between Shawn and the doorway of the car. "He's probably sleeping inside, Chloe."
"Probably?" Chloe asked, with a slight panic to her voice.
"Chloe, what happened?" Belle asked in a soft tone.
Chloe looked up at Shawn and he nodded without her having to say anything. "I'm gonna go check on Philip," he said to Belle who smiled gently. Shawn pulled Chloe into a bear hug and kissed the top of her head, before leaving for the condo. Belle climbed into the passenger side and shut the door, turning to look at Chloe with patient eyes.
"Oh, God, Belle, I made a horrible mistake..." Chloe sobbed.
"Chloe, you don't have to tell me what happened. Just let me know if you're going to be okay," Belle said, hoping she was hiding the desperation in her voice.
"Belle--I feel so lost. I--I don't even know how I slept. When Philip left to go back in the condo, I just cried myself to sleep. He didn't--he didn't even come and check to see if I was okay all alone out here," Chloe said, trying to get the words out as best she could. Her voice cracked on the last word and she twisted away from Belle. She tried not think about what happened, not wanting to break down in front of her friend. Finally, Chloe envisioned Philip's face--his expression of betrayal, hurt and anger--and she just let the tears flow out. She tried to cry out his face, his pain, but it refused to leave her mind. She had always held back her emotions, always held back what she was feeling. But Chloe couldn't hold back anymore. The foster homes, the emotional and sometimes physical abuse from the families, Chloe could built up walls to protect herself from that. She could escape in fantasy worlds where she'd be singing opera all day and all night. Where love conquers all and Philip will forever be her Prince Charming. But Chloe couldn't escape from her own mistakes. And this was one mistake that she didn't know that she could forgive herself for. Maybe it was just a meaningless kiss...but the pain in Philip's eyes was haunting...and Chloe never wanted anyone to feel as much pain as she had in her past. And the fact she saw someone she loved look at her with disgust...it destroyed her heart.
Belle reached from Chloe's hand and chills went down her back. Chloe was shaking uncontrollably and Belle stared at her, helpless. Chloe sniffed and sighed shakily, staring through the windshield at the condo.
"He hates me, Belle. He really hates me," she whispered, as her body shuddered.
Belle shook her head quickly, frantic to keep Chloe from losing it. "Philip would never hate you, Chloe. Never. He loves you," she said, trying her best to convince her. "He loves you more than the world. Philip...he's never had love before, Chloe. Not from girls, not even from his family really...but i--it's different with you. You're nothing like he's ever had in his life before. He needs you Chloe, like air. And he won't be able to breath without you in his life," Belle said gently, as her own eyes welled with tears. She would give up everything for Chloe to just stop looking...looking so lost and alone.
Chloe slowly lowered her head in Belle's lap and Belle stroked Chloe's hair. Finally, Chloe broke down, letting the sobs run through her body, letting the memory of the night before escape through her tears. The cries shuddered through her body and Chloe gasped, needing to talk. "Philip can breath without me just fine, Belle. I feel like I'm the one who can't breath. Can't think. I--I've lost everything because of one stupid mistake," Chloe shouted through her sobs. She wish she could just stop crying, stop shaking. But the lump in her throat wouldn't go away. The ache in her heart wouldn't go away. The mistake she made would never go away. The only thing...person...that she wanted to keep was gone...
"Philip...don't hate me," Chloe whispered. She repeated it through her sobs as Belle cried silently with her, stroking her hair and pretending it was helping.
Chapter 18
Brady sat on the beach as his stomach grumbled. He was starving but definitely didn't want to get back to the condo any time soon. He wiped the area underneath his nose and was relieved it stopped bleeding completely. Brady sighed and looked at the sky. He felt horrible...he tore up a relationship, beat up a friend and probably broke the heart of an innocent girl.
"And all in less than a day," he muttered to himself. "Great job, Brady."
"So, is this a one person conversation or can I join in?" A light female voice asked. Brady looked up to see a pretty girl wearing a tank top and blue jeans. She had long blond hair that curled at the ends and piercing blue-green eyes.
"Heather?" Brady grinned in a happy shock.
"The one and only." Heather Walker was a girl that Brady dated on and off for years. She went off to Salem U. and talked to Brady sometimes through e-mail but it was never the same. She was too concentrated on school and Brady...still needed to figure himself out.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were at Salem U."
"Well," she responded. "Salem U. gets spring break sometimes, too, ya know. Me and a couple of my friends are staying at a hotel nearby. I went for a walk on the beach and saw--an old friend." Brady rolled his eyes of her choice of words. "Hey, um, what happened to your face?" she asked, plopping down on the sand next to Brady.
"Long story."
"You got in between some guy and his girl, huh?"
"OK, story's not so long, I guess."
Heather smiled sadly. "Who's the girl?"
Brady shook his head as he played with the grains of sand beneath his feet. "You wouldn't know her, she's new to Salem."
"One of Belle's friends?"
Brady laughed in disbelief. "Why are you so good at this?"
Heather lightly punched Brady on the shoulder with a smirk on her face. "Because I know you, Brady."
Brady clenched his jaw and sighed. "No, Walker, you really don't. You don't know me."
Heather stood up and began to walk in a circle around Brady. "Oh, I beg to differ. Nobody knows poor Brady Black, except his perky little sis. You're dark...mysterious...dangerous. Except that I've seen you when it's just you and me...definitely not dark. More like dorky. Endearingly dorky. Mysterious...eh...you can put on a good 'I screw with people's minds' game, but I don't buy it as your personality. Just a defense. And dangerous? Only in your dreams, Brady. Wearing black sweaters doesn't equal dangerous." She sat back down with a triumphant grin. Brady sighed and put his chin in between his knees.
"Well, Heath, you pinned me. So, once you strip away the dark, the mysterious and the dangerous...what do you see?" Brady asked bitterly.
Heather looked up in surprise and stammered for an answer.
"Exactly...you see what everyone else sees when I put my defenses down. Nothing. A nobody."
"No, Brady. What I see is someone who lost himself. You were happy, you were trustworthy, you were sweet and caring." Brady grimaced at Heather's words. "What happened to that version of Brady? Because I miss him."
An awkward silence filled the air when Brady's shaky voice broke it.
"Me too."
"So Brady ran outta here, too," Jason completed, as he and Shawn, who recently walked in the room, swept the rest of the broken glass into the trash can.
Mimi finished straightening out the dresser with a gasp. "God, these boys definitely went all out."
Shawn stretched his arms over his head and frowned. "Hey, um, where did the guys go?"
"Well, Brady's out on the beach talking to that chick he knows," Mimi said, pointing out the window. "We have no idea where Philip is."
"You guys just let Philip walk on out of here?"
"Hey, man," Jason said, putting the trash can in the corner of the room. "You would let Philip go after you saw that fight."
"Yeah, Jase, I bet you were really scared of the guy who got his ass kicked," a groggy voice said behind them.
"Phil!" Shawn shouted, running over and giving him a hug. He coughed and stepped back, a little embarrassed by being affectionate. Philip smiled tightly and walked over to Jason's bed.
"I tried to sleep for a couple of a minutes, but I've got a mother of a headache."
Mimi looked at Philip at pity and sighed, glancing out the window at Brady. She wondered what part Chloe had in all this.
Jason reassuringly patted Philip on the back as Shawn smiled. "Hey, man," he said. "Whatever happened with you and Chloe, I mean, it's gonna be okay between the two of you, right?"
Philip glanced over at Shawn and sank down on the bed. "I--" he cleared his throat before his voice cracked. "I don't know...I want to forgive her...but I don't know if I can forget--" Philip immediately looked down when he felt hot tears spill down his cheeks. Mimi exhaled miserably and walked over to give him a hug.
"It's ok to cry, Phil. Just let it go."
Philip gave a smile to assure her he'd be fine. He paced himself over to the window and watched as Brady talked to a blond girl that looked familiar.
Jason slowly walked over to Philip's side. "What if Chloe apologized for whatever she did to you, right now? What would you say?"
Philip sighed and tried not to get a lump in his throat. "I--I don't...I guess it all depends on what she would say."
"Want to give me a shot then?" The soft, shaky voice startled Philip and he whipped around to find a tearstained Chloe leaning against Belle in the doorway.
Belle paced back and forth in the living room with her hands clasped behind her back and glanced nervously to the stairs.
"God, Belle, would you sit down already?" Mimi groaned. "You're making me scared."
Shawn fidgeted on the couch. He wanted to pull Belle in a reassuring kiss but that ruin their sneaking around idea in a hurry. Even though their little game didn't seem as important as Philip and Chloe being okay.
"I just want to know what they're saying," Belle wondered, stealing another glance upstairs.
"Hey, how did you find Chloe anyway?" Jason piped up.
"What?" Belle asked a little too quickly. Shawn cleared his throat.
"Well, you said you found her in the car. Why were you outside by yourself in the rain at five o'clock in the morning?"
Belle looked at Shawn and he shrugged slightly. "Uh...um. I was...uh...taking out the trash." Shawn rolled his eyes and tilted his head back.
"At five in the morning?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Yes...um. I couldn't sleep, so I went in the kitchen and...uh...saw the trash...which, um, smelled. Like, really bad. So I took it out," Belle completed her mess of a sentence proudly.
Jason nodded suspiciously, not missing the repeated glances in Shawn's direction. He didn't know what it meant, but he wanted to find out. "So...Shawn, where you? All of a sudden, you walked into our room a little out of breath."
"I was looking for Philip, to see if he was okay," Shawn answered on instinct.
Jason crossed his arms. "How did you know something was wrong? You walked in the bedroom after the fight."
Shawn sighed, not wanting to tell them Chloe sent him after Philip. Jason the New-Born Detective would figure out him and Belle were up together at five in the morning. Then Jason the Sex Fiend would think there's only one thing that can keep two people of the opposite sex up that late.
Thank God for Mimi. "Jesus, Jason, who cares? This isn't some big conspiracy. He probably heard Brady and Phil crashing around in the room." She stood up and went over to Belle, hugging her to stop her from pacing.
All of a sudden, Shawn stood up and crossed his arms. "Hey, where were you this morning, Jase? You said you walked in the room with Mimi and broke the fight up."
Mimi grew nervous when Belle pulled back and gave her a curious stare. She hoped Jason came up with a good lie.
"I was making out with Mimi," Jason answered nonchalantly.
Shocked silence filled the air until the words sunk in.
"What?!" Shawn, Belle and Mimi shouted.