Chapter 2-
Chloe stepped the bath tub full of bubbles and hot water. She had turned on one of her favorite C.D.'s, and sank into the tub, her mind drowning in thoughts. She was going through so much. She had everything in her life one day, and then the next, she had nothing. She still couldn't believe it. She could only hope that she wasn't pregnant. She wanted a child, but not now, and certainly not with Brady. Her thoughts were interupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She stepped out of the water, wrapped her robe around her, and grabbed her cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Chloe!" The chiper voice said.
"Belle?"
"Yes! So, how are things? Where are you now? Are you still on tour?"
Chloe walked back into the bathroom and sank back into the tub after hanging her robe on the hook on the door.
"Um, actually Belle, I'm in Salem."
"What!"
Chloe held the phone away from her ear as Belle squeled.
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to be here?"
"Well, I have been busy, and I haven't had a chance to talk to you in a while."
"Wll, let me talk to Brady."
"Uh, Brady didn't come."
"Why not?"
"Uh, he was busy."
"Well, are you going to be at moms Christmas party tomorrow night?"
"Uh, yeah, but why did she decide to have the party on the twenty-third?"
"Oh, well, she wanted everyone to be able to come, and Hope is having hers on the twenty-fourth."
"Oh."
"Have you got all your shopping done yet?"
"No! I wish I did, but I don't."
"Well, why don't you meet me at Salem Place tomorrow morning, say 10? We can finish our shopping together, ok?"
"Sure, bye Belle."
"Bye Chloe."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chloe was in a rush. She had told Belle she would meet her at 10, and it was already 10:30. She ran up to Belle, who was standing in front of Salem Place.
"Belle!" Chloe yelled as she got closer to Belle.
"Chloe!" Belle ran up to Chloe and gave her a huge hug. "So, how have you been?"
"I've been great!" Chloe lied. She felt bad for lying to Belle, but Brady was Belle's brother, and she wasn't about to tell her what Brady had done. "How about you?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Salem is just so boring! You know?"
"Actually, I kinda miss Salem!"
"What? You have been all over the world, seeing glamorous places, and you actually miss Salem?"
"Yeah. I know, sounds crazy, doesn't it?"
"Yes! It does! But I guess I would miss Salem if I left, too."
"So, how is everyone?"
"Well, Shawn is great! He just got promoted to detective!"
"Wow, that's great!"
"Yeah, and J.T. is playing baseball now. You should see him! He is so good at it! And Philip is...Oops! Sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"What?" Chloe turned to Belle and then realized that Belle was worried because she had said Philips name. "Oh! Don't worry about it Belle! I was really immature to have not forgave Philip for the bet. It's no big deal." But actually it was. Chloe had so many regrets for never forgiving Philip, but she had decided to put it behind her after she realized that it was only holding her back in life. Yes, she wished she would have been with Philip. But her regrets were only hurting her more. "Anyway, you were saying? What about Philip?"
"Uh, well..."
"Well what? Is he seeing anyone? Has he gotten married? What?"
"It's just awful Chloe! He won't socialize! He won't date! For so many years now, he has just burried himself in his work! It's just awful!" Belle and Shawn had tried so many times to get Philip a life, but he didnt want one. He worked at Titan day and night, he didn't have a girlfriend or anything. Just work. That was the way it had been since Chloe had married Brady. Not that Philip would ever admit that was why he didn't date, but Belle knew that was the reason.
"Wow! That is awful!"
"Yeah, but come on! We, have shopping to do!"
With that Belle took Chloe's arm and lead her towards a store. They were at the door to the store when Chloe bumped into someone.
"Oh! Excuse me! I'm sorry!" Chloe apalogized, but then realized who she had bumped into.
"Philip?"
"Hi Chloe."
Chloe stepped the bath tub full of bubbles and hot water. She had turned on one of her favorite C.D.'s, and sank into the tub, her mind drowning in thoughts. She was going through so much. She had everything in her life one day, and then the next, she had nothing. She still couldn't believe it. She could only hope that she wasn't pregnant. She wanted a child, but not now, and certainly not with Brady. Her thoughts were interupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She stepped out of the water, wrapped her robe around her, and grabbed her cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Chloe!" The chiper voice said.
"Belle?"
"Yes! So, how are things? Where are you now? Are you still on tour?"
Chloe walked back into the bathroom and sank back into the tub after hanging her robe on the hook on the door.
"Um, actually Belle, I'm in Salem."
"What!"
Chloe held the phone away from her ear as Belle squeled.
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to be here?"
"Well, I have been busy, and I haven't had a chance to talk to you in a while."
"Wll, let me talk to Brady."
"Uh, Brady didn't come."
"Why not?"
"Uh, he was busy."
"Well, are you going to be at moms Christmas party tomorrow night?"
"Uh, yeah, but why did she decide to have the party on the twenty-third?"
"Oh, well, she wanted everyone to be able to come, and Hope is having hers on the twenty-fourth."
"Oh."
"Have you got all your shopping done yet?"
"No! I wish I did, but I don't."
"Well, why don't you meet me at Salem Place tomorrow morning, say 10? We can finish our shopping together, ok?"
"Sure, bye Belle."
"Bye Chloe."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chloe was in a rush. She had told Belle she would meet her at 10, and it was already 10:30. She ran up to Belle, who was standing in front of Salem Place.
"Belle!" Chloe yelled as she got closer to Belle.
"Chloe!" Belle ran up to Chloe and gave her a huge hug. "So, how have you been?"
"I've been great!" Chloe lied. She felt bad for lying to Belle, but Brady was Belle's brother, and she wasn't about to tell her what Brady had done. "How about you?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Salem is just so boring! You know?"
"Actually, I kinda miss Salem!"
"What? You have been all over the world, seeing glamorous places, and you actually miss Salem?"
"Yeah. I know, sounds crazy, doesn't it?"
"Yes! It does! But I guess I would miss Salem if I left, too."
"So, how is everyone?"
"Well, Shawn is great! He just got promoted to detective!"
"Wow, that's great!"
"Yeah, and J.T. is playing baseball now. You should see him! He is so good at it! And Philip is...Oops! Sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"What?" Chloe turned to Belle and then realized that Belle was worried because she had said Philips name. "Oh! Don't worry about it Belle! I was really immature to have not forgave Philip for the bet. It's no big deal." But actually it was. Chloe had so many regrets for never forgiving Philip, but she had decided to put it behind her after she realized that it was only holding her back in life. Yes, she wished she would have been with Philip. But her regrets were only hurting her more. "Anyway, you were saying? What about Philip?"
"Uh, well..."
"Well what? Is he seeing anyone? Has he gotten married? What?"
"It's just awful Chloe! He won't socialize! He won't date! For so many years now, he has just burried himself in his work! It's just awful!" Belle and Shawn had tried so many times to get Philip a life, but he didnt want one. He worked at Titan day and night, he didn't have a girlfriend or anything. Just work. That was the way it had been since Chloe had married Brady. Not that Philip would ever admit that was why he didn't date, but Belle knew that was the reason.
"Wow! That is awful!"
"Yeah, but come on! We, have shopping to do!"
With that Belle took Chloe's arm and lead her towards a store. They were at the door to the store when Chloe bumped into someone.
"Oh! Excuse me! I'm sorry!" Chloe apalogized, but then realized who she had bumped into.
"Philip?"
"Hi Chloe."