Chapter Thirteen
Chloe dragged her suitcase into the hotel room with a groan. She stopped to catch her breath and looked around. This room was much nicer than their other two had been. It was large, well decorated and very plush.
"Wow, Brady... nice place..."
Brady came staggering in behind her. "Yeah... might as well go all out for once."
Chloe set her suitcase aside and threw herself on to the nearest bed with a sigh. "You know... I'm thinking that we brought way too much stuff. All this carrying of suitcases is not healthy."
Brady hefted his suitcase into the corner with a groan and laid down beside her. "I think you're right about that one..."
Chloe rolled on to her side to look at Brady. "Hey... are you hungry?"
"You mean, you ARE? You just had a turkey sandwich, didn't you?"
"HALF of a turkey sandwich, I'll have you know. Plus we didn't really eat lunch, so I'm kinda starving."
Brady sat up and reached for the room service menu on the bedside table. "Well then... we will order room service."
Chloe grinned at him. "Wow... we really are doing it up big tonight."
"Come on... Room service is expensive, so enjoy it while it lasts. What do you want?"
Chloe stood up and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm gonna go freshen up... just order me something that you know I'll like. Anything is fine."
Chloe stepped inside the bathroom and looked at herself. Her eyes were still slightly red from crying, and the tear stains were still visible on her face. She ran the water in the sink and washed her face off gently. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and softly spoke to it, "Brady's right... When you get over with all of this, you have to let it go. Live for now, not for yesterday."
She turned the water off and returned to the bedroom area. Brady had just hung up the phone and he smiled at her as she walked in.
"So... what shall we be feasting on tonight?"
"What any two mature adults would have in a fancy hotel room... Cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes."
Chloe laughed and sat on the edge of the bed. "That'll do... I think I'm going to try and go through some more of these diaries tonight."
Brady gave her a concerned glance. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
Chloe nodded affirmatively. "Yeah, I might as well get it over with... Go ahead and watch TV if you want, it's not going to distract me."
Brady complied happily and used the remote to turn on ESPN, as Chloe grabbed the journals out of her backpack and laid with them on the other bed. She paged through them silently for awhile, trying to put herself in Nancy's shoes and trying to understand everything that had happened.
Chloe was so engrossed in the journal that she didn't even hear the knock at the door. She only lifted her head from the pages when she heard Brady open the door and talk to the room service waiter. She closed the journal and laid it aside, walking over to help carry the food in to the dining table in the corner. Brady signed the ticket as Chloe arranged everything on the table for them. They sat across from each other and silently began eating their dinners.
Chloe had taken a few bites when Brady interrupted her. "So, how's the reading going?"
Chloe took a sip from her milkshake and shrugged slightly. "Fine, I guess... I've been reading a lot about what happened when she found out she was pregnant. She really did want to keep me, Brady."
Brady raised one eyebrow. "Are you surprised?"
"I don't know... maybe a little. Most women wouldn't want to keep a child that is a child of rape. And, she goes on about how Craig had always said he didn't want to have children, and neither did she... but she changed her mind when she got pregnant. She just wished it was Craig's baby and not Sam's, because then maybe she could keep me. My grandfather sent her away because he didn't want anyone to find out that Nancy was pregnant, because then the whole world would find that she was raped by Sam Lennox."
Brady sighed. "And there's no possible way that you could be Craig's daughter?"
Chloe shook her head. "I know that they had made love before, but she says they always used protection so it's just not possible."
"And Craig never even knew you existed until you showed up in Salem?"
"Pretty much. When Nancy had to run off to Boston, and she couldn't explain it to Craig, he broke up with her for awhile. He always wanted to know what was going on with her, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell him."
Brady dipped a fry in ketchup before speaking. "But obviously... they got back together?"
Chloe smiled. "I guess he just couldn't live with out her. He told me once that he figured it didn't matter what she was hiding from him, because he still loved her and trusted her."
Brady nodded approvingly. "Wow... that's amazing."
"I know..." Chloe looked away thoughtfully and took a bite of her cheeseburger.
"Chloe... you're not thinking of Phillip, are you?"
Chloe sighed and put her cheeseburger down. "Brady... we don't have to go there, do we?"
Brady shook his head. "No, we don't... I'm sorry I mentioned it... It's just that..."
"...Phillip didn't trust me like Craig trusted Nancy. Yeah, yeah, I gotcha... But... that is of the past. Granted, it's more recent past... but still, I don't want to dwell on it. That's what you told me, remember? Let it go..."
Brady smiled. "Yeah... I'm right. I mean... you're right."
Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed. "Well, thanks... I think."
"So, what's in book three of the Nancy Chronicles?"
"Don't know. Not there yet. I took a glimpse, and it looks like it's all after I was born and when she came back to Newport after giving me up. That can all wait for now... I mean, I'm interested to read it, but I think I'm done spelunking into Nancy's brain for tonight."
Brady finished off his milkshake and smiled at her. "Okay, now that we have all this information about Sam Lennox... what are we going to do with it?"
Chloe sighed as she pushed her finished plate aside and threw her napkin on the table. "I don't know... I've been wondering that all day. I came here to find my father, and now I don't know what I'm going to do about it. Crazy, isn't it?"
"Not so crazy. It's a lot to think about. Do you think you want to meet him face to face?"
Chloe shrugged. "I don't know. I thought so at first, but now I'm just a loss. What would I do? Look him in the eye just so I can tell him what a terrible thing he did and how he destroyed my life. What's the point? A man like that doesn't care how his actions affect other people. If he did, he would have never raped my mother."
"That's not always true, Chloe. He may have regrets, you don't know..."
Chloe slumped in her seat a bit. "I doubt it..."
"You'll never find out if you don't talk to him."
Chloe sighed in frustration and put her head in her hands. "Oh geez... I guess it's kinda dumb to come all this way, just to turn around and go home."
Brady nodded and leaned forward to remove Chloe's hands from her face. "And don't you think you might regret it if you don't take the chance?"
Chloe frowned at him. "I guess... damn you, Brady... why do you always have to be right?"
Brady leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Because I'm the best."
Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Oh yeah... the best at being egotistical."
Brady's jaw dropped in shock. He slid out of his chair and in one swift move grabbed Chloe out of hers pulling her to the floor beside him. As she fell to the floor, she bumped the back of her head on the table. Hard enough to make a sound, but not bad enough to cause any major damage.
She rubbed her head and groaned in pain. "OWWWWWW... What the hell did you do that for?"
Brady cringed a tiny bit. "Oops... sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to crack your skull open. I just wanted to show you what I'm the best at."
Chloe looked at him skeptically. "Well, if you're the best at giving brain damage to an innocent girl, congratulations... you've shown me the light." She grimaced again and rubbed the injured spot on her head.
Brady pulled her closer to him and moved one hand to replace hers where she had bumped her head. He rubbed it gently as if he was trying to make the pain go away.
"No... I'm the best at this..."
She smiled at his gentle touch and looked at him curiously. Brady leaned in further and kissed her passionately. Her body melted into his, and she felt the pain in her head disappear. He moved his hand down from her head, gently grazing her neck and ran it down her back resting it at the base of her spine. She shuddered at his touch and deepened the kiss. She unconsciously rubbed her leg against his and felt his entire body tense.
Brady broke off the kiss and grinned at her. "So... how's the head feeling now?"
"Don't even notice it. You ARE the best." Chloe winked at him slyly.
Brady chuckled, rolled over to lie on his back and put his hands behind his head. "Yeah... well... I don't like to brag."
Chloe laughed loudly at him. "Yeah right... That is SUCH a lie."
Brady pushed himself up with his arms and grinned at her. "Okay... well, I don't like to brag ALL the time... just some of the time."
Chloe sat up as well. "Most of the time..."
They laughed together as Chloe interlaced her fingers between his and laid her head on his shoulder. Chloe thought to herself, You are the best, Brady... Thank God for you.
Brady wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Did you make your decision about tomorrow then?"
Chloe nodded slightly. "Yeah... I'm going to try and find him. I need to see him. Just get it over with and move on, right?"
Brady nodded in agreement. "Exactly..."
Chloe sighed softly and cuddled up to Brady even closer. I just hope you're right... I don't want regret seeing him more than I would regret just going home.
Chloe dragged her suitcase into the hotel room with a groan. She stopped to catch her breath and looked around. This room was much nicer than their other two had been. It was large, well decorated and very plush.
"Wow, Brady... nice place..."
Brady came staggering in behind her. "Yeah... might as well go all out for once."
Chloe set her suitcase aside and threw herself on to the nearest bed with a sigh. "You know... I'm thinking that we brought way too much stuff. All this carrying of suitcases is not healthy."
Brady hefted his suitcase into the corner with a groan and laid down beside her. "I think you're right about that one..."
Chloe rolled on to her side to look at Brady. "Hey... are you hungry?"
"You mean, you ARE? You just had a turkey sandwich, didn't you?"
"HALF of a turkey sandwich, I'll have you know. Plus we didn't really eat lunch, so I'm kinda starving."
Brady sat up and reached for the room service menu on the bedside table. "Well then... we will order room service."
Chloe grinned at him. "Wow... we really are doing it up big tonight."
"Come on... Room service is expensive, so enjoy it while it lasts. What do you want?"
Chloe stood up and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm gonna go freshen up... just order me something that you know I'll like. Anything is fine."
Chloe stepped inside the bathroom and looked at herself. Her eyes were still slightly red from crying, and the tear stains were still visible on her face. She ran the water in the sink and washed her face off gently. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and softly spoke to it, "Brady's right... When you get over with all of this, you have to let it go. Live for now, not for yesterday."
She turned the water off and returned to the bedroom area. Brady had just hung up the phone and he smiled at her as she walked in.
"So... what shall we be feasting on tonight?"
"What any two mature adults would have in a fancy hotel room... Cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes."
Chloe laughed and sat on the edge of the bed. "That'll do... I think I'm going to try and go through some more of these diaries tonight."
Brady gave her a concerned glance. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
Chloe nodded affirmatively. "Yeah, I might as well get it over with... Go ahead and watch TV if you want, it's not going to distract me."
Brady complied happily and used the remote to turn on ESPN, as Chloe grabbed the journals out of her backpack and laid with them on the other bed. She paged through them silently for awhile, trying to put herself in Nancy's shoes and trying to understand everything that had happened.
Chloe was so engrossed in the journal that she didn't even hear the knock at the door. She only lifted her head from the pages when she heard Brady open the door and talk to the room service waiter. She closed the journal and laid it aside, walking over to help carry the food in to the dining table in the corner. Brady signed the ticket as Chloe arranged everything on the table for them. They sat across from each other and silently began eating their dinners.
Chloe had taken a few bites when Brady interrupted her. "So, how's the reading going?"
Chloe took a sip from her milkshake and shrugged slightly. "Fine, I guess... I've been reading a lot about what happened when she found out she was pregnant. She really did want to keep me, Brady."
Brady raised one eyebrow. "Are you surprised?"
"I don't know... maybe a little. Most women wouldn't want to keep a child that is a child of rape. And, she goes on about how Craig had always said he didn't want to have children, and neither did she... but she changed her mind when she got pregnant. She just wished it was Craig's baby and not Sam's, because then maybe she could keep me. My grandfather sent her away because he didn't want anyone to find out that Nancy was pregnant, because then the whole world would find that she was raped by Sam Lennox."
Brady sighed. "And there's no possible way that you could be Craig's daughter?"
Chloe shook her head. "I know that they had made love before, but she says they always used protection so it's just not possible."
"And Craig never even knew you existed until you showed up in Salem?"
"Pretty much. When Nancy had to run off to Boston, and she couldn't explain it to Craig, he broke up with her for awhile. He always wanted to know what was going on with her, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell him."
Brady dipped a fry in ketchup before speaking. "But obviously... they got back together?"
Chloe smiled. "I guess he just couldn't live with out her. He told me once that he figured it didn't matter what she was hiding from him, because he still loved her and trusted her."
Brady nodded approvingly. "Wow... that's amazing."
"I know..." Chloe looked away thoughtfully and took a bite of her cheeseburger.
"Chloe... you're not thinking of Phillip, are you?"
Chloe sighed and put her cheeseburger down. "Brady... we don't have to go there, do we?"
Brady shook his head. "No, we don't... I'm sorry I mentioned it... It's just that..."
"...Phillip didn't trust me like Craig trusted Nancy. Yeah, yeah, I gotcha... But... that is of the past. Granted, it's more recent past... but still, I don't want to dwell on it. That's what you told me, remember? Let it go..."
Brady smiled. "Yeah... I'm right. I mean... you're right."
Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed. "Well, thanks... I think."
"So, what's in book three of the Nancy Chronicles?"
"Don't know. Not there yet. I took a glimpse, and it looks like it's all after I was born and when she came back to Newport after giving me up. That can all wait for now... I mean, I'm interested to read it, but I think I'm done spelunking into Nancy's brain for tonight."
Brady finished off his milkshake and smiled at her. "Okay, now that we have all this information about Sam Lennox... what are we going to do with it?"
Chloe sighed as she pushed her finished plate aside and threw her napkin on the table. "I don't know... I've been wondering that all day. I came here to find my father, and now I don't know what I'm going to do about it. Crazy, isn't it?"
"Not so crazy. It's a lot to think about. Do you think you want to meet him face to face?"
Chloe shrugged. "I don't know. I thought so at first, but now I'm just a loss. What would I do? Look him in the eye just so I can tell him what a terrible thing he did and how he destroyed my life. What's the point? A man like that doesn't care how his actions affect other people. If he did, he would have never raped my mother."
"That's not always true, Chloe. He may have regrets, you don't know..."
Chloe slumped in her seat a bit. "I doubt it..."
"You'll never find out if you don't talk to him."
Chloe sighed in frustration and put her head in her hands. "Oh geez... I guess it's kinda dumb to come all this way, just to turn around and go home."
Brady nodded and leaned forward to remove Chloe's hands from her face. "And don't you think you might regret it if you don't take the chance?"
Chloe frowned at him. "I guess... damn you, Brady... why do you always have to be right?"
Brady leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Because I'm the best."
Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Oh yeah... the best at being egotistical."
Brady's jaw dropped in shock. He slid out of his chair and in one swift move grabbed Chloe out of hers pulling her to the floor beside him. As she fell to the floor, she bumped the back of her head on the table. Hard enough to make a sound, but not bad enough to cause any major damage.
She rubbed her head and groaned in pain. "OWWWWWW... What the hell did you do that for?"
Brady cringed a tiny bit. "Oops... sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to crack your skull open. I just wanted to show you what I'm the best at."
Chloe looked at him skeptically. "Well, if you're the best at giving brain damage to an innocent girl, congratulations... you've shown me the light." She grimaced again and rubbed the injured spot on her head.
Brady pulled her closer to him and moved one hand to replace hers where she had bumped her head. He rubbed it gently as if he was trying to make the pain go away.
"No... I'm the best at this..."
She smiled at his gentle touch and looked at him curiously. Brady leaned in further and kissed her passionately. Her body melted into his, and she felt the pain in her head disappear. He moved his hand down from her head, gently grazing her neck and ran it down her back resting it at the base of her spine. She shuddered at his touch and deepened the kiss. She unconsciously rubbed her leg against his and felt his entire body tense.
Brady broke off the kiss and grinned at her. "So... how's the head feeling now?"
"Don't even notice it. You ARE the best." Chloe winked at him slyly.
Brady chuckled, rolled over to lie on his back and put his hands behind his head. "Yeah... well... I don't like to brag."
Chloe laughed loudly at him. "Yeah right... That is SUCH a lie."
Brady pushed himself up with his arms and grinned at her. "Okay... well, I don't like to brag ALL the time... just some of the time."
Chloe sat up as well. "Most of the time..."
They laughed together as Chloe interlaced her fingers between his and laid her head on his shoulder. Chloe thought to herself, You are the best, Brady... Thank God for you.
Brady wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Did you make your decision about tomorrow then?"
Chloe nodded slightly. "Yeah... I'm going to try and find him. I need to see him. Just get it over with and move on, right?"
Brady nodded in agreement. "Exactly..."
Chloe sighed softly and cuddled up to Brady even closer. I just hope you're right... I don't want regret seeing him more than I would regret just going home.