Chapter 9
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After stopping by DotCom and eating lunch at the Brady's Pub, Brady drove Chloe home. He pulled into the drive, turned off the car and got out. He went around to the other side of the car to open Chloe's door. She got out and they walked up the steps together. Once they got to the door Brady took both of her hands in his and kissed her. Chloe pulled away, flustered. Brady grinned. "I told you to get used to it." Then his face turned serious. "I love you."
Chloe caught a breath as her heart jumped in her chest. Why did those three words have such an effect on her when they came out of Brady's mouth? She didn't trust herself to speak. Brady's smile was sad. "You'd better get used to that, too. Because that's never going to change." He kissed her again. "Bye." He let go of her hands and walked down the steps and towards his car. "Brady!" Chloe called after him. He turned to look at her. "Call me." She said quietly and smiled at him. Brady grinned, and Chloe was amazed by how his eyes lit up. Could he really be telling the truth? Was he really in love with her? Chloe waved at him and went into the house and up to her room. She sat down on the bed and the phone rang, startling her. She answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey, Diva."
"Brady? You just left!"
"I'm in the car on the way to the penthouse. You said call you, so I did."
"I didn't mean IMMEDIATLY, Brady."
Brady laughed. "Well I couldn't wait to talk to you."
"You just spent the whole day with me!"
"It's not enough. It's never enough. I miss you 2 seconds after you're gone."
Chloe didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything.
"Diva? You there?"
"I'm here."
"Good. Look, I have to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
Brady sighed. "I'm almost afraid to ask. Chloe, do you feel something when we're together?"
"Yes." She didn't hesitate. There was no denying that.
"Do-Do you think that you could ever love me?"
Chloe hesitated. It would be so easy, she thought, to tell him that I'm in love with him and have his love forever. But she knew she couldn't do that. Not when Phillip Kiriakis was still in her heart. "I don't know, Brady." She said finally.
Brady didn't speak for a couple of minutes. Then he said, "So it's not a 'no', right?"
"Right. But not a yes either."
"It's a maybe."
"Yes. It is."
"That will have to do for now. So...have you heard from dear old Uncle Phillip?"
Chloe could hear the jealousy in his voice. "No, I haven't. Of course I haven't had my cell phone on in a week."
"Chloe, when Phillip gets back from that island, are you going to go back to him?"
Chloe thought for a moment. "No." She said finally. "After everything that's happened this summer, I don't think I could."
Brady breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."
"Brady, last night I told myself I'd stop spending so much time with you. But I can't seem to help myself. You are my best friend right now, and I don't want us to stop seeing each other."
"I'm glad. Because I've gotten so used to seeing you every day I don't know what I would do if I didn't. Life would be so boring."
Chloe laughed. "You're right. We've got nothing better to do."
"There IS nothing better than being with you." Brady said quietly.
"Brady...there's something you need to know."
"What?"
"I'm still in love with Phillip."
Brady took a deep breath. "I know that you think you are in love with him. You told me last night."
"Brady, I don't just THINK I am in love with him. I am."
"Chloe..." Brady's voice was strained, hurt.
"I just want to make sure you know that."
"I do, Chloe. Believe me, it could not be any more clear. But I don't care who you think you're in love with, I KNOW that I am in love with you."
"And I know that I am not in love with you." At least not yet, she added silently.
Brady was silent for a minute, and then said, "Okay. I guess I'll have to deal with that. But it hurts, Chloe. It breaks my heart to hear you say that. I want you to know that."
"I'm sorry, Brady."
"Yeah, yeah." His voice was gruff, discouraged. "Look, I'm at the house now. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Allright. Bye, Brady."
"Bye, Diva. I love you." Brady flipped his cell phone closed without waiting for a reply. He knew he wouldn't get one. He pulled into his driveway and turned off the car. He rested his head on the steering wheel and tried to shake off the hopelessness and depression Chloe's words had caused. He felt tears streaming down his face and he wiped them away. He sighed shakily and got out of the car. He walked into the house, fighting back the hurt that threatened to overwhelm him.