Chapter 20
Brady's eyes lit up with hope.
"Chloe.." he whispered, taking her into his arms. He breathed in her scent. He pulled away and took her face in his hands.
"Chloe, I love you. It means so much to me to hear you say that." He smiled at her through his tears. He kissed her softly.
Chloe smiled at him a little. It would be so easy. It would be so easy to give in, to tell him that she wanted to be with him more than anything, to fall into his arms and never look back. But she couldn't. It took everything she had, every ounce of will power she possessed to pull away from Brady.
"No."
"No?"
"I'm sorry Brady. I can't. Not now. It isn't right."
"It isn't RIGHT? What do you mean it isnt RIGHT?" Anger spread across his face now.
"I--"
Suddenly Brady pulled her to him, until she was pressed tight against him. His eyes locked with hers, his lips mere inches from hers. "NOW, tell me this isnt right. That this doesnt feel RIGHT. You know it does Chloe."
Chloe turned her face away. God, why did he have to make this so hard? "Yes...but it isnt."
Brady let her go. "And staying with Philip when you dont love him, torturing yourself, IS? Is that what you call right?" Chloe didn't answer.
"You're life doesnt revolve around Philip. You don't have to do everything for him. You don't love him Chloe, why are you doing this? Why do you let him control you?"
"He doesn't control me."
"Oh, so your saying that your decision not to be with me, has nothing at all to do with Philip? That if he weren't around, you'd still say no?"
Chloe was silent. "He loves me." She said finally.
Brady rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he does Chloe. But I love you too."
"I know Brady."
"And I thought you loved me."
"I do! But-"
Brady glared at her. "You do, but what Chloe? But you can't? Dammit! Would you make up your damn mind?"
Chloe looked at him, shocked by his sudden outburst.
"I love you Brady." He said, mocking her. "But I can't be with you because I have to stay with my petty, controlling boyfriend so he can get his little way even though I can't stand him."
Tears were sliding down Chloe's face.
"I love you, Brady." Brady continued, his voice deep and angry, getting louder as he spoke, "But I'm going to put you through hell and make you live a miserable life without me, so that you never eat, never sleep, never do a damn thing cuz all you can think about is me and make you wish you were dead, anything to ease the pain, because really even though I supposedly "love" you I just don't give a damn FUCK about you!"
Chloe was crying loudly now, shaking her head frantically. "That isnt true Brady!"
"Then why?" His angry face softening, the rage in his eyes turning to hurt, "Why do you do it, Chloe? Why? Can't you see how much this is hurting me? Do you even care?"
"Of course I care Brady. You just dont understand."
"What is there to understand, Chloe? I love you, you love me. Why can't we be together? Oh, that's right. Phillip. Forgive me for forgetting." He sat back down on the bed.
"I do love you Brady." Chloe said. "But I care about Philip. No, I dont love him, but I don't want him to try something like...before again."
"He doesn't have to know..."
"Brady- he'll know. Philip always knows. Even when he doesn't."
Brady smirked. "Yeah, but what am I supposed to do, Chloe?"
"You know I love you. You know that in time we will be together. But not right now."
"When Chloe? When Philip's dead? When were old? We'll get together, like, 2 days before we die? You know, Philip's not going to stop."
"Brady, stop exaggerating. He isn't that bad."
"Bad enough. Chloe, I can't stand not seeing you. These last few months, honestly I don't know how I survived them.Without you. You being here today, makes it all better, at least for a few minutes, but when you walk out that door, it'll start all over again."
"I'm sorry, Brady."
Brady shrugged.
"I have to go." Chloe said.
Brady nodded. "Ok."
She moved into his arms and hugged him. She leaned up and kissed him.
"Bye Brady."
"Bye." He whispered.
Chloe turned to leave. She got across the room, out the door, and down the stairs before she looked back. She saw Brady standing at the top of the stairs, tears in his eyes.
"I love you." he mouthed to her,and he looked so forlorn, so heartbroken.
That's when her resolve broke. Her will power was strong, but it wasn't that strong. She turned and ran back up the stairs and into Brady's surprised, but open arms.
Chapter 21
Brady buried his face in Chloe's long dark curls. "Stay." He whispered to her softly. "Stay this time, Chloe. Don't leave me again."
Chloe shook her head against his chest. "No." She said firmly. "Never again."
Brady closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her. "You promise?" He asked hoarsely.
Chloe pulled away and looked at him, laughing and crying all at the same time. She ran her fingers through his blond hair and kissed him. She pulled away from him again and looked into his eyes. "I promise." She placed her hands on his face. "I promise you, Brady Black, that I will never leave you again."
Brady looked at her, his intense blue eyes raging with emotion, and then grinned. The smile lit up his whole face. "Okay." He said simply.
Chloe smiled back at him. "Okay."
Chapter 22
Chloe sat on Brady's bed, wondering what she was going to do. Brady had gone downstairs to talk to Belle. Chloe realized now that she could never leave Brady again. But she also knew that she couldn't break up with Phillip-at least not right away. She would have to let him down gently, over some time, and he could never know she'd broken up with him because of Brady. She sighed and picked up her cell phone. She called Phillip. "Hey." She said when he picked up the phone.
"Hey, Chloe. Where are you? Still at Belle's?"
"Yeah. She's really upset. I think I might spend the night."
"Okay. Do you want me to bring you some clothes?"
"No, no! I have some here."
"All right. Well I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Come to the house tomorrow about 4:00, okay? We need to talk."
"Okay. I love you, Chloe."
"I love you, too." Chloe hung up the phone and looked up to see Brady standing in front of her.
His blue eyes flamed with anger and jealousy. "Were you talking to Phillip?" He barked.
"No." Chloe lied. "I was talking to Nancy, if you must know."
Brady's face softened and he broke into a laugh. "You scared me for a minute there, Diva."
Chloe smiled weakly, feeling terrible. Brady sat down next to her on the bed. "So when ARE you going to talk to Phillip?"
"Tomorrow."
"You are going to break up with him, right?"
Chloe hesitated. She hated lying to Brady, but how could she break up with Phillip so soon after he had tried to kill himself? She would have to do it, she supposed. Just not now. "Yes," she said fnally. "of course."
Brady let out the breath he had been holding. Thank God, he thought. He smiled at Chloe. "Good." He said. "So what were you saying to Nancy?"
Chloe was looking down at her hands. "That I was going to spend the night here." She suddenly realized what that might mean and shot a glance to Brady. His mouth dropped open. "What?"
Chloe blushed a bright red. "I'm going to spend the night." She said. She looked up at him, no longer blushing. "With you."
Chapter 23
Brady raised an eyebrow. "Chloe-" He started.
"If you're going to ask me if I'm sure, don't bother." She interruppted, looking into his eyes. "Because I am. I love you, Brady, and I know that nothing will ever change that. I've never been so sure of anything in my life."
Brady took a deep breath. "O-Okay." He stammered, shocked.
Chloe began to laugh. "Oh, God, Brady, you should see the look on your face." She dissolved into giggles, holding her stomach. Brady's face broke into a grin. "You think that's funny, huh?"
Chloe was rolling around on the bed, laughing. She nodded, tears of laughter streaming down her face. Brady pulled her into his arms and laughed with her. Soon, Chloe stopped laughing and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes. She turned in Brady's lap to face him. "I really am serious, though, Brady. I want to be with you tonight."
Brady looked at her uncertainly. "What about Belle?"
Chloe rolled her eyes. "What do you think her and Shawn are doing? Playing pattycake?"
"They'd better be." Brady said darkly.
Chloe began to laugh again at the image of Belle and Shawn playing the childhood game. She composed herself and said finally, "What time is it?"
Brady took a glance at the clock on his bedroom wall. "It's a quarter past midnight." He said, surprised at how late it had gotten.
"Everyone's asleep, right?" Chloe asked softly, looking at him.
"I guess-"
"Go shut the door."
Brady went to shut it, and when he turned around Chloe was standing at the foot of his bed, naked as the day she was born.
Brady's eyes lit up with hope.
"Chloe.." he whispered, taking her into his arms. He breathed in her scent. He pulled away and took her face in his hands.
"Chloe, I love you. It means so much to me to hear you say that." He smiled at her through his tears. He kissed her softly.
Chloe smiled at him a little. It would be so easy. It would be so easy to give in, to tell him that she wanted to be with him more than anything, to fall into his arms and never look back. But she couldn't. It took everything she had, every ounce of will power she possessed to pull away from Brady.
"No."
"No?"
"I'm sorry Brady. I can't. Not now. It isn't right."
"It isn't RIGHT? What do you mean it isnt RIGHT?" Anger spread across his face now.
"I--"
Suddenly Brady pulled her to him, until she was pressed tight against him. His eyes locked with hers, his lips mere inches from hers. "NOW, tell me this isnt right. That this doesnt feel RIGHT. You know it does Chloe."
Chloe turned her face away. God, why did he have to make this so hard? "Yes...but it isnt."
Brady let her go. "And staying with Philip when you dont love him, torturing yourself, IS? Is that what you call right?" Chloe didn't answer.
"You're life doesnt revolve around Philip. You don't have to do everything for him. You don't love him Chloe, why are you doing this? Why do you let him control you?"
"He doesn't control me."
"Oh, so your saying that your decision not to be with me, has nothing at all to do with Philip? That if he weren't around, you'd still say no?"
Chloe was silent. "He loves me." She said finally.
Brady rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he does Chloe. But I love you too."
"I know Brady."
"And I thought you loved me."
"I do! But-"
Brady glared at her. "You do, but what Chloe? But you can't? Dammit! Would you make up your damn mind?"
Chloe looked at him, shocked by his sudden outburst.
"I love you Brady." He said, mocking her. "But I can't be with you because I have to stay with my petty, controlling boyfriend so he can get his little way even though I can't stand him."
Tears were sliding down Chloe's face.
"I love you, Brady." Brady continued, his voice deep and angry, getting louder as he spoke, "But I'm going to put you through hell and make you live a miserable life without me, so that you never eat, never sleep, never do a damn thing cuz all you can think about is me and make you wish you were dead, anything to ease the pain, because really even though I supposedly "love" you I just don't give a damn FUCK about you!"
Chloe was crying loudly now, shaking her head frantically. "That isnt true Brady!"
"Then why?" His angry face softening, the rage in his eyes turning to hurt, "Why do you do it, Chloe? Why? Can't you see how much this is hurting me? Do you even care?"
"Of course I care Brady. You just dont understand."
"What is there to understand, Chloe? I love you, you love me. Why can't we be together? Oh, that's right. Phillip. Forgive me for forgetting." He sat back down on the bed.
"I do love you Brady." Chloe said. "But I care about Philip. No, I dont love him, but I don't want him to try something like...before again."
"He doesn't have to know..."
"Brady- he'll know. Philip always knows. Even when he doesn't."
Brady smirked. "Yeah, but what am I supposed to do, Chloe?"
"You know I love you. You know that in time we will be together. But not right now."
"When Chloe? When Philip's dead? When were old? We'll get together, like, 2 days before we die? You know, Philip's not going to stop."
"Brady, stop exaggerating. He isn't that bad."
"Bad enough. Chloe, I can't stand not seeing you. These last few months, honestly I don't know how I survived them.Without you. You being here today, makes it all better, at least for a few minutes, but when you walk out that door, it'll start all over again."
"I'm sorry, Brady."
Brady shrugged.
"I have to go." Chloe said.
Brady nodded. "Ok."
She moved into his arms and hugged him. She leaned up and kissed him.
"Bye Brady."
"Bye." He whispered.
Chloe turned to leave. She got across the room, out the door, and down the stairs before she looked back. She saw Brady standing at the top of the stairs, tears in his eyes.
"I love you." he mouthed to her,and he looked so forlorn, so heartbroken.
That's when her resolve broke. Her will power was strong, but it wasn't that strong. She turned and ran back up the stairs and into Brady's surprised, but open arms.
Chapter 21
Brady buried his face in Chloe's long dark curls. "Stay." He whispered to her softly. "Stay this time, Chloe. Don't leave me again."
Chloe shook her head against his chest. "No." She said firmly. "Never again."
Brady closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her. "You promise?" He asked hoarsely.
Chloe pulled away and looked at him, laughing and crying all at the same time. She ran her fingers through his blond hair and kissed him. She pulled away from him again and looked into his eyes. "I promise." She placed her hands on his face. "I promise you, Brady Black, that I will never leave you again."
Brady looked at her, his intense blue eyes raging with emotion, and then grinned. The smile lit up his whole face. "Okay." He said simply.
Chloe smiled back at him. "Okay."
Chapter 22
Chloe sat on Brady's bed, wondering what she was going to do. Brady had gone downstairs to talk to Belle. Chloe realized now that she could never leave Brady again. But she also knew that she couldn't break up with Phillip-at least not right away. She would have to let him down gently, over some time, and he could never know she'd broken up with him because of Brady. She sighed and picked up her cell phone. She called Phillip. "Hey." She said when he picked up the phone.
"Hey, Chloe. Where are you? Still at Belle's?"
"Yeah. She's really upset. I think I might spend the night."
"Okay. Do you want me to bring you some clothes?"
"No, no! I have some here."
"All right. Well I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Come to the house tomorrow about 4:00, okay? We need to talk."
"Okay. I love you, Chloe."
"I love you, too." Chloe hung up the phone and looked up to see Brady standing in front of her.
His blue eyes flamed with anger and jealousy. "Were you talking to Phillip?" He barked.
"No." Chloe lied. "I was talking to Nancy, if you must know."
Brady's face softened and he broke into a laugh. "You scared me for a minute there, Diva."
Chloe smiled weakly, feeling terrible. Brady sat down next to her on the bed. "So when ARE you going to talk to Phillip?"
"Tomorrow."
"You are going to break up with him, right?"
Chloe hesitated. She hated lying to Brady, but how could she break up with Phillip so soon after he had tried to kill himself? She would have to do it, she supposed. Just not now. "Yes," she said fnally. "of course."
Brady let out the breath he had been holding. Thank God, he thought. He smiled at Chloe. "Good." He said. "So what were you saying to Nancy?"
Chloe was looking down at her hands. "That I was going to spend the night here." She suddenly realized what that might mean and shot a glance to Brady. His mouth dropped open. "What?"
Chloe blushed a bright red. "I'm going to spend the night." She said. She looked up at him, no longer blushing. "With you."
Chapter 23
Brady raised an eyebrow. "Chloe-" He started.
"If you're going to ask me if I'm sure, don't bother." She interruppted, looking into his eyes. "Because I am. I love you, Brady, and I know that nothing will ever change that. I've never been so sure of anything in my life."
Brady took a deep breath. "O-Okay." He stammered, shocked.
Chloe began to laugh. "Oh, God, Brady, you should see the look on your face." She dissolved into giggles, holding her stomach. Brady's face broke into a grin. "You think that's funny, huh?"
Chloe was rolling around on the bed, laughing. She nodded, tears of laughter streaming down her face. Brady pulled her into his arms and laughed with her. Soon, Chloe stopped laughing and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes. She turned in Brady's lap to face him. "I really am serious, though, Brady. I want to be with you tonight."
Brady looked at her uncertainly. "What about Belle?"
Chloe rolled her eyes. "What do you think her and Shawn are doing? Playing pattycake?"
"They'd better be." Brady said darkly.
Chloe began to laugh again at the image of Belle and Shawn playing the childhood game. She composed herself and said finally, "What time is it?"
Brady took a glance at the clock on his bedroom wall. "It's a quarter past midnight." He said, surprised at how late it had gotten.
"Everyone's asleep, right?" Chloe asked softly, looking at him.
"I guess-"
"Go shut the door."
Brady went to shut it, and when he turned around Chloe was standing at the foot of his bed, naked as the day she was born.
