"A Single Yellow Rose" – Chapter Thirty-Two
Thursday afternoon at Salem Place…Hooking his finger on the hanger and tossing the plastic zippered bag over his shoulder, Shawn pushed open the glass door exiting Terry's Tux Town stepping into the cold afternoon air. Checking his watch, he wondered if Chloe and Belle were done yet as he and Belle planned to head over to his house for dinner with his family and then some studying.
'Yeah studying,' Shawn thought a slow smile crossing his face as he wondered how he could convince his Mom that he and Belle would get more done if they had some place private to hit the books…like his room. But he knew from the honest and straightforward talks he and his Dad already shared that there was no way his parents were going to allow the two of them to disappear up those stairs together.
"What's up with you Brady…you look so happy standing there with that stupid grin on your face its sickening."
Shawn shook himself away from the direction his thoughts of Belle were heading to see a pair of dull blue eyes staring at him and not a trace of the famous Kiriakis dimples in sight. "Happy holidays to you too Phil."
"Yeah…whatever," Philip answered as he fell in step next to his friend. "What do ya got there?"
"My tux for the ball Saturday, of course it's only a rental and American made…not everyone can afford to wear designer duds like you. So where is it coming from this time…France, Sweden the Far East?"
"Lay off man…besides I've got my own tuxedo at home."
"Of course you do…that's what every seventeen year old has hanging in his closet…jeans, sweatshirts and a designer tux."
"Yeah a tux that might as well stay in the closet for all the fun I'm gonna have at that ball."
"I take it you and your lady are still on the outs," Shawn said.
"Well considering the silent ride home from the play last night ended up in a shouting match on her front porch and then we were back to the silent treatment today in school I would say you're right."
"Let me guess…Brady."
"Yeah he's part of it…a big part."
"You wanna grab a cup of coffee at the Java," Shawn asked, "but I've got to warn you I'm waiting for Belle to finish up with dress stuff and Chloe is with her."
"Well at least I know she's not with Belle's brother," Philip shot back. After buying a couple of coffees, Shawn hung his tux on the back of his chair before sitting down as Philip took the seat across from him.
"What is going on with this Brady hatred thing you've got going? I know you guys were always kind of rivals when it comes to sports but you hardly talk to him anymore."
Philip concentrated on adding his required four sugars and stirring his coffee before answering. "Brady's always been a strange duck and he's pulled some really wild stunts-"
"If I recall correctly you were involved in some of those wild stunts." Shawn interrupted.
"Yeah I know but since the Last Blast we haven't really hung around much together."
"Because of Chloe."
"Right…because of Chloe. You know, I always knew he had the hots for her but…"
"But what?"
"Well, the night of Nick's party he pulled a real stupid move that pissed me off."
"And that being…"
Philip looked around quickly as if to make sure no one else was listening to their conversation. "Let's keep this between us okay?"
"Yeah…sure."
"He had a few too many beers and found Chloe alone on the side porch swing when I was gone getting us some drinks. I walked back around the corner and found him trying to force Chloe to kiss him."
"Whoa…are you sure about that?"
Philip blinked hard against the memories. "Yeah I'm sure. I nailed him a good one and I would have beaten the shit out of him but Chloe stopped me. He's since apologized to her and tried to with me but it still burns."
"Why? Because it happened or that Chloe has seemed to forgiven him?"
Philip seemed surprised at Shawn's question. "Both…I guess. It goes deeper Shawn…it wasn't just a kiss but I'm not gonna get into that. It's Chloe too…she's keeping something from me."
"Probably that she lusting after Black."
Philip swung around in his seat and saw Jason standing him with a zippered bag that matched Shawn's. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?"
"Relax Phil…Jason is just talking out his ass…as usual," Shawn said, putting a restraining hand on Philip keeping him from rising out of his seat.
"Yeah relax K-man…I don't know what the hell I'm saying now a days," Jason said.
"I take it that's your tux for Saturday night," Shawn asked.
"I thought you said hell, high water or God couldn't get you to that ball," Philip added.
"Yeah well…God…Dad…same thing in my house. If I want my new truck I gotta play the dutiful son and go to this shin-dig."
"So…which lovely lady are you gracing your present with?" Philip asked.
Jason waited a long moment before answering and when he did he couldn't look at his friends. "None…going stag,"
"What's the matter Jase…not enough guts to ask Mimi?"
Jason turned a hard stare on Philip. "Mimi Lockhart is the last girl I want to ask to the ball."
"Yeah and the Red Sox swept the World Series in four games," Philip replied.
"Come on Jason," Shawn added, "we all know you got the hots for the girl. When are the two of you going to stop playing these reindeer games?"
Jason offered Shawn a quizzical look. "Reindeer games?"
"You took off pretty fast last night there Hillman," Philip said. "Did she scare you away?"
"No…but watching Brady trying to decided which girl he was going to paw next wasn't my idea of an exciting evening." Jason said, switching his tux from one shoulder to the other.
"Yeah I must say that kiss he laid on her did surprise me," Shawn said sharing a smile with Philip before taking another sip of his coffee.
"Yeah you are slipping man," Philip chimed in, "letting him send your woman flowers."
"Let me see…gee, that must have been just after he took your woman out on a date."
"It wasn't a date," Philip said, his voice hardening.
"Oh no of course not…he just drove her to Dotcom, paid for her meal and drove her home afterwards…nope, doesn't sound like a date to me."
Philip jumped from his chair. "You son-of-a-"
"Okay ladies…back to your respective corners," Shawn said, sticking his arm between the two of them. "This game of one upmanship isn't going to help either of you with your lady troubles."
Jason and Philip exchanged hard looks before both of them back down and Philip grabbed his coffee finishing it in one look gulp. Crumbling the cup in his hand, he tossed it in the nearest garbage can when he suddenly noticed Belle rushing blindly through the mall.
"Speaking of ladies…there goes yours Shawn."
"And yours right after her," Jason added as he too saw Belle and then Chloe running after her calling out her name.
Shawn looked over at where his friends were pointing just in time to see Belle heading for the parking lot. "What the hell is going on?"
"There's only one way to find out," Philip said.
"Come on," Shawn grabbed his tux and sprinted after the girls with Philip and Jason close behind. He ducked between a couple of shops and reached Belle just as she was stepping off the curb towards the parking lot without even bothering to slow down. Reaching out he grabbed her around the waist, pulling he back against him just as a green Honda swerved around them, the driver blasting the horn.
"Whoa there…where's the fire?"
"Let go of me!" Belle cried, wrenching herself from his arms.
"Belle! It's me…its Shawn!"
"I know it's you! You don't have to keep identifying yourself every time you touch me!"
Taking a step back, Shawn let his gaze roam over her tear stained face as a breathless Chloe caught up to them with Philip and Jason right behind her. "Okay what's going on?"
Belle wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling very cold. She knew Shawn was waiting for an answer but she didn't trust herself to be able to say the words with breaking down completely.
"Belle thought…" Chloe gasped as she tried to catch her breath, "Belle thought she saw-"
"I didn't just think…I know it was him!" Belle cried.
"Okay, okay," Chloe said, reaching out to lay a comforting hand on her friend. "Belle saw the guy that…the guy who…who attacked her."
"What?" Shawn and Philip said in unison.
"Where?" Jason asked at the same time.
Chloe looked at Belle who nodded for her to continue. "We were in the dress shop having a final fitting for our gowns for the ball when Belle thinks…err…umm…when Belle saw him in the reflection of the mirror."
"He was in the store." Belle whispered.
"He was there…right in the store?" Shawn asked quietly staring at Belle.
Belle finally looked up at him and nodded, her lips quivering despite the fact she was pressing them hard together and then she collapsed against his chest. Shawn wrapped his arms around her, offering Jason a look of thanks as he grabbed his tuxedo out of his hands. Rubbing his hands up and down her back, he gave her a few minutes to pull herself together. "You know he's been out on bail since the night he was charged right?"
Belle only nodded her head against his chest.
"But your dad took out that restraining order that states he had to stay at least a hundred yards away from you…and he doesn't even live in Salem…what would he be doing here?"
"I don't know," came Belle muffled reply. "But he was here…I know he was!"
"Honey…the hearing is coming up in a few weeks," Shawn said leaning away from her, placing his fingers under her chin he tried to get Belle to look at him. "Maybe you were just imagining things..."
"I wasn't Shawn…I swear it."
"Belle…"
"I know it was him."
"How can you be so sure?"
Belle jerked her face away from Shawn's touch. "You mean besides the fact that the guy almost raped me…how can I be sure it was him…"
"Belle…I didn't mean…"
"I've seen him before!"
"What?"
"Last night…at the play…he was at the school…only then he wasn't a few feet away from me …more like a few inches…I ran right into him!"
"Belle! You didn't tell me that!" Chloe said.
"You didn't tell any of us that," Philip said. "When was this?"
"After Chloe and I left the girls rooms she went to talk to Mr. Dugan about something and I headed towards the theater to find you guys when I started feeling really closed in…it was so crowded with all those people there." Belle whispered, allowing Shawn to once again pull her close but the more she talked the more she could feel his body going rigid. "I saw you Philip…and Shawn up ahead but then I walked right into his guy and when I looked up…it was him."
"You're sure?" Jason asked.
Belle nodded, puzzled at the hollow, distant tone of his voice. "He touched me."
"He what?" Shawn said.
"When he walked by he put his hand on my shoulder…at first I tried telling myself it couldn't be him but then I turned around and he was standing there," Belle dropped her head to her chest, "staring at me…"
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I don't know Shawn…I didn't want to ruin the evening."
"Belle…"
"Maybe I didn't want to believe it was real okay?"
Everyone stood there in silence not knowing what to say or ever where to look. Chloe was concentrating on her friend and she didn't see Philip watching her intently. He knew she was fighting off her own memories, he could see it on her face and he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her but he had no idea how she would react.
"Maybe you should go down and let the cops know about this," Philip said quietly.
Belle's head snapped up at his suggestion and then she looked at Shawn who only offered her a curt nod in response. "We need to take Chloe home first."
"That's okay…I'll do it." Philip said. Chloe turned to look at him as if she was just now realizing that he was there. "No shouting matches…I promise."
Chloe looked at him for a long second before nodding in agreement. "We'll go back and get your dress and I take it home with me. You can pick it up…whenever."
"I'd offer to go with you guys but I've only got enough time to run home for a quick bite before I have to be back over at the high school for the second performance."
"Oh the play," Belle cried, "I told Mimi I would be there again tonight for her."
"Don't worry about it," Jason said, "I'll explain it to her."
"Oh…um, well…"
"Don't worry Belle," Jason repeated, "I'll tell her."
Belle nodded as Shawn reached out to take his tux back from Jason. "You gonna be home later?" he quietly asked.
"Yeah I should be," Jason said, puzzled by the question.
Shawn nodded. "Okay…let's go." He took Belle hand and the two of them walked away.
to be continued…