Regrets
Prologue
Chloe left Salem 2 years ago after finding out who her father was. She hated Nancy for not telling her sooner. She lost out on so much. She had a brother and a sister that she never knew about. Although she cut off all ties from everyone in Salem, she never stopped loving the one man that truly stole her heart away. In fact he still had it and probably always would. She did keep in touch with her sister and brother. She loved them with all of her heart and they visited her in Boston when they could. Chloe made them promise not to tell anyone about her being there sister and knowing where she was but now her sister was going to be getting married and she needed to return to Salem for the wedding. What will happen when she comes face to face with Brady Black again.? What will he say after she broke his heart 2 years earlier?
Chapter 1
Chloe walked into her studio apartment after a long day of work. She didn't have the strength to deal with Mike today so she told him that she was not feeling well. The truth was it was exactly 2 years now since she had left Salem and the empty feeling that she had whenever she thought about Brady was stronger than ever. No matter how hard she tried she could never get his face out of her head. Everywhere she looked she was reminded of him. When she drove by the bowling alley that was right around the corner, when she passed the gazebo in the park, even when she was grocery shopping she found herself buying his favorite ice cream, Brady Black would forever be in her heart. Chloe sat down at her desk and turned on her computer so she could check her email. She browsed through all of the spam mail and noticed an email from her sister. She was always excited to hear from her sister. She opened up the mail and was shocked to see what was in it.
My dearest sister Chloe,
I know this is going to come as a shock to you but Austin has asked me to marry him. I can't believe after 2 short years that the man of my dreams is going to be my husband. Now I know this is going to be hard for you to come back to Salem but I really want you to be my maid of honor. The wedding is going to be in 1 month but I was hoping that you would take some time off of work and come and spend the month with me and help me prepare everything. I know it is short notice but I have sent you a plane ticket in the mail. You should be receiving it either today or tomorrow. Please Chloe I really need my sister with me.
I also have some bad news for you as well. This is the hardest thing that I have ever had to say to you. I know you don't want to admit that you still love Brady Black but I can see it in your eyes that you do. Please don't try and deny it. Anyway I thought you should know that he just announced his engagement in the paper this week. They are getting married 6 months from now. She really is a lovely girl Chloe but there is something that seems to be missing in that relationship. I don't know when I look at Brady there is this spark about him that is missing. The spark that I could always see when he was with you. I am not trying to hurt you sis but I think you need to come back to town and fight for him. That is only if he still is the man that stole your heart. Now I will not tell him that you are coming to town. I have kept my promise all of this time and nobody knows that you are my sister. Please think about what I said about Brady. Think about whether or not you want to let the only man that you have ever loved marry somebody else.
Love always,
Nicki
Chloe read the email over twice wondering if it was all a big nightmare. Brady Black, her soulmate, the love of her life was getting married. How would she go on knowing that they never even had a chance at love. She was the fool who left. Left everything that she ever cared about. She knew Brady cared about her but how could he have loved her. He only thought of her as a kid. She couldn't face it. She didn't want to face the rejection so she fled. She told him how she felt and with the help of her sister and brother got set up in Boston. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. She overheard Nancy talking about him. The same jerk who raped Jan had raped her. She was disgusted. Furious with Nancy for lying to her all of this time. Then she had called Nicole and Brandon and asked them to meet her at .Com. She broke the news to them and they embraced her and agreed to help her. She left a note for Brady at the loft. She was too much of a coward to face him. She poured her heart out in the letter. Admitting how she felt for him all along. She told him that she knew he loved her but only as a friend and it wasn't enough. She had to leave him and her feelings behind. She told him that she found out who her father was and she couldn't stay in town anymore. She wanted to get far away from Nancy. Brandon knew a guy that could get her a fake Id. Chloe changed her name to Lanie Walker. She knew even Brady couldn't find her once she changed her name. A part of her wanted him to find her but the other half knew that he would be only take pity on her. The last thing she wanted was his pity. If she couldn't have all of him then she didn't want anything at all. Now all of her fears came rushing back in waves. The fear of never being with the man that she loved. Now more than ever she felt hopeless. In 6 months Brady Black would be another woman's husband. How could you not try and fight for him. She had to confront him and find out for sure how he felt about her. If he tells her he can only be her friend than she would accept that. She thought she could accept all or nothing but she was lost without him. Even if it was just for a friendship she had to have him in her life. Chloe let out the breathe that she didn't know she was holding. "Well Brady, here I come, I just hope I am not too late."
TBC
Chapter 2
Brandon walked into Basic Black. He was so happy that his sister agreed to come back to Salem. He really wanted to catch up with her. It had been a couple of months since he had visited Boston and was starting to miss her. He walked into Nicole's office but didn't see her. He was going to ask the receptionist but he couldn't find her either. "Wow I wonder where everyone is." He walked down the hall and noticed Brady in his office. "Oh hey Brady, have you seen Nicki?" "Oh hey Brandon, yeah she is in the board room right across from here." "She is with my dad right now." "They should be finished very shortly." No sooner than Brady finished telling him where she was, they walked out." "Brandon!!" "What a nice surprise." "Yeah well I just got an email from Chl….Lanie." Nicole stared at Brandon in shock. He almost said her name. Brady caught that as well. He decided to let it go for now. He walked back into his office not wanting to let them know he heard that. Nicole swatted Brandon on the arm. "Brandon, how on earth can you be so stupid." "I thought for sure Brady caught that." "You know better than that." Brandon held onto his arm. Nicole really had a great right hook. "Geez Nicky you didn't have to hit me so hard." "Besides he went back to his office." "He didn't hear a thing." "I am sure he is too caught up in his wedding plans." Nicole grabbed him by the arm. "Well just in case let's go into my office." Nicole and Brandon walked down the hall into Nicole's office. As soon as they closed the door Brady jumped up from his desk and snuck down the hall. He hated to eavesdrop but he knew that they had some news about Chloe and he was going to find out. He quietly thanked Brandon to himself for slipping up.
"So what did Chloe have to say Brandon?" "Did she say if she was going to come to my wedding?" "After I wrote her that email I didn't hear from her." "I was starting to get worried." Brandon knew Nicole loved her sister and so did he. They were really worried about her. She had lost so much weight. She wasn't eating and she surely wasn't sleeping. "Calm down Nicki,…yes she is coming to Salem for your wedding." "I am just worried about her Nick." "How is she going to react when she sees Brady." "We both know how she feels about him." "I know it must be killing her knowing that he is marrying someone else." "Did you tell her who he was marrying?" Nicole frowned. "No Brandon I didn't." "I didn't have the heart to tell her." "She loves him so much and even being with Mike isn't helping her." "I could see the last time we were there that it wasn't working out with them." "I don't think anyone could ever make her feel the way that Brady does." "I just hope she doesn't cause any scenes." "You know how she can get." "When she puts her mind to something there isn't anyone that will be able to change her mind." "I just wonder how Brady feels about her." Brandon knew that both of them were stubborn and neither would admit their true feelings. "What do you think he will do when he sees her?" Nicole shook her head. "I don't know bro but from what I can see Brady Black really holds in his feelings." "I don't know what he feels for her." "I mean I used to think they were perfect for each other." "When Chloe was with Phillip I knew they were doomed from the beginning." "I could see this spark between them." "They were inseparable." "I don't understand why Chloe would walk out on that." Brandon didn't know what to say. "Well Nicki, all I know is that Chloe was very scared." "She just found out dad raped her mom and she had 2 siblings that she knew nothing about." "It was too much for her to handle." "Maybe she didn't want to burden him with all of that." "Chloe is a hard woman to figure out." "We both know she loves him deeply." "I just hope she can face him again." "I just hope knowing that he is marrying one of her worst enemies from high school doesn't kill her." "She is already dying inside and knowing he is with Mimi will literally kill her." Nicole felt so bad for her sister. "So when will she be here?" Brandon smiled. "Well she will be here later on this afternoon." "I will be picking her up at the airport."
Brady walked back down the hall. He was in complete shock. Chloe, his Chloe was coming back to town. All his memories were flooding back to him. That night, the night that changed his life forever. The woman of his dreams had told him how she felt about him but she ran off. He never got to tell her how he felt about her. For months he prayed that she would come back. He tried to contact her. He even hired a PI to try and find her but had no luck. All along Nicole and Brandon had known. How could they be so cruel. Brady knew that it wasn't there fault. He just wanted to blame someone. Truth was he blamed himself. He regretted not telling her how he felt. Maybe if he had told her sooner she wouldn't have run away. He threw himself into his work. After Belle left to go to Columbia he had nobody left. Strangely enough he found comfort in Mimi. She made him laugh and seemed to help him through the worst of it. Now they were getting married. He loved her but he would never love any woman like he loved Chloe. He remembered her letter word for word. He had kept it all of this time. He read it every night for the first year. Finally he locked it away. Along with it went all of his pictures of her. He didn't have the heart to throw any of it away but it was unfair to Mimi. They had come such a long way. Now it was all fresh in his memory again. The way that she walked, the smell of jasmine that always seemed to follow her around and the feeling he would get when she was near. He never even had to look to know she was there. He slumped down in his chair and closed his eyes. Remembering that morning. He walked by the door and noticed a letter in front of it.
Dear Brady,
By the time you read this letter I will already be gone. I found out tonight who my father is. I am very angry with Nancy for hiding this information from me all of this time. I cannot be around Salem any longer. I hate her and never want to see her again. I do have a brother and sister that I am going to try and get to know. I will contact you once I get settled. I do need to say something else to you. This is something that I have been holding in for a long time now. I know you may think I am a coward for telling you this in a letter. The truth is I am afraid to see your reaction. I know you only think of me as a kid and right now I could not stomach a rejection. I am head over heels in love with you Brady Black. I believe it was love at first sight. That night on the pier, although we fought, I knew then and there that you were going to steal my heart away. That is mostly why I fought with you. It was really me trying to fight what I was feeling for you. Nobody has ever touched me the way that you have. I will love you til the day that I day Brady Victor Black. Please tell Belle I am sorry and that I love her too. She is like the sister I never had. This is the hardest thing I ever had to do. I love you forever. Take care.
Love Chloe
Brady couldn't get the letter out of his head. "Yeah right Chloe, you never contacted me." "You never gave me the chance to tell you how I felt. " For the second time in Brady's life he cried. He cried the day that Chloe left and now again today he cried for her. "I love you too Chloe." "I will love you til the day that I die." Little did Brady know but Mimi was outside his office listening to him. She heard him crying and she heard him admit that he loves Chloe. Tears started to fill her eyes and she ran out of Basic Black.
TBC
Chapter 3
Chloe walked off of the plane. Although she had not been to Salem in 2 years she felt as if she was home. For the short time she was there she grew to love Salem. It was the first place she ever felt comfortable. She thought of the day that Nancy took her home. She hated her. Then they grew in their relationship only to have it shattered again with more lies. She thought of the horrible times she had in school. The kids taunted and teased her. They called her Ghoul Girl and made her life a living hell. Most of all she thought of the two most important people in her life. The two that changed her life around for the better, Belle and Brady Black. Shawn Brady was a good friend as well but not always. Shawn and Phillip made a bet and the loser had to take out Chloe. Of course Phillip lost. They got past that but she would never forget. Then she remembered what Jan and Mimi did to her. They took her naked picture and posted it on the internet. Oh how Chloe hated Mimi. Still did til this day. The only reason she even gave her the time of day was for Belle's sake. Then Phillip had broken her heart time and time again. Brady was always there for her. He picked up the pieces of her heart. Somehow, someway through all of it, she fell in love with him. Chloe was in such a daze thinking about Brady that she didn't see her brother coming towards her. "Chloe?" "Chloe?" She snapped back into reality. "Oh Brandon, it is so great to see you." She wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life. She was so happy to have found Brandon and Nicky. To have someone in her life that wasn't going to leave her. No matter how evil Paul was and how much she hated him, she was also thankful for the fact that he had given her a sister and a brother. Brandon let her go and grabbed her bags. "Let's go princess, Nicky is waiting to see you." Chloe couldn't wait to see her sister. It was amazing to her because at one time she actually hated Nicole for going to the LBD with Brady. She was so jealous of Nicole. For a long time Nicole was pure evil. Austin Reed changed all of that. He helped reveal the woman within. Nicole was put through hell as a child and she just put up a front so that nobody would get close to her. Austin saw through all of that and melted her icy exterior. Chloe learned a lot about Nicole in the two years she was in Boston. Brandon and Nicole filled her in on everything that had gone on in their lives. Chloe did the same for them. All 3 of them had a horrible childhood. Chloe had the utmost respect for both of them. She loved them both dearly. Then it hit her. She was going to be in the same town as Brady Black. Would she be able to face him again? What would he say to her? Chloe just followed Brandon in a haze. She couldn't focus. Images of Brady haunted her. "Hey doll, what's wrong?" "Why do you look so sad?" Chloe knew she couldn't hide her feelings from Brandon. Even if she lied he would know. The tears started to fall. She couldn't hold them in anymore. She had been dreading this day. All of her fears were hitting her. What if he never wanted to see her again. He may hate her now. It has been too long. She promised him that she would contact him but she never did. She hated herself. Brandon dropped the luggage and pulled Chloe into his arms. He stroked her head trying to calm her down. "There, there sweetie, you let it all out." "Please tell me what is bothering you." Brandon walked her over to one of the benches in the airport and sat her down. "Oh Brandon, I don't know what to do." "I think I waited too long to come back." "The only man that I will ever love is getting married." "I ruined all of my chances." "I told him that I would contact him and I never did." "He must hate me." Again the tears took over. Her body was shaking. Brandon knew it was even worse then he had thought. His sister was dying inside and he was afraid that nothing but Brady Black could fix it. "Let's go Chloe." "We will help you through this." "Nicky and I are here for you." Chloe forced a smile. "Thanks Brandon." Chloe finally got up and headed out of the airport with Brandon.
Brady had been miserable ever since hearing about Chloe's return. How would he face her? Brady had not left his office the entire day. He tried as hard as he could to focus on his work but it was impossible. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in." John walked into his office and was surprised to see that Brady had been crying. "Brady?" "What's wrong son?" Brady looked up at his father. He could not hide the emotion that was threatening to overtake his body again. "It's Chloe dad?" John was shocked at the mention of her name. Brady had not mentioned her name in months. "What about Chloe?" "Is she hurt?" Brady just shook his head. "No nothing like that." "She is back in town." John couldn't believe his ears. "WHAT????" "Why?" Brady started to sob uncontrollably again. John hated to see his son in so much pain. He knew how much he loved her. "She is in town to see her sister get married." John was confused. "Her sister?" "Yeah dad, I was shocked about that too." "Brandon was here earlier today and mentioned her name." "He tried to cover by saying Lanie but I heard her name." "I don't know what made me do it but I snuck down to Nicole's door and eavesdropped on their conversation. " "I know it was wrong of me but what I heard shocked me even more." "Chloe is their sister." "Apparently Paul raped Nancy." "That is why Chloe was given up for adoption." "All of these years they never knew their sister." "I feel so bad for her dad." "That is why she left." "She told me she loved me and then she left." "I never got a chance to tell her." John never knew why Chloe left. He just knew that his son was crushed when she had done so. "You know son, it may have just been too much for her to handle." "Dad I want you to read this letter." "You are the first person I am showing this too." "This was under my door the day she left." Brady handed the letter over to John. He was glad that he finally had the strength to share it with someone. John read the letter that Brady had held onto for two years. He now understood how deeply his son's pain went. "You see dad, she thought she was the coward in telling me in a letter." "The truth is that I am the coward." "She had the guts to tell me." "I never could." "I, like her was afraid of rejection." "We are both a lot alike in that way." "We have a hard time letting our feelings show." "I will never in my life love a woman the way that I love her." "Dad I still love her." "Even more so than I did before." "Knowing all that she went through." "I even understand why she left." "If I know her like I think I do, I believe she left because she didn't want to burden me." "She never wanted to put her problems on me." "I was always the one who made her tell me what was wrong." "I couldn't stand to see her hurting." John's heart went out to his son. He knew that Brady would never love another like he loves Chloe. "Brady, I know it is none of my business but you seem to be still very much in love with this girl." "I really don't think it will be a good idea to marry Mimi." "It isn't fair to you or to her." Brady knew that his dad was right. He was only marrying Mimi more as a security. They were good friends and he loved her but not in the way a man should love a woman. His only love was Chloe. He knew now that he had to fight tooth and nail to win her back. "Your right dad." "I am going to tell Mimi tonight." "I can't lead her on like this." "I could never marry her knowing that I am still head over heels in love with Chloe Lane." "I just hope it isn't too late."
TBC
Chapter 4
Brandon and Chloe finally arrived at Nicole's apartment. Brandon carried all of her bags up and placed them in the spare bedroom. Nicole was very happy that she agreed to stay with her for the month. "Chloe!!!" Nicole ran into Chloe's arms and hugged her. As soon as she saw her sister she started to cry tears of joy. It was very hard for Nicole to watch Chloe leave to go to Boston only a day after finding out she was her sister. It was the hardest on Chloe. She didn't have anyone. She felt very much alone. Of course it was her choice to leave. Anytime something went wrong in her life she always seemed to run from those who loved her. This time it was going to be different. She was through running. She was ready to move back to Salem. Before she left Boston she let Mike down easily. She told him all about Brady and also told him that her name really wasn't Lanie. Mike was a good guy. He wished her luck. "Oh Nicky, It is so great to see you." Brandon gave Chloe his puppy dog face. "Oh you too Brandon." "Why must you always give me that face?" Brandon just laughed. "I do it because I know both of you fall for it every time." "Plus you love me." Chloe couldn't help but smile. She absolutely adored her brother. "Yes Brandon I do love you." "I love both of you so much." "That is why I have made a decision." Nicole and Brandon both looked on with great interest. "What is your plan Chloe?" "I have decided to move back to Salem." "I need you guys too much." "Besides, I really need to stop running from my problems." "I need to grow up and face them." "Even if the consequences hurt me, I still need to face them." Chloe turned so they wouldn't see her tears. She already broke down enough in front of Brandon. "Your talking about Brady aren't you Chloe?" "Are you sure you are ready to confront him? Nicole was very concerned for her sister. She had yet to hear who he was marrying. She knew that would really kill her. Chloe hated Mimi with a passion. "Chloe dear, I don't know how to tell you this so I am just going to say it." Chloe was a little worried. She could hear the concern in her sister's voice. "Go ahead Nick you have to tell me now." "What is it?" "It's about Brady isn't it?" Nicole couldn't hide it any longer. As much as it hurt her sister she felt she had to know. "Yes sweetie, it is about Brady." "I have a feeling your not going to like it." Chloe was growing more and more frustrated. "Oh just spill it Nicole!!" Nicole could feel the aggravation in her voice. "Okay, Okay, Brady is marrying Mimi Lockhart." As much as they thought it was going to hurt her, Chloe seemed to react differently than they expected. Chloe was literally laughing out loud. "No, you have to be kidding me." Mimi?" Again she started laughing. "Airhead Mimi?" "Well obviously he must be on something if he asked her to marry him." Then all of a sudden her laughter turned into anger. "Wait a minute, How can he marry her after all the things that she has done to me." "Is he nuts?" "What the hell is he thinking?" "He knows how much I hate her." "How could he deceive me like this?" Nicole grabbed Chloe and pulled her into another hug. She knew that Chloe would eventually react this way. The initial shock had warn off and her true feelings about the situation came out. "How could he Nicole?" "How?" She was now crying again. Nicole felt bad for telling her but it was best that she told her rather than her finding out from someone else. Brandon felt so bad for her. He knew his sister didn't know what to feel. She was laughing about it, then angry, then sad all within a five minute span. He knew she had been through so much already but what could he do to help her. He though for a moment and realized he had to tell Brady. He had to confront him. He needed him to know that she was back in town and also needed to find out what he felt for her. "Chloe honey, I got to go somewhere real quick." "Nicky will be here for you." "I will be back in about an hour or so." Chloe looked up at him and tried to smile. "Okay Brandon, take your time." "I am not going anywhere." He gave her a quick hug and took off. Chloe broke away from Nicole. She was glad that she had them both to support her. She needed them now more than ever. "Nicky, thank you so much for just being my sister." Nicole smiled at Chloe. She loved her sister so much. "Chloe dear, what are big sister's for." "You are our baby sister and we will do anything to help you through this horrible ordeal." "Now how about we watch a movie and pig out." "You now that sounds absolutely perfect Nick."
Meanwhile Brandon headed over to Basic Black. He knew that Brady would still be there. He always worked late. Ever since Chloe left he really threw himself into his work. He would get to work around 6am and always work til at least 9pm, sometimes even later. Brady was still sitting at his desk thinking about her. It was always her. He didn't notice Brandon walk in. "Brady?" Brady shot his head up not expecting him to be there. "Oh Brandon you scared the sh*t out of me." "Nicole went home already." Brandon saw Brady's face. It looked like he had been crying but he wasn't sure. "I came to talk to you Brady." Brady couldn't figure out why on earth Brandon would want to talk to him but he had a funny feeling it had to do with Chloe. "Me?" "What on earth for?" Brandon knew it was now or never. He had to tell him. He couldn't lie anymore. "Brady, Nicole and I have known something for a long time now and we felt, well more like I feel you should know." Brady was right. Brandon was about to spill everything to him. "Go ahead?" "Well it has to do with Chloe." Now where getting somewhere. "What about Chloe?" "Chloe is my sister Brady." "That slime Paul raped Nancy Wesley." Brady tried to act shocked but he knew it wasn't working. "I thought you would react a little bit differently than this." "Aren't you going to say anything?" Brady knew he was defeated. "Brandon I have a confession to make as well." "I know all about this." "Earlier today, you slipped up." "I heard Chloe's name and I had to find out what was up." "I know it was wrong of me but I listened to your conversation." Brandon was both shocked and relieved at the same time. "Then you know that she is in town then right?" Brady nodded his head. "Yes I know Brandon." Brandon could see the pain in Brady's eyes. He knew that he still loved her. He didn't even need to ask him now. It was written all over his face. "She hurt you badly when she left didn't she Brady?" Brady nodded again. "I know there is no denying it huh?" "I used to be so good at hiding my feelings." "Lately I am like an open book." "I really need to work on that." Brandon knew that Brady was saying those things more to himself than to him. "Well I came to say what I needed to say." "I am going to go and see my sister now." Brandon turned to leave but Brady stopped him. "Hey Brandon wait!!" He turned back around to face him. "You know I still her right?" "I can never love another like I love her." Brandon smiled. "I know Brady, she loves you too." Brandon went to leave for the second time but Brady spoke again. "Hey Brandon, Do you think she will give me another chance?" "That is something you are going to have to ask her yourself." "I do need to say that she is pretty upset over the fact that you are marrying Mimi Lockhart." "She felt pretty betrayed." "You of all people should know how much she hates her." Brady knew Brandon was right. He did betray her. "Mimi did do a lot of bad things but she was the only one there for me when Chloe left me." "I was completely heart broken." "I know now that it was wrong." "I just used Mimi." "Nobody can ever replace Chloe in my heart." "That is why I am calling off the wedding." "I can't marry somebody that I am not in love with." "I don't want to be with anyone but Chloe." Brandon couldn't believe that he was confessing all of this to him. "Brady you need to tell Chloe all of this yourself." "Now Chloe does not know I am here." "I am going to go now." "Tomorrow go to the Brady Pub." "I am meeting Jennifer there for breakfast." "I will take Chloe along with me." "I know Nicky has to be to the office early for a meeting with Austin and John so she will not be there." "I am sure John will understand if you tell him what is going on." "See if you can go in a little late." "We will be there around 8am." "Walk in a little after 8 so you don't look suspicious." "I will make an excuse that I have to leave and then you can talk." "Please don't disappoint her Brady." "I love my sister very much and I don't want to see her hurting anymore." "Tell her the truth about how you feel." "Tell her everything that you just told me." "You two belong together." "I have never seen two people more perfect for each other." Brandon finally walked out leaving Brady to think. Brandon was right. He had to tell her exactly how he felt about her but first things first. He needed to go home and break it off with Mimi.
TBC
Chapter 5
Brady walked into the loft hoping that Mimi was there. Although she did not live there officially she did have a key to use whenever she wanted to. Brady could see a figure sitting in the dark. He knew it was her. "Meems why are all the lights out?" Mimi started crying again. Hearing his voice was killing her. "Hey, why are you crying?" He really did care about her. He just couldn't love her the way that he should. "What the hell do you care for Black." "Go find Chloe and let her sh*t all over you again." "You deserve all the pain you get you bastard." "How can you come in here and act like nothing is wrong?" "How can you marry me Brady when you are in love with someone else?" Brady wasn't sure where this was coming from. He knew it was all true but he couldn't figure out how she knew. "Mimi please let me explain." Mimi got up off of the couch. "Oh I would love to see how you are going to explain your way out of this one." "Ghoul Girl walked away from you 2 years ago Brady." "I was there to help you through it all." "How can you still say that you love her after everything that we have been through together, after everything that she has done to you." Brady was getting angry now. "First of all, don't you dare call her that again." "Chloe is the most passionate, caring and loving woman that I know." "Yeah she left Mimi but it was my fault." "It took me two years to figure it out but it was all me." "If I would have just opened up to her and told her how I felt instead of keeping it bottled up inside then she probably never would have left." "You of all people know what she means to me." "Now I am sorry that I even asked you to marry me." "It was wrong." "I was trying to hide." "You are a great friend Mimi, but that is all that we can be." "I mean we haven't even had sex yet." "Doesn't that tell you something?" "I have been so stupid Mimi." "I don't love you." "Well I love you but not the way a man should love his wife." "I was just so confused for so long." "I thought it was just that Chloe wrecked me for every other woman but the truth is she didn't wreck me." "She just stole my heart away and never gave it back." "Well I want her to keep it Mimi." "I want her more than life itself." "Now I am sorry that I hurt you and I am not even sure how you knew about me still loving her but I glad that it is out in the open." "This needs to end now." "Right here, Right Now!!!" Mimi couldn't control her tears any longer. She never thought she would hear those horrible things coming from Brady's mouth. The truth was that she knew it deep down how he felt. He tried to hide it but she knew. She also knew that some day Chloe Lane would come back and steal him away from her. She felt it. She was defeated and she didn't want to fight with him anymore. No matter what she said or did he wasn't going to change his mind. She could see that. She wasn't a fool. "Brady I am sorry." "I knew how you felt about her but I pushed you into this anyway." "In the back of my mind I always knew that she would come back some day." "I am just glad this all happened before we started to plan the wedding." "This was all just a big mistake." "I can see that now Brady." "It was fun while it lasted." "You will always have a special place in my heart Black." Mimi walked over to Brady and handed him his key. She placed a kiss on his cheek and walked out of the loft. Once the door was closed behind her the tears started to fall again. She didn't want to show it in front of him but she was pretty broken up by all of it. She really did love Brady Black with all of her heart.
Brady walked over to the portrait of his mom on the wall. Anytime he was upset he would talk to her. He felt that she was always there with him. That is mainly why he took the loft to begin with. He had hoped to share it with Chloe but then she left. He looked up at the photo and spoke. "Mom, it's me again." "I am sure you already know this now but Chloe is back." "I know I was amazed to find this out." "I am sure you just heard what went down with Mimi and I." "I don't know what I was thinking when I asked her to marry me." "I guess I was trying to hide." "The only woman that I ever want to marry is Chloe." "Brandon came by to see me today." "He told me that Chloe still loves me." "I kind of always felt it in my heart but it was nice to hear." "You know I searched for her for so long before finally giving up." Tears started to flow again. "Oh MOM…I am so glad that she is back." "I am going to see her tomorrow at the Brady Pub." "I know it is going to be hard to get back all the time that we missed but I don't care." "I am willing to do everything that I can for her." "Anyway, thanks for listening Mom." Brady walked over to the couch and fell onto it. He couldn't control his sobs no matter how hard he tried. He was exhausted, not only physically but mentally as well. His eyes became weak and he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Brandon walked back into Nicole's apartment. Nicole and Chloe were watching a movie. Chloe was laughing and having a wonderful time. Brandon was so happy to see his sister smiling. "Well sounds like you two are having a grand ole time." "Oh Brandon you have to sit down and watch this movie with us." "It is so funny." "I forgot how funny Jim Carrey can be." "He is such a dork but that is what makes it funny."" Brandon couldn't deny either one of his sisters anything. He sat down and watched the movie with them. Chloe seemed to be feeling a lot better. She took a piece of popcorn and threw it in Brandon's face. Nicole couldn't help laughing. She hadn't seen Chloe this happy in a long time. "You know Chloe, this means war." Brandon grabbed a handful of the popcorn and whipped at her. "Oh now you did big bro, your dead now." Chloe ran over to the fridge and grabbed a can of whipped cream and squirt it all over Brandon's face. Nicole couldn't control her laughter any more. She fell off the couch laughing. Brandon got the whipped cream from Chloe and walked over to Nicole. "What are you laughing at Nicky." He took it and squirt it all over hair. "Hey now that wasn't funny." Chloe started laughing now. "Yes it was Nicky!!" "That was hilarious." Both Nicole and Brandon looked at each other and yelled at the same time. "Let's get her." Chloe tried as hard as she could to get away but there was only so many places that she could hide. Finally they cornered her in the bathroom. Brandon held her down while Nicole sprayed out the rest of the contents of the bottle into Chloe's hair. Chloe just fell onto the ground laughing. "Alright you guys win." "Now I have to take a shower to get all of this cream out of my head." Chloe went into her room to grab her clothes and then she jumped into the shower.
"So Brandon where did you take off to?" "I went to see somebody." Nicole had a feeling about this. "Did this person happen to be Brady Black?" Brandon was surprised at how well his sister knew him. "You know Nicole, I never could hide anything from you." "Yes I went to see Brady." "I was going to tell him about Chloe being in town but he already knew." "He knows everything." Nicole's face turned white. "WHAT????" "How did he find out?" "He was eavesdropping on our conversation earlier today." "I don't even care about that, I am glad that he knows." "You know Nicky he still loves her." "He is breaking it off with Mimi." "He told me that he could never love anyone else like he loves her." Nicole smiled. "I knew it." "I knew he always felt that way about her." "That is why I was so surprised when they announced their engagement." "I know me too." "Well I think they are going to find there way back to each other." "I just know it." Nicole gave her brother a hug. "I hope so Brandon, for both of their sakes."
TBC
Prologue
Chloe left Salem 2 years ago after finding out who her father was. She hated Nancy for not telling her sooner. She lost out on so much. She had a brother and a sister that she never knew about. Although she cut off all ties from everyone in Salem, she never stopped loving the one man that truly stole her heart away. In fact he still had it and probably always would. She did keep in touch with her sister and brother. She loved them with all of her heart and they visited her in Boston when they could. Chloe made them promise not to tell anyone about her being there sister and knowing where she was but now her sister was going to be getting married and she needed to return to Salem for the wedding. What will happen when she comes face to face with Brady Black again.? What will he say after she broke his heart 2 years earlier?
Chapter 1
Chloe walked into her studio apartment after a long day of work. She didn't have the strength to deal with Mike today so she told him that she was not feeling well. The truth was it was exactly 2 years now since she had left Salem and the empty feeling that she had whenever she thought about Brady was stronger than ever. No matter how hard she tried she could never get his face out of her head. Everywhere she looked she was reminded of him. When she drove by the bowling alley that was right around the corner, when she passed the gazebo in the park, even when she was grocery shopping she found herself buying his favorite ice cream, Brady Black would forever be in her heart. Chloe sat down at her desk and turned on her computer so she could check her email. She browsed through all of the spam mail and noticed an email from her sister. She was always excited to hear from her sister. She opened up the mail and was shocked to see what was in it.
My dearest sister Chloe,
I know this is going to come as a shock to you but Austin has asked me to marry him. I can't believe after 2 short years that the man of my dreams is going to be my husband. Now I know this is going to be hard for you to come back to Salem but I really want you to be my maid of honor. The wedding is going to be in 1 month but I was hoping that you would take some time off of work and come and spend the month with me and help me prepare everything. I know it is short notice but I have sent you a plane ticket in the mail. You should be receiving it either today or tomorrow. Please Chloe I really need my sister with me.
I also have some bad news for you as well. This is the hardest thing that I have ever had to say to you. I know you don't want to admit that you still love Brady Black but I can see it in your eyes that you do. Please don't try and deny it. Anyway I thought you should know that he just announced his engagement in the paper this week. They are getting married 6 months from now. She really is a lovely girl Chloe but there is something that seems to be missing in that relationship. I don't know when I look at Brady there is this spark about him that is missing. The spark that I could always see when he was with you. I am not trying to hurt you sis but I think you need to come back to town and fight for him. That is only if he still is the man that stole your heart. Now I will not tell him that you are coming to town. I have kept my promise all of this time and nobody knows that you are my sister. Please think about what I said about Brady. Think about whether or not you want to let the only man that you have ever loved marry somebody else.
Love always,
Nicki
Chloe read the email over twice wondering if it was all a big nightmare. Brady Black, her soulmate, the love of her life was getting married. How would she go on knowing that they never even had a chance at love. She was the fool who left. Left everything that she ever cared about. She knew Brady cared about her but how could he have loved her. He only thought of her as a kid. She couldn't face it. She didn't want to face the rejection so she fled. She told him how she felt and with the help of her sister and brother got set up in Boston. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. She overheard Nancy talking about him. The same jerk who raped Jan had raped her. She was disgusted. Furious with Nancy for lying to her all of this time. Then she had called Nicole and Brandon and asked them to meet her at .Com. She broke the news to them and they embraced her and agreed to help her. She left a note for Brady at the loft. She was too much of a coward to face him. She poured her heart out in the letter. Admitting how she felt for him all along. She told him that she knew he loved her but only as a friend and it wasn't enough. She had to leave him and her feelings behind. She told him that she found out who her father was and she couldn't stay in town anymore. She wanted to get far away from Nancy. Brandon knew a guy that could get her a fake Id. Chloe changed her name to Lanie Walker. She knew even Brady couldn't find her once she changed her name. A part of her wanted him to find her but the other half knew that he would be only take pity on her. The last thing she wanted was his pity. If she couldn't have all of him then she didn't want anything at all. Now all of her fears came rushing back in waves. The fear of never being with the man that she loved. Now more than ever she felt hopeless. In 6 months Brady Black would be another woman's husband. How could you not try and fight for him. She had to confront him and find out for sure how he felt about her. If he tells her he can only be her friend than she would accept that. She thought she could accept all or nothing but she was lost without him. Even if it was just for a friendship she had to have him in her life. Chloe let out the breathe that she didn't know she was holding. "Well Brady, here I come, I just hope I am not too late."
TBC
Chapter 2
Brandon walked into Basic Black. He was so happy that his sister agreed to come back to Salem. He really wanted to catch up with her. It had been a couple of months since he had visited Boston and was starting to miss her. He walked into Nicole's office but didn't see her. He was going to ask the receptionist but he couldn't find her either. "Wow I wonder where everyone is." He walked down the hall and noticed Brady in his office. "Oh hey Brady, have you seen Nicki?" "Oh hey Brandon, yeah she is in the board room right across from here." "She is with my dad right now." "They should be finished very shortly." No sooner than Brady finished telling him where she was, they walked out." "Brandon!!" "What a nice surprise." "Yeah well I just got an email from Chl….Lanie." Nicole stared at Brandon in shock. He almost said her name. Brady caught that as well. He decided to let it go for now. He walked back into his office not wanting to let them know he heard that. Nicole swatted Brandon on the arm. "Brandon, how on earth can you be so stupid." "I thought for sure Brady caught that." "You know better than that." Brandon held onto his arm. Nicole really had a great right hook. "Geez Nicky you didn't have to hit me so hard." "Besides he went back to his office." "He didn't hear a thing." "I am sure he is too caught up in his wedding plans." Nicole grabbed him by the arm. "Well just in case let's go into my office." Nicole and Brandon walked down the hall into Nicole's office. As soon as they closed the door Brady jumped up from his desk and snuck down the hall. He hated to eavesdrop but he knew that they had some news about Chloe and he was going to find out. He quietly thanked Brandon to himself for slipping up.
"So what did Chloe have to say Brandon?" "Did she say if she was going to come to my wedding?" "After I wrote her that email I didn't hear from her." "I was starting to get worried." Brandon knew Nicole loved her sister and so did he. They were really worried about her. She had lost so much weight. She wasn't eating and she surely wasn't sleeping. "Calm down Nicki,…yes she is coming to Salem for your wedding." "I am just worried about her Nick." "How is she going to react when she sees Brady." "We both know how she feels about him." "I know it must be killing her knowing that he is marrying someone else." "Did you tell her who he was marrying?" Nicole frowned. "No Brandon I didn't." "I didn't have the heart to tell her." "She loves him so much and even being with Mike isn't helping her." "I could see the last time we were there that it wasn't working out with them." "I don't think anyone could ever make her feel the way that Brady does." "I just hope she doesn't cause any scenes." "You know how she can get." "When she puts her mind to something there isn't anyone that will be able to change her mind." "I just wonder how Brady feels about her." Brandon knew that both of them were stubborn and neither would admit their true feelings. "What do you think he will do when he sees her?" Nicole shook her head. "I don't know bro but from what I can see Brady Black really holds in his feelings." "I don't know what he feels for her." "I mean I used to think they were perfect for each other." "When Chloe was with Phillip I knew they were doomed from the beginning." "I could see this spark between them." "They were inseparable." "I don't understand why Chloe would walk out on that." Brandon didn't know what to say. "Well Nicki, all I know is that Chloe was very scared." "She just found out dad raped her mom and she had 2 siblings that she knew nothing about." "It was too much for her to handle." "Maybe she didn't want to burden him with all of that." "Chloe is a hard woman to figure out." "We both know she loves him deeply." "I just hope she can face him again." "I just hope knowing that he is marrying one of her worst enemies from high school doesn't kill her." "She is already dying inside and knowing he is with Mimi will literally kill her." Nicole felt so bad for her sister. "So when will she be here?" Brandon smiled. "Well she will be here later on this afternoon." "I will be picking her up at the airport."
Brady walked back down the hall. He was in complete shock. Chloe, his Chloe was coming back to town. All his memories were flooding back to him. That night, the night that changed his life forever. The woman of his dreams had told him how she felt about him but she ran off. He never got to tell her how he felt about her. For months he prayed that she would come back. He tried to contact her. He even hired a PI to try and find her but had no luck. All along Nicole and Brandon had known. How could they be so cruel. Brady knew that it wasn't there fault. He just wanted to blame someone. Truth was he blamed himself. He regretted not telling her how he felt. Maybe if he had told her sooner she wouldn't have run away. He threw himself into his work. After Belle left to go to Columbia he had nobody left. Strangely enough he found comfort in Mimi. She made him laugh and seemed to help him through the worst of it. Now they were getting married. He loved her but he would never love any woman like he loved Chloe. He remembered her letter word for word. He had kept it all of this time. He read it every night for the first year. Finally he locked it away. Along with it went all of his pictures of her. He didn't have the heart to throw any of it away but it was unfair to Mimi. They had come such a long way. Now it was all fresh in his memory again. The way that she walked, the smell of jasmine that always seemed to follow her around and the feeling he would get when she was near. He never even had to look to know she was there. He slumped down in his chair and closed his eyes. Remembering that morning. He walked by the door and noticed a letter in front of it.
Dear Brady,
By the time you read this letter I will already be gone. I found out tonight who my father is. I am very angry with Nancy for hiding this information from me all of this time. I cannot be around Salem any longer. I hate her and never want to see her again. I do have a brother and sister that I am going to try and get to know. I will contact you once I get settled. I do need to say something else to you. This is something that I have been holding in for a long time now. I know you may think I am a coward for telling you this in a letter. The truth is I am afraid to see your reaction. I know you only think of me as a kid and right now I could not stomach a rejection. I am head over heels in love with you Brady Black. I believe it was love at first sight. That night on the pier, although we fought, I knew then and there that you were going to steal my heart away. That is mostly why I fought with you. It was really me trying to fight what I was feeling for you. Nobody has ever touched me the way that you have. I will love you til the day that I day Brady Victor Black. Please tell Belle I am sorry and that I love her too. She is like the sister I never had. This is the hardest thing I ever had to do. I love you forever. Take care.
Love Chloe
Brady couldn't get the letter out of his head. "Yeah right Chloe, you never contacted me." "You never gave me the chance to tell you how I felt. " For the second time in Brady's life he cried. He cried the day that Chloe left and now again today he cried for her. "I love you too Chloe." "I will love you til the day that I die." Little did Brady know but Mimi was outside his office listening to him. She heard him crying and she heard him admit that he loves Chloe. Tears started to fill her eyes and she ran out of Basic Black.
TBC
Chapter 3
Chloe walked off of the plane. Although she had not been to Salem in 2 years she felt as if she was home. For the short time she was there she grew to love Salem. It was the first place she ever felt comfortable. She thought of the day that Nancy took her home. She hated her. Then they grew in their relationship only to have it shattered again with more lies. She thought of the horrible times she had in school. The kids taunted and teased her. They called her Ghoul Girl and made her life a living hell. Most of all she thought of the two most important people in her life. The two that changed her life around for the better, Belle and Brady Black. Shawn Brady was a good friend as well but not always. Shawn and Phillip made a bet and the loser had to take out Chloe. Of course Phillip lost. They got past that but she would never forget. Then she remembered what Jan and Mimi did to her. They took her naked picture and posted it on the internet. Oh how Chloe hated Mimi. Still did til this day. The only reason she even gave her the time of day was for Belle's sake. Then Phillip had broken her heart time and time again. Brady was always there for her. He picked up the pieces of her heart. Somehow, someway through all of it, she fell in love with him. Chloe was in such a daze thinking about Brady that she didn't see her brother coming towards her. "Chloe?" "Chloe?" She snapped back into reality. "Oh Brandon, it is so great to see you." She wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life. She was so happy to have found Brandon and Nicky. To have someone in her life that wasn't going to leave her. No matter how evil Paul was and how much she hated him, she was also thankful for the fact that he had given her a sister and a brother. Brandon let her go and grabbed her bags. "Let's go princess, Nicky is waiting to see you." Chloe couldn't wait to see her sister. It was amazing to her because at one time she actually hated Nicole for going to the LBD with Brady. She was so jealous of Nicole. For a long time Nicole was pure evil. Austin Reed changed all of that. He helped reveal the woman within. Nicole was put through hell as a child and she just put up a front so that nobody would get close to her. Austin saw through all of that and melted her icy exterior. Chloe learned a lot about Nicole in the two years she was in Boston. Brandon and Nicole filled her in on everything that had gone on in their lives. Chloe did the same for them. All 3 of them had a horrible childhood. Chloe had the utmost respect for both of them. She loved them both dearly. Then it hit her. She was going to be in the same town as Brady Black. Would she be able to face him again? What would he say to her? Chloe just followed Brandon in a haze. She couldn't focus. Images of Brady haunted her. "Hey doll, what's wrong?" "Why do you look so sad?" Chloe knew she couldn't hide her feelings from Brandon. Even if she lied he would know. The tears started to fall. She couldn't hold them in anymore. She had been dreading this day. All of her fears were hitting her. What if he never wanted to see her again. He may hate her now. It has been too long. She promised him that she would contact him but she never did. She hated herself. Brandon dropped the luggage and pulled Chloe into his arms. He stroked her head trying to calm her down. "There, there sweetie, you let it all out." "Please tell me what is bothering you." Brandon walked her over to one of the benches in the airport and sat her down. "Oh Brandon, I don't know what to do." "I think I waited too long to come back." "The only man that I will ever love is getting married." "I ruined all of my chances." "I told him that I would contact him and I never did." "He must hate me." Again the tears took over. Her body was shaking. Brandon knew it was even worse then he had thought. His sister was dying inside and he was afraid that nothing but Brady Black could fix it. "Let's go Chloe." "We will help you through this." "Nicky and I are here for you." Chloe forced a smile. "Thanks Brandon." Chloe finally got up and headed out of the airport with Brandon.
Brady had been miserable ever since hearing about Chloe's return. How would he face her? Brady had not left his office the entire day. He tried as hard as he could to focus on his work but it was impossible. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in." John walked into his office and was surprised to see that Brady had been crying. "Brady?" "What's wrong son?" Brady looked up at his father. He could not hide the emotion that was threatening to overtake his body again. "It's Chloe dad?" John was shocked at the mention of her name. Brady had not mentioned her name in months. "What about Chloe?" "Is she hurt?" Brady just shook his head. "No nothing like that." "She is back in town." John couldn't believe his ears. "WHAT????" "Why?" Brady started to sob uncontrollably again. John hated to see his son in so much pain. He knew how much he loved her. "She is in town to see her sister get married." John was confused. "Her sister?" "Yeah dad, I was shocked about that too." "Brandon was here earlier today and mentioned her name." "He tried to cover by saying Lanie but I heard her name." "I don't know what made me do it but I snuck down to Nicole's door and eavesdropped on their conversation. " "I know it was wrong of me but what I heard shocked me even more." "Chloe is their sister." "Apparently Paul raped Nancy." "That is why Chloe was given up for adoption." "All of these years they never knew their sister." "I feel so bad for her dad." "That is why she left." "She told me she loved me and then she left." "I never got a chance to tell her." John never knew why Chloe left. He just knew that his son was crushed when she had done so. "You know son, it may have just been too much for her to handle." "Dad I want you to read this letter." "You are the first person I am showing this too." "This was under my door the day she left." Brady handed the letter over to John. He was glad that he finally had the strength to share it with someone. John read the letter that Brady had held onto for two years. He now understood how deeply his son's pain went. "You see dad, she thought she was the coward in telling me in a letter." "The truth is that I am the coward." "She had the guts to tell me." "I never could." "I, like her was afraid of rejection." "We are both a lot alike in that way." "We have a hard time letting our feelings show." "I will never in my life love a woman the way that I love her." "Dad I still love her." "Even more so than I did before." "Knowing all that she went through." "I even understand why she left." "If I know her like I think I do, I believe she left because she didn't want to burden me." "She never wanted to put her problems on me." "I was always the one who made her tell me what was wrong." "I couldn't stand to see her hurting." John's heart went out to his son. He knew that Brady would never love another like he loves Chloe. "Brady, I know it is none of my business but you seem to be still very much in love with this girl." "I really don't think it will be a good idea to marry Mimi." "It isn't fair to you or to her." Brady knew that his dad was right. He was only marrying Mimi more as a security. They were good friends and he loved her but not in the way a man should love a woman. His only love was Chloe. He knew now that he had to fight tooth and nail to win her back. "Your right dad." "I am going to tell Mimi tonight." "I can't lead her on like this." "I could never marry her knowing that I am still head over heels in love with Chloe Lane." "I just hope it isn't too late."
TBC
Chapter 4
Brandon and Chloe finally arrived at Nicole's apartment. Brandon carried all of her bags up and placed them in the spare bedroom. Nicole was very happy that she agreed to stay with her for the month. "Chloe!!!" Nicole ran into Chloe's arms and hugged her. As soon as she saw her sister she started to cry tears of joy. It was very hard for Nicole to watch Chloe leave to go to Boston only a day after finding out she was her sister. It was the hardest on Chloe. She didn't have anyone. She felt very much alone. Of course it was her choice to leave. Anytime something went wrong in her life she always seemed to run from those who loved her. This time it was going to be different. She was through running. She was ready to move back to Salem. Before she left Boston she let Mike down easily. She told him all about Brady and also told him that her name really wasn't Lanie. Mike was a good guy. He wished her luck. "Oh Nicky, It is so great to see you." Brandon gave Chloe his puppy dog face. "Oh you too Brandon." "Why must you always give me that face?" Brandon just laughed. "I do it because I know both of you fall for it every time." "Plus you love me." Chloe couldn't help but smile. She absolutely adored her brother. "Yes Brandon I do love you." "I love both of you so much." "That is why I have made a decision." Nicole and Brandon both looked on with great interest. "What is your plan Chloe?" "I have decided to move back to Salem." "I need you guys too much." "Besides, I really need to stop running from my problems." "I need to grow up and face them." "Even if the consequences hurt me, I still need to face them." Chloe turned so they wouldn't see her tears. She already broke down enough in front of Brandon. "Your talking about Brady aren't you Chloe?" "Are you sure you are ready to confront him? Nicole was very concerned for her sister. She had yet to hear who he was marrying. She knew that would really kill her. Chloe hated Mimi with a passion. "Chloe dear, I don't know how to tell you this so I am just going to say it." Chloe was a little worried. She could hear the concern in her sister's voice. "Go ahead Nick you have to tell me now." "What is it?" "It's about Brady isn't it?" Nicole couldn't hide it any longer. As much as it hurt her sister she felt she had to know. "Yes sweetie, it is about Brady." "I have a feeling your not going to like it." Chloe was growing more and more frustrated. "Oh just spill it Nicole!!" Nicole could feel the aggravation in her voice. "Okay, Okay, Brady is marrying Mimi Lockhart." As much as they thought it was going to hurt her, Chloe seemed to react differently than they expected. Chloe was literally laughing out loud. "No, you have to be kidding me." Mimi?" Again she started laughing. "Airhead Mimi?" "Well obviously he must be on something if he asked her to marry him." Then all of a sudden her laughter turned into anger. "Wait a minute, How can he marry her after all the things that she has done to me." "Is he nuts?" "What the hell is he thinking?" "He knows how much I hate her." "How could he deceive me like this?" Nicole grabbed Chloe and pulled her into another hug. She knew that Chloe would eventually react this way. The initial shock had warn off and her true feelings about the situation came out. "How could he Nicole?" "How?" She was now crying again. Nicole felt bad for telling her but it was best that she told her rather than her finding out from someone else. Brandon felt so bad for her. He knew his sister didn't know what to feel. She was laughing about it, then angry, then sad all within a five minute span. He knew she had been through so much already but what could he do to help her. He though for a moment and realized he had to tell Brady. He had to confront him. He needed him to know that she was back in town and also needed to find out what he felt for her. "Chloe honey, I got to go somewhere real quick." "Nicky will be here for you." "I will be back in about an hour or so." Chloe looked up at him and tried to smile. "Okay Brandon, take your time." "I am not going anywhere." He gave her a quick hug and took off. Chloe broke away from Nicole. She was glad that she had them both to support her. She needed them now more than ever. "Nicky, thank you so much for just being my sister." Nicole smiled at Chloe. She loved her sister so much. "Chloe dear, what are big sister's for." "You are our baby sister and we will do anything to help you through this horrible ordeal." "Now how about we watch a movie and pig out." "You now that sounds absolutely perfect Nick."
Meanwhile Brandon headed over to Basic Black. He knew that Brady would still be there. He always worked late. Ever since Chloe left he really threw himself into his work. He would get to work around 6am and always work til at least 9pm, sometimes even later. Brady was still sitting at his desk thinking about her. It was always her. He didn't notice Brandon walk in. "Brady?" Brady shot his head up not expecting him to be there. "Oh Brandon you scared the sh*t out of me." "Nicole went home already." Brandon saw Brady's face. It looked like he had been crying but he wasn't sure. "I came to talk to you Brady." Brady couldn't figure out why on earth Brandon would want to talk to him but he had a funny feeling it had to do with Chloe. "Me?" "What on earth for?" Brandon knew it was now or never. He had to tell him. He couldn't lie anymore. "Brady, Nicole and I have known something for a long time now and we felt, well more like I feel you should know." Brady was right. Brandon was about to spill everything to him. "Go ahead?" "Well it has to do with Chloe." Now where getting somewhere. "What about Chloe?" "Chloe is my sister Brady." "That slime Paul raped Nancy Wesley." Brady tried to act shocked but he knew it wasn't working. "I thought you would react a little bit differently than this." "Aren't you going to say anything?" Brady knew he was defeated. "Brandon I have a confession to make as well." "I know all about this." "Earlier today, you slipped up." "I heard Chloe's name and I had to find out what was up." "I know it was wrong of me but I listened to your conversation." Brandon was both shocked and relieved at the same time. "Then you know that she is in town then right?" Brady nodded his head. "Yes I know Brandon." Brandon could see the pain in Brady's eyes. He knew that he still loved her. He didn't even need to ask him now. It was written all over his face. "She hurt you badly when she left didn't she Brady?" Brady nodded again. "I know there is no denying it huh?" "I used to be so good at hiding my feelings." "Lately I am like an open book." "I really need to work on that." Brandon knew that Brady was saying those things more to himself than to him. "Well I came to say what I needed to say." "I am going to go and see my sister now." Brandon turned to leave but Brady stopped him. "Hey Brandon wait!!" He turned back around to face him. "You know I still her right?" "I can never love another like I love her." Brandon smiled. "I know Brady, she loves you too." Brandon went to leave for the second time but Brady spoke again. "Hey Brandon, Do you think she will give me another chance?" "That is something you are going to have to ask her yourself." "I do need to say that she is pretty upset over the fact that you are marrying Mimi Lockhart." "She felt pretty betrayed." "You of all people should know how much she hates her." Brady knew Brandon was right. He did betray her. "Mimi did do a lot of bad things but she was the only one there for me when Chloe left me." "I was completely heart broken." "I know now that it was wrong." "I just used Mimi." "Nobody can ever replace Chloe in my heart." "That is why I am calling off the wedding." "I can't marry somebody that I am not in love with." "I don't want to be with anyone but Chloe." Brandon couldn't believe that he was confessing all of this to him. "Brady you need to tell Chloe all of this yourself." "Now Chloe does not know I am here." "I am going to go now." "Tomorrow go to the Brady Pub." "I am meeting Jennifer there for breakfast." "I will take Chloe along with me." "I know Nicky has to be to the office early for a meeting with Austin and John so she will not be there." "I am sure John will understand if you tell him what is going on." "See if you can go in a little late." "We will be there around 8am." "Walk in a little after 8 so you don't look suspicious." "I will make an excuse that I have to leave and then you can talk." "Please don't disappoint her Brady." "I love my sister very much and I don't want to see her hurting anymore." "Tell her the truth about how you feel." "Tell her everything that you just told me." "You two belong together." "I have never seen two people more perfect for each other." Brandon finally walked out leaving Brady to think. Brandon was right. He had to tell her exactly how he felt about her but first things first. He needed to go home and break it off with Mimi.
TBC
Chapter 5
Brady walked into the loft hoping that Mimi was there. Although she did not live there officially she did have a key to use whenever she wanted to. Brady could see a figure sitting in the dark. He knew it was her. "Meems why are all the lights out?" Mimi started crying again. Hearing his voice was killing her. "Hey, why are you crying?" He really did care about her. He just couldn't love her the way that he should. "What the hell do you care for Black." "Go find Chloe and let her sh*t all over you again." "You deserve all the pain you get you bastard." "How can you come in here and act like nothing is wrong?" "How can you marry me Brady when you are in love with someone else?" Brady wasn't sure where this was coming from. He knew it was all true but he couldn't figure out how she knew. "Mimi please let me explain." Mimi got up off of the couch. "Oh I would love to see how you are going to explain your way out of this one." "Ghoul Girl walked away from you 2 years ago Brady." "I was there to help you through it all." "How can you still say that you love her after everything that we have been through together, after everything that she has done to you." Brady was getting angry now. "First of all, don't you dare call her that again." "Chloe is the most passionate, caring and loving woman that I know." "Yeah she left Mimi but it was my fault." "It took me two years to figure it out but it was all me." "If I would have just opened up to her and told her how I felt instead of keeping it bottled up inside then she probably never would have left." "You of all people know what she means to me." "Now I am sorry that I even asked you to marry me." "It was wrong." "I was trying to hide." "You are a great friend Mimi, but that is all that we can be." "I mean we haven't even had sex yet." "Doesn't that tell you something?" "I have been so stupid Mimi." "I don't love you." "Well I love you but not the way a man should love his wife." "I was just so confused for so long." "I thought it was just that Chloe wrecked me for every other woman but the truth is she didn't wreck me." "She just stole my heart away and never gave it back." "Well I want her to keep it Mimi." "I want her more than life itself." "Now I am sorry that I hurt you and I am not even sure how you knew about me still loving her but I glad that it is out in the open." "This needs to end now." "Right here, Right Now!!!" Mimi couldn't control her tears any longer. She never thought she would hear those horrible things coming from Brady's mouth. The truth was that she knew it deep down how he felt. He tried to hide it but she knew. She also knew that some day Chloe Lane would come back and steal him away from her. She felt it. She was defeated and she didn't want to fight with him anymore. No matter what she said or did he wasn't going to change his mind. She could see that. She wasn't a fool. "Brady I am sorry." "I knew how you felt about her but I pushed you into this anyway." "In the back of my mind I always knew that she would come back some day." "I am just glad this all happened before we started to plan the wedding." "This was all just a big mistake." "I can see that now Brady." "It was fun while it lasted." "You will always have a special place in my heart Black." Mimi walked over to Brady and handed him his key. She placed a kiss on his cheek and walked out of the loft. Once the door was closed behind her the tears started to fall again. She didn't want to show it in front of him but she was pretty broken up by all of it. She really did love Brady Black with all of her heart.
Brady walked over to the portrait of his mom on the wall. Anytime he was upset he would talk to her. He felt that she was always there with him. That is mainly why he took the loft to begin with. He had hoped to share it with Chloe but then she left. He looked up at the photo and spoke. "Mom, it's me again." "I am sure you already know this now but Chloe is back." "I know I was amazed to find this out." "I am sure you just heard what went down with Mimi and I." "I don't know what I was thinking when I asked her to marry me." "I guess I was trying to hide." "The only woman that I ever want to marry is Chloe." "Brandon came by to see me today." "He told me that Chloe still loves me." "I kind of always felt it in my heart but it was nice to hear." "You know I searched for her for so long before finally giving up." Tears started to flow again. "Oh MOM…I am so glad that she is back." "I am going to see her tomorrow at the Brady Pub." "I know it is going to be hard to get back all the time that we missed but I don't care." "I am willing to do everything that I can for her." "Anyway, thanks for listening Mom." Brady walked over to the couch and fell onto it. He couldn't control his sobs no matter how hard he tried. He was exhausted, not only physically but mentally as well. His eyes became weak and he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Brandon walked back into Nicole's apartment. Nicole and Chloe were watching a movie. Chloe was laughing and having a wonderful time. Brandon was so happy to see his sister smiling. "Well sounds like you two are having a grand ole time." "Oh Brandon you have to sit down and watch this movie with us." "It is so funny." "I forgot how funny Jim Carrey can be." "He is such a dork but that is what makes it funny."" Brandon couldn't deny either one of his sisters anything. He sat down and watched the movie with them. Chloe seemed to be feeling a lot better. She took a piece of popcorn and threw it in Brandon's face. Nicole couldn't help laughing. She hadn't seen Chloe this happy in a long time. "You know Chloe, this means war." Brandon grabbed a handful of the popcorn and whipped at her. "Oh now you did big bro, your dead now." Chloe ran over to the fridge and grabbed a can of whipped cream and squirt it all over Brandon's face. Nicole couldn't control her laughter any more. She fell off the couch laughing. Brandon got the whipped cream from Chloe and walked over to Nicole. "What are you laughing at Nicky." He took it and squirt it all over hair. "Hey now that wasn't funny." Chloe started laughing now. "Yes it was Nicky!!" "That was hilarious." Both Nicole and Brandon looked at each other and yelled at the same time. "Let's get her." Chloe tried as hard as she could to get away but there was only so many places that she could hide. Finally they cornered her in the bathroom. Brandon held her down while Nicole sprayed out the rest of the contents of the bottle into Chloe's hair. Chloe just fell onto the ground laughing. "Alright you guys win." "Now I have to take a shower to get all of this cream out of my head." Chloe went into her room to grab her clothes and then she jumped into the shower.
"So Brandon where did you take off to?" "I went to see somebody." Nicole had a feeling about this. "Did this person happen to be Brady Black?" Brandon was surprised at how well his sister knew him. "You know Nicole, I never could hide anything from you." "Yes I went to see Brady." "I was going to tell him about Chloe being in town but he already knew." "He knows everything." Nicole's face turned white. "WHAT????" "How did he find out?" "He was eavesdropping on our conversation earlier today." "I don't even care about that, I am glad that he knows." "You know Nicky he still loves her." "He is breaking it off with Mimi." "He told me that he could never love anyone else like he loves her." Nicole smiled. "I knew it." "I knew he always felt that way about her." "That is why I was so surprised when they announced their engagement." "I know me too." "Well I think they are going to find there way back to each other." "I just know it." Nicole gave her brother a hug. "I hope so Brandon, for both of their sakes."
TBC