Truth Out Of Darkness
Chapter 21
Chloe gingerly eased her way into a sitting position and slowly looked around the room. She had been awake for awhile. She had just stared at the ceiling trying to bring order to the chaos of her mind. It had taken her 10 minutes to figure out who she was and where she was. She was still trying to piece together the events of last night. She spied her dress hanging over her chair and vaguely remembered wearing it recently. Images came to her quickly and jumbled. I was with Brady. There was music and dancing. We were at the hospital. Why were we dancing in the hospital?
She gently fingered her wounds. Her head was pounding and her jaw throbbed. What happened to me? She caught a glimpse of her face in her dresser mirror. Cold ice flowed through her veins as she saw the dark purple bruises. Her mind quickly flashed - She saw Phillip, furious - She was so scared. Brady help me!
Chloe was thrown out of her reverie by the sound of her phone ringing. She winced at the fresh pain the loud noise caused. She reached over and picked it up.
"Hello" she said weakly, trying not to move her sore jaw more than necessary.
"Hello, Chloe. How's your head?" the disembodied male voice was back.
"Who is this?" Chloe asked, fear trickling through her.
"Don't you know my voice, my sweet little Chloe?"
She did know the voice, but couldn't place it. "Why are you calling me?" she asked. That voice was so familiar.
"Just to let you know you can't get rid of me that easily. You will be mine again, Chloe."click The voice hung up.
There was a growing fear in the pit of her stomach as she realized that there was only one person it could be. Phillip. More images flashed through her mind, none of them making sense. She wanted to cry from fear and frustration when her phone rang again.
She stared at the phone, feeling the fear return. She let it ring 3 times and then finally picked up. She held it to her ear, afraid to speak.
"Chloe?" a warm male voice asked.
"Brady." she breathed, relief coloring her voice.
"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little out of it." she quickly put the other caller out of her mind.
"Well, I was just wanting to see how you were and if you were up for some company?"
She was, so Brady said he'd be over shortly. I'd better make myself presentable. She looked down at the heavy flannel ugly gown she was wearing and made a face.
"What am I wearing?" She took it off and traded for a blue satin pajama top and matching bottoms. She washed her face, taking care with her bruises and settled back on her bed to wait for Brady.
"Hey, Sugar. Let's see what's on the soaps today, shall we?" she clicked on her tv. "What's this? There was a baby switch at the hospital? Angelica's baby isn't hers?! Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen!" she laughed.
DING DONG
"Oh! That's Brady!"
Chloe was still suffering from some residual dizziness and the pain in her head made walking difficult. Therefore it had taken a couple of minutes for her to get halfway down the stairs. She leaned heavily on the rail for support and went down step by step.
DING DONG DING DONG
"I'm coming!" she yelled loudly, feeling the fresh pain from her jaw.
Brady grinned to himself. He loved to push her buttons. He rang the doorbell a few more times.
"DAMMIT! I'm moving as fast as I can!"
Brady laughed. The front door flew open to reveal Chloe resplendant in all her radiant anger.
"You," Brady said, stepping around her, "are supposed to be in bed."
"I would be in bed but people keep ringing the doorbell!" she fired back, enjoying their game.
"You know what!" Brady slapped his forehead playfully. "I just remembered I still have the key Craig gave me last night." he grinned widely.
"You made me get out of bed and come all the way down here for nothing? HMMMPH!" She turned slowly and began to carefully make her way toward the stairs. Slooowly.
Brady rolled his eyes and stepping up behind her, lifted her up in his arms.
"Brady!" she squealed, ignoring her jaw. "What are you doing!" she demanded.
"Oh, calm down, your Divaness. I did this last night."
"You did?"
"You don't remember?" he asked, concerned.
"I'm working on it. It's still a blur. Brady, don't take me upstairs. Take me to the kitchen."
"The kitchen?"
"I'm hungry, and since we're down here..."
He chuckled. "Yes, of course, your majesty." He set her down in a chair in the kitchen and began rummaging through the cabinets. "And what would her highness care to eat?"
"Something that doesn't involve chewing."
"Aha! Here we go - Veggie beef soup."
Chloe just looked at Brady.
"Right. I forgot. You're ALMOST a vegetarian." he rolled his eyes.
"I am a vegetarian!" she cried.
"Excuse me? You eat turkey. In my book, that's not a vegetarian."
"Whatever. Just fix me something to eat." she quipped.
"Yes, sir! Here, veggie no beef." he got out a pot and began heating up the soup. He also fixed some herbal tea for her to drink.
He sat down with the tea and soup beside Chloe. "All kidding aside, how are you doing?" he asked. He had noticed that her bruises were darker and bigger.
She gave him a small smile. "I'm okay. My head hurts and my jaw is sore, but I'm okay. What's frustrating is not remembering what happened. It took forever just for me to remember my name.... You know what happened, don't you?" she asked.
"I'll tell you later. Right now, eat."
She finished her soup and Brady again picked her up in his arms and headed toward her room. "You better be careful, Brady. I could get used to this!" she joked.
"Well, don't. Because as soon as you're better - no more rides. You're getting too heavy for this." he smiled.
"Once again, you're implying that I eat too much. Maybe I should go on a diet." She said thoughtfully, looking at her body.
"Don't you dare! I love every inch of you!" Brady said seriously.
Chapter 21
Chloe gingerly eased her way into a sitting position and slowly looked around the room. She had been awake for awhile. She had just stared at the ceiling trying to bring order to the chaos of her mind. It had taken her 10 minutes to figure out who she was and where she was. She was still trying to piece together the events of last night. She spied her dress hanging over her chair and vaguely remembered wearing it recently. Images came to her quickly and jumbled. I was with Brady. There was music and dancing. We were at the hospital. Why were we dancing in the hospital?
She gently fingered her wounds. Her head was pounding and her jaw throbbed. What happened to me? She caught a glimpse of her face in her dresser mirror. Cold ice flowed through her veins as she saw the dark purple bruises. Her mind quickly flashed - She saw Phillip, furious - She was so scared. Brady help me!
Chloe was thrown out of her reverie by the sound of her phone ringing. She winced at the fresh pain the loud noise caused. She reached over and picked it up.
"Hello" she said weakly, trying not to move her sore jaw more than necessary.
"Hello, Chloe. How's your head?" the disembodied male voice was back.
"Who is this?" Chloe asked, fear trickling through her.
"Don't you know my voice, my sweet little Chloe?"
She did know the voice, but couldn't place it. "Why are you calling me?" she asked. That voice was so familiar.
"Just to let you know you can't get rid of me that easily. You will be mine again, Chloe."click The voice hung up.
There was a growing fear in the pit of her stomach as she realized that there was only one person it could be. Phillip. More images flashed through her mind, none of them making sense. She wanted to cry from fear and frustration when her phone rang again.
She stared at the phone, feeling the fear return. She let it ring 3 times and then finally picked up. She held it to her ear, afraid to speak.
"Chloe?" a warm male voice asked.
"Brady." she breathed, relief coloring her voice.
"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little out of it." she quickly put the other caller out of her mind.
"Well, I was just wanting to see how you were and if you were up for some company?"
She was, so Brady said he'd be over shortly. I'd better make myself presentable. She looked down at the heavy flannel ugly gown she was wearing and made a face.
"What am I wearing?" She took it off and traded for a blue satin pajama top and matching bottoms. She washed her face, taking care with her bruises and settled back on her bed to wait for Brady.
"Hey, Sugar. Let's see what's on the soaps today, shall we?" she clicked on her tv. "What's this? There was a baby switch at the hospital? Angelica's baby isn't hers?! Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen!" she laughed.
DING DONG
"Oh! That's Brady!"
Chloe was still suffering from some residual dizziness and the pain in her head made walking difficult. Therefore it had taken a couple of minutes for her to get halfway down the stairs. She leaned heavily on the rail for support and went down step by step.
DING DONG DING DONG
"I'm coming!" she yelled loudly, feeling the fresh pain from her jaw.
Brady grinned to himself. He loved to push her buttons. He rang the doorbell a few more times.
"DAMMIT! I'm moving as fast as I can!"
Brady laughed. The front door flew open to reveal Chloe resplendant in all her radiant anger.
"You," Brady said, stepping around her, "are supposed to be in bed."
"I would be in bed but people keep ringing the doorbell!" she fired back, enjoying their game.
"You know what!" Brady slapped his forehead playfully. "I just remembered I still have the key Craig gave me last night." he grinned widely.
"You made me get out of bed and come all the way down here for nothing? HMMMPH!" She turned slowly and began to carefully make her way toward the stairs. Slooowly.
Brady rolled his eyes and stepping up behind her, lifted her up in his arms.
"Brady!" she squealed, ignoring her jaw. "What are you doing!" she demanded.
"Oh, calm down, your Divaness. I did this last night."
"You did?"
"You don't remember?" he asked, concerned.
"I'm working on it. It's still a blur. Brady, don't take me upstairs. Take me to the kitchen."
"The kitchen?"
"I'm hungry, and since we're down here..."
He chuckled. "Yes, of course, your majesty." He set her down in a chair in the kitchen and began rummaging through the cabinets. "And what would her highness care to eat?"
"Something that doesn't involve chewing."
"Aha! Here we go - Veggie beef soup."
Chloe just looked at Brady.
"Right. I forgot. You're ALMOST a vegetarian." he rolled his eyes.
"I am a vegetarian!" she cried.
"Excuse me? You eat turkey. In my book, that's not a vegetarian."
"Whatever. Just fix me something to eat." she quipped.
"Yes, sir! Here, veggie no beef." he got out a pot and began heating up the soup. He also fixed some herbal tea for her to drink.
He sat down with the tea and soup beside Chloe. "All kidding aside, how are you doing?" he asked. He had noticed that her bruises were darker and bigger.
She gave him a small smile. "I'm okay. My head hurts and my jaw is sore, but I'm okay. What's frustrating is not remembering what happened. It took forever just for me to remember my name.... You know what happened, don't you?" she asked.
"I'll tell you later. Right now, eat."
She finished her soup and Brady again picked her up in his arms and headed toward her room. "You better be careful, Brady. I could get used to this!" she joked.
"Well, don't. Because as soon as you're better - no more rides. You're getting too heavy for this." he smiled.
"Once again, you're implying that I eat too much. Maybe I should go on a diet." She said thoughtfully, looking at her body.
"Don't you dare! I love every inch of you!" Brady said seriously.