Truth Out Of Darkness
Chapter 34
Nancy opened her mailbox. "Look at all these bills." she muttered. A letter snagged her interest. It was addressed to Chloe. Nancy noticed that it had been forwarded by the orphanage. She was going to take a closer look at the envelope when the phone rang. She dumped the stack of mail on the corner table and went the answer the phone, the strange letter gone from her mind. Chloe's letter teetered precariously for a second on top of the unbalanced stack and then fell to the floor beside the couch, unnoticed and forgotten.
Elsewhere…
"What is this?"
"Dinner."
"You have GOT to be kidding me."
"What?"
Chloe looked disdainfully at the plate Brady had fixed for her. A giant hotdog topped with mustard, onions, chili and coleslaw with chips and a pickle on the side.
"I am not eating this."
"PLEASE tell me we aren't going to go through THAT again! Just trust me. You're gonna love it." Brady said.
"A hotdog?"
"Relax. It's a turkey dog, turkey chili. I even used wheat buns. Which means it's totally gonna suck, but you have to be picky." Brady joked.
"Coleslaw, huh. You going for hotdog nirvana?"
"You know it. So, are you going to eat? Or are you going to make me feed you?" Brady grinned wickedly, picking up the hotdog.
Chloe looked at him for a long second with a mischievious glint in her blue eyes. She then slowly opened her mouth and formed a perfect O with her full lips.
Brady grinned and accepted the invitation. He put the hotdog to her lips and with deliberate, agonizing slowness, pushed it forward into her mouth.
"MMMMMMM" Chloe moaned as she tasted the first bite. She chewed slowly, savoring all the different flavors. Brady grinned to see her enjoying herself.
"Once again, Heaven. You do know your food, Mr. Black."
"Here, you got a little mustard..." he leaned forward and gently wiped the mustard away from the corner of her mouth with his thumb. Chloe watched him lick the mustard off his thumb. {Is it hot in here?} She finished the rest without any further assistance from Brady.
"Thanks for making me dinner, Brady. That was just what I needed after today."
"How was your session?"
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Looong. Painful. I don't really want to talk about it. I've done enough talking for one day."
"Right, we're here because Marlena wants you to have fun this evening. Doctor's orders."
"So, what are we going to do?" Chloe asked.
"Well, we never did get to see our movie."
"Yeah, hard to believe that wasn't even two weeks ago. So much has happened since then. I still can't believe Phillip's gone. Just like that. Poof."
"How does that make you feel?" Brady asked seriously.
"Well, obviously, I'm relieved. But, I feel kind of weird. He was such an important part of my life for so long and now he's gone. I should be sad, but I'm not. I don't feel anything. Is that horrible?"
"No, it just proves what I've been telling you all along. You never really loved him."
"No, I didn't. Not the way I..." she cut off suddenly. She just couldn't say it yet.
"What?"
"Nothing. So, movie?" she changed the subject quickly.
They sat alone in the darkened theater enjoying the movie. Chloe kept stealing glances at Brady during the movie. He looked at her.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing." she smiled. She lay her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her. They stayed like that for the rest of the movie.
After the movie, they strolled through Salem Park, hand in hand, fingers laced. Chloe stopped and leaned her head back to look at the stars. They both stood there looking at the sky, letting the peace of the winter night flow through them.
Chloe snapped her head down suddenly and looked around quickly.
"What is it?" Brady asked, at once protective of her. Her eyes were wide with fear. She kept turning her head and looking around. He put his arms around her shoulders.
"Chloe, what is it?" he asked. He couldn't see anything.
Chloe exhaled deeply and relaxed. "It's nothing. For a second there, I thought someone was watching me. But it's gone now. I guess I'm still jumpy from Phillip's stalking. But he's gone now and it's over. No more phone calls - nothing. I can relax."
She looked up at Brady and their eyes locked. Chloe was bewildered by the myriad of emotions flowing through her. She broke contact and looked away from him.
They walked in silence for a long time when Chloe spoke softly. "Brady, I'm in a very weird place right now. I'm emotional and vulnerable..." she trailed off.
"And?"
"And I could very easily fall for you. So, if you don't feel the same way, if we are 'just friends', let me know now." She said hastily and averted her eyes.
Brady looked her gently in the eyes. "Don't you know how I feel? Can't you feel it?" he asked earnestly, love shining in his blue eyes.
She nodded, smiling. "I do feel it. I was just afraid that I was wrong - afraid of making a mistake and losing you. I can't lose you, Brady."
"And I've already told you that you never could. I love you, Chloe."
She was at once happy and scared. Other people had told her they loved her, and then hurt her. She wanted to say the words, but there was a block in her mind. She just couldn't get past it. She sighed deeply.
"I care about you too, even if I can't say it yet. Brady, you are the most important person in my life. But, I'm also not ready for a relationship yet." she told him, begging him with her eyes to understand.
She should have known he would.
"Of course not! You are going through too much right now. Listen, your primary focus is getting better."
"Will you wait for me?" she asked with a small voice, tears brimming her eyes.
Brady smiled. "I've already waited for a lifetime to find you. I can wait a little longer. Face it, you're stuck with me."
She hugged him deeply. She felt so happy. They continued walking through the park, enjoying the cool, winter air and watching the snow sparkle on the ground.
Brady spoke up. "By the way, Tuscany's is having their Christmas Ball Friday evening. Would you like to go with me? As friends, of course." he asked, eyes sparkling.
She smiled up at him. "I'd like that."
Chapter 34
Nancy opened her mailbox. "Look at all these bills." she muttered. A letter snagged her interest. It was addressed to Chloe. Nancy noticed that it had been forwarded by the orphanage. She was going to take a closer look at the envelope when the phone rang. She dumped the stack of mail on the corner table and went the answer the phone, the strange letter gone from her mind. Chloe's letter teetered precariously for a second on top of the unbalanced stack and then fell to the floor beside the couch, unnoticed and forgotten.
Elsewhere…
"What is this?"
"Dinner."
"You have GOT to be kidding me."
"What?"
Chloe looked disdainfully at the plate Brady had fixed for her. A giant hotdog topped with mustard, onions, chili and coleslaw with chips and a pickle on the side.
"I am not eating this."
"PLEASE tell me we aren't going to go through THAT again! Just trust me. You're gonna love it." Brady said.
"A hotdog?"
"Relax. It's a turkey dog, turkey chili. I even used wheat buns. Which means it's totally gonna suck, but you have to be picky." Brady joked.
"Coleslaw, huh. You going for hotdog nirvana?"
"You know it. So, are you going to eat? Or are you going to make me feed you?" Brady grinned wickedly, picking up the hotdog.
Chloe looked at him for a long second with a mischievious glint in her blue eyes. She then slowly opened her mouth and formed a perfect O with her full lips.
Brady grinned and accepted the invitation. He put the hotdog to her lips and with deliberate, agonizing slowness, pushed it forward into her mouth.
"MMMMMMM" Chloe moaned as she tasted the first bite. She chewed slowly, savoring all the different flavors. Brady grinned to see her enjoying herself.
"Once again, Heaven. You do know your food, Mr. Black."
"Here, you got a little mustard..." he leaned forward and gently wiped the mustard away from the corner of her mouth with his thumb. Chloe watched him lick the mustard off his thumb. {Is it hot in here?} She finished the rest without any further assistance from Brady.
"Thanks for making me dinner, Brady. That was just what I needed after today."
"How was your session?"
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Looong. Painful. I don't really want to talk about it. I've done enough talking for one day."
"Right, we're here because Marlena wants you to have fun this evening. Doctor's orders."
"So, what are we going to do?" Chloe asked.
"Well, we never did get to see our movie."
"Yeah, hard to believe that wasn't even two weeks ago. So much has happened since then. I still can't believe Phillip's gone. Just like that. Poof."
"How does that make you feel?" Brady asked seriously.
"Well, obviously, I'm relieved. But, I feel kind of weird. He was such an important part of my life for so long and now he's gone. I should be sad, but I'm not. I don't feel anything. Is that horrible?"
"No, it just proves what I've been telling you all along. You never really loved him."
"No, I didn't. Not the way I..." she cut off suddenly. She just couldn't say it yet.
"What?"
"Nothing. So, movie?" she changed the subject quickly.
They sat alone in the darkened theater enjoying the movie. Chloe kept stealing glances at Brady during the movie. He looked at her.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing." she smiled. She lay her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her. They stayed like that for the rest of the movie.
After the movie, they strolled through Salem Park, hand in hand, fingers laced. Chloe stopped and leaned her head back to look at the stars. They both stood there looking at the sky, letting the peace of the winter night flow through them.
Chloe snapped her head down suddenly and looked around quickly.
"What is it?" Brady asked, at once protective of her. Her eyes were wide with fear. She kept turning her head and looking around. He put his arms around her shoulders.
"Chloe, what is it?" he asked. He couldn't see anything.
Chloe exhaled deeply and relaxed. "It's nothing. For a second there, I thought someone was watching me. But it's gone now. I guess I'm still jumpy from Phillip's stalking. But he's gone now and it's over. No more phone calls - nothing. I can relax."
She looked up at Brady and their eyes locked. Chloe was bewildered by the myriad of emotions flowing through her. She broke contact and looked away from him.
They walked in silence for a long time when Chloe spoke softly. "Brady, I'm in a very weird place right now. I'm emotional and vulnerable..." she trailed off.
"And?"
"And I could very easily fall for you. So, if you don't feel the same way, if we are 'just friends', let me know now." She said hastily and averted her eyes.
Brady looked her gently in the eyes. "Don't you know how I feel? Can't you feel it?" he asked earnestly, love shining in his blue eyes.
She nodded, smiling. "I do feel it. I was just afraid that I was wrong - afraid of making a mistake and losing you. I can't lose you, Brady."
"And I've already told you that you never could. I love you, Chloe."
She was at once happy and scared. Other people had told her they loved her, and then hurt her. She wanted to say the words, but there was a block in her mind. She just couldn't get past it. She sighed deeply.
"I care about you too, even if I can't say it yet. Brady, you are the most important person in my life. But, I'm also not ready for a relationship yet." she told him, begging him with her eyes to understand.
She should have known he would.
"Of course not! You are going through too much right now. Listen, your primary focus is getting better."
"Will you wait for me?" she asked with a small voice, tears brimming her eyes.
Brady smiled. "I've already waited for a lifetime to find you. I can wait a little longer. Face it, you're stuck with me."
She hugged him deeply. She felt so happy. They continued walking through the park, enjoying the cool, winter air and watching the snow sparkle on the ground.
Brady spoke up. "By the way, Tuscany's is having their Christmas Ball Friday evening. Would you like to go with me? As friends, of course." he asked, eyes sparkling.
She smiled up at him. "I'd like that."