Chapter Seven

(Same Day...)

Chloe knocked on Brady's door firmly with one hand and crossed her fingers with the other. She didn't usually come over uninvited, but she was in the area after her shopping trip with Mimi and Chloe and felt like stopping by. Her fingers were crossed in hopes that Brady was home, and that she wasn't interrupting him in the middle of something.

Brady answered the door and stared at her in shock. "Chloe... What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was kind of in the neighborhood and I thought I'd drop by and say hey."

"Alright then... Come on in, make yourself at home." Brady moved out of the way and ushered her in.

Chloe smiled nervously and made her way into Brady's loft. She sat on the end of his couch and rubbed her hands together anxiously. Brady closed the door behind her and sat on the opposite end of the couch. He glared at her curiously, but said nothing.


Chloe looked up at him and attempted another smile. "Brady... You're looking at me like I'm growing an extra eyeball or something. Why?"

"Because... You have never come over to visit me completely unannounced. So, between that, last night's out of the blue phone call and this weird fidgety thing you've got going on... Is there something you want to tell me?"

Chloe looked away and paused to think. There was something eating away at her, but unfortunately, she couldn't quite put her finger on what it might be. She turned back to Brady and shrugged in confusion. "I... I don't know... I know that something is wrong, or different, but I don't know what it is. So, I just... I don't know."

Brady shook his head in confusion. "Uhm... What?"

"It's hard to explain..."

"Obviously."

Chloe sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I feel like there is something I have to tell you, something that I NEED to tell you... But, I don't even know what it is."

"Chloe... Do you have a really high fever? Have you been taking drugs or drinking? Or have you just gone mad?"

Chloe laughed and shook her head. "No, none of that. I'm sorry... My brain is just a little muddled right now."

Brady nodded in understanding. "Well, when it gets a little more cleared out, please let me know whatever it is that you know that you don't know."

Chloe grinned at him and nodded. "You'll be the first to hear it..."

"So, Chloe Lane... What have you been up to today?"

"Believe it or not... I went dress shopping with Mimi and Belle."

"Dress shopping?"

"Yeah, but not for me. Mimi needed a second opinion, so I got dragged along. And you'll never believe what I have to tell you next..."

Brady looked at her skeptically. "What? A UFO landed in the middle of Salem Place?"

Chloe chuckled and shook her head. "Nooooo... Not that unbelievable. Your sister is going to the Last Blast with Phillip. Just as friends, it's not a date or anything."

"And what about us?"

Chloe's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Huh? Us? What about us what?"

"What are WE going to be doing on Saturday night when all the kiddies are dancing the night away to crappy prom music?"

"Ohhh... Well... *I*, meaning me, was planning on sitting around the house, eating junk food and watching bad movies. If you want to join me, then you are more than welcome to."

"Sounds like a pretty good idea..."

Chloe stopped him before he could finish. "Brady... Don't tell me you have nothing better to do on a Saturday night besides hanging out with me..."

Brady shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't. I mean, if you hadn't already noticed, I'm not exactly the most popular guy in town."

"And why is that? You should really... I don't know... Try to make more friends. Because, once I'm gone, you'll be really bored."

Brady smiled sweetly at her. "That's true... But, for now... I'd rather spend my Saturday evening with you."

Chloe threw her hands up in defeat. "Alright then... But, remember, beggars can't be choosers. So, when my boring Saturday night gets too boring, I don't want to hear any complaints."

"No complaining, I promise." Brady paused and then shifted subjects. "So, you're not bothered by the fact that my sister is going to the Last Blast with your ex-boyfriend?"

"Not really..."

"Not even a little bit?"

Chloe shook her head and smiled at him. "Nope, not even a little. I thought it might... But, it doesn't. First off, it's not even an actual date. And, even if it was... It wouldn't bother me. He has to move on with his life, and so do I. I don't care who he dates, as long as he's happy. And maybe, someday, if I ever meet a guy crazy enough to date me, then Phillip won't care either. I know he's been the jealous type in the past, but I think he's finally getting over that. Things are going to be okay."

Brady nodded in understanding and then stopped suddenly. "Wait a minute... If you ever meet a guy crazy enough to date you? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Crazy enough... or dumb enough, I suppose. Brady, you and I both know that I'm not exactly the type of girl that most guys go for. I never had anyone interested in me until I met Phillip."

Brady's forehead wrinkled up and he frowned at her. "What are you talking about, Chloe? You are a very beautiful woman, and any guy who wouldn't be attracted you is an idiot."

Chloe smiled shyly and waved her hand at him. "Thank you... But that's not what I meant. I'm not like other girls my age, and I never have been. Most guys want meek, girly-girls who will take their crap... I'm not like that. I took more crap from Phillip than I should have, and I'm not going to do that again. Not for anyone. Besides, I'm going to be way too busy with my music to let my social life interfere."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that your main focus is your music. You should never let anything interfere with that. But, I think you're selling yourself short."

"I am?"

Brady nodded firmly. "Absolutely... Yes, there are some guys who are only interested in girls who will do whatever they tell them. But, there are guys who are more interested in women like you. Someone who is strong, intelligent, opinionated and most of all, confident. In fact, I am completely sure that there is a guy out there who is looking for a woman exactly like you."

Chloe grinned at him and laid her hand over his. "Well, if you ever run into him, please give him my number."

"I'll be sure to do that. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think you will ever have to worry about falling in love again. You are an amazing person, inside and out, and a lot more people realize that than you think."

"Okay, okay... I see what you're saying, and thank you."

Brady smiled and wrapped his fingers around hers, giving her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. "Good... Now, what are we going to do about my sister?"

Chloe sighed and bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "I don't know. I don't even know what we CAN do. She seems like she's doing pretty well, considering..."

"But, she's not. I can tell."

Chloe nodded in agreement. "Well, she's not teetering on a ledge or anything, that's the good news. But, you're right. She's not doing as well as she's letting on, I can see it too. She's trying to completely erase Shawn from her life by pretending that he doesn't exist. She won't even say his name out loud. But, it's not working..."

Brady groaned in frustration and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "No, it's not. No matter how much you tell yourself to forget someone, you never will. Not when they mean that much to you. Shawn is a part of Belle forever, and she is a part of him, no matter what. I can see it in her eyes. He's still there and he always will be."

"I know that things like this aren't supposed to be easy. And, I know that there is a lot of trust that needs to be rebuilt... But, I wish that Belle could just look at Shawn one more time and see him for what he means to her, and not for what he did. Maybe then she could give him a second chance."

"Does he even deserve a second chance?"

Chloe hesitated for a moment and then nodded assuredly. "Yes, he does. We all do, Brady. People sometimes make mistakes, horrible mistakes, the kind of mistakes that you regret for the rest of the life... That doesn't mean they can't ever be trusted again. Most people learn from their mistakes and don't keep repeating them in the future. I believe in second chances, Brady... Don't you?"

Brady looked away from her and sighed softly. After a moment of silence, he turned back and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I do. But, sometimes when a person has been hurt, they can never get over it... they can never forgive."

"But, that's not Belle. And, I know it's not you, either. You and Marlena gave your relationship a second chance, and look at how well it worked out. Belle gave Mimi a second chance and that worked out too... I know she has the ability to forgive Shawn too, she just has to let the pain subside."

"But, giving someone a second chance doesn't always work out. I hate to bring it up, but look at you and Phillip."

Chloe rolled her eyes and groaned. "Let's NOT look at me and Phillip."

Brady grinned and pointed a finger at her. "Exactly my point."

Chloe chuckled and playfully slapped his hand away. "Actually, it just goes to further the point I was trying to make."

"And how is that?"

"Phillip and I... I gave him a second chance, a third, a fourth, and a fifth... I don't know, I lost count. But, the point is... I don't regret it. Yes, I got hurt again, we both got hurt, but... I know that if I had just given up the first time something went wrong, I would have regretted it the rest of my life. Far more than I regret trying to work things out. You have to take that chance or you'll never know what you could have lost."

Brady shrugged in defeat and grinned at her. "Well, I'm always up for taking chances, so you may just be right."

Chloe's eyes widened and she waved her index finger at him in a scolding way. "You know, Brady... I think you just like to argue with me for argument's sake, even when you agree with me."

"Well, that's because you're so much fun to argue with."

"Gee thanks..." Chloe rolled her eyes and checked the watch on her wrist. "As much fun as this back and forth banter has been, I have to go. The closer I get to leaving for New York, the more insistent Nancy has been that I be home for dinner every night."

Brady stood and walked towards the door with Chloe in front of him. "I can't say I blame her... It's going to be awfully lonely around here with you and Belle hundreds of miles away."

Chloe turned around and leaned against the door, grinning at Brady as she did so. "Yeah, you might actually have to go out and make some friends your own age."

"Ouch, Chloe... That hurts... That really hurts."

Chloe smiled at him and winked. "It's the truth, that's all. But, seriously, Brady... I probably don't tell you this enough, not as much as I should anyway... But, thank you."

Brady's eyebrows furrowed together. "For what?"

"For everything..." Chloe looked downward for a second and fidgeted nervously. She looked back up at Brady and smiled again. "I know we had a rocky start, but this past year, you've been... You've been amazing. You've been there for me every time I needed you, and you've supported me through everything, bad or good. Your friendship is one of the most special things I've ever known... So, I have to make sure I thank you."

Brady smiled at her and nodded. "You don't have to thank me, Chloe. That's what friends do for each other. And, I hope you know that I'm always going to be here for you, whether you need me or not."

"I know... and ditto."

Chloe impulsively wrapped her arms around Brady and hugged him tightly. Brady sighed and gently stroked her back as he held her close. Chloe leaned out of the embrace and stared into his blue eyes, their faces just centimeters away from each other. Brady smiled at her again, and Chloe felt a strange feeling in her stomach as his warm breath hit her face. He moved in closer to her and Chloe felt like her heart was going to suddenly stopped beating, but the feeling quickly left when he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.

Brady stepped away and let go of her, and Chloe felt completely dumbstruck. She couldn't explain what she had just been feeling, or why she had even showed up at his loft that night, but she knew it must be important. She knew that there was something she was forgetting to say to him.

Chloe tried to shake it off and stammered nervously. "Brady... I..."

Brady seemed to be oblivious to Chloe's strange behavior and interrupted. "Maybe you should talk to Shawn. See where he stands, how he feels about Belle, all of that... I don't think I'm the best person to do it; my temper might get the best of me. But, you... He would listen to you."

Chloe nodded in understanding and slid the door open. "Yeah, I think I will. I'll talk to him at school or something. Good idea."

"Alright... I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow then."

Chloe forced a smile and pushed herself out into the hallway. "Yeah... Good night."

Brady smiled widely at her and shut the door. Chloe pushed the button for the elevator, but took a moment to glance at Brady's now closed door. Something inside her had thought, for just a moment, that Brady was planning on kissing her. Not just on the forehead as he sometimes did when he was comforting her or taking care of her, but a real kiss. One that would be gentle, but passionate, and last for a very long time. And instead of being scared of it, she had wanted him too and had been disappointed when it was just a peck on the forehead.

The elevator doors opened and Chloe stepped inside. She pushed the button for the ground floor and leaned against the back wall with a sigh.

Chloe quietly muttered to herself as the doors slid closed in front of her. "Stop seeing things that aren't there, Chloe... You're going to drive yourself crazy."

***