Chapter Twenty-Four
(The Next Morning)
Chloe rolled over in her bed and clutched her comforter tightly. She opened her eyes to the morning sun and yawned softly. If it were up to her, she could have laid there safe under her blankets for the rest of the day, but she knew Nancy would be knocking on her door at any moment. Chloe slipped out from underneath her covers slowly and headed over to her mirror.
She grinned at her reflection in the mirror and shrugged. "They always say you're supposed to look different after your first time. I just don't see it."
Chloe laughed softly, embarrassed that she was talking to herself in the mirror. She certainly didn't look any different, but she felt different inside. Chloe had spent so many years believing that it wasn't possible to have love in her life. Now, she felt whole and complete, having experienced a love more powerful than she could have imagined in even her best dreams.
She sighed softly and grabbed a rubber band off of her dresser, pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. Chloe rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and was about to head towards the bathroom when she heard the soft knocking on the door. The same knocking she heard every morning. Chloe couldn't help but smile, thinking that you could practically set your watch to the Nancy Wesley alarm clock. Same time, every morning.
Chloe opened the door and greeted her mother with a smile. "Good morning, Nancy."
"Good morning, sweetheart. How did you sleep?"
"Very well, thank you. I did get home by the curfew you set, by the way, but you and Craig were already asleep when I got home."
Nancy nodded and smiled at her. "I know. We heard you come in. You're not exactly quiet when you clomp those shoes of yours up the stairs."
Chloe cringed slightly. "I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay. We were just glad that here you got home safely. I do trust you to be responsible, Chloe."
"You trust me?"
Nancy nodded, but in her eyes was a warning. "I do. You are being responsible, aren't you?"
Chloe looked at her strangely, wondering exactly what it was that Nancy was trying to hint at. "Of course I am. I can take care of myself."
"I know you can, Chloe. I just wanted to be sure. So, what are your plans for today sweetie?"
"I was sort of thinking about bringing Brady some breakfast. He's at his place all alone for the first night, and I want to make sure that he's okay."
Nancy nodded in understanding and laid her hand on Chloe's arm. "How about I cook up a nice big breakfast for the two of you? You can take my car, drop me off at the hospital first, and then drive on over to Brady's."
Chloe nearly toppled over in surprise. Nancy rarely allowed Chloe to borrow her car, and had never offered it up this easily, for a second day in a row. "Are you sure? You're going to do all that for me?"
"Of course. The boy needs you, I'm not too blind to see that."
Chloe smiled widely and impulsively hugged her mother. "Thank you, Nancy. Thank you so much."
Nancy smiled at her and made a hand motion towards the bathroom. "You go get yourself cleaned up, and I'll be downstairs cooking. Alright?"
"Yeah, alright."
Chloe watched her mother leave with a smile on her face. Nancy's words still echoing in her head. He needed her. Brady needed her. Never in her life, had Chloe felt needed, and she felt proud that she could contribute something so important to the life of one person.
***
(Later)
Chloe stood at the door to Brady's loft with a bag of food in her other hand. She firmly pounded her fist against the door and waited for an answer. She stood their patiently, but heard no noise coming from inside.
"Hmm... Maybe he's still asleep."
She knocked again, much louder, and shouted through the door at him. "Brady! Are you awake in there? BRADY! OPEN UP!"
Chloe groaned in frustration and stood on her tiptoes reaching above the door to find what she was looking for. She hated busting in unannounced, but figured Brady would understand. Her hand found the spare key he kept hidden in a crevice above the door and slid it in to the lock.
She slid the door open and walked immediately to the stairs, shouting upwards at him. "BRADY! WAKE UP!"
There were no sounds in response and she turned to look around the first floor in curiosity. That's when she saw it. A pale white envelope resting on the kitchen counter. Chloe frowned, knowing exactly what was in it before she even reached the counter. She laid the bag of food on the counter and stared intently at the envelope, her name was written on it in Brady's familiar block lettering. Chloe sighed softly and reached out for the envelope, her hand shaking nervously as she picked it up and held it close to her. She moved to the couch and took a seat before slowly slipping the paper out the envelope.
She unfolded his letter and took a deep breath, almost not wanting to read what her heart had already confirmed.
"My Dearest Diva,
I am sorry that I had to do things this way. Please do not be hurt by my sudden and surprise exit. Hurting you right now is the absolute furthest thing from my mind. I only left this way so that neither of us would have to endure a long, sad goodbye. Having to go through that would only make this separation hurt more; at least I hope you will agree.
In any case, this letter is not about goodbye. I refuse to say goodbye to you. We will be together again soon. And when we are, we will start our lives together happily and free forever from the demons that have been haunting us.
Until that time comes, I will hold you in my heart every second of every hour of every day. You live inside me no matter what I do or where I go, for always and forever. And just knowing that I have your love will keep me safe and warm until the day that I can come back to you. I pray that you will hold me in your heart as well, and remember that our love will only grow stronger for every day that we are apart.
Chloe, please do me one favor while I am gone. Take care of yourself. Do whatever you have to do to relieve yourself of the guilt that is burdening you. Be healthy, be happy, and cherish every day with your family and friends.
I love you with all of my heart and soul, Diva. I will see you soon.
All of my love,
Brady"
Chloe felt a few hot tears roll down her cheeks and she held Brady's letter to her heart. She used her other hand to wipe her tears away. She knew it was coming, that he would be leaving her soon, but she didn't realize that it would be this soon. Chloe knew she would miss him every single day, but made a promise to herself and to Brady. She swore to herself that she would become mired down in the sadness of their separation, and that she would work as hard as she could to release the guilt had been slowly filling her with darkness as each day passed.
***
(The Next Morning)
Chloe rolled over in her bed and clutched her comforter tightly. She opened her eyes to the morning sun and yawned softly. If it were up to her, she could have laid there safe under her blankets for the rest of the day, but she knew Nancy would be knocking on her door at any moment. Chloe slipped out from underneath her covers slowly and headed over to her mirror.
She grinned at her reflection in the mirror and shrugged. "They always say you're supposed to look different after your first time. I just don't see it."
Chloe laughed softly, embarrassed that she was talking to herself in the mirror. She certainly didn't look any different, but she felt different inside. Chloe had spent so many years believing that it wasn't possible to have love in her life. Now, she felt whole and complete, having experienced a love more powerful than she could have imagined in even her best dreams.
She sighed softly and grabbed a rubber band off of her dresser, pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. Chloe rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and was about to head towards the bathroom when she heard the soft knocking on the door. The same knocking she heard every morning. Chloe couldn't help but smile, thinking that you could practically set your watch to the Nancy Wesley alarm clock. Same time, every morning.
Chloe opened the door and greeted her mother with a smile. "Good morning, Nancy."
"Good morning, sweetheart. How did you sleep?"
"Very well, thank you. I did get home by the curfew you set, by the way, but you and Craig were already asleep when I got home."
Nancy nodded and smiled at her. "I know. We heard you come in. You're not exactly quiet when you clomp those shoes of yours up the stairs."
Chloe cringed slightly. "I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay. We were just glad that here you got home safely. I do trust you to be responsible, Chloe."
"You trust me?"
Nancy nodded, but in her eyes was a warning. "I do. You are being responsible, aren't you?"
Chloe looked at her strangely, wondering exactly what it was that Nancy was trying to hint at. "Of course I am. I can take care of myself."
"I know you can, Chloe. I just wanted to be sure. So, what are your plans for today sweetie?"
"I was sort of thinking about bringing Brady some breakfast. He's at his place all alone for the first night, and I want to make sure that he's okay."
Nancy nodded in understanding and laid her hand on Chloe's arm. "How about I cook up a nice big breakfast for the two of you? You can take my car, drop me off at the hospital first, and then drive on over to Brady's."
Chloe nearly toppled over in surprise. Nancy rarely allowed Chloe to borrow her car, and had never offered it up this easily, for a second day in a row. "Are you sure? You're going to do all that for me?"
"Of course. The boy needs you, I'm not too blind to see that."
Chloe smiled widely and impulsively hugged her mother. "Thank you, Nancy. Thank you so much."
Nancy smiled at her and made a hand motion towards the bathroom. "You go get yourself cleaned up, and I'll be downstairs cooking. Alright?"
"Yeah, alright."
Chloe watched her mother leave with a smile on her face. Nancy's words still echoing in her head. He needed her. Brady needed her. Never in her life, had Chloe felt needed, and she felt proud that she could contribute something so important to the life of one person.
***
(Later)
Chloe stood at the door to Brady's loft with a bag of food in her other hand. She firmly pounded her fist against the door and waited for an answer. She stood their patiently, but heard no noise coming from inside.
"Hmm... Maybe he's still asleep."
She knocked again, much louder, and shouted through the door at him. "Brady! Are you awake in there? BRADY! OPEN UP!"
Chloe groaned in frustration and stood on her tiptoes reaching above the door to find what she was looking for. She hated busting in unannounced, but figured Brady would understand. Her hand found the spare key he kept hidden in a crevice above the door and slid it in to the lock.
She slid the door open and walked immediately to the stairs, shouting upwards at him. "BRADY! WAKE UP!"
There were no sounds in response and she turned to look around the first floor in curiosity. That's when she saw it. A pale white envelope resting on the kitchen counter. Chloe frowned, knowing exactly what was in it before she even reached the counter. She laid the bag of food on the counter and stared intently at the envelope, her name was written on it in Brady's familiar block lettering. Chloe sighed softly and reached out for the envelope, her hand shaking nervously as she picked it up and held it close to her. She moved to the couch and took a seat before slowly slipping the paper out the envelope.
She unfolded his letter and took a deep breath, almost not wanting to read what her heart had already confirmed.
"My Dearest Diva,
I am sorry that I had to do things this way. Please do not be hurt by my sudden and surprise exit. Hurting you right now is the absolute furthest thing from my mind. I only left this way so that neither of us would have to endure a long, sad goodbye. Having to go through that would only make this separation hurt more; at least I hope you will agree.
In any case, this letter is not about goodbye. I refuse to say goodbye to you. We will be together again soon. And when we are, we will start our lives together happily and free forever from the demons that have been haunting us.
Until that time comes, I will hold you in my heart every second of every hour of every day. You live inside me no matter what I do or where I go, for always and forever. And just knowing that I have your love will keep me safe and warm until the day that I can come back to you. I pray that you will hold me in your heart as well, and remember that our love will only grow stronger for every day that we are apart.
Chloe, please do me one favor while I am gone. Take care of yourself. Do whatever you have to do to relieve yourself of the guilt that is burdening you. Be healthy, be happy, and cherish every day with your family and friends.
I love you with all of my heart and soul, Diva. I will see you soon.
All of my love,
Brady"
Chloe felt a few hot tears roll down her cheeks and she held Brady's letter to her heart. She used her other hand to wipe her tears away. She knew it was coming, that he would be leaving her soon, but she didn't realize that it would be this soon. Chloe knew she would miss him every single day, but made a promise to herself and to Brady. She swore to herself that she would become mired down in the sadness of their separation, and that she would work as hard as she could to release the guilt had been slowly filling her with darkness as each day passed.
***
