Racing Hearts ~ Part 2
The tension in the room was beginning to increase. All eyes shifted to Belle, who was nervously chewing her bottom lip. "I wasn't going to say anything before, because I wasn't sure how you were going to react, Chloe."
"React to what?" Now it was Chloe's turn to truly be puzzled.
"To Phillip and Mimi being engaged. I know, I know, I wasn't thinking before I ran my big mouth off earlier - but I was just so excited to tell everyone the news. You know me, Ms Gossip Queen!" Belle rambled nervously, hoping the news wouldn't put a downer on what she hoped would be a perfect evening for Chloe.
A laugh suddenly burst from the depths of Chloe's throat, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to contain it. "THAT'S what you were so worried about telling me, Belle? As a matter of fact, Phillip told me the news himself just earlier this evening!"
"And you're not upset?"
"No, of course not. What Phillip and I had has long since been over with. I'm ready to move on with my life, and I'm happy that he finally is too," Chloe said, flashing back to a time when it had not been quite so easy for Phillip to move on. He had taken their breakup pretty badly, as was to be expected, so the news that he was engaged to Mimi Lockhart had completely shocked her. But in a good way.
Brady nodded his approval, pleased to see Chloe taking things so well. And secretly happy that she wasn't still hung up on Phillip, leaving him free to finally make his move. Although he would never dare admit that to anybody, unless he was being held at gun point. "I hope you mean that, Chloe."
"I do," she nodded, before standing up, anxious for another dance. A slow, romantic melody floated through the air, and her body ached to be close to Brady's. "Come on, let's dance."
"AGAIN?" Brady laughed mockingly, letting himself be led towards the dance floor.
"That is, if you're up for the challenge," she teased.
"I'm up for anything you have to give me."
Chloe felt a grin spread across her face before resting her head against his chest; feeling her body relax as the music began to take over. The entire world started to fade away in a soft blur, until it appeared as if she and Brady were the only two people to occupy the dance floor. She continued to wrap her arms tighter around his back; until she could smell the fresh scent of his aftershave. Inhaling deeply, she felt her eyelids close; bliss overcoming her body, and a happiness she couldn't remember feeling in quite sometime. "This is nice," she murmured in a sleepy haze.
"What is?" Brady asked softly, tenderly running his hand down one of her bare shoulders; savoring the soft feeling of her skin beneath his fingertips. This was heaven, pure and simple. He wanted to stay in this moment forever.
"Just being like this," she whispered, pulling her face up to meet his, so now their faces were only inches apart. Her lips were moist as she leaned in for the kiss, as her head slowly moved forward...
The song ended, and the magic began to fade. A blush crept over Chloe's face as she realized just what she was doing. How silly she must have been to think Brady Black would ever be interested in her. He looked to her as if she were his little sister's best friend; nothing more.
So why had she deluded herself into thinking he wanted to kiss her back?
~
"So Chloe, have you heard back from Juliard yet?"
It was somewhat later that evening and Chloe, Brady, Shawn and Belle were seated around a large buffet table, resting from a long evening on the dance floor. The events of the almost kiss were still whizzing through Chloe's mind, and she had to snap herself back to reality when she heard Shawn speak.
"Yeah, actually, I got their letter of acceptance a few days ago," Chloe said, remembering how overjoyed she had been upon learning the news that she was officially a student at Juliard. "I leave August the 21th, to be exact."
"Wow, that doesn't really seem very long when you think about it," Belle commented, taking a sip of punch before placing a hand protectively on Shawn's leg. "I can't believe in just a little over two months we'll all officially be college students!"
Brady chuckled. "Hey, speak for yourself. But I promise you Tink, the whole college experience is really not all that scary."
"Is that why you liked it so much you had to drop out?"
"Ouch, I'm wounded!" Brady gave her his best big brother pout. "But seriously, I don't plan to stay a college dropout forever, you know. Once I get enough experience working at Basic Black I'll eventually reapply."
A shadow crossed Belle's face as she sighed. "Yeah, but it won't be the same. I had this dream of us all going to college together, and now it looks like that may never be possible. What with you not even going, Chloe going to Juliard, Shawn joining the Navy, I feel like I'll be all alone!"
"You won't be," Chloe assured her friend, although she had to admit her own fears were beginning to surface. "And hey, with your charming personality and good looks, I'm sure you'll make a whole slew of new friends and won't even need us anymore!"
"Just don't get *too* friendly with them," Shawn advised with a playful cackle.
"Aww how could anybody ever replace you guys?" Belle said with mock affection, although she was genuinely touched by her friends attempts at cheering her up. She refused to let the sappy sentimental side get the best of her, though. This night was about one thing: fun, and she planned to make the most out of it. "On that note, what do you say we all get back out on that dance floor and show them what we're made of?"
"Sure, why not?" Brady said before linking arms with Chloe. "You up for it?" he asked her.
"You bet," she beamed, before pulling him away to the dance floor. The night was coming to a closing, yet she planned to make the most of what was left.
In more ways than one.
The tension in the room was beginning to increase. All eyes shifted to Belle, who was nervously chewing her bottom lip. "I wasn't going to say anything before, because I wasn't sure how you were going to react, Chloe."
"React to what?" Now it was Chloe's turn to truly be puzzled.
"To Phillip and Mimi being engaged. I know, I know, I wasn't thinking before I ran my big mouth off earlier - but I was just so excited to tell everyone the news. You know me, Ms Gossip Queen!" Belle rambled nervously, hoping the news wouldn't put a downer on what she hoped would be a perfect evening for Chloe.
A laugh suddenly burst from the depths of Chloe's throat, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to contain it. "THAT'S what you were so worried about telling me, Belle? As a matter of fact, Phillip told me the news himself just earlier this evening!"
"And you're not upset?"
"No, of course not. What Phillip and I had has long since been over with. I'm ready to move on with my life, and I'm happy that he finally is too," Chloe said, flashing back to a time when it had not been quite so easy for Phillip to move on. He had taken their breakup pretty badly, as was to be expected, so the news that he was engaged to Mimi Lockhart had completely shocked her. But in a good way.
Brady nodded his approval, pleased to see Chloe taking things so well. And secretly happy that she wasn't still hung up on Phillip, leaving him free to finally make his move. Although he would never dare admit that to anybody, unless he was being held at gun point. "I hope you mean that, Chloe."
"I do," she nodded, before standing up, anxious for another dance. A slow, romantic melody floated through the air, and her body ached to be close to Brady's. "Come on, let's dance."
"AGAIN?" Brady laughed mockingly, letting himself be led towards the dance floor.
"That is, if you're up for the challenge," she teased.
"I'm up for anything you have to give me."
Chloe felt a grin spread across her face before resting her head against his chest; feeling her body relax as the music began to take over. The entire world started to fade away in a soft blur, until it appeared as if she and Brady were the only two people to occupy the dance floor. She continued to wrap her arms tighter around his back; until she could smell the fresh scent of his aftershave. Inhaling deeply, she felt her eyelids close; bliss overcoming her body, and a happiness she couldn't remember feeling in quite sometime. "This is nice," she murmured in a sleepy haze.
"What is?" Brady asked softly, tenderly running his hand down one of her bare shoulders; savoring the soft feeling of her skin beneath his fingertips. This was heaven, pure and simple. He wanted to stay in this moment forever.
"Just being like this," she whispered, pulling her face up to meet his, so now their faces were only inches apart. Her lips were moist as she leaned in for the kiss, as her head slowly moved forward...
The song ended, and the magic began to fade. A blush crept over Chloe's face as she realized just what she was doing. How silly she must have been to think Brady Black would ever be interested in her. He looked to her as if she were his little sister's best friend; nothing more.
So why had she deluded herself into thinking he wanted to kiss her back?
~
"So Chloe, have you heard back from Juliard yet?"
It was somewhat later that evening and Chloe, Brady, Shawn and Belle were seated around a large buffet table, resting from a long evening on the dance floor. The events of the almost kiss were still whizzing through Chloe's mind, and she had to snap herself back to reality when she heard Shawn speak.
"Yeah, actually, I got their letter of acceptance a few days ago," Chloe said, remembering how overjoyed she had been upon learning the news that she was officially a student at Juliard. "I leave August the 21th, to be exact."
"Wow, that doesn't really seem very long when you think about it," Belle commented, taking a sip of punch before placing a hand protectively on Shawn's leg. "I can't believe in just a little over two months we'll all officially be college students!"
Brady chuckled. "Hey, speak for yourself. But I promise you Tink, the whole college experience is really not all that scary."
"Is that why you liked it so much you had to drop out?"
"Ouch, I'm wounded!" Brady gave her his best big brother pout. "But seriously, I don't plan to stay a college dropout forever, you know. Once I get enough experience working at Basic Black I'll eventually reapply."
A shadow crossed Belle's face as she sighed. "Yeah, but it won't be the same. I had this dream of us all going to college together, and now it looks like that may never be possible. What with you not even going, Chloe going to Juliard, Shawn joining the Navy, I feel like I'll be all alone!"
"You won't be," Chloe assured her friend, although she had to admit her own fears were beginning to surface. "And hey, with your charming personality and good looks, I'm sure you'll make a whole slew of new friends and won't even need us anymore!"
"Just don't get *too* friendly with them," Shawn advised with a playful cackle.
"Aww how could anybody ever replace you guys?" Belle said with mock affection, although she was genuinely touched by her friends attempts at cheering her up. She refused to let the sappy sentimental side get the best of her, though. This night was about one thing: fun, and she planned to make the most out of it. "On that note, what do you say we all get back out on that dance floor and show them what we're made of?"
"Sure, why not?" Brady said before linking arms with Chloe. "You up for it?" he asked her.
"You bet," she beamed, before pulling him away to the dance floor. The night was coming to a closing, yet she planned to make the most of what was left.
In more ways than one.