Racing Hearts ~ Part 3
Chloe's breath rose in her throat as Brady swung her around on the dance floor; twirling her body once more until he had his arms safely locked around her waist. She grinned up at him before finally twisting her own body around to meet him half way; looping her arms around his neck and teasingly pulling him close. "Having fun yet?" she whispered as the song ended; her voice full of fake seduction that she knew drove him crazy.
He pulled away, studying her glowing face carefully - trying to read the mixed signals she had been sending him for the past few hours. One moment she was all over him like a second skin, and the next she was lukewarm and slightly distant, as if they were merely friends and nothing more. As if the almost kiss on the dance floor had never happened.
Being able to figure the diva out was something he often prided himself in, but tonight he just couldn't tell where she was coming from at all. He finally figured the best solution would be to get her alone somewhere, where they could talk freely without any distractions getting in their way.
"Hey Chloe," he said, tapping her on the shoulder just as she was about to go back to their table to mingle with Shawn and Belle. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure, what's this about, anyway?" she asked, a little surprised at the urgency in his voice.
"Can we go somewhere private? It's just that I really need to talk to you."
"Okay..." Chloe's voice trailed off for a moment, before she finally nodded her head in agreement. "Let me get my jacket, and then we'll go."
~
A few moments later they both stood in the vast school parking lot; the cold wind nipping at their heals, and an awkward silence overcoming the scene. Chloe shivered into her jacket, before she tightened it around herself, trying to soak up all the warmth it provided.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she finally asked, squinting to see clearly; the only light being the silver moon hanging in the sky. Still, she could make out the blue of his eyes, and that comforted her a little.
"Us," he said simply.
"Us? What about 'Us'?"
Brady rolled his eyes slightly, not buying her dense act for a second. She knew perfectly well what he was talking about, she just chose to ignore it. "Yes. And what almost happened on that dance floor."
Chloe's eyes instantly shot to the pavement.
Silence.
Her breath caught in her throat, just as she was about to speak. "A lot of things almost happened on that dance floor, Brady," came the wobbly reply.
Brady's anger was beginning to mount at her apparent denial. "Damn it Chloe, don't play games with me! You know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know why the hell you're trying to deny it."
Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe folded a strand of wavy dark hair that had come loose behind her ear and began to silently pace. "Do you think that's what I'm TRYING to do? Come on Brady, you know me better than that! I'm just as confused about my feelings as you are."
"So you mean that..." Brady let out a breath, not quite believing what he had just heard. "You have feelings for me?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," she stated firmly, holding her ground. "I know that I've been flip flopping around with my actions tonight, but I can't help it, Brady! Everytime we start to get close I keep getting reminded of how far apart we'll be in just a few months time. I'll be all the way off to Juliard, and who knows when I'll see you again."
"I know that long distance relationships can be a hassle for some people, but that was never an issue with me, Chloe,"
"Really?" Chloe's gaze was hopeful when she replied - which almost seemed out of character as well, because Chloe Lane was never one to allow herself any hope. She had been built up and let down too many times for that.
Brady closed the gap between them, and gently rested his hands ontop her shaking shoulders in an attempt to soothe her. "Just being with you is enough. You have to believe me!"
"I believe you, Brady." Chloe let herself fall into Brady's warm embrace; taking comfort in the warmth of his jacket, she let herself fall into a deep relaxation of relief. Finally she was free of carrying around the burden of having feelings for her best friend. It overwhelmed her so much that she felt a little sob emerge from the back of her throat.
"Don't get all choked up on me now, Diva," Brady teased, but his voice was gentle and relieved as well.
"Did you really mean what you said?"
"Every word," he murmured, placing a kiss ontop her forehead.
Chloe smiled in satisfaction. Raising her head, she pressed her lips to his, and gave him the kiss she had been holding inside her for the past several months. He responded gently; gradually deepening the kiss as the seconds went by.
After the kiss had ended, Chloe stepped away; feeling a deep crimson trace her cheeks. She looked up almost shyly at Brady, before speaking. "Well, we better go inside, before we freeze our asses standing around out here."
Brady let out a chuckle before swinging his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "Your wish is my command."
"And Brady?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad we had this talk."
"Me too. Remind me to have talks like these more often with you." Brady grinned down at her; tenderly placing his lips on her forehead.
"That sounds like a very good idea to me, Mr. Black."
"We'll make this work, I promise," were the last words Brady spoke before heading inside.
Chloe's breath rose in her throat as Brady swung her around on the dance floor; twirling her body once more until he had his arms safely locked around her waist. She grinned up at him before finally twisting her own body around to meet him half way; looping her arms around his neck and teasingly pulling him close. "Having fun yet?" she whispered as the song ended; her voice full of fake seduction that she knew drove him crazy.
He pulled away, studying her glowing face carefully - trying to read the mixed signals she had been sending him for the past few hours. One moment she was all over him like a second skin, and the next she was lukewarm and slightly distant, as if they were merely friends and nothing more. As if the almost kiss on the dance floor had never happened.
Being able to figure the diva out was something he often prided himself in, but tonight he just couldn't tell where she was coming from at all. He finally figured the best solution would be to get her alone somewhere, where they could talk freely without any distractions getting in their way.
"Hey Chloe," he said, tapping her on the shoulder just as she was about to go back to their table to mingle with Shawn and Belle. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure, what's this about, anyway?" she asked, a little surprised at the urgency in his voice.
"Can we go somewhere private? It's just that I really need to talk to you."
"Okay..." Chloe's voice trailed off for a moment, before she finally nodded her head in agreement. "Let me get my jacket, and then we'll go."
~
A few moments later they both stood in the vast school parking lot; the cold wind nipping at their heals, and an awkward silence overcoming the scene. Chloe shivered into her jacket, before she tightened it around herself, trying to soak up all the warmth it provided.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she finally asked, squinting to see clearly; the only light being the silver moon hanging in the sky. Still, she could make out the blue of his eyes, and that comforted her a little.
"Us," he said simply.
"Us? What about 'Us'?"
Brady rolled his eyes slightly, not buying her dense act for a second. She knew perfectly well what he was talking about, she just chose to ignore it. "Yes. And what almost happened on that dance floor."
Chloe's eyes instantly shot to the pavement.
Silence.
Her breath caught in her throat, just as she was about to speak. "A lot of things almost happened on that dance floor, Brady," came the wobbly reply.
Brady's anger was beginning to mount at her apparent denial. "Damn it Chloe, don't play games with me! You know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know why the hell you're trying to deny it."
Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe folded a strand of wavy dark hair that had come loose behind her ear and began to silently pace. "Do you think that's what I'm TRYING to do? Come on Brady, you know me better than that! I'm just as confused about my feelings as you are."
"So you mean that..." Brady let out a breath, not quite believing what he had just heard. "You have feelings for me?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," she stated firmly, holding her ground. "I know that I've been flip flopping around with my actions tonight, but I can't help it, Brady! Everytime we start to get close I keep getting reminded of how far apart we'll be in just a few months time. I'll be all the way off to Juliard, and who knows when I'll see you again."
"I know that long distance relationships can be a hassle for some people, but that was never an issue with me, Chloe,"
"Really?" Chloe's gaze was hopeful when she replied - which almost seemed out of character as well, because Chloe Lane was never one to allow herself any hope. She had been built up and let down too many times for that.
Brady closed the gap between them, and gently rested his hands ontop her shaking shoulders in an attempt to soothe her. "Just being with you is enough. You have to believe me!"
"I believe you, Brady." Chloe let herself fall into Brady's warm embrace; taking comfort in the warmth of his jacket, she let herself fall into a deep relaxation of relief. Finally she was free of carrying around the burden of having feelings for her best friend. It overwhelmed her so much that she felt a little sob emerge from the back of her throat.
"Don't get all choked up on me now, Diva," Brady teased, but his voice was gentle and relieved as well.
"Did you really mean what you said?"
"Every word," he murmured, placing a kiss ontop her forehead.
Chloe smiled in satisfaction. Raising her head, she pressed her lips to his, and gave him the kiss she had been holding inside her for the past several months. He responded gently; gradually deepening the kiss as the seconds went by.
After the kiss had ended, Chloe stepped away; feeling a deep crimson trace her cheeks. She looked up almost shyly at Brady, before speaking. "Well, we better go inside, before we freeze our asses standing around out here."
Brady let out a chuckle before swinging his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "Your wish is my command."
"And Brady?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad we had this talk."
"Me too. Remind me to have talks like these more often with you." Brady grinned down at her; tenderly placing his lips on her forehead.
"That sounds like a very good idea to me, Mr. Black."
"We'll make this work, I promise," were the last words Brady spoke before heading inside.