Sorry for being so slow! :( I have the next chapter pretty much written too
so I will be posting that soon. But I feel like I am all over the place
with this story :-\ LOL
Oh and I disclaim!!!
Chapter 7: Complications
Brady banged the back of his head against his pillow as he thought about what Judy, the young nursing assistant had revealed to him. Chloe was in love with him. How was he supposed to handle this. . . not that Chloe wasn't a beautiful woman. And God, Brady was sure he felt a strong pull to her but no; this was a bad thing. It would never work. He lived in Chicago and she lived in Salem. And he had his work. He had his life, everything in Chicago. And getting to know Chloe the last few weeks, he discovered she felt the same way. Her work, her life as it was now, was everything to her. Love would just complicate things and screw everything up. "Love," Brady whispered. The word did not roll of his tongue easily. They were very stubborn people and Brady was sure that by making a try at something more would fail. Hell, all that crap was irrelevant because they barely knew each other anyway. This wasn't some Hollywood, formulaic romantic comedy where people fall in love in the blink of an eye and they live happily ever after, riding off into the sunset in a pink Cadillac adorned in white crape paper and tassels. She had just been a good friend. Someone he felt that he could confide in, no strings attached. How could he risk that for a few kisses and nights of sex, albeit hot sex, but sex that they'd both end up regretting?
She couldn't be in love with him really, not really, not after two short weeks. She probably just had a crush on him, which was fine. Brady was no stranger to crushes; they were harmless. "Right, so relax Brady," he told himself.
"Hey Brade," Chloe entered the room and smiled at the man who had become a great friend. She really liked Brady. I mean really liked him. He was such a goof. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to think she was in love with him, even Belle joked with her about it. Worse than that, Brady was just a horribly bratty patient and a good friend- a really gorgeous, sexy friend but JUST a friend.
"Chloe," Brady smiled uneasily, pushing his tray away from him as he eyed her in her light blue scrubs.
Chloe scrunched her face at the bizarre way Brady was looking at her. "Brady," Chloe mocked him. "You okay? You look a little pale."
"Who? Me?"
Chloe only laughed at him. "Not hungry today, huh?" She asked as she eyed his still full plate. "If you're still bummed about being here, I think your doctor's going to let you go home in a few days."
"That'd be nice," Brady gave her another uncomfortable grin. Gosh, she was pretty.
"Guess that means going home to Chicago," Chloe said sadly, plopping down on his bed.
"Right. Chicago. Right." Brady swallowed.
"I'll miss you," she bit her lip nervously, looking at him.
"Hey, I'll visit," he looked down at his cup of Jell-O and smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah I know. I mean you have family here and everything: John, Marlena, Belle and Shawn." she trailed off.
Brady tilted his head to try and meet her eyes. "Hey, you know what I meant by that. I'll visit you."
Chloe looked up and met his gaze. "Brady. . ." she trailed off wondering where to begin. "I want to tell you something." She wanted to start their friendship out right by explaining this ridiculous soulmate theory Mimi had almost roped Chloe into believing. Because it was all just so ridiculous. They weren't soulmates. She just had to convince herself of that.
'Oh God,' Brady thought. 'She's going to tell me she's in love with me.'
"I feel so foolish saying this but. . ." she blew out a breath. "Oh why don't I just come right out with it and say it, right?" Brady was silent, wide-eyed. "Well, I had been feeling odd awhile back and I consulted a deck of tarot cards Mimi had given me last year for my twenty-fifth birthday. I'm not really into that stuff but lately, it's been helpful. And uhhh. . . the angel card kept coming up and I didn't know what the hell it meant."
She knew she was rambling and probably not making much sense but she didn't see any other way to get this out. She paused. If Brady's eyes got any wider she was certain they would pop out of his head. "You okay?" He nodded, silent. "Okay, so then you come into my life and although you were unconscious and broken and beaten and all that, I felt a connection to you- "
"A connection?"
Chloe nodded. "An attraction."
"An attraction," he repeated her again.
"Right and well then Mimi tells me the tarot card that kept popping up meant. . . love. And it's not that I love you or anything, because I don't," she finished quickly.
Brady nodded curtly, trying to follow her train of thought.
"But it's just. . . I mean. . . she's convinced we are soulmates. . . which is just ridiculous," Chloe laughed nervously.
Brady's eyes narrowed, suddenly on the defensive. "Why is that ridiculous?" Had he just said that out loud?
"Are you serious?" She looked at him, shocked.
'No. No. No. No.' "Yes, why is that ridiculous?" Brady couldn't seem to help himself.
"Well, I guess it's not that ridiculous but Brady we barely know each other."
"Right," he shook his head, laughing lightly. "Right. So why are you telling me all this?"
"Honestly? I'm not sure. I mean, I guess I want you to know that we're friends, only friends. And that despite hospital gossip, you don't have to worry about me thinking that we're anything more."
"Oh, please, I didn't believe them when they said you were in love with me anyway," Brady scoffed, lying through his teeth. Part of him was jumping up and down inside with relief and the other part wanted to kiss Chloe's lips off, make her see how good they could be together.
"They said that?" Chloe blushed.
"Yeah but hey, all that matters is that we know we're just friends. . . nothing more," he added, reassuring not only Chloe but also himself.
"Exactly," Chloe grinned. "God, this feels good to get this off of my chest," she reached out to hug him when she accidentally knocked his Jell-O cup onto the floor. Luckily, it was sealed with foil, preventing a wobbly green mess. "Oops, I'll get that." Chloe leaned down, clumsily bumping her head on his nightstand. "Ow, sh&t!"
"Ooh, Chlo, you okay?" Brady reached for her face as she kneeled on the floor by the side of his bed, her head down. "Here let me take a look at that," he gripped her chin in his hand. "It's bleeding." He moved his hand across her face to cup her head and run his thumb along the injured area. "Does it hurt really badly?"
Chloe could only stare at his concerned face as he inspected her injury. 'God, he is so f&cking gorgeous and sexy and sweet and ugh, I want him,' she thought to herself.
"Chloe?" He made eye contact with her. "You okay? Can you hear me?"
"Uh huh." She answered, staring at his lips, then eyes and lips again.
"Chloe," he said softly, knowing what she was thinking. Their lips were centimeters apart, when Brady pulled back far enough to look into her eyes. "Chloe, we're friends, right?"
"Yes." She nodded, still intoxicated buy the smooth sound of his voice and his soft breath on her face.
"And that means we don't complicate things." He broke eye contact with her.
"Right," she snapped out of her trance, letting Brady's words sink in. "Right." She halfheartedly pulled away from him, embarrassed, and stood up, trying to compose herself by smoothing down her scrubs. "Yes."
"You should get someone to take care of your head," he pointed to her bleeding forehead, hoping she'd leave the room to ease his intense discomfort with her presence.
"Right," Chloe held her forehead and inelegantly backed out of the room. 'But who will take care of my heart,' she thought miserably to herself.
Brady let his head hit his pillow with a loud thump. "Oh boy," he sighed. "Women always have to complicate things," he muttered miserably to himself. Why was this bothering him so much though? "I just want friendship, right?" Right. "But Chloe, beautiful, silly, doe-eyed Chloe, wants more."
Thanks for reading!!!! :) I hope someone is still reading anyway LOL
Oh and I disclaim!!!
Chapter 7: Complications
Brady banged the back of his head against his pillow as he thought about what Judy, the young nursing assistant had revealed to him. Chloe was in love with him. How was he supposed to handle this. . . not that Chloe wasn't a beautiful woman. And God, Brady was sure he felt a strong pull to her but no; this was a bad thing. It would never work. He lived in Chicago and she lived in Salem. And he had his work. He had his life, everything in Chicago. And getting to know Chloe the last few weeks, he discovered she felt the same way. Her work, her life as it was now, was everything to her. Love would just complicate things and screw everything up. "Love," Brady whispered. The word did not roll of his tongue easily. They were very stubborn people and Brady was sure that by making a try at something more would fail. Hell, all that crap was irrelevant because they barely knew each other anyway. This wasn't some Hollywood, formulaic romantic comedy where people fall in love in the blink of an eye and they live happily ever after, riding off into the sunset in a pink Cadillac adorned in white crape paper and tassels. She had just been a good friend. Someone he felt that he could confide in, no strings attached. How could he risk that for a few kisses and nights of sex, albeit hot sex, but sex that they'd both end up regretting?
She couldn't be in love with him really, not really, not after two short weeks. She probably just had a crush on him, which was fine. Brady was no stranger to crushes; they were harmless. "Right, so relax Brady," he told himself.
"Hey Brade," Chloe entered the room and smiled at the man who had become a great friend. She really liked Brady. I mean really liked him. He was such a goof. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to think she was in love with him, even Belle joked with her about it. Worse than that, Brady was just a horribly bratty patient and a good friend- a really gorgeous, sexy friend but JUST a friend.
"Chloe," Brady smiled uneasily, pushing his tray away from him as he eyed her in her light blue scrubs.
Chloe scrunched her face at the bizarre way Brady was looking at her. "Brady," Chloe mocked him. "You okay? You look a little pale."
"Who? Me?"
Chloe only laughed at him. "Not hungry today, huh?" She asked as she eyed his still full plate. "If you're still bummed about being here, I think your doctor's going to let you go home in a few days."
"That'd be nice," Brady gave her another uncomfortable grin. Gosh, she was pretty.
"Guess that means going home to Chicago," Chloe said sadly, plopping down on his bed.
"Right. Chicago. Right." Brady swallowed.
"I'll miss you," she bit her lip nervously, looking at him.
"Hey, I'll visit," he looked down at his cup of Jell-O and smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah I know. I mean you have family here and everything: John, Marlena, Belle and Shawn." she trailed off.
Brady tilted his head to try and meet her eyes. "Hey, you know what I meant by that. I'll visit you."
Chloe looked up and met his gaze. "Brady. . ." she trailed off wondering where to begin. "I want to tell you something." She wanted to start their friendship out right by explaining this ridiculous soulmate theory Mimi had almost roped Chloe into believing. Because it was all just so ridiculous. They weren't soulmates. She just had to convince herself of that.
'Oh God,' Brady thought. 'She's going to tell me she's in love with me.'
"I feel so foolish saying this but. . ." she blew out a breath. "Oh why don't I just come right out with it and say it, right?" Brady was silent, wide-eyed. "Well, I had been feeling odd awhile back and I consulted a deck of tarot cards Mimi had given me last year for my twenty-fifth birthday. I'm not really into that stuff but lately, it's been helpful. And uhhh. . . the angel card kept coming up and I didn't know what the hell it meant."
She knew she was rambling and probably not making much sense but she didn't see any other way to get this out. She paused. If Brady's eyes got any wider she was certain they would pop out of his head. "You okay?" He nodded, silent. "Okay, so then you come into my life and although you were unconscious and broken and beaten and all that, I felt a connection to you- "
"A connection?"
Chloe nodded. "An attraction."
"An attraction," he repeated her again.
"Right and well then Mimi tells me the tarot card that kept popping up meant. . . love. And it's not that I love you or anything, because I don't," she finished quickly.
Brady nodded curtly, trying to follow her train of thought.
"But it's just. . . I mean. . . she's convinced we are soulmates. . . which is just ridiculous," Chloe laughed nervously.
Brady's eyes narrowed, suddenly on the defensive. "Why is that ridiculous?" Had he just said that out loud?
"Are you serious?" She looked at him, shocked.
'No. No. No. No.' "Yes, why is that ridiculous?" Brady couldn't seem to help himself.
"Well, I guess it's not that ridiculous but Brady we barely know each other."
"Right," he shook his head, laughing lightly. "Right. So why are you telling me all this?"
"Honestly? I'm not sure. I mean, I guess I want you to know that we're friends, only friends. And that despite hospital gossip, you don't have to worry about me thinking that we're anything more."
"Oh, please, I didn't believe them when they said you were in love with me anyway," Brady scoffed, lying through his teeth. Part of him was jumping up and down inside with relief and the other part wanted to kiss Chloe's lips off, make her see how good they could be together.
"They said that?" Chloe blushed.
"Yeah but hey, all that matters is that we know we're just friends. . . nothing more," he added, reassuring not only Chloe but also himself.
"Exactly," Chloe grinned. "God, this feels good to get this off of my chest," she reached out to hug him when she accidentally knocked his Jell-O cup onto the floor. Luckily, it was sealed with foil, preventing a wobbly green mess. "Oops, I'll get that." Chloe leaned down, clumsily bumping her head on his nightstand. "Ow, sh&t!"
"Ooh, Chlo, you okay?" Brady reached for her face as she kneeled on the floor by the side of his bed, her head down. "Here let me take a look at that," he gripped her chin in his hand. "It's bleeding." He moved his hand across her face to cup her head and run his thumb along the injured area. "Does it hurt really badly?"
Chloe could only stare at his concerned face as he inspected her injury. 'God, he is so f&cking gorgeous and sexy and sweet and ugh, I want him,' she thought to herself.
"Chloe?" He made eye contact with her. "You okay? Can you hear me?"
"Uh huh." She answered, staring at his lips, then eyes and lips again.
"Chloe," he said softly, knowing what she was thinking. Their lips were centimeters apart, when Brady pulled back far enough to look into her eyes. "Chloe, we're friends, right?"
"Yes." She nodded, still intoxicated buy the smooth sound of his voice and his soft breath on her face.
"And that means we don't complicate things." He broke eye contact with her.
"Right," she snapped out of her trance, letting Brady's words sink in. "Right." She halfheartedly pulled away from him, embarrassed, and stood up, trying to compose herself by smoothing down her scrubs. "Yes."
"You should get someone to take care of your head," he pointed to her bleeding forehead, hoping she'd leave the room to ease his intense discomfort with her presence.
"Right," Chloe held her forehead and inelegantly backed out of the room. 'But who will take care of my heart,' she thought miserably to herself.
Brady let his head hit his pillow with a loud thump. "Oh boy," he sighed. "Women always have to complicate things," he muttered miserably to himself. Why was this bothering him so much though? "I just want friendship, right?" Right. "But Chloe, beautiful, silly, doe-eyed Chloe, wants more."
Thanks for reading!!!! :) I hope someone is still reading anyway LOL