Love at First Touch

Chapter 9 - The Aftermath

The elevator door opens. Belle was sitting in the elevator with her face buried in her hands while tears of heartache and pain poured from her eyes.

She heard a door close outside the elevator and keys locking the door. Someone was walking towards the elevator. The elevator doors began to close but a hand managed to slip through and keep the doors open.

"Tink? Why are you sitting in this elevator by your lonesome? Better question, why are you crying? Are you okay?" Brady asked in a protective and caring tone. He reached out his hand to help his sister up and out of the elevator.

"Brady. He did this to her," said Belle in an incoherent manner.

"What? Who did what to whom?" Brady was extremely confused, as his little sister wasn't giving him the full details about the sadness overcoming her.

"My mom. She's gone. Because of him." She muttered to Brady.

"Sweetie, we've been through this before. Mom is gone, but she will always be in our hearts. Why the sudden outbreak of past emotions? We've all been through the crying phase and we've learned to accept what has happened. She's in a better place now, looking over us at this very moment." Brady reassured Belle. Even though Marlena wasn't his real mother, but rather his stepmother, he considered her his second mother and always had a love for her.

"You don't understand, Brady!"

"Help me understand."

Brady opened the door to their home and walked Belle to the couch. They both sat down and leaned their heads together.

Belle proceeded to explain everything that happened that night. At the end of her story, it was apparent that Brady was furious. His cheeks were red and he tried so hard to keep his anger to himself, but he failed at doing so.

"He will pay," said Brady under his breath.

"What did you just say?" questioned Belle.

"Nothing. I was talking to myself. Tink, everything will be okay. Nothing has changed. What is done is done and mom will still be there for us. Let's remember that. Forget about this Shawn character and focus on your future with someone who has some respect for others as well as himself. Shawn is not the one for you. Ignore him and he'll possibly vanish," Brady gave Belle his advise while being stern at the same time.

"Until that final moment, Shawn made me feel whole. He had this gift of making me smile and filling my heart with joy and laughter. I don't know how I will get over all of this. This is going way too fast and it's getting way too strange. Too many things happening at once!!!" Belle felt as if she was losing grip with the world and reality. She lost all her faith in people. She needed her brother to be there with her to help her get through this difficult time. "Brady, I'm glad you are here with me. You are the only one I trust. You have NEVER let me down."

Brady embraced his sister. "I'll always be here for you," Brady said, as he was devising a plan in his mind on how to make Shawn Brady pay.

Shawn held his cross that dangled from his necklace and prayed aloud:

God,

Why was I steered the wrong way as a child? A child shouldn't be put through such agonizing pain and guilt. It is cruel.

You didn't help me then, but I beg of you to help me now.

Please make her understand that my actions were not malicious, but a mistake. an accident made by an innocent child who was afraid; a child who was a coward.

I have lived my life taking care of her, trying to make it up to you and to her mother for my fault as a child. Why now? Why does it have to end so prematurely? We just started to get to know each other.

If you do not want to help me through this, at least grant me this wish: let Belle find an honest man who can take good care of her and make her happy. Her happiness means the world to me and I shouldn't be one to ruin it for her.

Shawn kissed his cross and let go. He opened the truck door and walked outside to climb into the bed of the pickup. He lay down and stared at the sky while thinking about what direction his life will now take. without Belle.

After 15 minutes of silence and confusion, Shawn's eyes became heavier and heavier and he finally drifted off into a deep sleep. He knew that by falling asleep, his dreams would be filled with his love for Belle and that at least there, he would be able to continue their life together.