Disclaimer: The following fiction is loosely based on characters currently owned and operated by the producers and writers of NBC-TV's Days of Our Lives. I claim no affiliation. Gratuitous entertainment purposes only.
Stubborn And Clueless
Chapter 14
by Fidomom
"I love you Brady! I love you so much!". Brady's heart stilled in awe as her whispered admission thundered in his ears as though she'd spoken into a megaphone. He had been so wrong. Hearing her say it to the picture was not the same as having her speak it to his soul the way she just had. Not the same at all. His chin quivered and his eyes teared up as he gifted her with a tremulous vulnerable smile. He couldn't find a voice, couldn't form a thought coherent enough to put into words how he felt hearing her finally say it to him on purpose. He gently cupped her face and kissed her again just once before enfolding her in his arms so he could hold her close. He struggled to breathe properly as the gravity of her words made his heart and soul soar with joy. In a voice hoarse with emotion and wonder, he attempted to share his thoughts with her,
"Until this moment I didn't realise how badly I needed to hear you say that to me. I didn't know this feeling existed. Even if I'd known I still would've been skeptical that I could ever feel this. Love? Man, what an understatement! Only word available though, I guess. I love you. It feels like such an insignificant way to describe what I'm feeling. Maybe it's that way by design. Coming up with a word to describe this would almost be like competing with the feeling itself- maybe the very simplicity of the word is what lends such profundity to it. With everything in me with every part of me I love you. That sounds so simple and yet it is the purest truth I've ever spoken. I love you ... I love you, Chloe." Their embrace tightened and they stood clinging to each other for several long moments. Chloe lifted her head then to look into his eyes.
"Why, Brady? Why did it take us so long to be here in this moment? We love each other and I'm so happy about that but I'm sad too. I mean what is the point now? I'm going to Juilliard ... I have a dream to live out ... one that you want me to live as much as I want it. If I stayed so we could be together we'd never forgive me. Why did we take so long? How am I supposed to go do what I need to do now that we know we love each other? How am I supposed to leave you behind? We're in love Brady but now what? I'm leaving in two months. Is that all we get? I don't want just two months with you I want forever! I finally understand what the phrase ignorance is bliss refers to. I almost feel like it would've been better if we'd never found out!"
Brady grabbed her shoulders firmly,
"Don't say that Chloe! Don't ever say that! We were not better off not knowing! We were in pain! Yes it is true that you are going to live your dream but that doesn't mean I have to lose you! New York is not that far away. I refuse to even entertain the notion of us going our separate ways to avoid the challenges of being together. I've never seen you back down from a fight yet so please don't bail on me now! We can do this, Chloe. We have options. We could have a long distance relationship. Yeah, and I could visit you every weekend or ... or I could move to New York and get a job there or go back to school myself and we could even get married before we leave Salem.~Oh, man tell me I didn't just say that out loud! What, are you trying to frighten her? It's too soon you idiot! The first I love you, the first kiss and hey let's get married should not all happen on the same day, Black! Are you crazy?~
Chloe gave him a grateful smile and caressed his cheek as she let out a wistful laugh,
"Married, Brady? You're very sweet but lucky for you I know you weren't serious. I do love you and I'm not about to bail on you. I've waited much too long for this love to give up on it now that we've found it. You're right- we will find a way to work this out. We have to. I trust you and I trust how we feel about each other."
Brady watched his next action as though he were looking down at himself~Don't do it!~.
"But I am serious."~Stop, Black! Stop now!~
Chloe looked at him vacantly,
"What?"
He held out the small velvet black box.~Okay not only is she going to reject you outright but you are going to seriously scare her! She has only barely said she loves you, your lips are still tingling from your first shared kiss and you think she's going to accept a marriage proposal? No, of course not! But at least she'll always know that I offered, that it was a serious offer. She'll know I mean it.~
To his chagrin Brady found himself down on one knee at Chloe's feet. He proferred the opened ring box,
"Chloe, I love you. Will you marry me?"
Her eyes filled with tears as she searched his eyes. Her gaze darted to the ring and back to him. She looked up at the sky and then her eyes swept their surroundings. She looked at him again and put her hand over her mouth as she choked on a sob. Her head shook slowly from side to side. Brady sighed in understanding but could not hide his disappointment. He stood up, closed the ring box and stuffed it back into his pocket.
"It's okay Chloe. I knew the timing was bad. You don't have to let me down gently. Your hesitation told me all I needed to know. I love you. We'll find another way. Come on. I'll bring you home, now."
Brady gently took her hand in his and started to walk towards the jeep. She stayed put. He turned to look at her concerned something was wrong. She tugged his hand back towards her and she groped him. He watched bewildered as she extracted the ring box from his pocket and put it back in his hand. She looked into his eyes intently as tears ran in rivers down her face,
"Brady Black I was not hesitating! You misunderstood. I ... I saw the sincerity in your eyes and ... and the love and the way your hair is the same color as the moonlight and the way the ring in it's box looked like ... well, I thought at first you were offering me a chunk of the sky with a star in it ... I could feel ... I could feel the night air on my skin and I could hear the wind in the trees and I think an owl too and I can smell flowers only I can't quite determine which kinds ... I wasn't hesitating ... I just ... I just wanted to always remember everything about the moment you asked me to marry you .. I love you ... I wasn't hesitating ... I was just suddenly so aware of everything ... Brady ... Brady my answer ... my answer is yes. Yes I'll marry you. If you really meant it then yes I'll marry you. Did you, Brady? Did you really mean it?"
To be continued ...
Stubborn And Clueless
Chapter 14
by Fidomom
"I love you Brady! I love you so much!". Brady's heart stilled in awe as her whispered admission thundered in his ears as though she'd spoken into a megaphone. He had been so wrong. Hearing her say it to the picture was not the same as having her speak it to his soul the way she just had. Not the same at all. His chin quivered and his eyes teared up as he gifted her with a tremulous vulnerable smile. He couldn't find a voice, couldn't form a thought coherent enough to put into words how he felt hearing her finally say it to him on purpose. He gently cupped her face and kissed her again just once before enfolding her in his arms so he could hold her close. He struggled to breathe properly as the gravity of her words made his heart and soul soar with joy. In a voice hoarse with emotion and wonder, he attempted to share his thoughts with her,
"Until this moment I didn't realise how badly I needed to hear you say that to me. I didn't know this feeling existed. Even if I'd known I still would've been skeptical that I could ever feel this. Love? Man, what an understatement! Only word available though, I guess. I love you. It feels like such an insignificant way to describe what I'm feeling. Maybe it's that way by design. Coming up with a word to describe this would almost be like competing with the feeling itself- maybe the very simplicity of the word is what lends such profundity to it. With everything in me with every part of me I love you. That sounds so simple and yet it is the purest truth I've ever spoken. I love you ... I love you, Chloe." Their embrace tightened and they stood clinging to each other for several long moments. Chloe lifted her head then to look into his eyes.
"Why, Brady? Why did it take us so long to be here in this moment? We love each other and I'm so happy about that but I'm sad too. I mean what is the point now? I'm going to Juilliard ... I have a dream to live out ... one that you want me to live as much as I want it. If I stayed so we could be together we'd never forgive me. Why did we take so long? How am I supposed to go do what I need to do now that we know we love each other? How am I supposed to leave you behind? We're in love Brady but now what? I'm leaving in two months. Is that all we get? I don't want just two months with you I want forever! I finally understand what the phrase ignorance is bliss refers to. I almost feel like it would've been better if we'd never found out!"
Brady grabbed her shoulders firmly,
"Don't say that Chloe! Don't ever say that! We were not better off not knowing! We were in pain! Yes it is true that you are going to live your dream but that doesn't mean I have to lose you! New York is not that far away. I refuse to even entertain the notion of us going our separate ways to avoid the challenges of being together. I've never seen you back down from a fight yet so please don't bail on me now! We can do this, Chloe. We have options. We could have a long distance relationship. Yeah, and I could visit you every weekend or ... or I could move to New York and get a job there or go back to school myself and we could even get married before we leave Salem.~Oh, man tell me I didn't just say that out loud! What, are you trying to frighten her? It's too soon you idiot! The first I love you, the first kiss and hey let's get married should not all happen on the same day, Black! Are you crazy?~
Chloe gave him a grateful smile and caressed his cheek as she let out a wistful laugh,
"Married, Brady? You're very sweet but lucky for you I know you weren't serious. I do love you and I'm not about to bail on you. I've waited much too long for this love to give up on it now that we've found it. You're right- we will find a way to work this out. We have to. I trust you and I trust how we feel about each other."
Brady watched his next action as though he were looking down at himself~Don't do it!~.
"But I am serious."~Stop, Black! Stop now!~
Chloe looked at him vacantly,
"What?"
He held out the small velvet black box.~Okay not only is she going to reject you outright but you are going to seriously scare her! She has only barely said she loves you, your lips are still tingling from your first shared kiss and you think she's going to accept a marriage proposal? No, of course not! But at least she'll always know that I offered, that it was a serious offer. She'll know I mean it.~
To his chagrin Brady found himself down on one knee at Chloe's feet. He proferred the opened ring box,
"Chloe, I love you. Will you marry me?"
Her eyes filled with tears as she searched his eyes. Her gaze darted to the ring and back to him. She looked up at the sky and then her eyes swept their surroundings. She looked at him again and put her hand over her mouth as she choked on a sob. Her head shook slowly from side to side. Brady sighed in understanding but could not hide his disappointment. He stood up, closed the ring box and stuffed it back into his pocket.
"It's okay Chloe. I knew the timing was bad. You don't have to let me down gently. Your hesitation told me all I needed to know. I love you. We'll find another way. Come on. I'll bring you home, now."
Brady gently took her hand in his and started to walk towards the jeep. She stayed put. He turned to look at her concerned something was wrong. She tugged his hand back towards her and she groped him. He watched bewildered as she extracted the ring box from his pocket and put it back in his hand. She looked into his eyes intently as tears ran in rivers down her face,
"Brady Black I was not hesitating! You misunderstood. I ... I saw the sincerity in your eyes and ... and the love and the way your hair is the same color as the moonlight and the way the ring in it's box looked like ... well, I thought at first you were offering me a chunk of the sky with a star in it ... I could feel ... I could feel the night air on my skin and I could hear the wind in the trees and I think an owl too and I can smell flowers only I can't quite determine which kinds ... I wasn't hesitating ... I just ... I just wanted to always remember everything about the moment you asked me to marry you .. I love you ... I wasn't hesitating ... I was just suddenly so aware of everything ... Brady ... Brady my answer ... my answer is yes. Yes I'll marry you. If you really meant it then yes I'll marry you. Did you, Brady? Did you really mean it?"
To be continued ...