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 Eighteen
by Fidomom
Brady had been looking all over town for Chloe and had finally come to the one place he hadn't checked. Sure enough she was there staring out at the water. Their wedding plans were coming along nicely and he thought everything was going well. He knew just her being here in this place meant something was up and he needed to know what it was.
"Diva?"
"WHAT!"
She spun to face him and he was startled to see the look of pure irritation and annoyance on her face. His skin prickled as he felt himself propelled backward in time. The sense of deja vu was brutal. He held up his hands, palms out in a surrender gesture, as he raised his brows and smiled uncertainly,
"Whoa! Whatever I did to deserve that, I'm sorry!"
She was immediately contrite. She hurried over and hugged him.
"No, Brady it wasn't anything you did. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I love you." The sense of relief that washed over him made his knees feel weak as he wrapped his arms around her in a return embrace. He twirled his fingers through the ends of her hair while holding her.
"Whew! Felt like I time travelled for a second there! You wanna talk about whatever it was that made you feel like coming here? Your mom? The wedding plans? Us? What upset you?"
She leaned back and gave him a wry perturbed look,
"Oh, you'll love this I'm sure, but in a word 'Philip'."
Brady's guts clenched with worry as he tried to remain impassive. His expression encouraged her to elaborate. She sighed heavily and moved out of Brady's arms to stare back out over the water. Brady stood behind her and tentatively put his arms around her. He tightened his hold with increased confidence when she leaned against him and put her arms over his with a sigh.
"I should have personally told him myself Brady. Not because I owe him anything after everything that has gone on, but because it would have been the decent thing to do. At least then the confrontation would have been something I could have prepared myself for instead of being caught by surprise."
Brady stilled and his jaw tensed,
"What happened Chloe? Did he threaten you or hurt you? What kind of confrontation are we talking about here?"
She snorted,
"Threats I could have handled. No, he didn't threaten me and he most certainly did not hurt me! He wouldn't jeopardise his health that way- he knows you'd kill him! No, what he did was shake my confidence and make me doubt what you and I have. It was a fleeting doubt. It's long gone- even before you found me here tonight I had it sorted out. The things he said and implied were so awful, Brady! It makes me so mad that I let him get to me at all! I wish he would get it through his head that he and I are through for good! Do you know he had the audacity to say I was going through the motions of getting married to you out of spite just to hurt him? How did I not see sooner how completely self-centered he is? It's still all about him and what my actions and choices are doing to him!"
Brady frowned,
"Okay. You said he shook your confidence in us, how exactly?"
She shrugged,
"Let's see he said that you and I weren't going to last because I'm on the rebound. He said that if he hadn't screwed up if I wasn't mad at him that I would still be his girlfriend and you and I wouldn't be together. He said the only way I was able to be with you was because he and I were on the outs. That I wouldn't have chosen you if things had still been good between he and I."
He was almost afraid to ask but did anyway,
"Any truth to any of it, Chloe?"
She turned in his arms and looked up at him with emotional eyes,
"I wondered that very same thing. That's why I came down here to think. Even before you got here I knew the answer. I realised that though it may have taken me a bit longer if things had stayed good between Philip and I, that I honestly believe I still would have ended up with you. Far from being on the rebound it's more like Philip was a learning experience I had to go through so I could be ready to accept love and give love in return. The path, however long or short or bumpy or smooth, would always have led me to you, because you are the person I was meant to be with. You are the one I was meant to love and be loved by. Our history thus far, Brady only serves to solidify my belief in us. I am very much in love with you and it is real and true and it will last."
She sealed her statement with a soft kiss on the lips without breaking eye contact. He smiled down into her eyes and leaned in for another kiss.
"So if you already realised all that why did you snap at me when I got here?"
She cupped his face,
"Sorry again about that. Chalk it up to residual annoyance with myself for even entertaining the possibility that there could be any truth to the crap that he spewed at me today. I am back on track and I won't let him get to me ever again! I promise. Just think Brady, in two weeks time I will be Mrs. Chloe Black! I am so happy and excited about marrying you and spending our lives together! I love you so much!"
Brady smiled again,
"This may sound strange but I'm glad Philip talked to you today. I'm even glad he said things that made you question us. Thank you for reassuring me that I'm still the man you want to spend your life with."
She smiled at him,
"Thank-you for being the man I want to spend my life with. You make my future brighter just knowing you'll be in it the whole way through. Walk me home?"
He kissed her briefly,
"Sure. I love you, Chloe. Let's go."
He put his arm across her shoulders and they left the pier.
To be continued ...
Stubborn and Clueless
Chapter Eighteen
by Fidomom
Brady had been looking all over town for Chloe and had finally come to the one place he hadn't checked. Sure enough she was there staring out at the water. Their wedding plans were coming along nicely and he thought everything was going well. He knew just her being here in this place meant something was up and he needed to know what it was.
"Diva?"
"WHAT!"
She spun to face him and he was startled to see the look of pure irritation and annoyance on her face. His skin prickled as he felt himself propelled backward in time. The sense of deja vu was brutal. He held up his hands, palms out in a surrender gesture, as he raised his brows and smiled uncertainly,
"Whoa! Whatever I did to deserve that, I'm sorry!"
She was immediately contrite. She hurried over and hugged him.
"No, Brady it wasn't anything you did. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I love you." The sense of relief that washed over him made his knees feel weak as he wrapped his arms around her in a return embrace. He twirled his fingers through the ends of her hair while holding her.
"Whew! Felt like I time travelled for a second there! You wanna talk about whatever it was that made you feel like coming here? Your mom? The wedding plans? Us? What upset you?"
She leaned back and gave him a wry perturbed look,
"Oh, you'll love this I'm sure, but in a word 'Philip'."
Brady's guts clenched with worry as he tried to remain impassive. His expression encouraged her to elaborate. She sighed heavily and moved out of Brady's arms to stare back out over the water. Brady stood behind her and tentatively put his arms around her. He tightened his hold with increased confidence when she leaned against him and put her arms over his with a sigh.
"I should have personally told him myself Brady. Not because I owe him anything after everything that has gone on, but because it would have been the decent thing to do. At least then the confrontation would have been something I could have prepared myself for instead of being caught by surprise."
Brady stilled and his jaw tensed,
"What happened Chloe? Did he threaten you or hurt you? What kind of confrontation are we talking about here?"
She snorted,
"Threats I could have handled. No, he didn't threaten me and he most certainly did not hurt me! He wouldn't jeopardise his health that way- he knows you'd kill him! No, what he did was shake my confidence and make me doubt what you and I have. It was a fleeting doubt. It's long gone- even before you found me here tonight I had it sorted out. The things he said and implied were so awful, Brady! It makes me so mad that I let him get to me at all! I wish he would get it through his head that he and I are through for good! Do you know he had the audacity to say I was going through the motions of getting married to you out of spite just to hurt him? How did I not see sooner how completely self-centered he is? It's still all about him and what my actions and choices are doing to him!"
Brady frowned,
"Okay. You said he shook your confidence in us, how exactly?"
She shrugged,
"Let's see he said that you and I weren't going to last because I'm on the rebound. He said that if he hadn't screwed up if I wasn't mad at him that I would still be his girlfriend and you and I wouldn't be together. He said the only way I was able to be with you was because he and I were on the outs. That I wouldn't have chosen you if things had still been good between he and I."
He was almost afraid to ask but did anyway,
"Any truth to any of it, Chloe?"
She turned in his arms and looked up at him with emotional eyes,
"I wondered that very same thing. That's why I came down here to think. Even before you got here I knew the answer. I realised that though it may have taken me a bit longer if things had stayed good between Philip and I, that I honestly believe I still would have ended up with you. Far from being on the rebound it's more like Philip was a learning experience I had to go through so I could be ready to accept love and give love in return. The path, however long or short or bumpy or smooth, would always have led me to you, because you are the person I was meant to be with. You are the one I was meant to love and be loved by. Our history thus far, Brady only serves to solidify my belief in us. I am very much in love with you and it is real and true and it will last."
She sealed her statement with a soft kiss on the lips without breaking eye contact. He smiled down into her eyes and leaned in for another kiss.
"So if you already realised all that why did you snap at me when I got here?"
She cupped his face,
"Sorry again about that. Chalk it up to residual annoyance with myself for even entertaining the possibility that there could be any truth to the crap that he spewed at me today. I am back on track and I won't let him get to me ever again! I promise. Just think Brady, in two weeks time I will be Mrs. Chloe Black! I am so happy and excited about marrying you and spending our lives together! I love you so much!"
Brady smiled again,
"This may sound strange but I'm glad Philip talked to you today. I'm even glad he said things that made you question us. Thank you for reassuring me that I'm still the man you want to spend your life with."
She smiled at him,
"Thank-you for being the man I want to spend my life with. You make my future brighter just knowing you'll be in it the whole way through. Walk me home?"
He kissed her briefly,
"Sure. I love you, Chloe. Let's go."
He put his arm across her shoulders and they left the pier.
To be continued ...