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"Do you have no shame?" Taylor asked as she walked into Brooke's office and slammed the door shut.
She was really going to have to have security at her door when Megan left her desk.
"Well are you going to answer me?"
Brooke sighed; the day had been going so well. "What should I be ashamed of?"
"Using Ric's and Bridget's deaths to worm your way into Ridge's life and bed again."
Why was she not surprised by that insinuation? Same song, different day, but she no longer was going to cower. "When you thought Stephie was dead was something as trivial as a man on your mind?"
"Of course not," Taylor replied insulted, "but I was married at the time."
"Of course, it's different for me because I'm a man eating piranha." Brooke nodded. "Do you remember when you first came to town, you and I would have occasional chats, and I would dare say on the road to friendship. What happened?"
"You wouldn't leave my marriage alone and constantly tried to steal Ridge away from me and take a father away from his children."
"Is Ridge a possession? Something you can own?"
"No, of course not," Taylor snapped.
"Then how can I steal something that's not a thing or a possession. Let's be honest- -"
"As if you can," Taylor muttered.
"Oh, I can be painfully truthful. Yes, I tried to remind Ridge of our past together, all the good times, the reasons we fell in love and, yes, on occasion, I would try to entice him with a negligee and romance, but just for a moment, Taylor, think, as a psychiatrist and not as a wife, could I have done those things or continued to do them without any encouragement from Ridge? Without him giving me a smile, a pat, joining me on memory lane, or looking me over with desire in his eyes?" Brooke saw a moment of doubt in Taylor's eyes, and then it was gone.
"He was trying to preserve your friendship- -"
"But why, when it hurt you? You, the woman he pledged to love and honor until death do you part. If you were counseling a couple like you and Ridge, what would you tell them?"
"I- - I- - I don't know- -"
"Yes, you do. You would tell her that she deserved better. She deserved a man 100 committed to her."
"Ridge was 100 committed to me."
Brooke shook her head. "No, he wasn't or you wouldn't have worried so much about me. I wouldn't have been a threat. You never worried about all those gorgeous models that crossed his path everyday. All of whom he has seen in some stage of undress. Every time I tried to move on, Ridge roped me back in."
"That's a lie."
"Taylor, I'm a chemist. I graduated with a 4.0 from USC. You were pre-med, you know how many hours I worked and studied. You know that means I'm a pretty intelligent woman, do you think over twenty years later, I would still be here if there wasn't something keeping me here? If I hadn't gotten some sort of encouragement."
"A lot of people are book smart, but are idiots and blind when it comes to love."
"Then I guess we're in the same boat. Because we both waited around for him and both of us we're afraid of the other."
Taylor shook her head violently. "We are nothing alike."
"Yes, we are. We both wasted valuable years on a man who wouldn't give his whole heart to either of us." She chuckled.
"What's so funny?"
"In most circles, we would be considered great catches. Two beautiful, intelligent, caring, loving, career-minded women. I think a lot of men would be happy to have us. Yet, we're both hung up on the same man. Am I really evil incarnate because Ridge happened to capture my heart and soul when I was a young, twenty-one-year-old girl?"
"No, it's because you never respected our marriage and you've been through all the Forrester men."
Brooke sighed. "Let's start with Eric. He put a smile on my face after my fiancé dumped me and my baby died. Take the feelings you felt when Stephie "died", then imagine Ridge walking out on you shortly afterwards. Now imagine a kind, older man who was there for you, offering you comfort, support, a shoulder to cry on- -"
"He was married!"
"Yes, he was married, but what did that have to do with anything when he talked about losing Angela? My soul took comfort in knowing and realizing that I wasn't the only one who had ever felt such despair and heartbreak. And as for Thorne, you, Eric, and Ridge destroyed that relationship."
"That relationship would have killed Stephanie," Taylor shouted.
"Oh, please. She would have been fine- -"
"Besides you didn't love him- -"
"I did love him- -"
"Not the way you loved and obsessed over Ridge."
"Did you love your first husband the way you love Ridge?"
"No."
"Did that make your feelings for him or Ridge any less real? Or your commitment to Ridge any less real?"
"No," Taylor confirmed reluctantly.
"But because it's me then I couldn't be allowed to be happy."
"Why would you want second best?" Taylor questioned her.
"Thorne was never second best, Taylor," she paused, "my love for Ridge was like a river you'd go white water rafting on. It was fun, exciting, death-defying, with moments of calmness to catch your breath. While my love for Thorne reminded me of the stream behind my great-grandma's farm that Storm and I use to skip stones in. It was serene, relaxing, and gave me such a sense of peace and easiness that I never wanted to leave. Were the loves the same? No, but they both were special to me." Opening her mini-fridge, she took out two Cokes. She put one on the edge of her desk for Taylor and opened one for herself and took a long drink. "Ah, that hits the spot. So Taylor, tell me why you're really here. You're free of Ridge. I'm free of Ridge. There's nothing for us to fight over."
"I thought you were telling the truth. If you are not trying to become Mrs. Ridge Forrester again, why did you let him adopt Hope and little Eric?"
She had been waiting for that question to come. She could lie or she could- - "Regardless of whether you or the rest of the Forresters believe it or rather pretend not to believe it, Ridge was Ric's and Bridget's father. Before we got married, he asked Eric if he could raise Ric as his own son and Eric agreed."
Taylor's mouth fell open. The shock was written across her face. "What? I never- - no one ever mentioned that to me."
"Why would they? Ridge acted like he didn't remember his promise and it worked for Stephanie and Eric not to remember- -"
"Brooke, I honestly had no idea."
"And if you had, would you have made different decisions when it came to Thomas?"
Taylor didn't know what to say. How could she answer that?
Brooke smiled bitterly. "No, you wouldn't have because they weren't Ridge's biological children. Well, Ridge knows he was their father which makes little- - Ricky his, our last link to Ric."
"And what about Amber? He's her last link to Ric, too?"
She huffed. "Can a child molester truly love her victim?"
"Amber didn't- -"
"Stop right there. I won't have that lie perpetuated any longer. If Phoebe or Stephie were sixteen and had a crush on the grown man who was entrusted with their care and he seduced them, played on their crush, would you be standing here making these same excuses? I don't think so, but because Ric was a teenage boy, everything is different. He's not as vulnerable, he's not as innocent. Sons need to be protected from predators just as much as our daughters do." Brooke's smile turned into a bitter laugh. "It was a phone call from a friend that kept me from taking my gun and blowing Amber's brains out- -"
Taylor gasped.
"When I found out what she did to my baby." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm disgusted with myself that I went from those feelings of rage to letting Ric marry her when every time I saw her, I wanted to murder her and my soul wept at the irreversible damage and pain she caused my son, my first living son. And, ultimately, his pain lies at my feet because I allowed that monster into our home and our lives."
Taylor heard the passion, the fury, and the anguish in Brooke's voice. Somehow she had never looked at Amber's and Ric's relationship in that way. Shivers ran down her spine. She'd be sure to keep Thomas away from Amber as he matured. What could she say? For the first time since possibly she first met Brooke, she was seeing Brook differently. Under different circumstances maybe they would have been friends. But it was too late now, too much water under the bridge. Wiping the tears from her face, Taylor glanced at her watch and noticed the time "I've got five minutes to pick up Thomas from his tennis lessons," she said more to herself than to Brooke.
Brooke nodded. "I know you're hurting now but out there is a man who will love you as much as you love him. I hope you find him."
Taylor nodded, opened the door and left.
Brooke exhaled. She hadn't expected her talk with Taylor to become that intense. Taking off her blazer, she rolled the moist and cool Coke can across her forehead. She thought she made some headway with Taylor, but who knew as soon as Stephanie started buzzing in Taylor's again, it might have all been for nothing. But she couldn't worry about that; she had quieted Taylor for now and hopefully it would stick. If not, she would deal with it when the time came.
"What did you say to Taylor?"
Okay, she was working from home from now on.
"Stephanie, I don't think you have an appointment."
"What was Taylor doing in here?"
"Yes, Brooke, answer the question," Massimo commanded as he suddenly appeared in her doorway.
This just wasn't her day.
"That's none of your business. If Taylor didn't tell you, then neither will I."
Stephanie glared at her with disgust. "Don't think for a moment I'm going to let you use those precious children to keep your hooks into Ridge. He and Taylor will be getting back together, and if need be, they will raise Little Eric and Hope."
"You should probably call Ridge on his date and tell him that he and his ex are getting back together because mommy said so," Brooke responded, choosing to ignore the later half of Stephanie's statement.
"Stephanie, do not listen to anything this floozy has to say," Massimo said, directing a stare at Brooke that would have killed a weaker person. "Stay away from our son or face the consequences."
This threat she would respond to. Gladly. "Why don't you try murdering in Paris? Oh, wait, that didn't work. How about choking me to death? Yep, that's been tried, too. "Why don't you try and destroy my family and break me that way? No, that one's been tried, too."
"Little girl, do you think I'm joking or playing with you?"
"No, not at all. But please understand this: if you start this war, I will finish it."
Massimo and Stephanie rolled their eyes.
Standing up, Brooke purposefully walked over to them. "Massimo, does the name Sonny Corinthos mean anything to you?"
Massimo's eyes suddenly became riveted on Brooke. "You don't know him," he said with confidence.
"Mikey, Adela's boy from Bensonhurst, who now lives in Port Charles?" she countered without batting an eye.
"Who are you talking about? Who is Sonny?" Stephanie demanded, feeling left out on something very important.
"Not now, Stephanie," Massimo informed his former lover.
"That information can be obtained with a minimum amount of research."
Brooke nodded. "Yes, because he usually makes the covers of The Los Angeles Times. If you want, I can call him or Jason Morgan. Jason would love nothing more than to ride his bike across the country to help me with whatever problems I may be having."
A flash of fear crossed Massimo's face. Stephanie looked from Brooke to Massimo desperately trying to figure out who they were talking about and why it felt like the tides were rising in Brooke's favor. Why wasn't Brooke scared?
"So if you want a war, bring it. I'm ready. But until then, get out of my office and don't come back." Ushering them out of her office, Brooke slammed and locked her door before she sagged against it.
He had bought it. He bought her bluff. Who knew having a college roommate who now was an assistant district attorney in a small town in New York, would ever come in handy? Reading the Port Charles Gazette and reading between the lines of the few case details Dara gave her allowed her to use the leader of the Eastern seaboard and his second in command to put the fear of God in Massimo and get Stephanie off her back. Brooke danced all the way back to her desk.