Friends and Lovers
By Misha

Author's Notes- Okay, here it comes. This chapter is majorly angsty. This chapter is also totally Shloe, but don't worry, they don't hook up. The opposite in fact... It's really angsty. There's no romance, just a lot of angst and pain. The song I use is "I Love You Came Too Late" by Joey McIntyre, which is perfect this chapter. Warning, you might need tissues...

Chapter Six

Saturday, November 11th 2000

It was the night after Phillip's party and Shawn couldn't sleep.

All he could think about was Chloe and the party, and how beautiful she had looked.

He remembered the confusion that had been on her face as she looked at him, Phillip, and Belle. She didn't get was going on.

Shawn sighed.

"Why can't she figure it out?!" He screamed. "Belle knows, Phillip knows, but Chloe's still clueless."

He realized that he couldn't go on like this much longer. He stood up and got dressed before slipping out of his house.

He walked the block and a half to Chloe's and very carefully climbed up to her bedroom window. He slid it open and climbed inside.

"Chloe?" He whispered.

She woke up and just about screamed when she saw him.

"Don't scream." He whispered.

"Shawn?" She whispered angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." He told her.

"Can't it wait?" She asked.

Shawn shook his head. "No. It's waited long enough."

Chloe looked concern. "Shawn, what's wrong?"

Shawn look at her beautiful face and felt his heart melt. This was the right moment.

"Chloe, I love you." He whispered softly.

Chloe froze. "What?" She whispered.

"I love you." Shawn repeated.

"Like a sister, right?" Chloe asked hopefully.

"No." Shawn told her.

Chloe closed her eyes, wishing she didn't have to do this. "Shawn..."

Shawn shook his head. "Chloe, I know your dating Kiriakis, and I'm sorry I waited this long to tell you, but... I was scared. I've been in love with you for a long time, I was going to tell you, but you started see Kiriakis and I didn't know what to do. I've thought about this for the last several months and have finally decided that I have to do this. I love you and I want to be with you. Is there a chance?"

Chloe raised her hands to her mouth in horror. She finally understood the looks on her friends faces. They all knew, but nobody had said anything.

"Shawn." She whispered again. "I'm sorry."

Shawn looked at her and saw the answer in her blue eyes.

"So am I." He whispered as he turned and climbed out her window.

Chloe watched him go, knowing that their friendship was broken and they might not ever be able to repair it.

"Why did he have to tell me?" She turned on the radio to hide her sobs from her parents.

Baby, listen to me
If I had the chance, I'd say the words
Come on, come on...

Shawn sank on to his bed.

Well, at least he had tried. And been rejected.

"I shouldn't have done that." He whispered. "I've ruined everything between us."

But he knew in his heart it would have been worse if he had kept it inside.

He turned on the radio as he continued to think of Chloe.

The bluest of blue, that's what her eyes are
That's what I am today
And if I had it all to do, all over again
I wouldn't have waited so long to say

The song on the radio just made Chloe cry harder.

How long had Shawn been keeping his feelings for her inside? And would things have been different if he had told her sooner?

Chloe paused, trying to find the answer deep within herself.

I can't live without you, don't want nobody else
Baby listen very closely, I love you

Shawn listened to the words, thinking about how appropriate they were.

He glanced over at his picture of Chloe and picked it up. She was so beautiful, so perfect... And she would never be his.

He knew that for sure now. He had guessed it all along, but he needed to know. To be one hundred percent sure.

I couldn't lie, she couldn't wait
I love you came too late
I'd give my life for yesterday
I love you came too late

Chloe thought for a long moment and closed her eyes as the answer came to her.

No, she realized, even if she had known earlier, before Phillip....

It wouldn't have changed anything, not really... Because as much as she cared for Shawn, she could never love him in the way he deserved to be loved.

I should've seen the signs
Paid her more attention
But I pushed her love away (I pushed her love away)
So she found someone to give her what she needed
Somebody else not afraid
To say (not afraid to say)

"Your his now." Shawn whispered softly. "Nothing can change that. Especially not me."

He had sensed it at the party as the two danced in one another's arms, but he had hoped...

He had thought that maybe there was a chance he could change her mind. That he could get her to love him instead.

I can't live without you, don't want nobody else
Baby listen very closely, I love you

Chloe looked over at her many pictures of Shawn and wished that things had stayed they had always been.

"Why did things have to change?" She whispered.

She had lost Shawn forever and she knew it. Even if their friendship did manage to be put back together, it could never be the same.

Too much had been said and felt for things to ever go back to the way they were.

I couldn't lie, she couldn't wait
I love you came too late
I'd give my life for yesterday
I love you came too late

He had lost Chloe twice tonight.

He had lost his dream of a romantic relationship wit her and he had also lost his friendship with her.

Chloe had been his best friend for as long as he could remember and he had ruined that friendship with three words.

I can't live without you, don't want nobody else
My heart is in my hand, I took a good look at myself
If I had another chance I'd shout it out to, the world
I love you

Chloe cried herself to sleep, hoping that in the morning all the pain would go away and things would be the way they always had been. But she knew that wouldn't happen.

They had grown up and it hurt. It hurt so bad...

I can't live without you, don't want nobody else
Baby listen very closely, I love you
I can't live without you, don't want nobody else
Baby listen very closely, I love you

Shawn fell asleep, wishing that things could be different. Hating himself for doing this to him and Chloe, but knowing that he couldn't help it.

He had fallen in love and it was no one's fault. It had just happened.

Unfortunately it had also destroyed everything.
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