Friends and Lovers
By Misha

Author's Notes- This chapter is kind of strange, but the next chapter will be better. I just have to get things from the point where the last chapter left off to the point where I want chapter ten to begin. Thus this chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter Nine

Friday, November 17th 2000

The school week had been Hell.

Chloe kept on seeing Shawn and it killed her.

She wanted to run up to him and try to save their friendship, but the look on his face told her it would be useless. Shawn wanted all or nothing and all she could give him was nothing.

She loved Phillip, she couldn't change that.

But by Friday she was emotionally exhausted from having to deal with all the stares and questions that followed the few tense run ins she had had with Shawn.

Everyone in school was wondering what had happened and why they had gone from best friends to barely speaking.

Chloe leaned up against her locker and sighed.

"Thinking about Brady?" A voice from behind her asked.

Chloe turned around to see Phillip. "Phillip!" She cried, leaning against him instead of the locker. "Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"It was easy." Phillip said with a slight smile. "It's all you've been thinking about since last Saturday night."

"I'm sorry." Chloe said with a sigh.

"It's alright. I understand." Phillip told her gently, looking into her eyes.

Chloe smiled and wondered what she had done to deserve a boyfriend as wonderful as Phillip.
* * * * *

Shawn watched Chloe and Kiriakis and clenched his teeth. Everywhere he went he saw the two of them together.

Belle was right, Chloe looked miserable... But she also looked more in love with Kiriakis than ever.

And Kiriakis... He was always with her, holding her or even just gazing at her tenderly.

They looked like the perfect loving couple and that was eating Shawn up inside. It should have been him... But it never would be.

He had finally accepted the fact that Chloe didn't love him. But it didn't change his feelings. He loved her.

"Shawn..." Belle said softly, coming up behind him. "You're only hurting yourself more."

"I know." Shawn told her, still gazing at Chloe and Phillip.

After a minute he turned to face her. "Sometimes I consider making a step towards patching our friendship, but it still hurts too much. Do you understand?"

Belle nodded. "Yes. You can't stand the thought of being just her friend, can you?"

"I want to." Shawn said quietly. "But I can't. I can't just be her friend while Kiriakis has what I want more than anything else in the world."
* * * * *

Chloe sat at her desk after school that afternoon and began to write.

She knew that Shawn wouldn't listen to her if she tried to talk to him, but she hoped that he would read her letter. That in this at least she could get through to him.

Dear Shawn,

Please don't throw this away... I know won't you listen to me, but I hope that you'll read this and hear what I have to say.

Shawn, I'm sorry that I couldn't return your feelings. I do love you, but not in that way. Even if Phillip wasn't in that picture, I would feel that way. I'm so sorry, I wish I could love you...

I also wish that I had realized sooner what everyone else knew. I never even dreamed that you felt that way. But Belle and Phillip both knew and so did everyone else. I was the only person who didn't have a clue.

I hope you believe me when I say how sorry I am. I never wanted to hurt you. You mean the world to me, Shawn. You're my best friend and you have been for years. I can't lose you. I know that right now things are complicated, but please... Don't throw our friendship away.

Chloe

Chloe looked at the letter and slipped in an enveloped.

Then she stood up and prepared to take it to Shawn's.

She wasn't sure what she was hoping for, but hopefully the letter would have some effect.
* * * * *

Shawn looked at the letter again and then closed his eyes.

What should he do? Chloe had made the first step, but how was he supposed to respond?

Should he go over there and talk to her or should he just ignore the letter?

He couldn't do that he decided. He couldn't just throw the letter away because he knew how hard it must have been for Chloe to write it.

After a long minute he picked up the phone and dialled Chloe's number. He could at least try to repair some of the damage.
* * * * *