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Chapter Twenty

After a quick dinner at a cafe by Lincoln Center, Brady and Chloe went in search of a place to stay for the night.  They found a hotel with vacancies just a block away from where Brady had left his van, so they returned to the van and parked it in the hotel's parking garage before heading to their room.  Once they entered the room, Chloe immediately kicked off her shoes and threw herself on the bed with a groan.

"Only one bed again..."

Brady threw the suitcase aside and joined her on the bed.  "That's the price we pay for spontaneity, remember?"

"Well, I don't mind... just don't drool on me again tonight."

Brady looked at her in shock.  "I do NOT drool."

Chloe rolled her eyes.  "Yeah, right.  Tell that to the poor drenched pillows you leave in your wake."

"Maybe you should tie your hair up at night, Chloe."

"And why is that?" she asked.

"Because every time you move in the middle of the night, I end up with a lock of brown hair in my eyes, or nose or mouth."

Chloe pouted slightly.  "Fine then... if you try not to drool, I'll leave my hair out of your face."

"Then it's a deal."

Chloe sat up and smiled briefly.  "I think I'm gonna go take a nice long bath.  My feet are aching..."

Brady grinned, as she looked downward at him.  "Well, if you need any help... you know, scrubbing those hard to reach spots, I'll be out here."

Chloe laughed and bent over to quickly kiss him.  "Well, thanks for the offer, but I've been bathing myself for about 17 years now... I think I can handle it alone."

Brady shrugged and winked at her, "Well, you never know... sometimes people forget how to do even the simplest of things."

Chloe stood and walked towards the bathroom.  She stopped and grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top out of her suitcase.

"Not gonna happen, Brady..." She muttered under her breath as she walked away.

Chloe walked inside the bathroom and shut the door.  Brady sat up and began to take off his shoes when he he heard Chloe gasp loudly, and yell, "OH MY GOD!" through the bathroom wall.  He jumped up immediately and ran towards the bathroom.  Brady threw the door open to see a smiling Chloe holding a bottle of something in her hand.

"Look... they have bubble bath.  None of the other hotels had bubble bath stuff."

Brady groaned in frustration.  "You mean I jumped up from the bed because you were excited over bubble bath?  Geez... I thought that there was a dead body hanging from the towel rack or something the way you were screaming over it."

Chloe cringed in embarrassment.  "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you.  It's just, sometimes the simple things in life make you feel complete and utter joy."

Brady twirled his finger in the air and spoke in a monotone voice, "Yippee... Whoooo... I'm excited too."

Chloe smiled at him and kissed him again.  "I said I'm sorry... Don't be mad.  Be happy."

He looked at her for a moment, and realized that he couldn't be angry with her, not right now.  She was far too beautiful at this very moment.  He relented and replied with a smile of his own.

"Okay, okay... enjoy your bath then."

Chloe nodded at him, and he left the bathroom.  She closed the door behind again and began running the hot water in the tub.  She poured some of the bubble bath mixture in the water, and quickly undressed.  Chloe grabbed a rubber band out of her jeans pocket and pulled her hair up and off of her back.  She waited until the tub was almost full and stepped into it.  The water and the bubbles came up to her neck as she laid down in the tub until she was completely covered.  She put her head against the wall behind her and closed her eyes.

Chloe had spent so much time over this week thinking about her life, and dealing with her past and her emotions that she tried to lie there and rid herself of all thoughts.  She made her mind blank and just enjoyed the feel of the warm water around her.

It seemed like she spent an eternity in there, but as soon as the water started to get cold, she got out and dried off as she let the water drain out of the tub.  She quickly put her shorts and tank top on and walked back into the bedroom.  Brady was on the bed busying his self by reading a magazine.  He looked up from his reading and gave her a slight smile.

"Oh good.  I thought maybe you had drowned.  I was just getting ready to get up and check on you."

Chloe shivered slightly at the cold air coming from the air conditioning unit.  "Aahhhh... It's freezing.  I should have dried off better."

Brady threw his magazine aside and patted the spot on the bed beside him.  "Well, I have blankets.  Come join me."

She paused for a moment and shivered again, deciding to take Brady up on his offer.  She pulled the covers down and got underneath them, and Brady joined her underneath the covers. 

Brady glanced at her and grinned.  "See... much better, right?"

Chloe nodded and snuggled up to him.  "Much... much... much better."

Brady ran one hand down her bare arm and could still feel the slight dampness on her skin.  "Chloe... does it feel like you and I have been a couple for less than a month?"

Chloe shook her head.  "No... it feels like much longer, doesn't it?"

"In a way, it has been."

Chloe looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.  "And, how do you figure that, Brady?  Because we kissed each other over a month before we decided to make it official?"

"No, not exactly.  I mean... that's part of it.  But, I mean much longer than that.  We've always had a connection, Chloe.  Since the day we met each other we've been connected.  Neither of us may have realized or expected it to turn out like this, but deep down it was always there.  When I met you, I felt like I had known you for years already."

Chloe sighed softly. "Me too..."

Brady looked her in the eyes with complete seriousness on his face  "Chloe, you know how I feel about you, right?"

"I think so..."

Brady brushed the side of her face with his hand.  "I would never hurt you.  Never.  And, I would never make you do something you weren't willing to do."

Chloe nodded.  "I know, Brady.  I know that.  What is this leading up to?"

Brady sighed and smiled at her.  "I just want to make sure that you know.  I mean, when I joke about sex stuff, it's not because I want it... it's just a guy thing to joke about it.  That's a bad explanation, I know.  I'm just trying to say that I know we're not ready for it, and I would never want you think that I expect anything from you.  Okay?"

Chloe suppressed the urge to laugh at his nervous behavior.  "Don't worry, Brady... I know that.  Besides, I would never LET you force me into something I don't want to do."

Brady nodded in agreement.  "Well, okay then... we're all squared away."

"I guess that was our 'sex talk' then.  You know, all couples have them at some point. And, I think ours went pretty well."

Brady laughed at the absurdity of the situation and replied, "I guess so.  Glad to get that over with... So, do you want to go home tomorrow?  Or should we stay?"

"Ahhh... a tough decision.  I love New York, and I'm really glad we came... but, I think it's time to face the music in Salem.  I have to get it over with, so we can all move on."

Brady nodded and kissed her on the forehead.  "Alright then, after a hearty New York City breakfast we'll get on the road."

Chloe sighed sadly.  "I wish we could stay longer, but I know I have to go home."

"Well, we'll just have to come back then."

Chloe's face lit up at the thought.  "Promise?"

"Absolutely."

Brady reached over and turned the light off.  Chloe snuggled closer to him and whispered, "Brady..."

"Yes..."

Chloe paused wondering if this was the right time to tell him those three small words.  But, she realized they weren't small at all.  They were three very big words, and she felt a knot twist in her stomach when she thought about it.  She took a deep breath in, but instead of speaking she moved her head up and kissed Brady deeply.  He reciprocated with great intensity until they broke off for air.

"Good night, Brady..."

"Good night..."

She closed her eyes as she laid her head on his chest and heard his heart beating.  She knew the words would come eventually.  Chloe was finally coming to terms with all these factors in her life, and she would soon feel free enough to pledge her love to someone.  She only hoped that Brady felt the same.

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