Brady heard the door slam and it sounded like a drum beat to the final act in an ongoing opera. He wasn't sorry for the things he said. All these years he'd bottled up all the feelings and emotions that he was too scared to ever share with anyone else. But he was a weak man when it came to her and he let her prove it tonight. He let her touch him and tamper with his already breaking heart and now she knew that she still had that power over him.

Rummaging through the cupboards, he found an empty pack of cigarettes and crumbled it through his fingers in frustration. Feeling the rising heat of the beach house, he pulled open the back door and set out onto the beach. The moon was out and lit his path to the waters edge. He sat down, digging his feet into the cool sand and feeling the rush of wind blow against his back. It felt good.

Picking up a rock, he measured its weight in his hand before he tossed it into the ocean and watched as it made a large splash a fair way out. His head sank to his knees and though he tried to force it down bile rose in his throat. God dammit he was going to get an ulcer if he kept this up.

He didn't know long he'd been there, but when the cherry sun began to come up, he decided it was time to go back inside.

The next morning Chloe woke up to the sounds of construction. Dressing quickly, she headed downstairs where Brady was nailing boards to the windows. The beach house had cooled down and she suspected he'd been up all night again tinkering with the air conditioner until he fixed it. By the grease smeared on his shirt and jeans, she knew she was right.

"What are you doing?"

Brady barely looked at her over his shoulder before he went back to work. "There's going to be a storm within the next few days. I have to make sure everything is locked up tight. The winds can get pretty bad in the tropics and it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Oh."

Picking up another board, he resumed his work. "Breakfast is on the table if you're hungry and there's fresh orange juice in the fridge."

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Brady watched as she walked to the table and sat down, not even touching her food. She rested her head on her hand and let out a long sigh. Brady shook his head and began to search the cabinets below the sink.

"What are you looking for?"

"The first aid kit. You know, just in case."

Bending down, Brady braced a hand on the counter as he ducked his head under the sink and pulled out the simple white box. Misjudging the distance between the counter on his way out, he bumped his head with a loud thump.

"Shit!" Brady cursed, holding his head as the blood began to trickle from the wound. He threw the first aid kit across the room and it skidded to a stop by her feet.

"I guess it's good you found it," she teased, holding her laughter. "Here. Let me see."

Chloe sat down next to him cross-legged and took his hand from his forehead, replacing with her own. She probed the wound with skilled fingers and let out a low whistle between her teeth. "Doesn't look very good."

"Christ woman, I'm fine." Pushing her hand away, he touched the wound again.

"Right. Come on, let me help you."

"I don't need your help, Chloe," he bit off with disdain. He let out a low hiss and finally met her eyes. A slow trickle of blood slithered down his cheek and he swept it away with his index finger and thumb.

"Fine," Chloe huffed, opening the first aid kit and pulling out some cotton swaps and antiseptic. "I know you like to be stubborn, but let me help you anyway."

His blue eyes lifted and met hers. "I'm not stubborn," he said slowly, "I just don't want you touching me right now."

"Oh." Chloe's eyelashes fluttered rapidly as she tried to blink back tears.

Sensing he had said the wrong thing, he brought his hand under her chin and raised it until she would meet his eyes. "It's not what you're thinking, Chloe. I don't want you to touch me, because I love the way it feels, not because I don't want you to."

A smile broke on her face and her eyes scanned his skin. She was mildly satisfied with the large hickey on his neck. He was branded; marking him as hers. Touching the welt with the tips of her fingers, she smiled. "I guess I got a little carried away last night."

"Let's not talk about that. It shouldn't have happened. We were both lonely and needed someone, that's all it was."

"No it wasn't. You know it was more than just needing someone, it was about needing each other. I needed you Brady. I still do. Hell, I probably always will and I don't just mean for a quick lay."

He closed his eyes for a moment and then let out a deep breath. "I don't want to get into this right now. I have too much on my mind to worry about what you need."

"Just hear me through. For once, just let me explain." Seeing her window of opportunity to finally get things out in the open, she seized it. Dabbing the antiseptic on a cotton ball, she brought it toward his head.

"You can explain all you want, but that still won't change things." He took the cotton ball from her and flinched when he touched it to his raw skin. "I know you never wanted our baby...or me apparently. It didn't go along with your plans for the future. Just say it Chloe, I screwed up your life and you were glad to get rid of me."

"No, we didn't plan it, but I wanted that baby...I wanted you. When I miscarried.-"

"Chloe," Brady began, taking her hand, "I can't do this. Not right now." His voice was weak and his eyes were just the slightest bit wet.

"Then when? It has to be now." Chloe brushed the hair from her face and let out a shaky breath. "Philip, he-he needed me, you never did."

"And that's your reason for going back to him?"

"He needed me."

"That's a pretty lame excuse." Brady rolled his eyes.

"Dammit, he needed me and I wanted to feel needed. You always were so independent, I just thought-"

"That's bullshit and you know it's bullshit. I did need you. I needed you so bad it hurt. Christ Chloe, I told you I loved you, I told you we could work it out, that everything you were feeling, I was feeling too. I loved that baby just as much as you sat you did. I was looking forward to being a parent just as much as you, but that's not how it turned out. You saw an out when you miscarried and you took it. You ran out of my apartment while I slept and went to Philip. There's nothing you can do to explain that away."

"Dammit Brady, I was scared."

"You think I wasn't? You think I didn't lay awake and wonder if I could make you as happy as you had the right to be. I wanted to give you so much, Chloe. I wanted to give you everything."

Chloe nodded her head rapidly, afraid to look at him now. "I knew that. Deep down, I knew that."

"Then why did you turn to Philip?" Brady's hand moulded her cheek and the light caresses seemed to reassure her.

Chloe covered his hand with hers and drew strength from that connection. "Because I never loved him. Because every time I looked at you, I saw the pain in your eyes from something I caused."

"What!? Chloe, losing the baby wasn't your fault." Brady reached out his arms and pulled her into his chest, letting her rest her head against the crook of his neck. He could feel the tears wetting his skin and his heart was breaking all over again, just as it had that night they found out the baby was gone. "How could you think that? I never blamed you. Not ever."

"I know you didn't, but I did. I just thought if I had done something different. If I hadn't exercised so much or eaten more fruit... I don't know, Brady...I just wanted that look in your eyes gone."

Brady nodded and took a deep breath. He smoothed his hands down her back and let her slowly sit up on her own. "I never blamed you," he told her again, "and I don't blame you now, but you still went to Philip and that's hard on a guys ego."

Catching the rolling tears on her cheek, she sniffled the last of her tears away. "So I guess a quick romp would be out of the question?" She laughed. Really laughed.

"For now." He scratched the back of his neck. "Oh and Chloe? There would be nothing quick about it," he teased. His eyes ignited, sending a thrill into her body. Damned if he wasn't making a promise.

Chloe took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She rummaged through the first aid kit as a distraction. Pulling out a bandaid, she removed the packaging and smoothed it on over his cut. "There."

"Thanks," he said, running his fingers over it.

Chloe looked at him for a long time before she spoke again. "Have there been many other women in your life?"

"None like you, but I'm still a man. I couldn't wait for you forever."

"I hurt you a lot." She took his hand.

"We've hurt each other."

"Do the wounds still feel fresh?"

He could see the shine of tear in her eyes. "Still deep, if that's what you're asking."

She would rebuild that trust if it took her the rest of her life. "Brady."

"Yeah?"

"I want you to know..." What that she loved him? How could she possibly say those words to him when she knew she'd only break his heart again? Christ, she was still married, but that didn't make the ache any less.

"What?"

"I just wanted to say that I've missed you."

"I know. Look," he said, motioning to stand, "I've got some business to deal with, so why don't you go hang out on the beach and maybe later I'll join you."

Chloe thought about it for a minute, before nodding. "Don't work too hard."

_____________

By the time Chloe came in that night it was well past dark and Brady was still locked up in his office. Hesitantly, Chloe walked to the door and quietly knocked.

"Come in," Brady said, without looking up from his paper work.

Chloe bit her lip. "Brady?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me you won't stay up all night again. It's not good for you. Go to bed soon, you look tired."

"I will," he promised.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Chloe."

Brady sat in his office going through files while he waited for a phone call from Jason. There was vital information they had to be sure of before they jumped to conclusions about Philip and his supposed 'kidnapping'. He didn't like the feel of things. Nor did he like what it could do to Chloe.