Chapter 12

Chloe walked down the dark street carrying her groceries back to her apartment. It had been a while since she had moved in, and she was actually enjoying her newfound independence. Life was looking up for her. She hadn't even thought about the menacing phone call in over a week. She was sure it was a prank, and not what she had originally thought it was. He couldn't know where she was. She had worked so hard to keep herself busy, to forget about her past. It was all behind her now.

Chloe turned into an alleyway as a short cut to her home. It was darker than she remembered, and she noticed that the lights on the building had been vandalized. The ground was littered in glass. She stepped with caution. It was hard to see, and the last thing she needed was a trip to the emergency room from cutting herself. A sound came from behind her, and she nearly stopped moving. She picked up the pace as she saw the light coming from the other side of the alley. She was almost out of the crease between the tall buildings when she felt a strong hand grab her upper arm forcefully. She turned around and met, face to face, with her past.

"Going somewhere, Chloe?" he cackled as she struggled to get free, dropping her bags to the ground, creating a pool of mess from broken eggs and open canisters. He grabbed a hold of her, tighter, bruising her arm. "Now I know you're smarter than that. Don't fight me, Lane. You'll just make it harder on yourself," the burly man said with resounding force.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"You know what I want, and you're going to give it to me."

"I won't."

"You will, or I'll fuckin' kill you."

"I'd rather be dead than let you touch me, you pig!"

"That can be arranged, Lane. I've met some interesting people in prison. People I think you would like; people I know would like you. I know what you've been up to, Chloe."

Chloe elbowed the strong man hard in the ribs, but he squeezed tighter on her arms. "I'm not yours anymore. I have my own life now. Why can't you just leave me be?"

"Now you've gone and pissed me off, you little bitch. I see you still have fight in you. You're all street; you always have been. You may have yourself set up with some fancy clothes, but you're still the same whore that I knew way back when. But I gotta admit you look good, Lane, really good," he said, sliding his hand along her thigh.

"Don't fuckin' touch me, you bastard!"

He slapped her, open handed, across her face. "See what you make me do? See how you piss me off? You just don't know when to shut the fuck up, do you?"

Chloe cradled her stinging face against her hand. A few tears trickled down her reddened cheek.

"Now, are you going to listen to me, or do I have to make you?"

"Derek...please don't..."

"I love it when you beg. It's been too long, Chloe. Too, too long."

"Get the fuck away from her!"

Chloe's abuser turned to face Brady dead in the eyes. He had been on his way to have that little chat with Chloe about being a good friend when he heard some noises in the alleyway. When he realized what was happening, he knew he had to do something.

"Mind your own business, asshole."

"This is my business!" Brady seethed.

"Oh, so is this your protector, Lane?" He turned to sneer at Chloe, who was still firmly in his grasp.

Brady came closer to the two. The anger radiated from his strong form. "I said let her go. NOW!"

"And if I don't?"

"You don't even want to know."

"So you're the big man, huh? Well, big man, let's see how you deal with this," he said, releasing Chloe and pulling out a large switchblade.

"Look, I don't want any trouble. Just leave."

"Well, that's too fuckin' bad because I'm not leaving."

He lunged at Brady, but he backed out of the way. The man turned around, frustrated. He took a step forward and aimed his knife at Brady's stomach but was unsuccessful. Brady took a swing and connected with Derek's face, causing him to lose his balance and almost drop the knife. He wiped at his bloody nose and hurled himself at Brady, knocking him to the ground. They rolled on the ground for a few tense moments, until Brady got the upper hand. He threw punches to the man's gut and face before he got him to drop his weapon.

He sat on top of the burly guy and pressed the knife against his throat. "Get the fuck out of here, and don't come back. Understand?" Brady threatened, his eyes dark with anger.

The man snarled under Brady's weight and nodded his head. Brady let him up and tucked the knife into his pocket. He got up and walked away into the darkness, looking back fiercely.

Brady turned to face Chloe. She was shaking and stood in silence, appearing to not know where she was. It had been a long time since she had faced Derek. She had been stronger than she thought she could be, forcing herself to look him in the eye and for once stick up for herself. She wasn't the same shy teenager that could be talked into anything. Since Derek had been gone, she had met Tony, known what it was like to be loved.

She knew now that what she had with him before wasn't love. Love wasn't angry or jealous or controlling. Love was freedom, passion, energy. Love was being able to let go, give space, feel alive. Love didn't make you question who you were or give up your beliefs. It didn't smolder your dreams. Instead, it gave you hope and put forward those dreams, made the fire blaze hotter. Tony had taught her that slowly, through patience. She was worthy of love and able to give it as well.

Brady was an entirely different matter. He wasn't dark and possessive like Derek had been or married and a gangster as Tony was. Brady was a rebel true enough, but he had a good heart. She wasn't sure how exactly she felt for him. Not yet. She was still a little unsure. There were more problems between them than most people faced, but that's why they worked so well. He had saved her when she was in jeopardy. A caring, selfless act. She was stunned. All these thoughts, emotions, ran through her head as she stood in the darkened alleyway, a foot away from Brady. This man had entered her life one day in a mechanic shop and had been in it ever since. It was strange how life worked, but she was grateful that it worked in her favour.

Brady lightly touched her arm. She twinged before she looked up to see his face. Her fear was quickly replaced with gratitude as she threw her arms around Brady. Her body was cool against his, and he held her tightly until she finally stopped trembling.

"Chloe, are you okay?" he asked, in a quiet, concerned voice.

She nodded that she was fine. He stared down at his throbbing hand, unsure of what to say to her. Somewhere in the middle of the battle, he had injured it. Already it was swollen and sensitive to the touch.

Chloe followed his eye line and took his hand in hers. "Here, let me see."

"I'm all right."

"Brady, you're bleeding!"

"Gee, thanks. Great observation. I'm well aware of that, Chloe. Just leave me alone. I'll be fine." Somehow, he felt he had to protect himself. Still he had to keep her at arms length before she realized how he felt, maybe before he even did.

"Let me just get you some ice at least. Your hand looks pretty swollen."

Brady opened his fist and winced in pain. "Yeah, okay," he said reluctantly.

"Come with me," Chloe said, leading him into the lobby of her apartment building. She pushed the button for the tenth floor and took another look at Brady's bleeding appendage. Taking her keys out, she opened the door, heading for the kitchen, with Brady close behind.

"What did that guy want from you, Chloe? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Don't worry. It's my problem, and I can handle it."

"Just like you handled it tonight?" Brady pointed out sarcastically.

"Look, Brady, I appreciate your help and concern, but I'll be okay."

"Maybe you should stay with me tonight."

"Why would I want to do that?" she said, not looking at him, while she stuck her hand into the freezer searching for ice.

"Well, this guy that you're mixed up with knows where you live and can come back at any time."

"He won't be back anytime soon."

"How do you know?"

"I just do." Derek wouldn't come back, not that night at least, and probably not the night after that either. No, he would wait. For how long, she wasn't sure. As soon as she let her guard down, and maybe well after that. Eventually, he would come back. She knew in her heart, and she knew he wouldn't be alone. He would bring the rest of her friends from the old days, and they would try to persuade her to join them again. She just hoped she had the courage to turn them away.

"Still, I would feel better if you came to my place for the night," Brady continued, truly distressed that Chloe may get hurt.

"Brady, you better quit with this nice-guy routine. I might actually start to believe that you care," Chloe scoffed, throwing some ice cubes into a towel.

"Don't get me wrong, Chloe. I don't care." He rolled his eyes, trying to cover his real concern. "I just don't want it on my shoulders if something happens to you. If you won't leave, then I'll stay."

"Fine, Black. Suit yourself, but you've got the floor. I don't have a couch yet." She laughed.

Brady groaned as she slapped the ice into his palm. "Chloe, I would suggest getting yourself some ice for your cheek. Come here. Let me take a look at it."

Chloe put her hand up to her face. She had forgotten that she had been injured too. She approached Brady, and gently he inched his way to her face. He touched her softly, and she closed her eyes at the pain. Not just from her wound, but from her life. Everything she had worked so hard for seemed to be slipping away. And the one thing she truly wanted was standing before her, and he refused to see it. She just couldn't understand why her past wouldn't leave her alone. No matter how many times she told him to go away, he just kept coming back. No matter how much she tried with Brady, he just couldn't let her in completely. Life was not fair.

He was still gently running his fingers over the bruise when she opened her eyes and reached to take his hand away. She turned from him, cursing herself for enjoying his touch. Chloe went into the hall closet and pulled some extra sheets and a blanket from one of the boxes she had stored earlier.

"Here," she said, handing Brady the blankets.

"Thanks. You…are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Brady. Don't worry about me. I'm used to things like this happening in my life."

"All right. Good night, Chloe," he said, turning around to take off his shirt and dark jeans.

Chloe gasped when he turned to face her. "Oh my God, Brady!"

Brady looked down at his body. His ribs were slightly bruised, but that was not what was concerning Chloe. Aside from his hand being cut, he had somehow gotten slashed on his stomach, just below his rib cage. He must have been too worried about Chloe to even notice. He touched the afflicted area lightly. "Don't worry. It's just a scratch." Brady smiled sweetly at her.

"Brady, that not just a scratch." Chloe ran into the bathroom to get the iodine and some gauze. "Come here," she said, sitting down on her only chair and motioning for him to stand in front of her.

"Chloe, really, you're making too big of a deal. I'm fine." But he went to her anyway. He couldn't pass up the opportunity to feel her soft skin against his for anything.

"Still, you don't want it to get infected, do you?"

Brady shook his head no.

Chloe poured some of the antiseptic on a cotton swap. She looked into his eyes, and her breath caught in her throat. "This may sting a little."

"I can handle it...ow, fuck!" he swore as she applied it to his body.

She blew softly, trying to take some of the bite away. She giggled and looked up at him. "Baby!" She was startled to see his eyes were closed.

Feeling her looking at him, he opened his bright blue eyes and smiled at her. "Thanks," he said simply, while she taped the gauze to his side.

"You're welcome," she answered. "Brady, why did you come here tonight?"

"I told you. That guy could come back at any time."

"No, I mean before that. Why were you in the alleyway to begin with?"

"I guess I just wanted to see you," he said quietly, then turned around, setting the blankets down on the floor.

Chloe watched him for a brief moment before she turned to go to her room. Brady laid down on the hard wooden floor and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to take him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chloe pulled on her white, spaghetti-strapped nightgown and settled down under the cool covers of her queen bed. She stared into the darkness for a while before she dozed off…

She could feel his hot, laboured breath against her neck. The fear washed over her, and she was transformed into that naive teenager she once was. There were so many memories that haunted her at night. It was the only time in her day when she actually had to think about her past. What she had done, and what she had been forced to do. The one and only person she had come close to telling what had happened to her had died, so she bore her secrets herself. No one knew the conflicted feelings that burrowed beneath the surface.

She thrashed in her sleep, violently shaking the covers off herself. Chloe sat up in bed, screaming and shaking. She searched for the lamp but tipped it over. It smashed on the ground, and she cried mercilessly for a light. The darkness was overwhelming, and she began to panic. She couldn't see anything. She didn't know what lurked in the dark. She was beyond terrified.

Brady lay on the hard ground, barely asleep, when he heard her desperate cries. He kicked off the thin sheet and ran to her room. Turning on the light in her bedroom, he walked briskly over to her.

The light flickered on, but she still remained in her panicked state. Darkness was all around her, and she couldn't manage to compose herself.

Brady took her by the arms and looked into her dazed eyes. "Chloe!" There was no response. She didn't even look in his direction. "Chloe!" he called again, louder.

A storm raged outside. The thunder cracked loudly in the slate sky, and the lightning cut a jagged path over the clouds. She flinched at his touch, trying to withdraw her tiny frame from his grasp, but he held her still, afraid to let go, afraid of what she might do. "Chloe!" he tried again. This time she looked up, meeting his eyes, but not recognizing his face at first. "Chloe, what's going on? Talk to me!"

Chloe responded by pulling him close and burying her head in his bare chest. "Just hold me, Tony."

"Chloe, it's Brady."

But she didn't hear him. "Just hold me, like you used to." She closed her eyes tightly, engulfed in his strong arms. She buried her head further into his chest.

Brady responded by gently stoking her hair. He put his arms around her and held her tightly. It had been a long time since either one of them had that kind of intimacy, and it consumed them. They both fed off each other, taking all they could, but also giving. The winds blew against the window pane, screeching and howling to get inside. It took on an air of violence as it whipped against the glass. Brady held her closer still, lightly rubbing her arms for comfort.

"I tried to tell you."

"Tell me what, honey?" Brady soothed.

"I wanted you to know. I always felt it. I was just so afraid."

"I know. I know." Although he wasn't sure what was happening, he knew that Chloe needed to be consoled. She didn't know where she was or even who he was, and he felt his heart begin to melt at the thought of Chloe being hurt. He wanted to take away her pain, bear the brunt of her fears, if it meant she would never have to feel that way again.

He rocked back and forth with Chloe practically sitting on his lap until her cries quieted. She looked up at him finally and realized it was Brady. His eyes were darkened with concern. His heart ached when he feared she would pull away, but she didn't. She let him touch her, and she kept her hands on his back and arm.

"Brady?"

"Yeah?" he answered in the same, small voice she had used.

"I...I'm sorry," she whispered tearfully.

"It's okay. You were having a bad dream."

Chloe looked down and realized how close they were. She gently eased herself off of him, eliciting a small pleasurable sensation for herself. He sat there in only a pair of boxers, looking into her. She swore she saw concern. That Brady Black cared for her more than he had ever let on. She looked at her own state and realized her nightgown was pulled above her underwear and hung loosely against her belly. She gingerly pulled down her lingerie. Brady watched her. He forced himself to turn away when she looked back at him. This was not the time to be turned on.

"I'm fine now, Brady. You can go."

"You're not fine, Chloe. What's this about? Is this because of what happened tonight?"

"No! Really, I'm fine."

"If you're so fine, how come you thought I was this Tony guy?" Brady said, frustrated.

"What?" Chloe asked, the fear spreading across her face.

"That's what you called me."

"I didn't mean to."

"Yeah, but you did. So who is he?"

"Just someone I used to know." He watched the flash of pain flood her eyes, as she talked about him so casually. "It was a long time ago, Brady. I'm okay now. Thanks for being here." She looked down at her sheets, suddenly fascinated.

"Chloe, don't lie to me. Does this have anything to do with the initials on your tattoo? T.S. Who is that, Chloe?" he said rather harshly.

"I'm not lying, Brady. I can't talk about that now. Please don't make me talk about it." He could see the tears forming behind her apologetically blue eyes while she tried to concentrate on the white fabric.

"You are lying. I can see it." He tipped her chin. "Tell me what's bothering you, Lane. Maybe I can help."

"You can't help me, Brady. Why would you even want to?"

He smiled at her. "Because we're friends, remember?" Brady said, winking sheepishly at her.

"Thank you, Brady." Chloe smiled in spite of herself. Then catching herself off guard, she pulled him into a small hug.

Brady's head swam with conflicted emotions. When she pulled away, he gently took her hand in his and lightly kissed her palm. "You're welcome!"

"Brady?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you...I mean, could you just sorta lay with me, until I fall asleep?"

"Oh Chloe, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Please, Brady. Just 'til I fall asleep."

He looked at her, knowing he could never deny her anything. "All right, Chloe, but just for tonight."

She smiled at him and lowered herself onto the mattress. He watched her for a minute before he joined her. He lay at first a distance away, but she came closer and pressed her back against him. Pulling the covers over them, she closed her eyes. Instinctively, he gently rested his arm against her. She snuggled into him even deeper and took his hand in hers.

He watched her breath rise and fall deeper and slower as she slumbered. Slowly, he leaned over and laid a tender kiss against her soft hair. He fell back into position and closed his eyes, afraid of what he was feeling but glad it was happening nonetheless.