Earth Angel
Chapter Sixteen
(Two days later... Friday)
Chloe stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room, making some last
minute touch ups to her appearance. She was smoothing the wrinkles out of her
dress with her hands just as the phone on her table began to ring. She leaned
over and grabbed it off the base, answering it quickly.
"Hello..."
Belle's excited voice came over the line, "Hey Jan... You getting ready for
tonight? Brady just left, but he had to make a stop before he comes over... so
you have like 30 minutes."
"Cool... Everything's just about ready. I should have plenty of time. By
the way, thanks for going shopping with me yesterday."
"If there's one thing I'm always up for, it's shopping. So, what is this
big secret plan you've got anyway? Can you tell me now?"
Chloe sighed, knowing that it wouldn't make any sense to Belle, even if she
tried to explain. "No, I can't. It's too complicated for me to get into, I
just hope it works. Brady needs closure, and hopefully I can help."
"Well, I don't know what you have up your sleeves, but if it makes my
brother feel better, than I approve. Wait a second... you're not going to have a
seance and try to conjure up the spirit of Chloe, are you?"
Chloe laughed out loud. "Noooo, nothing like that. I don't believe in that
crap anyway."
"Neither did Chloe, so even if you tried to conjure her, she wouldn't show
up just to prove you wrong."
"That is so true."
"Hey... I've been meaning to ask you all week. Are you planning to go to
the Valentine's Day dance? It's only three weeks away..."
Chloe paused, the thought had not crossed her mind, even though the signs had
been up at school all week. "To tell you the truth, I haven't even thought
about it. Why?"
"Welllll, Shawn and I want to go out to dinner before, and take a limo and
all that. But, we want to share it with SOMEBODY else... so, if your super
secret plan works, maybe you can take Brady and we can all go together."
"What about Mimi? I don't want to leave her out."
Belle paused on the other end of the phone. "Mmmm, well if you go with
Brady, then Mimi can go... with Phillip. Yeah, that'll work. If Phillip feels
like going, that is. And if he doesn't feel like it, we'll just force him to go
and pretend to be cheerful."
Chloe chuckled softly. "It's not a bad idea, actually. Of course, that's
only IF I can get Brady to go with me. My super secret plan might fail
miserably, and he'll never want to speak to me again. That's my worst case
scenario."
"Just have faith for one second, please. It will work... whatever it is.
And if not, then you still have to go to the dance with us. And, I won't accept
no for an answer."
"Okay, okay... I'll go. Even if you have to drag me kicking, and
screaming... which you probably will."
Belle laughed. "Don't worry, we're used to it. We used to have drag Chloe
to all kinds of things that she wasn't in to. Anyway, I'll let you finish
getting ready. Good luck tonight, Jan."
Chloe smiled weakly. "Thanks, Belle... God knows I'm going to need it.
Bye."
"Bye..."
Chloe hung the phone up and took one last check in the mirror before walking
downstairs to wait for Brady's arrival.
***
(Living Room... downstairs.)
Chloe sat on the couch, feeling more nervous than she had originally thought
possible. She tried to avoid biting her freshly painted nails. They were a light
shade of sparkly blue to match the dress that Belle had helped her pick out, and
it would have been a shame to turn them into a nervous chew toy. Time seemed to
pass slowly as Chloe stared at the large grandfather clock in the living room.
Every now and then she would turn her head away, knowing that watching the clock
only made time pass slower.
Chloe looked back at the clock as the hands went to 7:05. She was just starting
to worry about his tardiness when the doorbell rang loudly. Chloe jumped to her
feet and ran after it, yelling loudly as she bounded into the entryway. "I
GOT IT, BENJAMIN!"
She stood in front of the door and took a deep breath before opening it.
"Hi Brady... come on in."
Brady smiled and walked inside as Chloe shut the door behind him. "I'm
sorry I was late... I had to stop and put gas in my Jeep."
Chloe brushed it off as if it meant nothing to her. "Late? I didn't even
notice."
Brady mocked as if he was wiping sweat off his brow. "Whew... I'm safe
then. So, what's the plan? Is there a plan?"
"Yeah, sort of. I want to show you something. Just follow me." Chloe
smiled and grabbed his hand. He followed her up the stairs and into the hallway.
"I've seen your bedroom, Jan..."
Chloe rolled her eyes and continued pulling him along. "That's not where
we're going. Come on."
She led him to a door at the end of the hallway and opened it to another set of
stairs. She stood on the first step and faced him. "Do you trust me?"
Brady raised one eyebrow curiously. "Can I answer that after you take me up
these stairs and I can see that there isn't some sort of medieval torture
apparatus up in your attic?
Chloe shook her head. "Nope, answer it now."
Brady's smirked faded into a more solemn look. "Of course, yes. I trust
you."
Chloe smiled proudly. "Okay... now close your eyes, and be careful coming
up the stairs. I don't want you to trip."
Brady did as instructed and allowed Chloe to lead him to the top of the stairs.
She guided him up from the last step and brought him to the middle of the room,
his eyes still closed tightly. Chloe positioned him in the perfect spot and
backed away from him.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Brady opened his eyes and gazed around the room in amazement. Years ago, Jan's
parents had turned their attic space into an observatory. The ceiling was almost
completely made of glass and boasted an amazing view of the clear night sky. The
room itself had been mostly ignored for the past few years, but Chloe had
cleaned the floors and the furniture up, decorating it with small twinkling
Christmas lights around the walls to continue the theme of the stars in the sky.
The furnishings were sparse, but there was a large, expensive telescope in one
corner and a couple of fluffy couches to lie on while you looked at the sky
above you.
"Wow... Jan... This is amazing."
Chloe nodded proudly. "Yeah, they added it a long time ago. I guess they
thought it would be a nice place to have cocktails when guests came over. But,
it's pretty much been ignored for the past few years. But, it's a good place to
go when you want to be alone to think or whatever."
Brady nodded in appreciation. "Well, it's beautiful up here... So, this is
my thank you?"
Chloe shook her head. "No, this is just the perfect place to do what I had
in mind. Remember when I told you to trust me?"
Brady nodded somewhat uneasily. "Uhhhhh... yes."
"Okay, then just go along with me... do what I tell you to do... and
hopefully, it will work."
"You're scaring me, Jan... But, I do trust you."
Chloe smiled and took a deep breath. "Good. Now let me tell you why you're
here. When you were telling Phillip how you've let go of everything from your
past, except one thing, I think I know what that one thing is. And... I want to
help you let go."
"I don't think you can..."
"No, no, no. I think I can. At least, I hope so. You just have to trust me
on this. I know that there were things left unsaid between you and your mystery
girl. And, I also know that you've said that there is absolutely no chance of
you ever being able to tell her how you felt. But, there is a chance."
Brady looked at her in confusion. "And how's that?"
Chloe sighed softly. "I'm a firm believer that just because someone isn't
here with you, doesn't mean they can't hear you. I used to come up here and talk
to my grandmother all the time. And, I know she heard me, even up in heaven and
even when she was alive and three thousand miles away."
At least that's what Chloe had read in Jan's diary, anyway. Brady still looked
unsure, but Chloe continued. "You said you would trust me, so listen to me.
Imagine that she's here in the flesh, and say whatever's on your mind like she
was right in front of you. I'll even stand in the stairway so you can do it
alone."
"Jan... I don't know about this."
"But, I do. Just close your eyes until you can picture her, and it will
come out before you can stop it. It will make you feel better, I promise."
Chloe gazed at him pleadingly and clasped his hands in her own.
Brady sighed and gave in. "Okay, I'll do it... now go away."
Chloe chuckled and nodded. She put one hand over his eyes and whispered softly,
"Now close them... and I'll go."
Brady closed his eyes tightly and she quietly moved away. She walked towards the
door and clicked it shut, but stayed in the corner not wanting to miss a word of
this. He stood there in the same spot for a long time, perhaps taking the time
to conjure up the image of Chloe in his mind. He finally sighed and cleared his
throat.
"Okay, I feel kind of silly doing this. You know, standing in the middle of
a room by myself and talking to someone who isn't here. But, I think you can
hear me, and maybe there are a few things I need to get off my chest. I've never
said any of this out loud... not even when I was alone, so please bear with me.
I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I really screwed up and now I've learned my
lesson. I should have never let you go. I held on to what was inside my heart,
and I never told you. I didn't know that it would end like this, and if I had, I
would have told you a long time ago. But, I didn't know that you would die
before I could tell you. I never imagined that God would take away a life that
was so wonderful and amazing. The only thing that makes sense is that the folks
in heaven wanted another angel, and I can't think of a better person to fill
that position than you."
Chloe silently crept towards him, making sure that his eyes were still closed.
Luckily, her shoes were quiet and the floor was soft so she made no noise as she
inched closer to him. Brady's eyes were still shut tight, but a few tears had
begun creeping down his cheeks.
"I thought that it wouldn't be fair to you, because of... him. I thought
that it would cause you too much confusion and pain if you knew how I felt for
you. I should have told you anyway. And, I'll never forgive myself for not
telling you. Everybody wants me to move on, but I don't know how I can. I know
deep down in my heart that you were my soulmate, my true love, and nobody will
ever take your place. I have felt connected to you in a way that I could never
explain since the day we met, and somehow I still feel that connection even
though you are gone. So, now I'm going to say it, and I hope you're listening
wherever you are. I love you. I have loved you for a million years, probably
before I even realized it myself... and I will always love you. No matter where
I go, or what I do, I will never love anyone the way that I love you. I've been
praying since you left that you would come back, and even though I feel your
presence all the time, my prayers haven't been answered yet."
Chloe was now standing as near to him as possible without touching him. Tears
were now streaming down his face, and he moved his hands up to wipe the tears
away. Brady shook his head in despair and muttered quietly, "I love you...
please come back."
His grief and pain was obvious, and Chloe knew that this was the first time he
had been so open about what was in his heart. Chloe's own heart began to ache,
and she was now sure that he was talking to her. Without thinking, she
instinctively reached a hand up towards his face and brushed his hand, helping
him wipe the tears away. She froze, thinking that he might open his eyes before
she was ready for him to see her, but he didn't. He let her wipe the tears away
gently with her fingers as his hands caressed the tops of hers and moved down
her arms slowly.
Chloe sighed deeply, still afraid of the consequences of what she was about to
do. She took a quick moment to gather her courage before pushing herself up on
her tiptoes and moving her face towards Brady's. She gently put his lips on
hers, figuring he would freak out and push her away, but he didn't, he responded
warmly to her touch and wrapped his strong arms around her back. She moved in
closer and kissed him passionately, and held on for dear life. Brady responded
and increased the passion between them, sliding his arms to rest around her
waist, pulling her even closer in his strong embrace. The kiss seemed to go on
forever. It made every ounce of Chloe's body feel alive, and she could feel
Brady's heart racing faster against her chest. She had never experienced a kiss
like this before. Phillip's kisses had made her tingle, but Brady made her feel
like she was floating above the earth, and the only thing that existed was the
two of them in this moment.
The kiss finally broke off and Chloe softly whispered, "I love you
too..."
Brady's eyes were still closed and he spoke so softly, that she could barely
hear him. "Chloe...?"
"Brady... I love you too."
Brady's blue eyes fluttered open and he saw who he was holding in his arms. To
Chloe's surprise, his expression wasn't one of confusion or anger. It was more
like a look of acceptance. He removed one arm from her waist to gently stroke
her cheek. "It is you, isn't it?"
"You tell me. Look in my eyes, Brady. What do you see?"
Brady stared deep into her hazel eyes. "I see Chloe... just Chloe. It's not
possible, is it?"
"It is. It's me, Brady... Do you really believe it?"
Brady kept staring, and Chloe felt like he was staring through her eyes and into
her soul. "I do believe it. It's been you all the time, hasn't it? Since
the day on the pier, I've noticed something behind your eyes but I thought it
was too ridiculous to even think about it."
Chloe smiled weakly. "I know, it sounds impossible. But, it's me... It's
been me the whole time. I came back..."
Brady looked at her in shock. He didn't want to blink, afraid that this would
all disappear if he closed his eyes again. "Chloe... How? Why? Is it a
miracle? Am I dreaming?"
"Don't worry, I can explain it all. It sounds like something out a movie,
but it's all true. And, no, you aren't dreaming. This is as real as it
gets."
Brady was still in awe. He gently caressed her arms from wrist to shoulder,
moving his hands through her hair softly. He moved one index finger to her
cheek, caressing each eyelid, moving down her nose and gently tracing her lips.
It was as if he was making sure that this wasn't a dream by caressing the curves
of her face.
He softly whispered, "How?"
Chloe grinned widely. "You may want to sit down for this..."
Brady nodded and let go of her enough to walk towards the couch and sit down
with her. He still kept one arm around her, as if he was afraid she would fly
away if he let go.
"Okay, Brady... this is going to sound like the most ridiculous thing
you've ever heard, but it's all true. If you start to not believe me, then I can
prove it to you. I mean, I know intimate things about everyone that ONLY Chloe
could know."
Brady shook his head and smiled. "No, I believe you. I can see it in your
eyes... Besides, I have a feeling this is going to be crazier than anything that
Jan could make up."
Chloe nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely crazy. So, here's the deal...
There was a mix-up in the car accident. The 'powers that be' were supposed to
take Jan, but they took me instead. And, the only way that could fix things was
to put me in Jan's body and take her soul out."
"They couldn't put you back in your own body?"
"No, it's this whole soul loophole or something. Once the soul is gone, the
body is dead. This body is the best they could do for me. I could have stayed up
there if I had really wanted, but it wasn't my time, so I came back."
"You could have stayed in Heaven, but you came back?"
Chloe nodded and smiled. "I came back for you. At the time, I thought I was
coming back for Phillip, but I figured out that I came back for you."
Brady smiled almost shyly. "For me? Why not Phillip? I thought you two were
in love."
Chloe shook her head. "I loved Phillip, and he loved me... but not in the
way that you love me. When I came back, Phillip only saw what was on the
exterior, which was JAN. You, Shawn, Belle... you all somehow saw the person
inside, and that's me, Chloe. Phillip never really knew me when I was alive, not
the REAL me. And, I was too blind to see the truth... to see that there was
somebody who loved me in the way that I really wanted. I'm sorry for not
noticing before all of this, I didn't know that there was more for me outside of
Phillip."
"Don't be sorry... I guess I should have told you, I just would have never
expected it to turn out this well."
Chloe grinned and kissed him gently. "Well, you've got me now."
Brady held her tightly to him. "And, I'll never let you go now. You know, I
always used to think you were an angel, and now I KNOW you are."
Chloe rested her head against his shoulder and smiled contentedly. "So,
does my adventure in the afterlife sound insane?"
"Yes, absolutely. Can you tell other people now?"
Chloe shook her head vehemently. "No, absolutely not. I wasn't even
supposed to tell you, but you obviously figured it out already. Nobody else can
know. Nobody else would believe it."
"So, I have to call you Jan all the time?"
"In front of other people especially... don't slip up or anything. People
will think I'm your Chloe replacement if you accidentally call me Chloe."
Brady pulled her closer and sighed. "But, you're a 100 percent the real
thing."
"You got it. I may look like Jan, but I'm all Chloe, all the time."
"Perfect. So, what next? Jerry Springer show? National Enquirer? Dateline
NBC?"
Chloe laughed softly. "No, I was thinking more like Salem High School
Valentine's Dance."
Brady cringed and shrank back. "A high school dance? Are you kidding?"
Chloe pouted and stuck out her lower lip. "Awww, it'll be fun. It is the
social event of the season, aside from the Last Blast, of course. I promise
we'll try to make it as un-geeky as humanly possible."
"Don't pout, it won't help. I've lived with Belle for 17 years, I'm immune
to pouting."
Chloe straightened her lip up and grinned at him. "Fine, fine... no
pouting. Just do it for ME, PLEASE?"
Brady nodded and kissed her passionately. He grinned slyly at her as he broke
off the kiss and laid down on the couch. "You got it, anything for
you."
Chloe laughed and laid her head on his chest, his arms wrapped around her
tightly. "Damn, that was easier than I thought. You're such a sucker."
Brady laughed and nodded. "Only for you, just make sure you keep your
promise about keeping things un-geeky. By the way, how did you know this would
work? How did you know it was you that I was talking about all those
times?"
Chloe shrugged slightly. "I didn't. I had no idea it would work. The part
about you loving me, I just guessed it. I saw it in your eyes when you looked at
me, and the more you talked about the girl you were in love with, the more it
began to seep into my brain. I'm glad I was right about it, otherwise this whole
thing would have been extremely embarrassing."
Brady nodded in agreement and gently stroked her hair. The two of them laid
there late into the night, talking and holding each other tightly. Both of them
afraid that if they let go, then all of this would end. They laid like that
until they fell asleep in each other's arms, both praying that they would still
be there in the morning, that this wasn't a dream after all.