Post by Chrissy on Feb 27, 2004 12:32:36 GMT -5
The next day Belle sat in her office thinking about what had happened with Shawn. She wished she had stayed but knew deep down that she couldn’t have handled getting hurt again. She sat there tapping her pencil against her desk and staring into space when her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
She straightened up and put her recently drawn sketches on her desk to make it look like she had been doing something other than daydreaming before answering. “Come in.”
Her father walked in smiling. “Hello Isabella. How are the drawings coming?”
She picked up the papers and handed them to him. “Take a look for yourself. I’m still not sure about Cassie’s dress but this is what she said she wanted.”
John looked over the drawings of Chloe and Mimi’s dresses and arched his eyebrow as he saw what Cassie wanted. “Your sister wants to wear this?!”
“Yep. In fact she actually said it was perfect when I showed her the drawing. I’m gonna try sneaking a few….classier pieces into it so it looks better though.”
“Let’s hope you pull it off.” John said as he shook his head and flipped the page to the next drawing. “So whose is this?”
Belle looked at the page and realized she had accidentally put the drawing for her dress in there. “Um, well daddy, I figured I would draw up a dress for me too.”
John eyed her skeptically. “Belle honey, this fashion show is for brides. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“No. I just thought I would draw it up to see what it would look like. I don’t necessarily want to model it in the fashion show. It’s just for future reference.” She quickly took the drawing and put it in a drawer.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Shawn being back would it?”
Belle’s eyes grew wide and her face paled. “H-How did you know?”
“Your brothers. Well actually first Brady called and told me in his words how “the scum bag actually had the gaul to show his face. Remember those are his words not mine. Eric sent an e-mail for me marked urgent. Rex actually showed up here wanting to know if I could have him run out of town.” John laughed as he thought of how all three had acted.
“Well it has nothing to do with Shawn. He and I have been over for a long time dad. It’s not like I would put myself through getting hurt like that again.” She looked at her father, waiting to see his smile and nod of approval but instead was met only with a frown.
He sighed, put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arms length. “Isabella, I’ve learned many things in my life. But if there is only one thing I can instill in you, it’s don’t give up if you love someone. Do you still love him?”
“More than you can possibly imagine.” She said as she gazed out the window that overlooked Salem. “I just don’t want to get hurt again.”
John turned her gaze back to him. “Honey you can spend the rest of your life trying not to get hurt but in the end the only thing that will happen is that you’ll end up alone and miserable. I know he hurt you and I know how badly. I’m not saying what he did doesn’t make me angry because trust me Belle, it does. But if you love him do you really think it’s fair to you or him for you to keep on acting like you don’t? Do you really want to look back later on in life and wonder what could have been?”
“No. I’m just scared that he’ll leave again.” She said in barely a whisper.
“If he loves you as much as you seem to love him he won’t.” He hugged her tightly. “Besides, if he hurts you again he’ll have to deal with my wrath, not to mention your brothers.”
Belle laughed and wiped her eyes, which had been brimming with tears. “Yeah, those three put together are worse than a pack of rabid dogs.”
“Ok well I have a meeting to get to. I’ll see you later Izzy-B. And don’t forget what I said.” He walked out the door and Belle slumped into her leather chair.
Should she take him back? She wanted to but could she risk being hurt again? “This is ridiculous. I’ll think about this later. I have to get this done. The show’s in three weeks and I still haven’t ordered the fabric.”
Suddenly her intercom buzzed. “Ms. Black, there’s a Mr. Brady here to see you.”
Belle gasped and thought for a moment. “Send him in Amy.”
She sat up straight and took a deep breath as the door opened. “Hey Belle.”
“Bo.” Belle slumped back into her chair. “What’s up?”
Bo Brady laughed to himself a bit. “Expecting another Brady man perhaps?”
Belle blushed a little and smiled. “I just thought maybe it was Shawn. We talked yesterday so I thought maybe…” she trailed off.
“Well actually this does have to do with Shawn.” Bo smiled and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. “He asked me to bring this to you since I was on my way up here to see your dad anyways.”
Belle took the envelope and looked at Bo quizzically. “What’s this?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Whatever that son of mine is up to, he‘s keeping it under wraps.” He glanced at his watch. “Ok well I better go. Take care Belle.”
Belle stood up and went to hug him. “You too. Tell Hope and Zack I said hi.”
“Will do. And you better start coming by more often. Hope misses having another girl around.”
Belle grinned. “I’ll call her and schedule dinner with her.”
“She’ll be thrilled. Ok well I’ll see you later.” He walked out the door.
“Bye Bo!” Belle called before heading back to her desk and picking the envelope up again. She saw her name written neatly across the front. “Well let’s see what this is.”
She carefully opened the envelope and found a letter inside.
Belle,
Please meet me at Salem Park tonight at 8. I’ll be by the sandbox. Text message my cell phone so I know if you can go.
Love,
Shawn
He had her curiosity peaked. She quickly logged onto the internet and went to his text message center.
Shawn,
I’ll see you at 8.
Belle
When she pressed the send button it hit her. It was already 5:00 and she needed to get ready. She quickly gathered her things, put them in her leather briefcase and walked to her secretary’s desk. “Amy I’m leaving a little early today. Please tell my father I had some business to attend to and I’ll be following the advise he gave me earlier.”
“Ok Ms. Black. Have a good night.” Amy called as Belle headed for the elevator.
“I will. You have a good night too Amy!” Belle called back as she walked into the elevator and waited for the doors to close.
As she exited the elevator and spotted her car in the parking garage she saw something on her windshield. When she got closer she realized that it was a red rose with a piece of paper under it. She picked up the rose and fingered the satin like petals. She then opened the note.
Belle,
This rose is beautiful but compared to you it couldn’t be more plain. I’ll see you at 8.
Love,
Shawn
Belle sighed dreamily, hopped in her car and set off for her house, the whole while wondering what Shawn had up his sleeve.
She straightened up and put her recently drawn sketches on her desk to make it look like she had been doing something other than daydreaming before answering. “Come in.”
Her father walked in smiling. “Hello Isabella. How are the drawings coming?”
She picked up the papers and handed them to him. “Take a look for yourself. I’m still not sure about Cassie’s dress but this is what she said she wanted.”
John looked over the drawings of Chloe and Mimi’s dresses and arched his eyebrow as he saw what Cassie wanted. “Your sister wants to wear this?!”
“Yep. In fact she actually said it was perfect when I showed her the drawing. I’m gonna try sneaking a few….classier pieces into it so it looks better though.”
“Let’s hope you pull it off.” John said as he shook his head and flipped the page to the next drawing. “So whose is this?”
Belle looked at the page and realized she had accidentally put the drawing for her dress in there. “Um, well daddy, I figured I would draw up a dress for me too.”
John eyed her skeptically. “Belle honey, this fashion show is for brides. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“No. I just thought I would draw it up to see what it would look like. I don’t necessarily want to model it in the fashion show. It’s just for future reference.” She quickly took the drawing and put it in a drawer.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Shawn being back would it?”
Belle’s eyes grew wide and her face paled. “H-How did you know?”
“Your brothers. Well actually first Brady called and told me in his words how “the scum bag actually had the gaul to show his face. Remember those are his words not mine. Eric sent an e-mail for me marked urgent. Rex actually showed up here wanting to know if I could have him run out of town.” John laughed as he thought of how all three had acted.
“Well it has nothing to do with Shawn. He and I have been over for a long time dad. It’s not like I would put myself through getting hurt like that again.” She looked at her father, waiting to see his smile and nod of approval but instead was met only with a frown.
He sighed, put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arms length. “Isabella, I’ve learned many things in my life. But if there is only one thing I can instill in you, it’s don’t give up if you love someone. Do you still love him?”
“More than you can possibly imagine.” She said as she gazed out the window that overlooked Salem. “I just don’t want to get hurt again.”
John turned her gaze back to him. “Honey you can spend the rest of your life trying not to get hurt but in the end the only thing that will happen is that you’ll end up alone and miserable. I know he hurt you and I know how badly. I’m not saying what he did doesn’t make me angry because trust me Belle, it does. But if you love him do you really think it’s fair to you or him for you to keep on acting like you don’t? Do you really want to look back later on in life and wonder what could have been?”
“No. I’m just scared that he’ll leave again.” She said in barely a whisper.
“If he loves you as much as you seem to love him he won’t.” He hugged her tightly. “Besides, if he hurts you again he’ll have to deal with my wrath, not to mention your brothers.”
Belle laughed and wiped her eyes, which had been brimming with tears. “Yeah, those three put together are worse than a pack of rabid dogs.”
“Ok well I have a meeting to get to. I’ll see you later Izzy-B. And don’t forget what I said.” He walked out the door and Belle slumped into her leather chair.
Should she take him back? She wanted to but could she risk being hurt again? “This is ridiculous. I’ll think about this later. I have to get this done. The show’s in three weeks and I still haven’t ordered the fabric.”
Suddenly her intercom buzzed. “Ms. Black, there’s a Mr. Brady here to see you.”
Belle gasped and thought for a moment. “Send him in Amy.”
She sat up straight and took a deep breath as the door opened. “Hey Belle.”
“Bo.” Belle slumped back into her chair. “What’s up?”
Bo Brady laughed to himself a bit. “Expecting another Brady man perhaps?”
Belle blushed a little and smiled. “I just thought maybe it was Shawn. We talked yesterday so I thought maybe…” she trailed off.
“Well actually this does have to do with Shawn.” Bo smiled and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. “He asked me to bring this to you since I was on my way up here to see your dad anyways.”
Belle took the envelope and looked at Bo quizzically. “What’s this?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Whatever that son of mine is up to, he‘s keeping it under wraps.” He glanced at his watch. “Ok well I better go. Take care Belle.”
Belle stood up and went to hug him. “You too. Tell Hope and Zack I said hi.”
“Will do. And you better start coming by more often. Hope misses having another girl around.”
Belle grinned. “I’ll call her and schedule dinner with her.”
“She’ll be thrilled. Ok well I’ll see you later.” He walked out the door.
“Bye Bo!” Belle called before heading back to her desk and picking the envelope up again. She saw her name written neatly across the front. “Well let’s see what this is.”
She carefully opened the envelope and found a letter inside.
Belle,
Please meet me at Salem Park tonight at 8. I’ll be by the sandbox. Text message my cell phone so I know if you can go.
Love,
Shawn
He had her curiosity peaked. She quickly logged onto the internet and went to his text message center.
Shawn,
I’ll see you at 8.
Belle
When she pressed the send button it hit her. It was already 5:00 and she needed to get ready. She quickly gathered her things, put them in her leather briefcase and walked to her secretary’s desk. “Amy I’m leaving a little early today. Please tell my father I had some business to attend to and I’ll be following the advise he gave me earlier.”
“Ok Ms. Black. Have a good night.” Amy called as Belle headed for the elevator.
“I will. You have a good night too Amy!” Belle called back as she walked into the elevator and waited for the doors to close.
As she exited the elevator and spotted her car in the parking garage she saw something on her windshield. When she got closer she realized that it was a red rose with a piece of paper under it. She picked up the rose and fingered the satin like petals. She then opened the note.
Belle,
This rose is beautiful but compared to you it couldn’t be more plain. I’ll see you at 8.
Love,
Shawn
Belle sighed dreamily, hopped in her car and set off for her house, the whole while wondering what Shawn had up his sleeve.
