Blurred Lines

Chapter 14 - Ocean Eyes

Isabella and John Black Loft

September 18, 1992

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I've been watching you for some time

Can't stop starin' at those ocean eyes

Burning cities and napalm skies

Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes

Ocean eyes

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John descended the stairs carrying his son in his arms like a football. Brady had his head tilted up, staring at him with deep soulful brown eyes, and the widest toothless smile. He reached for John's face, and John thought that for the first time in his life he had something that was truly his. No one could take his son away, because Brady would always be his. "Your mom has left us to our own devices, little man. So what would you like for a snack?"

Brady stared up at his father, and cooed as if he had a full fledged response ready and waiting.

"Is that so?" John asked him, with a grin. "Well, you asked for it. Rice cereal it is."

Reaching for Brady's car seat, John sat it up on the kitchen island with a heavy plop. Isabella hated it when he did that, but she wasn't home. Settling Brady into it, John fastened the straps around his son, and started reaching for the items he needed from the cabinets. "So, I did something your mother isn't going to be happy about, but I had to go with my gut on this one."

Brady stared at his father with wide eyes watching everything the older man was doing.

"I bought the cottage by the lake yesterday. Caroline told me about it, and when I went to look at it, I gotta tell you, buddy, it was perfect. It had enough space for Marlena, and Sami, and Eric... even Carrie if she decides to stay there." John rinsed the spoon he used to mix Brady's cereal, and reached for the tiny one built just for Brady's small mouth. "Now, I just gotta figure out how to tell your mother."

John knew Isabella was going to be angry. She would be furious. Not about the money, because they certainly had enough of that. She would be angry about the purchase because of who it was for, and why he'd done it. Isabella's jealousy was becoming more obvious, even though he knew she was trying to control it. Prior to Marlena coming back to Salem he hadn't realized how possessive Isabella was. As much as he tried to reassure her that nothing was going on between him and Marlena, he knew he was lying to her.

Physically there was nothing going on between him and Marlena, but emotionally on both sides there was something. With Marlena it was more obvious. Soft touches, lingering looks, and occasionally a whisper of I love you. On his side, he held it all back. It was building inside him every time he was with her, but he'd made a commitment to Isabella, and he had to honor that. He'd made a commitment to her, but he was lying to her.

Marlena had always said that a lie by omission was still a lie. He'd lied to Isabella about Marlena being his therapist long after she wasn't. He'd never told Isabella about what had happened with Danielle in Stockholm, and while he wasn't physically involved with Marlena, he was too involved emotionally. He felt like the biggest heel, and all he could do was double down, and focus on his family. He couldn't bring himself to tell Isabella that he had cheated on her with Danielle while he was in Stockholm. The emotions surrounding that whole trip were too complicated, and he didn't believe Isabella would understand. Not really. He didn't fully understand.