Dante draws a sketch of Hope.

Brooke comes downstairs in the morning and finds Dante on the couch, sketching Hope. He bids her "Buongiorno" (which he tells Hope is "Good Morning" in Italian). Brooke asks why he's here. Dante says he and Hope were up early, so she agreed to pose for him; he shows her a sketch of Hope. So he spent the night? Brooke asks. Dante explains that Eric needed the beach house last night after leaving Stephanie, so Bridget invited him to stay here. Hope says that Dante lives there now. Brooke tells Hope to show Catherine the sketch before breakfast. Once Hope is gone, Brooke tells Dante that she understands: he's just another casualty of Stephanie's lie. Dante says dissolving a marriage is always painful, no matter who's responsible. Brooke asks if he's taking Stephanie's side. Not at all, he says. He starts to comment on her marriage but then backs off when he senses she's uncomfortable. He offers to stay somewhere else, but Brooke tells him that any friend of Bridget's is welcome in her home. Will Ridge mind? he asks, assuming Ridge is upstairs. Brooke informs him that Ridge isn't here. He explains that Bridget was sure she'd reunite with Ridge last night. Brooke says she thought that, too, but she sees now that she and Ridge are over.

Dante is intrigued by Brooke's offer.

Dante tells Brooke that he understands and speculates that Ridge just couldn't commit to her. No, he couldn't, Brooke says, pointing out how this is best for her and her kids, so the kids can have a drama-free life. Dante admires her guts and wishes her luck trying to build a Ridge-free life. He asks if she'll be going back to Forrester Creations, to help them get back the sizzle they lost since Spectra started catching up to Forrester. He says he's no expert, but he went to a Forrester showing in Rome and sensed something missing. Brooke notes how talented he is artistically and wonders if he'd consider coming to work at Forrester himself. He says fashion isn't his thing, but Brooke reminds him that she had to learn the ropes once, too. And look where she is now, he says, agreeing to put together a portfolio in a few days - that is, if it's OK to wait. Brooke says it is; in fact, she's playing hooky from work herself today. He guesses that will be by the pool, since Hope told him they were going swimming earlier. Brooke thinks Hope will enjoy having Dante here. The doorbell rings; Brooke goes to answer while Dante goes to change.

Brooke is surprised by Eric's visit.

Brooke is surprised to find Eric at the door. Eric laments how foolish he feels now that he knows what his wife did. Brooke says it's only natural that he'd try to see the best in Stephanie. Eric says that he can only see years of ugliness now, even after Brooke points out that Stephanie DID love him; it's just that Stephanie hates her more. Eric apologizes for dragging all his problems to her when she's really the injured party. He, too, asks if Ridge is here, so Brooke tells him about her talk with Ridge last night, After that, she doesn't think there's much of a chance for her and Ridge now. Eric asks why Ridge couldn't commit to her; Brooke says she doesn't know, but for right now, she just wants to move on. She gave Ridge a lifetime of love, devotion and commitment, but he couldn't give her that same commitment back, and it hurts more than she can even say. That's why she wants to be happy now, starting with making a life for her and her children and moving on. She's tired of being Ridge's doormat.

Eric asks Brooke is this is their second chance.

Brooke guesses that Eric must feel the same way about moving on after what Stephanie did to him. Yes, he agrees, his days of making excuses for his wife are over. He wanted to believe that his wife had the family's best interests at heart, but she's just a selfish, spoiled control freak who has to have her own way. Brooke tells him that he deserves better. He thinks she does, too, recalling how happy the two of them were when they were married. They raised two children, she points out. And the only things that came between them, Eric says... Were her unresolved feelings for Ridge, she says, which was just a waste of time. Eric wonders if this is their second chance. He recalls kissing her last night at Stephanie's and says that was not just to spite his wife. He did that because he loves her and realized just how much he does so last night, which is why he wonders if they should try again. Brooke asks what he's saying: he replies by asking her to marry him!

Ridge tells Taylor what happened with Brooke last night.

Taylor frantically paces in her living room when Ridge comes in. She asks where he's been. He says he drove around and wound up at Zuma Beach, where he spent his time thinking. So he didn't spend the night at Brooke's? she asks. No, he says; he was just worried about Brooke after what his mother put her through. Taylor tells him that it's not his fault that his mother faked a heart attack. Ridge agrees, but he still thinks he should have done a better job protecting Brooke from his mother, rather than being manipulated so badly by his dear mom. And speaking of which, Taylor has to ask: would he have chosen her over Brooke if his mother hadn't manipulated them? She bets that Brooke probably thinks everything's changed since learning the truth. That's why she needs to know if he agrees with Brooke after last night. Ridge is silent. Taylor tells him how worried she was when he didn't come home last night, and she begs him to please open up to her. She can sense that he doesn't seem happy and asks if Brooke has anything to do with that. Yes, Ridge says, it does: he explains how he hesitated, and now Brooke is ready to move on with her life without him. He hesitated? she asks. He just wasn't ready to deal with everything that happened, he says, but Brooke couldn't handle that. She had to know where they stood now. Taylor says she feels the same way.

Taylor thinks Ridge should move out to sort out his feelings.

Ridge tells Taylor that it's not like it sounds. She asks if he told Brooke that he couldn't be with her because he was committed to his life with Taylor and their kids. Ridge says he didn't get the chance. But would he have said that given the chance? she asks. Ridge says he wanted to think things through before saying anything. Taylor asks if he told Brooke "I love you." He says he does and can't pretend otherwise. Taylor says she expected that. Ridge asks why she's giving him the third degree over what he said. It's what he DIDN'T say, she explains, asking why he couldn't tell Brooke that he was committed to his life with her [Taylor]. Ridge says he wanted to spare Brooke's feelings. Out of obligation? Taylor asks. Of course, he says, since he did commit to Brooke and their kids. But that was based on a lie, she says. She asks again if he would have made a different choice knowing of the lies. Ridge thinks she's making too much of this. She just wishes he had told Brooke he loves her [Taylor] more. He says that she, as a psychiatrist, should know that you can't quantify love. But she's talking to him as a woman, she explains, not a doctor, and that woman sees that he still has unresolved feelings for Brooke. Because of those feelings, she sees that he's still conflicted, and that's not fair to him, her, Brooke or the children. That's why, as much as it hurts her, she's asking him to leave.