Wednesday, September 06, 2006, Episode #4888

Bridget reflects on what happened last night.

Nick wakes up on the Shady Marlin and sees Bridget lying next to him, covered by nothing but the bed sheet. Bridget tells him that he doesn't have to say anything. In fact, she doesn't think they need to talk at all. He asks, "What happened last night?" Bridget reminds him about her mom and Ridge. Nick says that he meant what he said, that it's over. Still, he thinks being here with Bridget happened so fast... Bridget tells him it's OK; she tells him she understands and leans her head on his shoulder. Meanwhile, above deck, Harry comes aboard. Hearing voices from below, he peeks down and sees Nick in bed with Bridget, so he turns and leaves. Down below, Nick gets out of bed, while Bridget puts on one of his shirts. She tells him not to struggle to find the right words, since they're beyond that. Nick still can't believe what happened last night. Bridget tells him that last night can be about whatever they want. What it was about, Nick states, was the fact that Brooke is still in love with Ridge and always will be. He tried, but he can't - and won't - live his life that way. He recalls Bridget saying that she let him go so he could learn that for himself; he laments that he learned, all right. He knows Brooke loves him, but she'll still run back to Ridge at the slightest hint that Ridge wants her back. He doesn't think any husband can live that way. He tells Bridget that he's going to shower and get going. Bridget asks if he's going to end things with her mom now. Nothing changed since last night, he says. He picks up his wedding ring and looks at it. He always thought Brooke loved him enough to let go of Ridge, he bemoans, but he sees now that Brooke will never really be his.

Harry introduces himself to Bridget.

Harry comes back on board the Marlin and peeks below; not seeing anyone, he steps below, not noticing Bridget by the stairs, getting dressed. Bridget watches as Harry takes a container of orange juice out and takes a swig; she tells him not to move! She asks who he is. Harry tells her to relax; he's a friend of Nick, who's letting him crash here on the boat. So he knows Nick? Bridget asks. Harry explains that his dad and Nick were close friends. He assures Bridget he's harmless. Bridget still would like to know who Harry is; Harry says he can ask her the same thing, since he wants to know what's going on here. Bridget shakes her head in disbelief. Harry tells her that he's sorry; he explains that his name is Harry Jackson. Hearing the name, Bridget recalls Nick telling her about Harry, and about how Harry lost his father during the Marone tanker accident a few years ago. Harry says that Nick's been like a second father to him ever since, but that still doesn't tell him anything about Bridget. Bridget apologizes and introduces herself; Nick realizes that she's the Bridget that Nick married. And divorced, Bridget points out, since Nick is married to her mom now. So Brooke Logan's her mom? Harry asks. Bridget says that's right, admitting that their family relationships can be complicated. She guesses she should be going now. Harry asks if she just came by to see Nick. Bridget tries to cover that she came by to pick up her sunglasses; putting her sunglasses on her head, she tells Harry that it was nice meeting him. "You, too," Harry says as she turns to leave. Once Bridget is gone, Harry wonders what kind of mess Nick got himself into.

Bridget gets back to her beach house. After putting down her purse, she walks over to a trunk and opens it, taking out a photo album. She opens the album and looks at photos of her and Nick. She smiles as she thinks back to her and Nick's final wedding ceremony on the Marlin, where they were pronounced man and wife. She then opens a trunk and takes out a box; inside the box is an urn, as well as the baby blanket she knitted for Nicole. Holding the urn and the blanket brings tears to her eyes. "I've missed you so much," she says, as if speaking to Nicole. She then looks back at the photo album and says that's something's happened now, and they've come full circle. "Baby doll, your daddy and I might have a chance to be together again." she says aloud.

Donna tells Brooke that there's something she should know.

In her bedroom, Brooke looks at a wedding photo of her and Nick and laments what she did to their marriage. Donna pops in to tell Brooke that the kids are fed, and she asks if Brooke and "Captain Bligh" are coming down. When she doesn't see Nick, Donna asks where he is. Brooke tells her sister that Nick didn't come home last night, and she can't really blame him. Donna doesn't understand, because she spoke to Ridge after Brooke left the mansion last night; Ridge told her that Brooke was committed to her marriage to Nick, so she assumed Brooke and Nick would have made up by now. Brooke says she hoped that would happen, but when she came home, Catherine told her that Nick went to the Marlin. She guesses Nick spent the night there alone. Donna asks if she called Nick's cell. It went straight to voice mail, Brooke replies; that doesn't surprise her after the way she reacted to seeing Ridge kiss Donna on TV. She thinks it was selfish and unfair to walk out on Nick, who always puts her first. She just hopes he can forgive her and give her another chance. Donna tells Brooke that there's something she should know; she thinks Nick might be more upset than Brooke realizes. Right on cue, Nick arrives; he tells Donna that he needs to talk to his wife alone, so Donna makes herself scarce. Brooke tells Nick that she's sorry. She knows he's angry with her, but... He tells her to stop, as he's not doing that dance anymore. He just came to pick up his things - and to give Brooke back his wedding ring!

Nick tells Brooke to be with Ridge, for both their sakes.

Brooke doesn't understand; she knew Nick was upset, but she can't believe that he wants to end their marriage. He reminds Brooke that she walked out on him last night. And she regrets that, she states, trying to apologize. Nick explains that he thought their getting married meant that he would come first. It did, Brooke insists, and it does. She knows she hurt him when she ran out last night... Nick responds, "You hurt us! You hurt what I wanted for us, and what I thought you wanted." He thinks he's been more than patient, waiting for her to put distance between her and Ridge. But she said she could do it, and he believed her. He guesses that they were both wrong. Last night, he needed to know that he came first, even if Ridge had sex with her sister on national TV. But instead, she ran to the man who tore her heart out time and again, just because Ridge was moving on with her sister instead of her. It's like she's a junkie or a masochist. Brooke says she knows that, and she has something to tell him. She then tells him that she let Ridge kiss her last night, and she kissed him back. She guesses she was vulnerable. Nick is silent, so Brooke urges him to listen; he tells her that he IS listening, and he's not putting himself through it any more after last night. He tells Brooke to go be with Ridge, for both their sakes. He doesn't like the man he's become because Brooke won't draw the line, so he's drawing the line. As much as he loves Brooke, it's over. "GO be with him; you've got my blessing. Both of you," he says as he slams his wedding ring down on the table and walks away. Brooke picks up the ring and stares at it, holding it tightly.