At Il Giardino, Deacon asks Brooke if the idea of them getting back together is really so far-fetched. He reminds her their chemical attraction is how Hope got here — maybe it’s time to be a family. Brooke tells Deacon he’s a special friend and she’s flattered, but she wants to know where this is coming from. Deacon flashes to Taylor coaxing him into taking action. Deacon knows she’s all about Ridge and curses that he was stupid for listening to someone else. Brooke asks, “Did someone put you up to this?”
At Forrester, Taylor tearfully tells Ridge she’s both happy and sad. Talking about the life they shared and their kids got to her. They talk about Thomas being on fire and taking the collection to Italy. Taylor wishes she could go to support Thomas and Steffy… “And you.” Ridge wonders if she’s angling for a free trip to Rome. Taylor wants to be there for Thomas’ big moment. She’s always thought of Rome as a happy place filled with love. “Kind of like our family.”
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In the design office, R.J. is pawing through a rack of shirts in his bare chest when Hope walks in. She guesses he was hoping she was one of the models R.J. poses for her and she urges him to pick out a shirt. They talk about him being in the public eye and image being important. R.J. has something to discuss with his sister. He supports Taylor and Brooke’s friendship, but wants to know how Hope thinks she’s really doing.
As R.J. picks a shirt, Hope tells him he’s a good son. R.J. just wants to help their mom if he can. Hope doesn’t think anything is off. They remark on how odd it is that she and Taylor have become so close. R.J. wonders if the truce will hold up. Hope thinks they have a lot of fun together, “I would say that this friendship might actually last.” R.J. is glad she has a friend… but is that enough. Is she going to be okay without his dad? Hope thinks it may be a healthy change for all of them. R.J. decides it is what it is… luckily he has Hope to normalize everything. He feels he’s probably overthinking this and that his mom is ready to be alone. But something doesn’t sit right with him about her choosing a friendship with Taylor over a relationship with his dad.
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At Il Giardino, Deacon tries to backtrack, but Brooke isn’t buying it. She thinks Hope put him up to this and vows to have a chat with their daughter. Deacon tells her she has this all wrong, but Brooke keeps jabbering that she’ll set Hope straight. Deacon blurts, “It’s not Hope.” Brooke asks if it’s not Hope, who is it then? “Tell me, Deacon.”
Brooke guesses it was Hollis, who decided to step aside and clear a path for him. Deacon says it wasn’t Hollis and says he has to get back to work. He asks Brooke to forget this. Brooke has a lightbulb moment and chases after him. “This person that wanted to see us together, it couldn’t be, it wouldn’t be Taylor, right?” Deacon’s expression tells Brooke she’s right. She gawps, “Oh my God! Taylor did this? Taylor?!”
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In the main office, Taylor tells Ridge, “I miss us. I miss the times we shared. Dammit, I hate that I do, but I miss it. And I can’t help but wonder, could we ever share those things again?”
At the restaurant, Brooke recaps that Taylor came to Deacon and pushed him to express his feelings and see if they had a future together. Deacon says, “She thought she was helping me.” Brooke gawps, “Helping you? I trusted Taylor to keep her word. We made a pact.” She flashes to that day and muses, “I thought our friendship meant as much to her as it did to me.” Brooke complains about Taylor pushing them together. Deacon says it was more like a suggestion. Brooke learns Tay made a special trip there to talk to him. “I know why and that really hurts. We made a pact and that was about us. We chose ourselves.” She tears up, “We weren’t going to fight over Ridge anymore and now it’s happening all over again, Deacon!” Deacon urges her not to end their amazing friendship over a misunderstanding. Brooke tells him to stop. She has to go, “It’s time to unfriend and friend.” Deacon shakes his head, “I warned you, Taylor.”
In the design office, Hope tells R.J. that you can reach a point where old patterns don’t work anymore, but she thinks a part of their mother will always love Ridge.
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In the main office, Taylor loves how Ridge looks into her soul. She stayed away and convinced herself she was done. She doesn’t think Brooke has held up her end of the bargain when it comes to him. Maybe neither of them can pretend the heart doesn’t want what it wants. Taylor thinks about falling asleep in his arms and waking up next to him. “I just miss the little things, the simple things. I miss you.” Brooke arrives outside the door as Taylor says she’s remained committed to this “stupid bestie pact” but Brooke hasn’t. She’s doing the same things she’s always done; breaking vows with no honesty and no integrity. “She hasn’t changed Ridge. Don’t fall for it. Not again.” Brooke shakes her head angrily. Inside the office, Ridge gets buzzed by Eric, who needs to see him right away. He exits, and Brooke is nowhere to be seen. She reappears once he’s gone and confronts Taylor. “How could you do this, Taylor?! How could you do this?! We made a pact! I’ve never felt more betrayed in my life! You are a traitor — a back-stabbing traitor!”
Next on The Bold and the Beautiful: Ridge makes a confession, and Brooke and Taylor reach a tense impasse.
