At the cliff house, Taylor was astonished when she heard from Thomas and Steffy that Brooke had been unfaithful to Ridge with Deacon. Taylor asked how they knew, and Thomas and Steffy told Taylor the story of Douglas, the kiss, and "Santa," who'd really been Deacon. Steffy explained that Ridge hadn't been there for New Year's Eve, so Brooke had turned to Deacon.
Taylor didn't want to make excuses, but she said it had been just a kiss. Steffy revealed that Deacon had spent the night. Further explaining things, Steffy and Thomas added that, because they hadn't wanted to put Douglas in the middle of it, they'd set out to get independent proof of it. Steffy admitted that they'd put Charlie up to hacking into Brooke's home security footage.
Taylor said that it wasn't an okay thing to do. Steffy knew but said they'd had to protect their father. Steffy asked if Taylor wanted to see, and Taylor readily affirmed it. Steffy showed Taylor the videos of Deacon arriving at Brooke's house during the night and leaving in the morning.
Taylor asked how Brooke could do that to Ridge. Steffy asked how much more Ridge would take and how many times Brooke would cheat on him. Steffy, Taylor, and Thomas agreed that something needed to be done. Steffy claimed that Taylor hadn't arrived in town to break up Brooke and Ridge; however, Taylor could be there for Ridge, and their family could reunite.
At Brooke's house, Ridge urged Brooke to stop torturing herself. Brooke replied that she was just "so ashamed." He knew it and could feel it in every corner of the house. He wondered when she'd forgive herself. "Probably never," Brooke responded. To her, there was no punishment too great for what she'd done. Ridge knew that he couldn't fix it for Brooke, but he wanted to fix it with her. He said that he was there for her, and he didn't want her to forget that.
Later, Ridge and Brooke returned from another A.A. meeting. He was amazed by the way the people in the group fought to hold on and how Brooke could be so open and honest with strangers. Brooke said she trusted them, and they had become friends.
Ridge recalled that she'd said drinking hadn't been the worst part; it was what had happened after. He believed he'd seen a beautiful woman, standing up and telling the truth about that night, and he was proud of her. Seeing her bravery and honesty had made him love her even more.
At Carter's house, Paris was disillusioned by Carter's decision to end things before they'd begun. Carter felt that they'd already let things go too far, but she insisted that their connection was strong. She was falling for him and asked why he was letting their connection go. Carter flashed back to Grace's threat to tell Ridge if Carter didn't end it with Paris.
Paris didn't know why Carter was denying their feelings. Carter wasn't, and he admitted that he'd fallen for her even more than she realized. Paris stated that they could be real with each other. Figuring that he was worried about Zende, she said they wouldn't be hurting anyone because she and Zende had agreed to be causal.
Carter didn't believe that anyone would see it that way. Paris wasn't worried about anyone else, and she hoped that the Forresters would someday be happy for them. Carter reasoned that it would happen in a perfect world, but he refused to jeopardize her standing at the company. Paris stated that their attraction wasn't going anywhere. She knew that he knew how good they could be together, and she refused to give up on them.
Later, Carter was working out alone, ruminating on the threat Grace had made to expose him and Paris to the Forresters.
In the design office, Grace entered and found her daughter in a grumpy mood. Paris revealed she'd just been with Carter, and Grace remarked that he was quite a financial guru. Grace advised Paris to reach out to Zende and said he might want to join her for dinner.
Grace gushed about Zende but could see that Paris had a lot on her mind. Paris said she'd be fine. Grace repeated her suggestion that Paris call Zende. Paris figured that he was working, and she said that they had a lunch date on schedule. Paris claimed to have a meeting in a few minutes, and she and Grace said they'd see each other at home.
Paris left, and Grace called Carter. She told him who she was and guessed that he'd ended things with Paris. Affirming it, he said it had been for Paris' sake and to protect what she'd worked hard for at Forrester. Grace was glad to hear it and said it was best for him and Paris. Grace warned that she'd be watching, so he should make sure he stayed away from Paris.
At the hospital, Finn worked in his office. He sighed when Sheila popped her head through the doorway and entered. He told her that she couldn't just show up at his office without giving him a heads-up first. Sheila said she had been at the bakery, and she'd picked up a treat for him. She said that it was silly, but she hadn't been able to do things like that for him when he'd been a boy.
Finn thought it was nice of Sheila, but he asked what would have happened if Steffy had been there. Sheila claimed that Steffy was always busy with work and spending time with her mother. Finn agreed and said it meant a lot to Steffy to have Taylor back in town.
The conversation turned to what Sheila had lost out on when she'd given Finn up as a newborn. Finn's understanding of it was that Jack had pressured her into it. It had felt that way to Sheila, but she didn't want Finn to resent Jack. She said she just wanted to be able to make up for the time and to spend time with Finn and Hayes in the future. Finn sighed and said Steffy wasn't there yet.
Sheila said she felt pleasantly surprised that Taylor was there. Sheila hoped that Taylor would convince Steffy one day; however, in Sheila's mind, there was one person "hellbent" on making sure she had nothing to do with Finn or Hayes -- Brooke. Finn looked confused. Sheila said she wasn't worried because Brooke's day of reckoning would arrive sooner rather than later.
Finn explained he had to check on some patients, but he was curious about what Sheila meant regarding Brooke. Sheila replied that Brooke had never been supportive of Sheila, but Sheila wouldn't let anyone meddle in her relationship with Finn.
Alone in Finn's office, Sheila laughed to herself about succeeding in making Brooke drink alcohol. In Sheila's mind, it would only be a matter of time before Brooke's world crashed down.
At the cliff house, Steffy kissed Finn, her bit of sanity in the world. Steffy said she still couldn't believe what Brooke had done with Deacon. Taylor couldn't, either. She'd been up all night, thinking about it and couldn't understand why Brooke had turned to Deacon and betrayed Ridge.
Steffy thanked God that Douglas had seen it, or no one would have known. Steffy said Brooke had even told the child not to say anything. Taylor called it concerning on many levels and said Brooke's pattern of behavior never seemed to end. Steffy asserted that Ridge needed to be free of Brooke and to be with the Forresters, where he belonged.
Finn left, and Taylor said she'd wanted to sleep on things and make sure they hadn't been jumping to conclusions. Steffy stated that the video had backed up what Douglas had said, and Ridge deserved to know. Taylor concluded that they wouldn't let Brooke get away with it.
Steffy wanted to act fast before Brooke caught on to them and made an excuse Ridge would accept. Taylor had no desire to break up Brooke's marriage. Steffy said Brooke was doing it on her own. Taylor responded that Steffy was right. Taylor had thought she and Brooke could forge a friendship, "but nope. Here she is, back to her old patterns of infidelity and lies."
Taylor decided that she'd tell Ridge. Steffy said she didn't mind doing it, but Taylor asked if it should come from her. Steffy agreed and concluded that it would be a new chapter for their family. The two hugged.
At Brooke's house, Brooke was deep in thought, holding her coffee mug. Ridge was worried about her and urged her to give herself some credit for getting back on the wagon. Brooke was sorry. She said that he deserved better than the woman she'd been that night.
Ridge asked Hope, who'd arrived through the terrace, to help him out, but Brooke said she still didn't know why she'd made the choices she'd made that night. He attempted to get Brooke to believe that it wasn't about falling down; it was about getting up, and she always did that with grace and dignity. He said there was nothing he and Brooke couldn't get through together.
Ridge hugged Brooke, and she wished she could believe what he'd said. She wondered if she was the woman he thought she was. He replied that she made mistakes and wasn't perfect. He was glad for that because it meant she needed him. Brooke replied that she'd always need him.
Ridge received a message and had to take off. He invited Brooke to go, too, but she declined. The moment he'd left, Brooke growled in frustration. She didn't feel she could take it anymore. Brooke felt that she had to tell Ridge. She and Ridge prided themselves on being honest with each other, no matter how painful. Hope asked if Brooke would really tell Ridge all of it.
Brooke shrugged. She said Ridge deserved to know. He'd been very supportive, and she felt more and more guilty the more he encouraged her. Hope believed in honesty and said it was the right thing to do. Hope stated that if she was a betting person, it was her bet that Brooke could get him to understand and forgive.
Alone later, Brooke text-messaged Ridge that she needed to talk to him when he got home. Steffy strode into the house, and Brooke told her that Ridge wasn't there. Steffy desired to talk to Brooke. Brooke offered Steffy a seat, but Steffy preferred to stand.
Steffy remarked about how lucky Brooke had been to be with Ridge and experience so much history. Steffy stated that Ridge had been through a lot, especially with Brooke, whom he defended through her scandals and betrayals. "I'm sorry?" Brooke replied. Steffy remarked that it was the exact phrase Brooke would say, and then Ridge would forgive her betrayals. That was what she'd meant by "lucky," because not a lot of men would hang in there.
Brooke decided that Steffy had succeeded in insulting Brooke, if that had been her mission. Brooke asked where it was coming from. Steffy wanted someone true, loving, and committed to her father, and she decided that it would never be Brooke.
Back at the cliff house, Ridge arrived at Taylor's behest. He asked what was going on, and she said she hadn't realized how hard it would be. Ridge waited to hear what she had to say. She said she didn't think she'd be a friend if she didn't tell him. He asked what she had to say to him and if the kids were okay. Taylor told him that they were fine. He stated that he could handle anything else.
Taylor began to talk about Brooke, and Ridge asked why they were doing that. Taylor stated that his loyalty was misplaced. He questioned why everyone had to criticize his wife. Taylor claimed not to want to be in that position but said it was due to Brooke's actions. Ridge asked what Taylor was implying. Taylor wished she didn't have the information. She knew the pain it would cause him. She stated that it was about Brooke and what she'd done on New Year's Eve.
At Sheila's place, Sheila was thinking about the drinking problem she'd caused Brooke when, to Sheila's surprise, Deacon arrived. Noting that he was in one piece, she asked what had happened after Ridge had gone gunning for Deacon. Deacon said Ridge had told him to leave town, but Deacon didn't take orders from Ridge Forrester.
Sheila figured Deacon was nowhere near ready to give up his relationship with his daughter, and she added that they shouldn't forget his main motivator: Brooke. Sheila had to admit that Deacon just might pull it off with Brooke, and it might be dangerous to underestimate him. Sheila asked what Deacon's plan was, but Deacon didn't have a plan. He claimed he liked to shoot from the hip.
Sheila was unhappy that she hadn't made any progress with her son. Reminding her that she'd shot Finn's mother-in-law, Deacon said Sheila knew it would take time. He advised her to hang in there. Sheila admitted being a little jealous of Deacon, who'd spent New Year's Eve drinking with Brooke and asked if he really didn't want to go to Ridge with the explosive information.
Deacon silently looked away, but Sheila urged him to do it. Deacon replied that Brooke loved Ridge, and Deacon would never wreck her marriage. Deacon admitted that he wouldn't mind taking Ridge down a peg or ten. Deacon was bitter about the way the arrogant Ridge had condescended to him and said he'd never have Brooke. "If he only knew," Deacon said.
In their hotel room, Sheila scolded Deacon for pacing back and forth. Sheila wondered if Deacon's "loose lips" signaled that more had transpired between him and Brooke on New Year's Eve. Deacon accused Sheila of fishing for information. He insisted that nothing had happened but admitted that if something had happened, Sheila would be the last person that he would tell. Annoyed at the way Sheila was trying to cause trouble for Brooke, Deacon left the hotel room.
Alone, Sheila laughed to herself. Speaking aloud, Sheila declared that she would "find out everything," one way or another. "And I will bury Brooke Logan once and for all," she snarled.
After receiving a text from Hope, Liam returned to the cabin to see what was going on. Hope informed Liam that Brooke had made the decision to tell Ridge everything that had happened on New Year's Eve. Hope worried that Ridge would not be understanding of the truth. Liam agreed that the truth would "test" Brooke and Ridge's marriage.
Hope said that she hoped Steffy stayed out of the matter because she did not want that "stupid Forrester/Logan rivalry to fire up again." Liam pledged that he would be there to support Brooke, no matter what happened. Still, Liam said that he could not help but wish that Deacon hadn't forgotten his phone at Brooke's. If he hadn't, Deacon would never have returned, Brooke would not have kissed him, and Brooke and Deacon would not have ended up in bed together.
"Well now, that does sound pretty damning, doesn't it?" Deacon asked as he entered the cabin unannounced. He quickly reminded Liam that he and Brooke had both been fully clothed. Hope told her father that keeping secrets from Ridge was eating away at Brooke at a time when Brooke needed to focus on her sobriety. She informed Deacon that Brooke had decided to tell Ridge everything that had happened between him and Brooke.
"I'm sorry if the truth hurts," Steffy said coldly as she stood in the living room of Brooke's home. Brooke asked what truth Steffy was referring to, then proffered that "the truth" was that Steffy had never wanted Brooke in Ridge's life. Brooke admitted that she had known for some time that Steffy opposed her marriage to Ridge, but she shared that she had always hoped that Steffy would eventually "come around." Steffy countered that she had hoped that Brooke would have learned from the past and stopped doing things to hurt Ridge.
Brooke said that she would tell Ridge that Steffy had dropped by. "Are you throwing me out?" Steffy asked with a sneer. Brooke explained that she was asking Steffy to leave before their argument escalated. Steffy insisted that she had a right to question Brooke's commitment to Ridge. Brooke insisted that she loved Ridge and that she and Ridge could always work through their problems.
Steffy pointed to Brooke's insistence that Deacon should be a part of Hope's life as an example of another of Brooke's lapses in judgement. She shook her head as she recalled how Brooke had slept with Deacon while Deacon had been married to Bridget, Brooke's daughter. Steffy suggested that Ridge "must be a saint" to put up with Brooke's past.
Brooke reached for her phone to call Ridge. Without warning, Steffy snatched the phone from Brooke's hand and announced that they were not done talking. "Why are you... bringing up old grievances and spewing your animosity?" Brooke asked in shock. Steffy said that her family had been destroyed by Brooke and warned that Brooke would get what was coming to her sooner than Brooke realized.
At the cliff house, Taylor told Ridge that there was something she needed to tell him -- something that she would not have to tell him had Brooke been honest with him about what had happened on New Year's Eve. "I will never understand how Brooke says that she loves you and keeps doing things that she does," Taylor said cryptically. Taylor reiterated that she hated having to tell Ridge things that Brooke should have already told him.
Ridge stunned Taylor by revealing that he already knew everything that had happened. "And... you're okay with it?" Taylor asked in disbelief. Ridge and Taylor both sat down as Ridge explained that Brooke had drunk alcohol on New Year's Eve. He assured Taylor that Brooke was committed to getting help to "get back on the wagon." Taylor confessed that she'd had no idea that Brooke had broken her sobriety. "That might explain what happened," Taylor said quietly.
Ridge asked Taylor what she had been referring to if she had not known about Brooke's drinking. He became more and more enraged as Taylor hemmed and hawed. Taylor said that it pained her that Brooke was not as committed to Ridge as Ridge was to Brooke. She noted that Brooke repeatedly turned to other men, men like Bill Spencer... a man that Ridge despised. Taylor claimed that Brooke had an "inherent flaw, [an] insatiable need to be wanted and desired by other men." The off-the-cuff diagnosis elicited a chuckle from Ridge.
Ridge demanded that Taylor stop maligning Brooke as he stepped closer and closer to the front door. Taylor finally revealed that Brooke had done more than just drink on New Year's Eve. She said that Brooke had been with Deacon on New Year's Eve. Ridge rolled his eyes slightly and ridiculed Taylor's supposed big news. Taylor explained that Deacon had returned to Brooke's house after the family celebration had ended. "She has betrayed her vows to you... with Deacon," Taylor revealed.
In the cabin, Deacon, Liam, and Hope discussed Brooke's decision to be completely honest with Ridge about New Year's Eve. Deacon was surprised that Brooke had changed her mind. Liam explained that Douglas witnessing things had thrown Brooke, and Hope added that Ridge's support was compounding Brooke's guilt. Brooke couldn't live that way any longer.
"Even if it's going to blow up her marriage?" Deacon asked. Liam wondered if that was what Deacon secretly wanted. Deacon pledged to support whatever Brooke wanted to do. Liam advised Deacon to stay out of it because he'd done enough already. Liam didn't think Deacon realized how much trouble he'd caused, and it was with the entire family, including Douglas.
Deacon was sorry about that and asked if Douglas was still going around telling people that he'd seen Grandma kissing Santa. Deacon figured those therapy bills wouldn't be cheap. Liam thought they needed to be realistic about the trouble ahead because Ridge couldn't even stand to hear Deacon's name. Hope said they'd be there for Brooke when and if it happened.
Deacon conveyed that he and Brooke hadn't intended for it to happen. Liam was sure Deacon would be there for Brooke. Deacon agreed, and Liam pointed his finger knowingly at Deacon. Hope said it wasn't fair, and Deacon could have damaged the marriage already if he'd wanted to. Hope didn't know how it would work out, but she knew her father wasn't all to blame.
Deacon claimed "this" wasn't what he'd returned to town for. Hope stated that Ridge had forgiven Brooke for worse, but Deacon believed Brooke was walking into a buzz saw. Deacon asked how Ridge would understand what had happened that night when Brooke and Deacon didn't even understand it.
At Brooke's house, Brooke instructed Steffy to just say what she had to say because Brooke didn't have time for games. Steffy said she'd never stopped hoping her father would be happy with someone, and that would never happen with Brooke, especially with her newest mess with Deacon. Steffy stated that one day soon, Brooke's bad decisions would catch up with her.
Brooke wished she'd done some things differently, but she said Steffy couldn't question Brooke's love for Ridge. Knowing Brooke's history, Steffy did question it because, sooner or later, Brooke always turned to someone else. Brooke said it was best for Steffy to leave before Ridge got home, but Brooke wished to say one thing about her marriage first.
Steffy claimed that Brooke couldn't say anything that Steffy didn't know. Brooke decided to remind Steffy that everything she held against Brooke and the challenges she and Ridge had faced hadn't weakened them. Those things had made them stronger. Steffy thought Brooke needed to hear that nothing was more painful than watching history repeat itself.
At the cliff house, Ridge asked why Taylor was doing "this." He believed that Brooke had told him the truth, and he already knew what had happened that night. Taylor replied that Brooke had lied to him and betrayed him again, that time with Deacon. Ridge was confident that Brooke would never do that, but Taylor asked if he thought she'd say it if it wasn't true.
Ridge acknowledged that Deacon had been at the party, but then Deacon had left. Taylor replied that Deacon had returned, and that might be when they'd started drinking. Taylor guessed it would explain what had happened, even though it wouldn't excuse it. Ridge asked what Taylor was talking about. Taylor stated that Brooke and Deacon had kissed.
Ridge asserted that Taylor was being ridiculous. He said she hadn't been there. Taylor revealed that someone had been there, and that someone wouldn't lie. Douglas had seen the kiss. Ridge decided that Thomas and Steffy were putting ideas in Douglas' head, even if it hadn't been intentional. Taylor insisted that it was true, but Ridge asked why Taylor was doing it.
Ridge kept insisting that it wasn't true, even as Taylor tried to explain what had happened with Douglas and his rabbit. Taylor blurted out that she'd seen it on his home security camera. Ridge yelled that she wasn't making any sense. Taylor explained that she'd seen Deacon return to the house in the footage, and he hadn't left until morning. Taylor said that Deacon and Brooke had spent the night together in Ridge's home.
Ridge insisted that he knew what had happened, and Brooke had told him the truth. Taylor repeated what else had happened, but he said Brooke had been waiting for him to be home. Taylor claimed that Brooke's disappointment that he hadn't been there had become self-destructive.
Ridge disbelieved that Brooke would do that, but Taylor didn't expect him to take her word. She advised him to ask his wife. Touching Ridge, the tearful Taylor said she hadn't told him that to hurt him. She said he'd been lied to and deserved much better. Ridge took her hands off him and silently left the house.
Later, Steffy arrived, wondering if Taylor had talked to Ridge. Taylor stated that Ridge hadn't believed her. Steffy decided to talk to him herself, but Taylor said he'd gone to Brooke's house.
Steffy was upset that Ridge hadn't believed her mother, who didn't lie. Taylor replied that he wanted there to be another explanation. Taylor said they didn't know what had happened. All they knew was that Deacon had been there. Steffy was confident that the kiss would be enough, but Taylor wasn't sure Ridge was ready to see that Brooke could turn to Deacon.
Back at Brooke's house, Ridge arrived, and Brooke thanked him for returning home. She had something to tell him, and it was something she should have told him a while back. Ridge wanted to talk to her, too. Brooke asked to go first. It was about New Year's Eve.
Brooke asked if Ridge remembered how upset she was about the drinking. She stated that more had happened that night than that. Ridge asked what had happened. Brooke explained that Deacon had been there when Ridge had called that night. Deacon had left his phone and had been about to leave until the call had happened.
Brooke explained that she'd just started in on the vodka. Ridge asked if Deacon had stayed. Brooke affirmed it. She revealed that something had happened between her and Deacon. Ridge asked what had happened. Brooke stated that she and Deacon had kissed. She didn't know why it had happened. She'd only wanted to spend New Year's Eve with Ridge. She understood that drinking hadn't been an excuse. She asked Ridge to say something.
Ridge replied that that he knew. Taylor had told him. "Taylor?" Brooke replied. He said he'd told Taylor that there was no way. He asked Brooke to explain it to him -- not the drinking part, which she hadn't lied about. He wanted to know about Deacon and what Douglas had seen.
Brooke rolled her tear-filled eyes. Ridge said that Taylor believed that Deacon had spent the night, but Ridge didn't think Brooke would do that to their marriage. "You wouldn't have an affair with Deacon, right?" Ridge asked.
At Il Giardino in the storage room, Deacon gazed at a champagne glass and flashed back to New Year's Eve. Sheila startled him when she arrived. She assumed he was thinking of Brooke but wondered what had him so on edge. He replied that every time he turned around, there Sheila was with her creepy smile, harassing him about Brooke.
Claiming to be trying to be a friend, Sheila said she was attempting to discuss his interests, which were mainly Brooke. Deacon decided that he might as well tell Sheila what had really happened that night because it was about to get out, anyway.
Later, Sheila was giddy, saying that it was just too good, and Brooke had lived up to the names people called her. Deacon said that wasn't fair, and nothing had happened. Even if he'd wanted it to happen, they'd been passed out, not in any state to make it happen. "That you can remember," Sheila contended. He insisted he'd been fully dressed on top of the sheets.
Sheila believed that a kiss and a sleepover were enough to ruin the marriage, and she asked why Deacon would tell her. Deacon replied that Brooke had decided that she couldn't carry the secret and was probably telling Ridge at that moment.
Deacon noted that Sheila was enjoying it. In Sheila's mind, Brooke had been terrible to Sheila, pretending to be Sheila's friend. Sheila said Brooke hated Sheila and had called Sheila names -- crazy, lunatic, psychotic. Sheila still wasn't over what Brooke had said about keeping Sheila from her son and grandson, and she found joy in Brooke getting her comeuppance.
At the cliff house, Thomas arrived after receiving a text message. He asked Steffy and Taylor if they were doing "this" and really telling Ridge. Steffy replied that Taylor already had. Taylor conveyed that Ridge was searching for another explanation for what had happened. Thomas figured that it just needed to sink in, and Steffy assumed Brooke would have some excuse.
Taylor thought her kids should know that Brooke had relapsed, and Taylor was sure Brooke would use drinking as an excuse. Claiming to be sorry to hear that, Steffy said it didn't matter because Ridge had told Brooke to stay away from Deacon. Steffy wasn't surprised that Brooke had kissed Deacon or that he'd spent the night. It hadn't been that long since Brooke had been caught kissing Bill, and they had to get Ridge to see that there was always another man.
Thomas questioned whether Ridge would buy any of Brooke's excuses. Taylor said Ridge thought she was misinterpreting things. Steffy snickered about it being hard to misinterpret camera footage, and there was no denying that Deacon had spent the night. Thomas said they'd tried with Brooke, but Ridge had to wake up and leave Brooke once and for all.
Steffy thought it was a pity because none of it had needed to happen, and Ridge would be happy if he'd stayed with Taylor. Taylor replied that there was a lot of history. Claiming to know it, Steffy said Brooke had slept her way through the Forrester family and had gotten caught up in the glamour and the lifestyle. Taylor said that Brooke always found her way out of things. "You know what? Not this time," Taylor decided and walked out of the house.
Thomas and Steffy high-fived each other, and Steffy wished she could be there to watch Taylor take Brooke down. Thomas mocked Brooke and said he didn't know why Ridge always fell for Brooke's excuses and "wiggly-jiggly." Thomas felt that Taylor was ten times the woman Brooke was. He said Taylor was a world-renowned psychiatrist. He asked who Brooke had ever helped. Steffy replied that Brooke would never compare to Taylor.
At Brooke's house, Brooke was sorry. She knew that she should have told Ridge when it had happened. It didn't sound right to Ridge, who asserted that she wouldn't do that. She stated that she'd been drunk. It wasn't an excuse, and she was really ashamed. Ridge recalled that she hadn't known why she'd drunk, and "now" she did. It had been Deacon, who'd spiked her drink.
Brooke doubted that, but Ridge believed Deacon had done it because he couldn't get with Brooke any other way, and that was criminal. Ridge asked her to remember everything that had happened that night. She didn't think he wanted the details. He didn't, but he was her husband. He was there for her, and he wanted to know. He sat her down and asked her to try.
Ridge understood why Brooke had left things out, but he wanted her to be completely honest because it didn't make any sense to him that everything had been fine until Deacon had returned and she'd started drinking. She said Deacon hadn't wanted her to drink, but Ridge doubted she'd had to force Deacon to join her.
Brooke remembered being insistent, as if she'd been drinking already -- but she hadn't been. She'd just had some of the non-alcoholic champagne. Ridge wondered if Deacon had spiked her drink, but she didn't think Deacon would risk that in front of the kids. Ridge asked why else she'd kiss that man. Brooke called it an impulse. Deacon had been saying how much he loved her, and she'd just let it happen. She said drinking always brought out the worst in her.
"Deacon always brings out the worst in you," Ridge concluded. Ridge asked about what Douglas had seen, and Brooke explained that Deacon had found a Santa hat. It had been kind of funny to her. "You thought it was funny?" Ridge repeated. She said she was sorry. Ridge didn't want her to apologize to him. He believed that Deacon was the problem.
Ridge asked if anything else had happened. He knew Deacon had spent the night there. Ridge assumed she'd told Deacon that the kiss had been inappropriate, and she'd never do it again. Ridge figured she'd been kind enough to let Deacon sleep on the couch. Brooke replied that she'd been out of it, and Deacon had known that she should go to sleep, so he'd helped her.
"He helped you to bed?" Ridge asked. Brooke conveyed that Deacon had helped her upstairs, and when she'd awakened that morning, he'd been there next to her. "In the bed where I sleep? He was there?" Ridge asked. Brooke said nothing had happened, but Ridge asked how she knew that. He asked if Deacon had undressed her or touched her.
Brooke swore that nothing had happened. She'd been beneath the covers, and he'd been on top. They'd been fully dressed. Brooke promised that nothing had happened. Ridge said Brooke had drunk with Deacon, kissed him, and awoken in bed with him.
"That's something," Ridge concluded. Brooke didn't know. She was confused about the whole night. Ridge wasn't confused. Deacon had done exactly what Ridge had said Deacon would do. In Ridge's mind, Brooke had given Deacon an opening, and he'd hurt her. It was what Deacon always did, and it was all on Deacon, Ridge concluded.
Brooke replied that she should have listened to Ridge and learned from her mistakes. She stated that he could have had a life with Taylor and a family with Steffy and Thomas, everything they'd ever wanted. Instead, Ridge had gotten "this, this mess." Brooke didn't know why she kept slipping up and sabotaging their marriage. She said she could understand if he walked away. It wasn't what she wanted. She wanted Ridge and would always be by his side.
Ridge admitted that Brooke had let him down and had hurt him, but she was the love of his life. She was his Logan. He decided that he needed to get some air. "I'm gonna make this right," Ridge stated, and he left the house.
Later, Taylor arrived. Brooke said she wasn't in the mood for visitors, but Taylor strode in, anyway, professing that she knew what Brooke had done. She knew all about Brooke and Deacon.
Back in Deacon's broom closet, the door opened. Deacon turned and saw Ridge, who punched Deacon to the ground.
