Clark had just finished watching the sunset from his loft when he
heard Chloe come up the stairs.
"Hey, Chloe." She could tell from his voice that he was in a somber mood.
"You left this at my house," Chloe said, holding out his backpack.
"Oh," he said, taking the bag from her, "thanks for bringing it over."
"No problem. Lana thought you might need it tonight."
"How is she?" Clark asked. "I mean, I thought she might not be feeling well when I left."
Chloe couldn't help but smile to herself at his attempt to cover. She knew why Clark was interested in Lana's present condition.
"She's OK," Chloe answered, and then it hit her-No, Lana wasn't fine. She was miserable. Clark was miserable. And Chloe was well on her way to being as miserable as they were. It was a terrible situation. Chloe liked Clark who liked Lana who liked Clark. But Lana was too good a friend to act on her feelings when she knew it would hurt Chloe. So, it seemed, they were all stuck. "Clark?"
"Yeah?"
Chloe paused. "Nothing. I'll see you later."
Clark nodded and went back over to the window.
Chloe took her time driving home, wondering how long they could all go on like this.
Chloe knocked on Lana's door before she went to her room for the night.
"Come in," she heard Lana say. Chloe opened the door and stepped inside.
"I brought Clark his stuff."
"Oh. Good. Thanks. So.how was he?"
"I don't know-we didn't really talk. He seemed.distracted. Anyway, goodnight, Lana."
"Goodnight."
A very tense week went by in which Lana avoided Clark, who desperately sought opportunities to talk to her alone. Chloe noticed that Lana changed the subject every time Clark came up, and every time Lana's name was mentioned around Clark, he suddenly became very agitated.
That Friday, Clark decided he couldn't take it anymore. He knew that Lana was closing the Talon that night, so he went there, and when the last customers left, he went inside. He wasn't going to let Lana avoid him anymore.
Lana froze when she walked out of the kitchen and saw Clark standing there.
"Clark, what are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you, Lana."
"About what?"
"About why you've been avoiding me all week. About what happened at your house last week."
"It was a mistake."
"I don't think it was. I wanted to kiss you Lana."
"Clark, please, I can't do this." Lana said as she walked out from behind the counter.
"Why?" When she didn't respond, Clark continued, "I think you wanted to kiss me too." Again, Lana made no response, and Clark knew he was right. "Lana, please, just tell me didn't imagine that."
Lana finally looked at Clark. She could see how painful this was for him. It was for her too. She couldn't lie to him. "You didn't imagine it Clark. The truth is, I did want to kiss you."
Clark looked relieved. "Then what happened?"
Lana was finding it difficult to think of an answer. She needed to make Clark understand why she couldn't be with him without betraying Chloe's confidence. "Because, us-being together-would hurt someone I care about."
Clark finally put the pieces together. He understood what a difficult situation this was for Lana-and for Chloe and himself. He walked up to her, put a hand on her cheek, and lifted her face until they were looking into each other's eyes. Lana could see that he understood and she felt an incredible sense of relief. Clark leaned toward her and softly said, "This isn't over," then slowly backed away and walked out the door.
"Hey, Chloe." She could tell from his voice that he was in a somber mood.
"You left this at my house," Chloe said, holding out his backpack.
"Oh," he said, taking the bag from her, "thanks for bringing it over."
"No problem. Lana thought you might need it tonight."
"How is she?" Clark asked. "I mean, I thought she might not be feeling well when I left."
Chloe couldn't help but smile to herself at his attempt to cover. She knew why Clark was interested in Lana's present condition.
"She's OK," Chloe answered, and then it hit her-No, Lana wasn't fine. She was miserable. Clark was miserable. And Chloe was well on her way to being as miserable as they were. It was a terrible situation. Chloe liked Clark who liked Lana who liked Clark. But Lana was too good a friend to act on her feelings when she knew it would hurt Chloe. So, it seemed, they were all stuck. "Clark?"
"Yeah?"
Chloe paused. "Nothing. I'll see you later."
Clark nodded and went back over to the window.
Chloe took her time driving home, wondering how long they could all go on like this.
Chloe knocked on Lana's door before she went to her room for the night.
"Come in," she heard Lana say. Chloe opened the door and stepped inside.
"I brought Clark his stuff."
"Oh. Good. Thanks. So.how was he?"
"I don't know-we didn't really talk. He seemed.distracted. Anyway, goodnight, Lana."
"Goodnight."
A very tense week went by in which Lana avoided Clark, who desperately sought opportunities to talk to her alone. Chloe noticed that Lana changed the subject every time Clark came up, and every time Lana's name was mentioned around Clark, he suddenly became very agitated.
That Friday, Clark decided he couldn't take it anymore. He knew that Lana was closing the Talon that night, so he went there, and when the last customers left, he went inside. He wasn't going to let Lana avoid him anymore.
Lana froze when she walked out of the kitchen and saw Clark standing there.
"Clark, what are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you, Lana."
"About what?"
"About why you've been avoiding me all week. About what happened at your house last week."
"It was a mistake."
"I don't think it was. I wanted to kiss you Lana."
"Clark, please, I can't do this." Lana said as she walked out from behind the counter.
"Why?" When she didn't respond, Clark continued, "I think you wanted to kiss me too." Again, Lana made no response, and Clark knew he was right. "Lana, please, just tell me didn't imagine that."
Lana finally looked at Clark. She could see how painful this was for him. It was for her too. She couldn't lie to him. "You didn't imagine it Clark. The truth is, I did want to kiss you."
Clark looked relieved. "Then what happened?"
Lana was finding it difficult to think of an answer. She needed to make Clark understand why she couldn't be with him without betraying Chloe's confidence. "Because, us-being together-would hurt someone I care about."
Clark finally put the pieces together. He understood what a difficult situation this was for Lana-and for Chloe and himself. He walked up to her, put a hand on her cheek, and lifted her face until they were looking into each other's eyes. Lana could see that he understood and she felt an incredible sense of relief. Clark leaned toward her and softly said, "This isn't over," then slowly backed away and walked out the door.
