*UPDATE* Same chapter, but I realized there were a few errors that desperately needed to be fixed. I was a little dissapointed when I woke up and didn't see as many reviews as I usually do...does this mean you didn't like the chapter or hated the Chalek part at the end?
Okay, so I am going to be extremely descriptive in this chapter. In the beginning, I am also going to be changing the point of views from Alek to Chloe. I just want you to experience these situations from both points of view. I feel they are more personal in 1st person rather than me writing in just 3rd person, so I am going to stick with that. It is close to 6 am so I am exhausted. I will comb through and fix any mistakes when I wake up.
Also, I couldn't help myself. All dresses that are going to be mentioned in the chapter will have a link in my profile. So, if you want to check out each of these dresses, feel free to go to my profile to do so, otherwise you don't have to. Ignore the prices, just remember…the Mai are doing okay. ;)
This is going to be quite a long chapter, but so far I have heard no complaints. Some of you even want them longer. Also, a lot of you want them together right away. I can guarantee that they will end up together, and have moments every now and then, but it's not going to happen overnight. Please stick around, you won't regret it when you read when they finally get together.
I'm going to stop blabbing and let you get to the reading, so please remember to review afterwards. I cannot tell you how much the reviews of this story have kept me writing it.
Chloe's Point of View
We were outside of The Plaza. We had a big day ahead of us. I had to go and find dresses for all the Mai events that Valentina failed to mention were all formal. I had packed mainly jeans and a few casual dresses, but from what Alek was telling me, these were pretty formal.
"So…where to first?" I asked, taking a sip of my Frappuccino and looking at my surroundings. I felt like an ant in this massive city.
"I guess we'll start at what's closest and go from there." He sighed, also looking around.
"Come on." He motioned me to follow him. We went right, going by the Pulitzer Fountain. We walked through there and turned so that we would be on Fifth Avenue. The first place I saw was Bergdorf's and I thought this would be the perfect place to start.
We walked until we got to the dress section. Alek plopped down in a chair outside of the dressing rooms.
"Okay…" I said slowly. "So, what I'm supposed to just try on dresses? I don't even know what exactly I'm looking for."
"That's why I'm here. I've done this before. So, just pick out whatever and try it on and I will have the unfortunate pleasure of telling you if they will work." He said carelessly.
"Great…" I said with a dragging dullness.
I started looking through the racks and all the mannequins that were on display. I was overwhelmed by the beauty that surrounded me. I grabbed quite a few dresses as I explored the racks and went to the dressing room, passing by an apathetic Alek.
I began sorting through the dresses. Most of them were pale shades, all of them I wondered about being right for everything. Bergdorf's didn't really had a lot of dresses that I was into, so I only had a couple.
I started by taking a burgundy colored Dolce & Gabbana ruched satin dress off its hanger. I slid into it easily, pulling it up as it grasped onto the curves of my body. It had a draped square neckline with a crossover bust. It really made my chest pop out without looking too provocative.
I opened the door to the dressing room I was in. Alek looked up and raised his eyebrows.
"It's not bad. It would work for one of the meetings that we have to go to." He exclaimed.
"Very enthusiastic." I replied as I walked over to the floor-length mirrors. I turned, checking to see how the dress looked at all angles.
"I'm just saying." He threw his hands up defensively. I threw him a sluggish glance as I walked back into the dressing room. I stripped out of this dress and took the next dress of its hanger, weary of it.
"Hey Alek?" I called out.
"Hmmm…?" He replied.
"When you said there would be a few events that were super formal, you meant gowns right?" I asked, still weary of the white gown I held in my hands.
"Pretty sure, yeah." He called back. I let out a breath as I began to pull this dress on.
It was a Zac Posen Mermaid Gown. This one also had a square neckline. It was white and had cap sleeves. There was a corset design and feel beneath the bust. It drifted down towards my ankles until it flared out in the back. It was very beautiful, but I was unsure of how it would look.
I walked out of the dressing room again to meet Alek's stare.
"I think I can do better, but it's not bad…maybe in a different color…" I suggested.
"It's nice." Was all he said. I stared at him, waiting for him to continue. He didn't, instead he just looked ahead, as if he was looking right pass me. I huffed and turned to go back in the dressing room.
"You know, a more descriptive response would be appreciated. I really have no idea what I'm looking for." I complained to him through the room.
"Fine, I'll try better." He replied, his tone flat.
I had one last dress to try on here, and it had been my favorite so far. It was an Oscar de la Renta. It was made from tulle and chiffon and shimmered in even the smallest amount of light. It went below the knee a little bit and had an enclosed back. I put it on and smiled in the mirror at how much it complimented my complexion.
I walked out of the dressing room. Alek sat up, as he looked me up and down.
"That's really pretty actually." He conveyed meaningfully.
"Really?" I smiled at his reaction, going over to mirror and spinning slowly around. It spun out under me, glimmering all the while.
"Yeah, definitely get that one." He responded. I nodded and went back into the dressing room.
I was done with dresses here and was ready to move onto the next place. We went and paid for the dresses. Instead of taking them with us, they told us they would be delivered to The Plaza. Pleased by this, I walked back onto the busy streets of New York.
We passed by several other stores. Some of which I went in and bought a piece of jewelry or a pair of shoes. We stopped and grabbed a slice of pizza from a popular pizza joint. We had a pretty normal conversation about how much there was to do in the city. It was surprisingly nice to talk to Alek like this again. We came across Bloomingdales and I decided to check out the dresses there. Alek took his seat in one of the chairs outside the dressing rooms again as I searched for dresses.
My eyes widened when I saw a dress that had a princess feel to it and knew I had to have it. I scanned the racks, coming across a few more dresses and taking them with me to try on.
I had to admit that Bloomingdales was my new favorite store. The dresses they carried were so elegant. I bought practically every dress that I tried on from there, and there were a lot. Alek wasn't really that much of a help. He would continuously just tell me that it was pretty, or it was nice. He never really gave an input.
The good thing was that we had yet to really argue that day. It was so far very pleasant until we went to Sak's Fifth Avenue. I once again had a handful of dresses to try on.
I first tried on a Herve Ledger crisscross bandage dress. It was peach-toned and very snug on me, which really showed off my hourglass shape. I walked, waiting for Alek's approval which I knew I would get once again.
"It's not really an evening dress, but it would be good for an afternoon event." He suggested and I realized that he was right…surprisingly.
Next, I picked out an ABS multi-gold sequined tank dress that I knew would not be appropriate but I wasn't able to take my eyes off of it. Maybe there would be a point in time this month I could wear it out for fun...if Alek would let me have any fun that is. I walked out of the room, Alek's mouth hung open a little.
"What?" I asked.
He closed his mouth and his eyes roamed over my body.
"Nothing, you just look like a prostitute." He stated. I was taken aback by his words.
"It looks as thin as paper and barely covers your legs." He shrugged.
I rolled my eyes, going back into the dressing room and changing quickly out of this dress. I was mad, but I wasn't going to let him get to me. I threw on the next dress that I had my eye on. This one was an Aiden Mattox. It was gold-beaded and was also a one shoulder dress. I stepped out of the dressing room again. I could have sworn I saw a flicker in Alek's eyes as he gazed at me. I saw his eyes roam over me and I became nervous, waiting for what he would say. I thought he would say something nice, but I was completely wrong.
"That's funny, now you just look desperate." He said harshly. I was shocked and hurt. I looked around to see a few women glance up. I was embarrassed.
"It barely covers you! It's even shorter than the last one…just being honest." He spat, tossing his hands up. I could feel my chest heaving. I was angry and on the verge of tears. I spun around and raced back into the dressing room, trying to catch my breath.
Alek's POV
You idiot! I thought to myself. What the hell was the matter with me? I can't believe I had just told Chloe she looked desperate. She was far from the type. I instantly regretted my words as soon as they came out of my mouth.
I tried to retrace my thoughts as to figure out what the hell possessed me to say such an awful thing. All day I had watched her try on dresses. Each one flattered her flawlessly. It was getting to me. There were dresses that wrapped around her so nicely that I couldn't pull my gaze from her. I thought I was keeping it cool when I told her she looked nice or it was pretty. What I really wanted to tell her was that she looked breathtaking, enchanting, gorgeous and so much more. She looked like an angel in everything she tried on. Even the dresses that were ugly on the hanger, she seemed to pull off. She looked like an actual goddess.
I had no idea why she had tried on such promiscuous dresses all of the sudden. When she came out of the stall with the thin dress she looked extravagant. It was a loose dress, but it seemed to naturally flow around her figure somehow. Gold was a beautiful color on her. For some reason, I told her she looked like a prostitute and she turned back to the stall in a rush. As she walked away, I couldn't help but watch the material flow around her backside.
This game was going too far between us and I had a feeling that I had just really crossed the line. When she came out in the second dress, my eyes lit up when I saw her. Her long, lean legs were being shown off in this dress. The dress was extremely short and fit her like a glove.
I had let my walls down for a moment as I captured her gaze. We were both looking into each other's eyes for a split second. She looked ravishing, I wanted to get out of the chair and devour her right there. So many thoughts crossed through my mind when I snapped back to my previous state. I quickly looked away and told her she looked desperate. It was the farthest thing from my mind, but the quickest thing that came to mind as I tried to rebuild my wall.
I tried to justify my words by remarking about how short it was, but it was clear that I had hurt her. She turned quickly and practically ran back into the stall. I could hear her breathing heavily as if she was trying to hold in a scream. I shook my head when a woman approached me.
"That was a horrible thing to say to that beautiful young lady you have with you." She lectured.
"I know." I hung my head ashamed of myself.
"I suggest if you want her to stick around you start treating her with a little respect. You don't find a girl as beautiful and charming as that every day." She added before walking away. I lifted my head, watching her walk away, her words sinking in.
Chloe's Point of View
I changed back into my clothes and grabbed some of the dresses I had decided to buy, including the two that Alek had told me I looked like a prostitute and desperate in. I was beyond pissed. Today had been fine. It was nice to not be arguing with Alek or put down with snide remarks. I thought we might actually get along for once, but then he had to say those things. I felt like he had punched me in the gut. Now he thought I was desperate for something…or someone?
I stormed passed Alek as I left the dressing room. He quickly followed me over to the check-out counter. I laid all the dresses on the counter as the clerk checked me out. Alek had his hands in his pockets as his eyes fluttered to the gold dresses.
"You're getting those?" He asked uneasily.
"Yup." I said, not even looking at him. I smiled at the clerk.
"But…" I cut him off before he could say something worse.
"I am going to take a break some point in this trip and I'm going have fun and wear what I want. I don't really care what you think Alek." He grimaced at my stern and cold tone.
I asked the woman to have my bags delivered to The Plaza. We were walking out of the store when Alek stopped me.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did, or say that at all I just…" He stopped, as if looking for the right words. "I was just being protective." He stated firmly.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I can protect myself when it comes to the gazes and raging hormones of a human." I scoffed.
"Not what I meant." He said adamantly.
"You know what Alek, just save it okay?" I walked away and he followed me as we walked back towards The Plaza. It was around 3:30 and we had to get ready for the first meeting with the other prides.
I completely ignored Alek as we walked back into our suite. I was surprised to see how many dresses and other bags had been delivered back to the suite. I would definitely have to organize when we got home tonight. I was heading towards the staircase so I could refresh myself.
"Chloe wait." I stopped abruptly on the first step, slowly turning to face Alek but not looking directly at him.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you you looked desperate. That was wrong of me, and it wasn't true. You actually looked…stunning in those dresses. All of them." He said cautiously. This caused me to look at him oddly, surprised by his words.
"Look…" I jumped a little when he reached over and took my hands in his. He didn't let go, but held them firmly. "I was thinking about what you said last night. I'm tired of fighting too. I wish we could." He stopped, looking hopeful. "I just wish we could get along."
I was speechless. I didn't know how to reply to him. I wanted to try to tell him what I've wanted to tell him for over two years. I wanted to go back to our witty banter and playfulness that I longed for. I wanted to tell him that underneath this hateful shield I loved him, but I couldn't bring myself to it.
"Alek…we have to get ready." I managed to say.
"We have time to talk." He said softly. He didn't let go of my hands as he guided me over to the sofa. We both sat down, our knees touching. I looked down, anywhere was better than looking into his eyes and losing myself.
"What did you want to talk about?" I asked.
"Everything." This caused me to look up at him in confusion.
"Everything?" I asked uneasily. He nodded his head.
"Starting with what you wanted to tell me two years ago." He replied genuinely. I gulped quietly as I let my hands slip out from under his.
"Alek, I can't." I started getting up. He gently grabbed my arm.
"Please." He begged. I sat back down, looking anywhere but him again.
"It's been too long." I said bleakly.
"Maybe…but I was stupid not to listen to what you had to say before." I raised my eyebrows as he admitted to being stupid.
"I know I probably don't deserve to hear it after everything that's happened, but…I just need to." He continued. I looked back up at him.
I hesitated before I started. This was my chance to tell him everything, but I was afraid of how he would react. He looked sadly into my eyes so I took a deep breath and wondered if I would regret what I was about to say.
"Well…you don't know the whole story from that night." He cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"You know I was killed, but you don't really know what really happened with Brian." I paused, waiting for him to interrupt, but he didn't.
"When I woke up, Brian was leaning into me, telling me he loved me. The next thing I knew he was kissing me. I was weary at the moment and I honestly didn't know what I was doing. I did kiss him back, but I instantly pushed him away. Not just because he was human, but because…because I wanted it to be you that I kissed. I didn't want to be in love with him, because I was falling for you."
I didn't look up once when I told him this, too afraid to see the expression on his face.
"Chloe…" He started, but I stopped him.
"Don't…it's too late." I looked up and gave him a small smile before getting up and traveling up the staircase.
Alek's Point of View
It's too late. Her words rang through my ears. Was it too late? What did she mean by that? Did she think I didn't love her anymore…or did she no longer feel that way about me? The questions raced through my mind as I heard Chloe changing upstairs.
I decided that it was time to ask these questions. If there was still the slightest chance that I could be with her then I had to try. I walked up the stairs to the bedroom. The sight I saw when I walked in the room was once again breath-taking.
Chloe was wearing the Oscar de la Renta dress she bought from Bergdorfs. She looked at me, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"How do I look?" She asked shyly.
"Beautiful." I replied astonished at how much more beautiful she looked now than she had in it before. I saw her blush, before turning around to pick out a pair of earrings. She chose pearls. I smiled in amazement at her elegance.
"Chloe?" I stepped towards her slowly. She acknowledged me so I continued. "What did you mean when you said it was too late?" I heard her let out a soft sigh.
"Meaning, it was a long time ago and I don't think you feel the same way." She said nervously.
"Do you still feel that way?" I asked, pushing my hopes to the next level. She looked at me through the mirror.
"Maybe." She answered, her voice shaky. I managed to smile.
"Look…" I said, careful of what to say next. "I know a lot has happened in the past two years. We've both said things we didn't mean to say and I've definitely said things that I have beaten myself up over day after day…" I cut myself off.
"I resented you for so long because I didn't take the time to listen to what you said and now especially I can't help but wonder what if? What if we could go back, we would have never hurt each other for so long, never would be standing here having a conversation that we could have had two years ago. Most of all I haven't been able to help thinking how different this situation would be if it were real." I couldn't stop talking. Everything that has been bothering me was just pouring out of my mouth and I couldn't control it.
"I've tried so hard to forget about you, but I can't Chloe…I can't." I finished. I wanted to kiss her desperately, but deep down I knew it wouldn't be this easy.
"I don't know what to say Alek…" She trailed off.
"Then don't." I said and grabbed her by the waist. I brought her into me and kissed her. I put my one hand on her cheek as the other grasped her waist. All the good memories that we had shared were running through my mind. I took her lips between my, savoring everything about her.
"I'm nothing without you Chloe." I said when we finally broke the kiss. My hand was still on her cheek and I watched as her blue eyes flicker with lust. "I meant it when I said we belong together two years ago and I still mean it."
She looked down, blushing and then back up at me before letting out a gentle laugh.
"So I suppose we are going to the event as a real couple after all?" I chuckled when she asked this.
I looked at the clock and noticed it was now 5:30 and we had to be there at six.
"Oh wow. I hope so, and I hope we can get there on time." I jumped. I gave her a quick peck on the lips before rushing to change into my suit.
So, I hope you are super happy with this chapter. I'm unsure of it as usual. I must have played with this idea for hours. I was originally going to do something different and I changed some things that were in this chapter, but this is the final product and I seriously hope that you like it.
But…let me say this. You didn't think it would be this easy for them right? There are still going to be a lot of ups and downs with them so you need to prepare yourself for those.
I am putting the links up for all the dresses mentioned in this chapter on my profile, so feel free to check them out. If you can't see them, please let me know and I will PM the links to you.
As always, read and review. I have really got to post chapters to my other stories, so I'm going to need a lot of reviews in order to get the next chapter of this up tonight. You have no idea how these reviews inspire me for the next chapter.
You know you want too…especially after this Chalek chapter! ;)
