CHAPTER 7
Chloe was on her way to Smallville. Her small car was driving along the highway, about an hour away from the Kent farm. It's light green paint sticking out like a sore thumb next to the other cars on the road. The general color scheme was black and white. Not exactly 'Chloe'.
She hadn't seen Clark in a few weeks and she missed him. He had phoned every night as usual, but hadn't made any more late night visits. She thought that he might be trying to give her more space, but this was going too far.
And then last night he had told her the news; he had a new girlfriend. Chloe grimaced in the car as the thought made jealousy boil in her stomach. She should feel happy for Clark.
"Yeah right" she muttered to herself. She would pretend for his sake, but she wouldn't be able to stop herself from hating the scank. A rueful smile curved her lips.
A song came on the radio and she frowned. She had never liked Britney Spears. She fiddled with the station dial as she looked briefly at her watch. It was getting late.
The sky was dark and lit only by the stars. Clark stood just outside of the barn looking up at it. He couldn't help but hope that if Lana was up there, she wasn't watching him. He wouldn't want her to be disappointed in him.
He was disappointed enough for both of them.
A sigh escaped his chest as he looked back down and went into the barn. He ran a hand through his wet hair and tried to shake any excess water out. A few drops ran down his neck and under his collar. He didn't notice.
He had just had a shower and had wanted to get out of the house. He was afraid that his parents would know something was wrong if he stayed.
It was Friday night and he had just come back from Sheryl's dorm. They had gone to see a movie, and when she had invited Clark into her roomfor coffee after, he had said yes. They hadn't had coffee.
Chloe looked worriedly at her watch. She was still ten minutes from Clark's house, but she only had a minute before he called. When he didn't get an answer at her apartment he would try her cell. Her surprise would be ruined then.
She sighed and waited for the inevitable.
Three minutes passed without a call. She frowned at her watch, thinking that it might be off. It had been working all day, so it shouldn't be broken now. Where was Clark?
Clark's head was in his hands as he sat on the couch in the barn's loft. He couldn't get his mind around what had happened.
He had cheated on Chloe.
That was the only thing that he knew; something that he had learned as he had put his clothes back on at Sheryl's. He had stopped looking at Chloe as just a friend, and started looking at her as his…something.
A groan echoed through the barn. He didn't even know what it was that he felt for Chloe, just that it made him feel like an ass for being with Sheryl.
"Chloe!" his head snapped up as he realized that he hadn't called her yet. A quick glance at his watch told him that he was eleven minutes late. She would be wondering where he was, maybe even worrying. "Shit"
He jumped off his seat and moved quickly to the phone, dialling her apartment. The phone rang five times before the machine answered. He frowned. Where was Chloe?
He dialled her cell and waited for it to connect. When it went automatically to the message, he swore and hung up.
"I just turned it off" Chloe said from behind him. He whirled around and his mouth dropped open. How the hell had he not noticed her walking up the steps? Chloe smiled at him "You were too busy swearing to hear me" she answered his unasked question.
His eyes drank her in quickly, noticing how her hair curled around her shoulders. She was wearing a fitted leather jacket over a tight black tee. She was wearing boy cut jeans that stopped just below her bellybutton. He knew that because the black teestopped just above her bellybutton.
God he loved that stretch of skin.
"Chloe" he rasped out, and then coughed. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
Chloe chuckled and tilted her head to the side a little bit. "I wanted to see my best friend"
Clark looked as if he had just swallowed a toad. His eyes were wide and his mouth was still a little open in shock. She had never been able to sneak up on him before and she couldn't help but chuckle at his surprise and his question.
He was wearing a pair of worn jeans and a white t-shirt. His usual flannel work shirt was missing and Chloe had to stop herself from ogling the muscles that the white tee showed off. His hair was wet and spiked from his fingers, a few strands falling into his eyes.
"I wanted to see my best friend" she answered his question with a grin.
Clark blinked down at her for a second but then moved quickly to grab her into a big hug. "I missed you Chloe" he said softly into her hair, hugging her tighter. Chloe hugged him back as much as she could, but he felt like steel encased with satin; soft but hard.
She reluctantly let of him and met his eyes. "You haven't been to Metropolis in more then two weeks Clark. I missed you too" she said in a slightly accusatory tone, her eyes narrowing at him playfully.
Clark smiled back at her, but it was a strained smile that didn't reach his eyes. He moved to the couch and sat back down. He had sat on the edge and left enough room for Chloe to sit without touching him.
Chloe frowned as she sat. "Does that girl you were seeing want us to stop hanging out?" she asked quietly, looking down at her hands. That was the only explanation for his behaviour that she could think of.
Clark's head moved to her slowly. "We've never talked about you" he answered without infliction in his voice.
Chloe flinched. They hadn't even…
"She has nothing to do with you Chloe" Clark continued in a dead voice. He kept looking at her coldly, as if expecting her to argue.
Chloe had to swallow back tears as she averted his eyes. He was pretty much telling her to back off. It was a bad feeling; having the person you love close you out of a part of his life. She could understand though. It's probably for the best that she doesn't have to pretend.
"Okay Clark" she said, not able to keep her voice from breaking.
Clark lifted a hand and took her hand gently in his, lifting it to his heart and holding it there. "Don't cry Chloe" he whispered. "I don't want you to think about Sheryl"
Chloe looked back at him as tears streamed down her face. "Her name is Sheryl? That's a nice name" she said inanely trying to lighten the mood before she said something to hurt their relationship.
"I like 'Chloe' better" Clark said seriously, meeting her eyes. "In every way" he finished gently, his eyes moving to her lips. Chloe noticed and her breath caught. Their heads began moving towards each other and she looked up at his eyes. His eyes had darkened into a grey blue color and they burned with a fire that threatened to burn Chloe up.
Then their lips met; and Chloe burned.
It was a soft bump of electric contact that had Chloe's breath whooshing out. Their lips met again; this time for longer. Chloe's hand was still on Clark's chest and she could feel his heart beating faster. It made her pulse race with excitement.
Her other hand went to his shoulder and moved him closer. Hishands came up behind her and settled on her waist. The feeling of his hand on her bare skin there was light a lightening bolt. She gasped and her head went back.
Chloe's gasp was like nectar to Clark. It made him burn for her in a way he had never burned before. He saw her head tilt back and took the opportunity to taste to hollow at the base of her neck. Her skin tasted as good as it looked.
"Clark!" Chloe cried out in a strangled whisper. Both of her arms wrapped around his neck and pushed their bodies together.
The shock of it nearly stopped his heart.
He could feel her firm breasts against his chest and he bit down gently on her neck in response. Chloe gasped out again and held him tighter. He couldn't stop his hands from wandering up her back and under her shirt. He paused when he encountered the clasp of her bra.
He wanted to undo that clasp more than he wanted to do almost anything in his whole life. It was thelast step to take before his self-control was completely gone. That thought was what finally stopped him.
He moved his mouth from her neck and gulped in air, looking up at the rafters in the barn. His hands slowly moved back down her back and he grasped her waist, pulling her body away from his.
What the hell had he done?
Chloe could feel Clark pushing her away from him and her mind turned back on. She moved her arms from his neck and let them drop from his shoulders. Her head came back up from its tilt and she took a deep breath.
What the hell had she done?
