Disclaimer: read Chapter 1.
A/N: Here´s the long-awaited final instalment. I hope it´ll please everyone.
PLEASE, ATTENTION!!!
If you´re open-minded, you´re welcome to read both this chapter and the next one.
If you´re a Chlexer and a Lana-hater at heart, restrain from reading the second version of this chapter.
If you´re a Lexana fan, skip this page and go straight to the second version of Chapter 9.
Enjoy! And remember: all shippers deserve our respect, so I´d appreciate it if you´d not bash either pairing.
CHAPTER 9: Coming Back For More (Version One)
The Talon
It was Friday, the last weekend of Lana and Chloe's holidays, and the girls had decided to celebrate and say ' Mission accomplished '. Lana had managed to finish the annual inventory in record time thanks to Clark and her partner. Meanwhile, Chloe had tied up her historical research on the Lyttons with the aid provided by the same helpful pair of former friends.
Lex arrived at the coffee shop to find Lana and Chloe talking amicably over a cup of foamy coffee. Clark was nowhere in sight and Lex wondered whether he was to blame for his absence. They had crossed their first words in months while helping the girls, but their relationship could hardly be called harmonious. Still, Lex had hoped -for Lana and Chloe's sake- that Clark could bury the hatch for a while; he was more than ready to do that for the woman he loved.
"Good evening, Lex. I'm glad you've decided to accept the invitation, " said Lana.
"I couldn't say ' no ' to two beautiful ladies, " he responded with his trademark smile. " I've brought a couple of bottles of cold Bollinger, " he said, setting them down on the table.
"Champagne, Lex? " asked a surprised Lana.
"You're of age now, aren't you? " he responded, looking at both girls.
"I'll bring the glasses, " said Lana, going behind the counter.
"I've baked something, " added Chloe. " It doesn't compare to Mrs Kent's cakes but... "
"Let me guess... chocolate and mocha, right? " said Lex with a smirk on seeing her carrying the cake to where they were sitting. "I didn't know you were fond of baking, Chloe. "
"Well, it isn't something I go bragging about. I'm definitely better than my cousin Lois, but no way near Martha Kent. "
"Is Clark coming, Chloe? "
"We've invited him, but I'm not sure he'll come. "
"Is it because of me? "
"No, Lex. I don't think so... He had other plans for tonight, " she answered, looking towards the kitchen.
"Other plans? Does he know you're leaving on Sunday? "
"Oh, he does! That's why he isn't here, " she responded, eying Lana talking on her mobile phone.
"Don't you resent him for it? "
"For what? "
"For not being here, Chloe. "
"I don't, Lex. I have no reason to resent him. I want him to be happy, and the decision he's taken we'll make two people blissful and leave one heartbroken. "
"Does Clark know? Does he know how you feel? "
"About their getting together again? Of course, he does. We've talked about it. I've pushed him in the right direction, just like you used to do in the past. I'm sorry, Lex. "
"Why should you be sorry? "
"Don't ask me to spell it out, Lex. I understand how you feel. "
"Are you still talking about Clark and Lana, Chloe? Because if that's the case... "
"Of course, I'm talking about them. I had a chat with Lana last night, and she poured out her heart after hesitating for several weeks. I couldn't but encourage Clark to go for it knowing she's still in love with him. I wouldn't have egged him on if another name had left her lips. I must tell you, her confession surprised me. I could have sworn her affections lay elsewhere. "
"Let me get something straight, Chloe. Are you saying you're sorry because you think I'm in love with Lana Lang? "
"Aren't you? "
"What made you think Lana is the one I'm in love with? "
"You said you needed a distraction, that you loved someone who was in love with another guy- a man you knew very well. I assumed it was Lana. Who else could it be? "
"Clark's not the only man I know, and Lana's not the only girl who's in love with a person of my acquaintance, Chloe. "
"So... you aren't in love with Lana? " she repeated, swallowing the lump in her throat and avoiding his eyes.
"No, I'm not, Chloe. She's a very good friend and a terrific business partner, but the kind of love I feel for her is that of an elder brother for a little sister. "
"Hey, guys! " said Lana, coming back with the flutes. "Excuse me for the delay. It was Clark on the phone. I shouldn't be asking you this but... would you mind if ... "
"Go ahead, Lana, " said Chloe. " We understand. "
"Thanks, " she said beaming. " Listen, why don't you stay? You can lock up, Lex. You've got another set of keys. It'd be a pity to leave the champagne uncorked. "
"Take a bottle to the barn, Lana, " said Lex with a smirk. " Send my regards to Clark. "
"Thank you, Lex, " she responded, embracing him warmly.
"Chloe, could I have a word with you before I leave? "
"Sure, " answered the young reporter, getting up and walking to the kitchen.
"Tell him, Chloe, " murmured Lana.
"What? Are you nuts? "
"What have you got to lose? "
"How about my heart, Lana? He isn't in love with the person I thought he was, but he's definitely in love with someone else. "
"Trust me, Chloe. If you aren't willing to tell him what you feel, at least be clear about what you don't. I think that'll do the trick. Good luck, Chloe, " she finished, giving her a peck on the cheek.
"Good night, Lex. "
"Good night, Lana, " he responded, locking the door behind her and coming back to the table where Chloe was sitting.
"Why don't you cut two pieces of cake before the mocha gets ruined, Chloe? "
"Aren't you afraid of food poisoning, Lex? " she asked, placing the first slice on a small plate and handing it over to him.
"Appetizing and mouth-watering. Clark doesn't know what he's missing, " responded Lex, holding her gaze.
"How can you tell without having tasted it? " asked Chloe, unsure about what he was actually talking about.
"It isn't necessary. I know just by looking at it what it'd be like, " he responded matter-of-factly.
"Would or will? " she whispered.
"Semantics, Chloe, " he responded with a smirk.
"Why don't you have a bite, Lex? " she suggested, looking at the plate.
"A bite? " he responded, raising an eyebrow.
"Come on, Lex. You know what I meant, " said an embarrassed Chloe.
"My, my, Miss Sullivan, I never thought I could make you blush. "
"Why are you doing this, Lex? "
"What? "
"Don't play with me. "
"I'd never do that to you, Chloe. You should know me better than that. "
"You did it once, Lex, " she whispered with a catch in her voice.
"You misunderstood me, Chloe, " he said, tilting her chin up. " I told you that one day you'd understand why I did what I did. I valued your friendship and the fact that you'd come to me showed you trusted me enough to put your life in my hands. Very few people trust in me the way you did back then. I felt honoured and special because you ran to me and not to Clark, the boy you'd always been in love with. Don't deny it, Chloe. You may be over him, as I have just found out-the way you avoided looking at me when I said I wasn't in love with Lana was definitely revealing- but at that time you only had eyes for him. That year, when we joined forces to send dad to jail, something happened that took me by surprise. I fell for my best friend's best friend. So you see, Chloe, that was the reason I had to- as you put it once- push you away. "
"But...why, Lex? Why didn't you tell me this, then? You surely must have realised I wasn't indifferent to you. "
"There were times I believed you returned my feelings but, then, I thought my love for you was making me see things that weren't really there. I've been fighting these feelings for you for the last three years. Seeing you smile, hug and kiss Clark made me wish I were him, but I was aware I'd never be someone like him. "
"Lex, " she said, squeezing his hand, " Clark's still my best friend but he's not the one I'm in love with. You are. "
"Chloe, three years ago I thought I wasn't what you needed in your life, and I still very much doubt it. You deserve better. "
"Why are you always selling yourself short, Lex? How can a sharp businessman like you be so short-sighted when it comes to his own love life? "
"You should stay clear of me if you don't want to get hurt. "
"Well, guess what, I can't. I've also tried to fight this and failed abysmally. I kept coming to Smallville even when I should have been in Metropolis just because I needed my fix of Lex Luthor. It didn't matter he didn't seem to care about me. You're my addiction, Lex; an addiction I'm not willing to give up. "
"Are you sure about this, Chloe? You should know by now that being around me is the most certain way to get hurt or worse. "
"So is being around Clark, Lex. Look at Lana and all the times she's ended up in hospital or nursing a broken heart. I'm willing to risk it, Lex. So what do you say? "
"I'd say this tastes heavenly, " responded Lex, savouring the chocolate and mocha. " But I guess your lips would taste even better, " he added with a smirk.
"How do you know without having tried them? "
"Is that an invitation, Miss Sullivan? " he asked with a devilish grin.
"Will I have to spell it out, Mr Luthor? " asked Chloe, leaning towards him.
"You're definitely my addiction, Miss Sullivan. But it's an addiction for which I'm not willing to go into rehab, " he murmured, pressing a passionate kiss on her lips.
