June
I mark off each day with a cross
And I'll laugh about all that we've lost
June 2
Why me, Chloe thought, as she stared at her computer screen. Within a month, she had lost both her father and one of her best friends, and as hard as she tried to come up with a reason, she couldn't figure out why of all people that this happened to her. Her life was finally heading in a positive direction, but now she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do.
Chloe scanned the apartment, noticing the numerous newspapers scattered throughout the room, as Oliver's disappearance had been filling the headlines, but upon hearing the news, Chloe just tried to disappear, which was hard when all of the papers wanted her opinion on the matter. But instead, Chloe just screened her phone, only answering when necessary.
In fact, the only phone call she had taken aside from ones from Evie and Clark was when John contacted her to write Oliver's memorial column. She had initially refused, but John wanted to make sure that the Journal 'got his story right,' and Chloe was the perfect person to write that story, so she gave in, even though it made her sick writing it.
That was because, for some reason, she thought he was alive somewhere. They never found his body, in fact, his was the only body not recovered from the wreckage, but most had concluded that he was lost in Davy Jones' locker. Chloe believed otherwise... she had no reason to think that way, but he couldn't be dead... he just couldn't. Oliver was a fighter and if he wouldn't give up, neither would she.
However, the text line on her text document wouldn't stop blinking at her, telling her to write already, do Oliver proud, but she hated it. Slamming her laptop shut, she walked over to Lois' bed and dropped hard on it.
The plan had always been to stay with Lois over the summer, but because Chloe knew Lois kicked in her sleep, she had insisted on sleeping on an air mattress instead. However, it didn't end up mattering because she hadn't slept since returning to Star City. Every night, she tossed and turned, trying to justify why the world was doing this to her. Wasn't she allowed to be happy? Didn't everyone tell her that she deserved that kind of happiness?
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she should be mad at herself. If she would have acted quicker... he would have gone to Smallville with her... he would have been safe. Unfortunately, 'if's' don't solve anything, and although Chloe refused to believe he was gone for good, she still had an inner voice, taunting her, telling her that she screwed up.
In a moment of desperation, Chloe grasped the top sheet and yanked it around her. For the first time since finding out the news, Chloe cried, not caring anymore who saw her break. Feeling the warmth of the sheet wrapped around her made her remember January, the morning she woke up next to him. She knew how crazy it looked when she placed her hand on her arm, hoping to feel him there with her, but Chloe didn't want to break the fantasy because it felt better than the reality she was living.
June 8
"Come on, Chloe... you have get out eventually."
"I'm fine...just... go without me," Chloe said, shooing Lois away from her.
Lois had gotten used to her cousin being wrapped up in her computer, because when she was around Chloe, it seemed to be the only thing she did. Her expression softened as she slipped on her shoes. "He wouldn't want you to be like this."
Chloe turned around in her chair. "What would you..." She let her words trail as her face fell. "Sorry Lois."
"No, talk to me cuz... let me help you. I'll cancel my plans and we could have some cousin time." Lois didn't really want to cancel their had hoped tonight had been the night to get Chloe back on her feet, but she was willing to if it meant that Chloe was finally ready to talk.
Chloe just sighed as she turned back towards her computer. "No offence Lois... but you can't help. Besides, you shouldn't have to put your life on hold for me."
"My point exactly… for you, I mean," Lois pointed out.
"I'm fine."
There it was again, her catchphrase, her security blanket. Every day, Chloe would claim to be "fine," but Lois knew she was hurting. However, pushing her wasn't going to help matters, so she grabbed her purse and started to walk towards the door. "Fine… just know that I'm here for you, okay?"
Lois closed the door to her apartment and rode down the elevator in silence. She was really starting to get worried about Chloe because, with the exception of coffee runs, she hadn't left the apartment since she returned to Star City. It almost made Lois feel guilty for trying to bring them together, but what happened to Oliver wasn't exactly something she could foresee.
Seeing the elevator doors open, Lois stepped out and saw Evie and Scott in the lobby. It was supposed to be a surprise, but it was clear Chloe didn't want to go out yet. But seeing the couple's happiness almost brought a tear to Lois' eyes. That... what they had... that was all she wanted for Chloe, but even their smiles faded when they saw Lois walking towards them alone.
"She's not coming?" Scott asked, even though he knew the answer before seeing Lois shake her head.
Turning to Evie, Lois sighed. "Do you think you could talk to her? She usually listens to you more than me."
Evie wanted to help, but the news devastated Chloe, and Evie wasn't exactly sure what to tell her. She frowned and shook her head. "She needs this time to herself now. We've been telling her what to do... and look where it got us."
"Yeah well, someone's going to have to talk to her eventually. She still thinks he's alive."
"Maybe he is," Evie said under her breath, but Lois heard her and quickly raised an eyebrow. "I'm seen a lot of weirder things, Lois. I'm not saying he is, but at this point, nothing would surprise me."
"Let's just get out here," Lois said out of frustrationas she walked past the couple.
"You have to admit that Lois has a point, Evie... maybe you should talk to her," Scott said with a concerned expression.
Evie stood her ground and shook her head again. "It's not what she wants."
"How do you know that for sure?"
"I just do," Evie said with no hesitation. "Trust me, Scott, I do," she added as she grabbed his hand and walked towards the door.
June 10
"Miss Sullivan, do you have a minute?"
Chloe was caught off-guard by the man she saw on the other side of the door. She had never seen him before, but he clearly knew who she was. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I'm Karl Pyrch, Oliver Queen's attorney," he said plainly.
"Oh... um... come in."
Karl walked past Chloe, and watched her close the door behind her. "I'm sorry to intrude like this, but we tried calling you."
"Sorry, my phone's been dead." Chloe lied, as her gaze met the wall she had smashed her phone against, destroying it beyond repair.
He set his briefcase on the table before looking back at Chloe. "Miss Sullivan, you're going to have to have a lot of questions as to why I'm here, but I'm afraid that I have to add to them."
Chloe titled her head as she approached him."What are you talking about?"
He opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder and a plain envelope before speaking. "Mr. Queen... Oliver... he made some changes to his will in March."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"He left it to you," Karl said as he held the folder out for her.
Chloe grabbed the folder hesitatingly, but kept her focus on Karl. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Sorry... it?"
"Everything, his money, his company, his possessions."
She was completely taken aback his words, as she found herself walking away from Karl and towards the bedroom. Sitting on the bed, Chloe frantically opened the folder and began to file through the papers. Everything that Karl had said was true: the penthouse, the company, the legacy... Oliver had left it to her. "Why? Why me?"
Karl dropped the envelope on the bed, causing Chloe to look up at him. "I believe that has the answers you seek." Chloe turned and looked at the envelope which had her name written across the front in Oliver's writing. She flipped it around and was examining the seal when she heard Karl say, "I didn't read it, and I can assure you no one has except for Oliver."
Taking a deep breath, Chloe found the courage to open the envelope and took out the single piece of paper inside. It was almost surreal to see his writing in front of her, but the purpose of the letter reminded her that he had been missing for over two weeks and she missed him more than she could have ever imagined. Stroking the paper with the pad of her thumb, Chloe began reading the letter:
Chloe,
I never hope you have to read this, but if you are... it means that I've passed on. You're probably wondering why out of everyone in my life that I picked you. This time last year, we were strangers. Well, here's why:
I haven't trusted a lot of people in my life and most people would let the money cloud their judgment and let my parent's company fail. You knew what that meant to me better than anyone and I know you'll take good care of it. I'm not asking you to take over my company, I would never let you put your career goals on hold, but I want to make sure it's left in good hands. I trust you.
Now for the tough part, something that I afraid to tell you because I didn't want to see you running for the hills.
I love you.
I think I have since you spilled coffee over my shirt. You had this incredible light about you, and I was so grateful you let a guy like me into your life. I was lucky to have you as my friend and I'm sorry if I never had a chance to tell you in person.
I'll always be that guy, your knight in shining leather, if you let me. Even if I'm not beside you... I'll always be with you.
Oliver
Chloe immediately dropped the letter on the bed, but she soon picked it up again to re-read the contents because she wasn't sure if she had been imagining things. When the words didn't change, she turned her head slightly and said to Karl, "I'll need some time."
Passing her his business card, he tried to smile at the shaken woman in front of him. "Take all the time you need, but call me when you're ready, Miss Sullivan."
"Thank you," she whispered back.
As he left the bedroom, Lois was walking through the door. She raised an eyebrow at the man as he wordlessly walked past her, but upon seeing her cousin sitting on the bed on the brink of tears, Lois dropped everything and sat down next to her.
"Chloe... what happened?"
Chloe was so caught up in all of the papers that Lois' greeting had startled her. Pausing to look at the reality in front of her, Chloe said softly, "He left everything to me...and..." She shoved the letter towards Lois. "I can't even say it."
Any other day, Lois would have jumped at the chance to read it, but when she saw the pain in her cousin's eyes, Lois handed the letter back to her. "No… he wrote that for you."
"All this time... he... I refused to see it, but he..." Chloe gave up speaking when she felt the tears start to fall down her cheek. Lois hugged her cousin, and just patted her back reassuringly. Even though Lois was usually the talkative cousin, she knew that there were no words that she could say to make Chloe feel better.
June 30
Lois had just left the apartment, so when there was a knock on the door, Chloe had half a mind to yell at her cousin until she opened the door to find a different familiar face.
"AC! What a surprise."
He half-smiled at her. "Wish I could be here under better circumstances."
Gesturing for him to come inside, Chloe sighed. "Me too."
"How are you holding up?"
"I don't know... I haven't really left the place," she said with a shrug.
Chloe had her share of talking with lawyers over the new phone she had to buy after finding out she was heir to the Queen estate, but she didn't leave the apartment much, especially after the media got wind of Oliver's succession plan. In a couple of days, she was going to change from Chloe Sullivan: student, to Chloe Sullivan: CEO, and it scared her, so she planned on spending the last couple of privacy she had left in solitude.
He looked towards the door and grinned slightly. "I know... I ran into Lois on the way up... she's really worried about you."
"Yeah, I know she is."
AC peered in her direction before he asked, "Do you really think he's alive?"
Chloe walked over the desk and pulled a drawer open and stared at his letter. "I just... I just don't think he's dead. Does that make sense?"
"Actually, it does. Part of me thinks he's still out there."
She chuckled once before looking back at him. "It's good to know I'm not the only crazy one."
AC's expression changed as he took a couple steps towards the window. "Look, there's something you need to know."
"Okay."
"For the past little while, I've been having some... financial difficulty, and Oliver had been helping me with it... secretly."
"Okay," Chloe repeated.
Turning around to lean against the window sill, AC explained, "He has monthly payments go to an off-shore account before the funds get to me, but the money is... well... it's enough to get noticed but not enough to be missed."
"You still need the support, do you?"
AC nodded. "It's an ongoing project, and there's no way I can keep it going without it."
"What type of project is this?" Seeing that he immediately averted eye contact, Chloe sighed. "Forget it, you can count on me."
"Thank you Chloe."
She managed a smile before she admitted, "Oliver trusts you, and I trust him. It's the least I can do."
AC headed for the door and opened it partway before pausing to look back at Chloe. "He really cared about you... you know that right?"
"Yeah, I do."
He grinned as he left the apartment. "Good... well, I guess I'll see you around, Chloe."
"Take care AC," she said softly as she watched him close the door.