Just Friends?
Chapter Fourteen
Chloe approached the Lassiters Hotel nervously. Entering the reception area, she was glad to find Terese was at the front desk.
Terese greeted her, "Chloe, glad to see you're here. I need to get your help with-"
Chloe cleared her throat and she found that she didn't need to say too much else.
Terese nodded knowingly, "You need the afternoon off work, don't you?"
Chloe nodded, "I am so sorry. I thought I owed it to you to come down here in person instead of texting or calling you again."
"Is everything okay Chloe? I know you were at the hospital with Elly," Terese asked curiously.
"I need to talk to Mark about something…it's important…I wouldn't ask for the afternoon off if it wasn't," Chloe explained vaguely, then seeing the concern on Terese's face, "Elly's baby is healthy. It's not like that…ah…kinda…"
"Okay," Terese agreed, "I'll see you first thing Monday morning."
"You will," Chloe confirmed.
"Enjoy your weekend, Chloe," Terese replied happily.
Having sorted out her work arrangements, which to be honest Chloe had only done in person as the hotel was in the same complex as the police station, Chloe headed over to the police station to see her brother.
A few minutes later, Chloe left the station, a little confused to learn that Mark wasn't there after his performance review. She'd learnt he had the rest of the day off work and instead was rostered on to work the night shift from 10pm. Remembering that Mark had asked her to keep Elly away from their house and at work, Chloe headed over to Ramsay Street to find him.
Chloe took a deep breath before knocking on the front door of Mark's house. Whilst she had tried practicing in her head how she was going to tell him the truth that the baby Elly was carrying wasn't his and that Elly had destroyed Sonya's photo of Caitlyn, there really wasn't any way possible of knowing how this conversation was going to go down.
Though she still had Elly's ultrasound from that morning in her handbag as complete proof that Elly was only 3-months pregnant, Chloe was determined not to show Mark Elly's ultrasound. As Elly had been so insistent that it was a 'timing' issue that she knew Mark wasn't the father she hoped he would understand the baby couldn't be his if he learnt that Elly was not 18 weeks pregnant.
Chloe also hoped that Mark would believe her and she wouldn't need to resort to telling him that despite knowing that Elly's baby wasn't her neice or nephew related by blood, Chloe had still attended Elly's ultrasound.
Not to mention how Mark would feel if he learnt that Chloe had taken his place by Elly's side at the appointment, held her hand, placed her hand on Elly's belly over the baby, had Elly nuzzle into the close embrace they shared and last but not least because it was the most important detail, Elly had kissed her.
Whilst the kiss was chaste and Chloe was positive it had only happened because Elly needed the comfort of a partner with her and it had nothing to do with Elly having feelings for her, the kiss was just another betrayal for Mark to have to deal with if Chloe was to give him the ultrasound.
Chloe had made the decision not to call Aaron yet to tell him to wait on standby as Mark was going to need their support through one of the toughest times he would ever go through.
Deciding she could no longer put off the inevitable, Chloe knocked on the front door.
Chloe was surprised with the way Mark opened the door and greeted her.
"CHLOE!" Mark bellowed with the largest grin on his face, "How are ya, sis? Come in, come in. It's good to see you!"
"Duh...hi," Chloe greeted her eldest brother.
"Don't just stand there, Elliot, get in here," Mark replied happily as Chloe still stood there at the front door, "How are, ya, Chloe?"
Chloe entered the house, feeling a weird sense she could not even describe at Mark calling her by her childhood nickname, "I'm...okay. You?"
Mark closed the front door behind Chloe and gestured once more for her to come further inside the house, "Never been happier. Come in, I'll make you a cup of coffee-no scratch that I still have a box of those favourite teabags of yours in the pantry that I never could bring myself to throw out, I'll make you a cuppa."
Chloe stared at Mark with complete stunned silence as her brother went to the kitchen and put the kettle on. He then moved around the kitchen, grabbing teabags, cups, milk and teaspoons.
Chloe raised her eyebrow at her brother's actions because he wasn't just walking around the house normally, "Mark...are you...dancing?"
Indeed Mark was dancing. He was moon walking around the kitchen, tapping his feet to invisible music that must have been playing in his head and bopping his head along to a beat.
This was decidedly not Mark.
Mark couldn't dance for one thing but here he was not caring about that and letting whatever rhythm was going through him and expressing it with his feet and bopping his head around like he was in a musical.
Chloe couldn't say anything as her brother bopped around the kitchen, making them both a cup of tea, and then planted the two cups in front of them. As they stood there in the kitchen, waiting for their teas to cool down a bit. Mark still didn't stop, he was still bopping his head around and tapping his feet.
As Chloe opened her mouth to question what had gotten into her brother, Mark grinned at her, bopping his head to a rhythm Chloe couldn't hear, "I'm glad you're here, Chloe. You know what, I've been a complete jackass to you these past four months and I need to apologise for everything I've said and done to you. I'm sorry, Chloe."
Chloe stared at Mark with bewilderment.
Mark tapped his feet in a dancing motion, "I made mistakes by nearly cancelling the wedding and abandoning Elly. At the end of the day, all that really happened was the pair of us fell in love with the same woman. We both have bloody good taste in women. And men for you, too. I really can't fault you for falling in love with Elly. I'm done been mad about you and Elly sleeping together. You had your fleeting experience with her and that's okay. Elly needed you and you were there for her and gave her what she needed in that moment. She needed to feel loved and you provided her with that. I can't blame you for that. We're all going to be a family now and it's time we start putting the past behind us and focus on the future. I don't want my child growing up feeling anything but love from everyone in our family."
Feeling like Mark had completely lost the plot at this point, Chloe asked him, "Mark, did you go to your performance review and come out with a personality transplant?"
"It kinda feels like that doesn't it?" Mark grinned, before he moon walked over to the fridge to put the milk back and then found himself staring at the ultrasound photo.
Chloe took a sip of tea, feeling so guilty now that she knew the baby in the photo was Caitlyn.
The smile on Mark's face widened as he turned back to his sister, "I'm so happy right now."
Chloe tried to hide her guilt, "About that...ah...um...how come your home? I thought you'd be at work."
Mark shrugged, and then weirdly turned his arms into a dance movement, "Sorry 'bout that, I lied to you and Elly that I was working today. I'm working the night shift tonight instead. You'll never believe why I organized the day off whilst Elly is at work. Ah bugger it! I was going to show Elly first because it's a surprise but I really want you to see it."
As Chloe put down her tea cup, she nearly choked on her tea as she suddenly noticed two guys, dressed in workmen's gear, walking from the back of the house into the kitchen, "Who are you?"
"We're going for a lunch break, Mark, we'll be back in half hour," one of the guys non-explained.
Mark jogged over to the front door to let the guys out of the house, then turned back to Chloe, "Follow me."
Chloe hesitated for a moment but then gave in when she watched on as Mark resumed his moon walking from the entrance to the back of the house and followed him.
Mark gestured happily to Chloe as he stood outside the closed door to the room that was previously Aaron and David's bedroom, "C'mon, Chlo, get over here."
"Okay," Chloe agreed then knowing she couldn't put off the entire reason she was there, "Mark, I did actually come here because I have to talk to you about something that is really important. Once I've seen whatever it is here, can we sit down and have a chat?"
Mark smiled, "Absolutely, Chloe. I'm here for whatever you need but for now forget about whatever it is you want to chat about and check this out!"
Chloe's face immediately dropped as Mark opened the bedroom door, "It's..."
"Baby Brennan's nursery!" Mark exclaimed unable to hide his excitement.
"Wow...it's..." Chloe couldn't finish her thoughts as she stared around the room.
"I know, right?" Mark grinned from ear to ear, "How great is it?"
Chloe couldn't speak, the guilt of knowing there was no 'Baby Brennan' as the baby wasn't Mark's cut her deeply.
"The guys and I have only been working on the room for a few hours and already it's transforming," Mark started explaining, then pointing around the room, "We've cleared out all the furniture Aaron and David left behind, the bed etc. When Elly was at work yesterday, I went to the shops to pick up the baby's crib and all the other items that I had ordered and left them all in here thinking Elly wouldn't have reason to check the room. I'm putting the crib together whilst the guys I hired are helping by building some one-of-a-kind cabinetries that will be built into the walls. They'll come back in a few days to actually install the cabinetry into the walls. We're painting the room with a fresh coat of paint when they get back from lunch. I was really unsure about painting the room a neutral colour without speaking to Elly first about it because you know we're not going to find out the gender until our baby is born...but what the hell if she's not happy with the colour, we'll repaint it. No big deal. I've even gone out and bought a chair for Elly or I to sit in to spend time with our baby. Chlo, I've even started buying baby toys and books for us to read our baby to sleep to."
"Wow," was all Chloe could utter.
"I know there's so much more for us to buy, especially for Elly to help with breastfeeding etc but I wanted to surprise her and get the nursery at least partially set up for her today to surprise her nice and early before the baby arrives. The paint won't be dry by the time I pick Elly up from work and not everything will be in place properly but I'm putting it together with the guys' help to look as done as it possibly can be within half a day," Mark stated beyond ecstatically, "Geez, Chlo, be a little bit excited! I've never seen you this star struck before."
"Sorry, I'm just...stunned...it's amazing Mark...your...baby will love it," Chloe stammered out, the guilt of all of Elly's secrets weighing down on her like a tonne of bricks.
How could Chloe possibly tell Mark the truth about everything now and destroy him even more knowing he had made such an effort to build an entire baby's nursery for a child that wasn't his?
After everything they had been through the past five months, Mark had finally forgiven her for sleeping with Elly.
Could Chloe possibly tear her family apart once more even though she knew there was no possible way Elly could get through the term of her pregnancy without Mark learning the truth?
Mark grinned down at his little sister, "What about Elly? Do you reckon she'll be absolutely stoked by the baby's nursery?"
Chloe bit her tongue at the thought of how much guilt Elly was going to feel, "She'll...love it. It's great, Mark. Elly's lucky to have you. You'll be a great...father...to this baby."
Mark couldn't wipe the smile off his face, "I'm just so happy! My wife is having a baby! You and I are going to fix things between us! My life is finally perfect! As long as the baby is born happy and healthy in 4 1/2 months' time...nothing is standing in my way of ruining this for me."
Chloe clasped her hands together, not believing that Mark couldn't be further from the truth as every word he said was like a stab to the heart.
Mark gazed around the room again, "Alright we'd better get out of here before I stand here gushing about every little thing I bought for the baby. Let's get back to our tea."
Chloe sighed gently as she walked behind Mark back to the kitchen and watched on as continued bopping his head along to a beat.
As soon as they entered the kitchen and picked up their tea cups, Mark looked at Chloe, "Enough about me and the baby nursery. What did you come here to talk to me about?"
Chloe paused, struggling to speak for a moment, unsure what to say before blurting out, "Elly had a tiny meltdown before the appointment with the doctor and I went into the appointment with her. I feel really guilty because I took your place."
Mark shrugged, "That's okay. I'm glad Elly wasn't alone. Why the guilt, Chloe?"
Chloe tilted her head, "Because everything...I was in there for...you should've been. I feel like I stole your moments."
"Did the doctor do another ultrasound? Please tell me there's a new photo and Elly filmed the doctor performing the ultrasound on her phone for me," Mark asked giddily.
Chloe shook her head, lying as convincingly as she could, "No...there was no ultrasound. I was just...answering some of the doctor's questions that you should've answered. Um...the doctor did do a few small checks on Elly's heart rate, blood pressure, and on Elly's belly but no ultrasound and well while Elly was lying on the table, she asked me to...she took my hand and I was standing there next to her through it all. After the checks...and the doctor was recording some results...I...uh...placed my hand on Elly's belly over the baby and...I got caught up in the moment...and kissed Elly on the cheek. I think the doctor probably thinks we were acting like a couple...my fault...of course. I shouldn't have let myself get that close to Elly like that. I should not have stolen those moments with her that belonged to you. I am so sorry, Mark."
Mark reached out and unexpectedly pulled Chloe into a hug, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad you were there for Elly when she needed it. I know what you had with Elly is over. I'll get my moments with Elly and the baby at the next ultrasound. Thanks for telling me, you're the best, Chlo."
A few minutes later, Chloe had walked back to her house, glad none of the boys were home. The guilt of been unable to tell Mark the truth about the baby and the ultrasound on his fridge nearly destroyed her especially because she knew he was going to find out sooner or later.
Mark was going to utterly destroyed by the revelations but after learning that he was working on building a nursery for Elly's baby, she needed more time to work out how to break the news to him.
Should she call Aaron? Should the two of them approach Mark together? Should she call her mum and tell her to get a flight back to town in the next day or two, inform Fay and Aaron of the truth, and then the three of them sit down with Mark to tell him the truth? Should she give Elly the chance to come forward? Should she be there with the pair of them? Should she inform Fay and Aaron, round up the entire family along with Elly for the four of them to have the conversation with Mark so he would have the support of his family there for him and it would hopefully limit the fallout on Elly not been alone with him when the truth was revealed?
Chloe's head was spinning.
Even though she didn't think Elly would answer, seeing as though she was at school, Chloe called her.
Elly was in the classroom with her year 12 students, completely in a daze. Every lesson plan she'd done for her classes that afternoon went out the window after the events of the morning. Instead she'd gotten all her students to spend their class reading chapters of the literature books they were studying rather than making them do that in their own time.
Elly's head was spinning.
Had Chloe found Mark? Did he know the truth that the baby wasn't his? Did he hate her for using and destroying Caitlyn's ultrasound to further her lies to him? Did she really kiss Chloe after the ultrasound? With the mess of her life surrounding her and about to come crashing down, was now the best time to be dealing with the fact that she was falling for Chloe?
Elly's phone rang. It was on silent but she spotted it on the desk and saw Chloe's name on the screen. Even though she knew she shouldn't, she grabbed her phone and stood up to exit the class to take the call.
"Uh Mrs. B, pretty sure answering your phone during class is not setting a good example," Dean called out, happy to call out his teacher for breaking rules.
"It's none of your business, Dean, get back to your reading," Elly couldn't stop snapping at her pain of a student.
As soon as she was out of the classroom and had shut the door behind her, Elly answered the phone, "Chloe?"
"I couldn't tell Mark," Chloe whispered.
Elly breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."
Chloe sighed, "Don't thank me yet, Mark still needs to know the truth. Uh...Mark swapped his shifts and is working from 10pm all night. Can I come over to discuss with you how we're going to tell him?"
"Of course," Elly agreed, "Thank you for giving me a chance to tell him properly. I'll see you tonight. I'll text you when Mark has left."
"Good," Chloe replied, chewing on her lip, "Elly...before you go...Mark is gonna have a surprise for you when he picks you up from work and takes you home...I can't tell you what...it's not right for me to...but I..."
"Go on, Chloe," Elly encouraged.
"Prepare yourself to feel a world of guilt, okay...it's one of the reasons why I couldn't tell him," Chloe admitted.
Elly nodded, "Thanks for letting me know what you can, I understand. Thanks, Chloe, for everything. I mean that."
"See you tonight, Elly," Chloe whispered as she hung up the phone.
After everything I don't know how Mark will cope when he learns the truth, Chloe thought.
After everything Chloe's still looking out for me...I really am falling for her, Elly thought.