Chapter Thirty-Four

Wednesday 25th December – 7.15pm

"What's going on here?" Aaron asked Chloe a little bit more relaxed than the blonde expected having overheard her talking to the infant she held in her arms.

Chloe turned to her brother as they both stood there in the entryway of the Kennedy's house, "Aaron...hey...I was...just on my way home...any minute now I promise. I just got tied up."

"Yeah I can see that," Aaron replied quietly.

"You and David met Elliot at the hospital yesterday, didn't you?" Chloe asked gently.

"Only for a moment, yes. We didn't want to crowd Elly and take up too much of her time," Aaron reminded Chloe as he reached out and softly ran his hand down the infant's back, "He was sleeping then too so we didn't really get to meet him properly."

"It's a pity that he's napping right now then cause Elliot needs a proper introduction to his Uncle Aaron," Chloe said quietly.

"'Uncle Aaron'?" Aaron repeated, "What's going on, Chlo? Where's Elly?"

Chloe shrugged, trying to sound casual, "Maybe one day you'll be...Uncle Aaron. What are you doing over here, Aaron? I was on my way home for Christmas dinner. I'm just holding onto Elliot for a handful of minutes so Elly can take a shower. She'll be back in a moment and then I can meet you over there."

"Chlo, I'm not here to hassle you over why you haven't turned up for dinner yet. I'm here because you forgot something this morning," Aaron told her.

Chloe frowned, "I don't think I forgot anything. Was I supposed to pick up something for Christmas dinner?"

Aaron shook his head then off Chloe's blank look, hinted, "It's moody, kind of a brat and wears too much cologne."

"Huh?" Chloe asked in confusion.

Aaron sighed, "Hendrix."

"What do you mean I forgo-?" Chloe started to ask before opening her mouth wildly, "Oh no!"

"Oh yes...Hendrix...you forgot him," Aaron informed Chloe.

"Please tell me that Hendrix is sitting down to dinner with Lisa and Alana in Sydney right now," Chloe pleaded.

"Can't do that...but I can tell you Hendrix is at home with David...he's going to join us for Christmas dinner," Aaron explained before pushing his sister, "How could you forget about him, Chlo? You were meant to take him to the airport to catch his flight this morning. Hendrix is really upset that you just forgot all about him. I mean yeah he could've spoken up, asked anyone else to drive him to the airport or caught an uber but he decided to be stubborn and didn't want to go to Sydney to see Lisa and Alana so he didn't. What the hell happened this morning?"

Chloe felt Elliot shift against her chest and began rocking the infant softly to try and get him to go back to sleep before he woke up crying, "Firstly, Azza, language. Don't use the word...H. E. L. L. in front of the peanut," Chloe surprised Aaron by spelling the word out before admitting, "I forgot...I didn't mean to. I got distracted messaging Elly back and forth about picking her and the peanut up from the hospital and I just...forgot. Did Hendrix turn up at our place looking for me?"

"No, Chlo, I got a call from Mark that Hendrix didn't make it to Sydney," Aaron half-explained, narrowing his eyes as he watched his sister trying to re-settle the infant in her arms, having never imagined Chloe to ever have a baby in her arms.

"Mark? How did Mark find out Hendrix didn't go to Sydney? Did Hendrix call him?" Chloe asked in confusion.

"Did you leave your phone at the hospital, Chloe? Pierce has been calling you for hours...most of the afternoon since Lisa called him to tell him Hendrix didn't meet her at the gate for his flight. Hendrix has been ignoring their calls too. Do you have any idea how much stress you've caused Pierce? And Lisa, you don't even want to know the stress you've put her through. She thought her son was missing, Chloe, she was about to report it to the police because Pierce couldn't get a hold of you. You owe them both one hel-big apology," Aaron stumbled when Chloe immediately looked at him with daggers when he was halfway through saying 'hell' again, "Pierce tried me and David but we were busy with the cooking dinner, something we thought you'd offered to help with except you never turned up. Pierce called Mark. When Mark called me, he asked me to go find Hendrix and you. Hendrix was just at Pierce's place, has been all day playing video games, spending Christmas alone because you forgot about him."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Chloe apologized, "I'll make it up to him. And Pierce and Lisa."

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Aaron asked again.

Chloe pressed her lips to the top of Elliot's head, "I was with this guy. My phone woke him from a nap so I turned it on silent without vibrate that could wake him too. I had no idea Pierce had been trying to call me because I messed up big time by not taking Hendrix to the airport. I just thought Pierce was calling to wish me a Merry Christmas...it didn't feel right to answer it when I was with..."

My soon-to-be girlfriend and her infant son...

"I'll call him back as soon as I get back to our place to apologize and explain I wasn't checking my phone all day. Let Pierce know that Hendrix is fine and at ours," Chloe offered.

"There's no need," Aaron sighed, "I called Pierce as soon as I found Hendrix at his place, told him that Hendrix will be at ours for Christmas dinner before you go back to stay with him at Pierce's tonight."

Aaron frowned at Chloe grimacing at his words but didn't ask why, "We'll need to have a chat with Hendrix over dinner to work out if we can book him on a new flight for the morning or if he's better off staying with you at Pierce's for the week until Pierce comes back."

Right...except I don't plan on spending the night at Pierce's ever...again...and I already have this little guy whom I want to look after.

"Right...that's something we can discuss tonight...but I think it'd be for the best we get Hendrix up to Sydney...to spend the rest of the holidays with his family," Chloe agreed vaguely.

"Why'd you lie to me and tell me that you told Pierce about the kidnapping ordeal you went through?" Aaron suddenly asked.

Chloe was caught off guard but cleared her throat, "I didn't mean to lie to you, Azza, I just...I didn't want Pierce to worry about me when I'm fine. He'd have rushed home and I didn't need him to."

Not when I'm working things out with Elly.

"Mark told him thinking that he knew. Pierce was so worried about you when you weren't answering your phone today...more worried about you then about Hendrix because Hendrix pulls stunts like this all the time. He loves you," Aaron reminded Chloe.

"I don't feel the same way about Pierce," Chloe whispered.

Aaron nodded, feeling disappointed but acknowledged he couldn't make Chloe feel the same way as Pierce does, "Were you here all day with Elly and Elliot? Because I don't want to push but I swear when I was standing outside that door you were talking to Elliot about...whether or not he'll love having you in your life...that you don't want to mess things up with his mum...that you don't know what he's going to call you...that you're terrified of falling in love with him even though you have...but you're not sure about raising him with his mum. What's going on, Chlo?"

"I was going to tell you and David tonight," Chloe whispered.

"Tell us what?" Aaron pushed.

"I'm ending my relationship with Pierce as soon as he gets back home next week," Chloe informed him.

"Why do I feel there's a lot more than that?" Aaron asked.

Chloe stared down at the infant who had fallen back asleep against her chest, "I'm giving a relationship between Elly and I a go...and I'm going to be there for the peanut...and maybe one day...I'll be his parent and the three of us will be a family."

Aaron widened his eyes but didn't know how to respond.

"Elly got there, Aaron, with her feelings for me. She got there, she's in love with me, and I'm still in love with her. We're going to be together," Chloe resolved.

"How can you be so sure?" Aaron wondered.

"That's a story for another day or maybe over dinner tonight. It's real, Aaron, Elly's feelings for me are just as strong as mine are for her. I can't pretend that my feelings for Elly ever went away. We love each other and we want to make a relationship work so I'm going to end things with Pierce as soon as he gets back. I'd have ended things with Pierce already if it wasn't for the fact he's on the other side of the world. He deserves a lot more respect than me calling him to tell him," Chloe replied.

"Pierce deserved your respect today by being able to get in contact with you and instead you were setting up your future for yourself with Elly and Elliot," Aaron accused.

"He did and I'm sorry about not answering my phone but I won't apologize for spending my Christmas Day with these two and talking to Elly about how a relationship with the pair of us will work when she has this lil guy to take care of," Chloe decided.

"Have you cheated on Pierce?" Aaron asked swiftly, "I won't lie for you if you have."

Chloe nodded, "I'm not going to lie to you, Aaron, not about this. I am very much cheating on Pierce emotionally with Elly but nothing physical has happened between us. We haven't even kissed yet...okay technically there was one kiss when Elly kissed me whilst we were kidnapped after giving birth to Elliot but I was completely unprepared for her to do that to stop it. But we have not kissed since then, the temptation has been there to, believe me. Elly's...surprisingly affectionate with me...in a cuddling, kissing my cheek or top of my head kinda way. And okay there was a moment earlier this afternoon that Elly was nibbling my neck with kisses before I stopped her and we did...accidentally curl up on the bed and fell asleep together for most of the afternoon. I'm prepared to tell Pierce all this because he deserves the truth. It's emotional cheating...but I won't act on my feelings for Elly until I've broken up with Pierce."

"Are you sure?" Aaron wanted to know.

"Yes, Aaron. I won't let Elly and I start a relationship based on...cheating. Be real, Aaron, Elly only gave birth a few days ago, she is not going to be back in the groove for a physical relationship for months to come and I'm prepared to wait as long as it takes. And just because that wouldn't stop Elly being with me for the same reason...grow up, Elly...and I...are going to be beyond far too tired for anything to get really physical for months to come on account of settling into life with an infant. I can resist Elly wanting to kiss me even though I really want to kiss her. We've set boundaries between us so we won't let anything happen between us before I'm free to be with Elly. I know you may not agree with my decision but it's mine to make and I'm going to be with Elly...I can't not be," Chloe confessed.

"And what about Elliot? Where does he fit in to all this? Because no offence, Chlo, but David and I are ready for children...you've never expressed the slightest interest in having a family. I know you love Elly...or I believe you do...not quite sure I'm ready to believe Elly returns your feelings after the mess she's caused our family," Aaron put his hands up in defense when Chloe was about to interrupt, "It's just how I feel about her. Elly's a great friend but I don't want you throwing away what could be a good relationship because she's decided she might have feelings for you. I don't want to see you getting hurt. I don't want to see you invest in this when there's a baby involved if it'll only lead to you getting hurt."

Chloe ran her hand up and down the infants back, "Aaron, I have thought long and hard about this. All of this. I can promise you Elly's love for me is real. She shows it to me in every word and action she does because she's not afraid anymore. I'm not throwing away what could be a good relationship for Elly, I'm going to end a relationship that will never work because I love Elly and I don't love Pierce. As for this lil man...I am terrified of falling in love with him and being completely useless when it comes to helping Elly with him. But I'm willing to try. I want to help Elly with him...and maybe one day...he'll love me like he'll love Elly."

"That's still a really big decision," Aaron commented.

"And I've made it," Chloe reiterated, "I love Elly, Elly loves me, and the pair of us are willing to do whatever it takes to make this work between us. We know Elliot is a massive part of this. I can't just be dating Elly on the side but I also need to take my time in wrapping my head around having an infant in my life who might one day look up to me like I'm his...mum. Elly and I will be taking our time with a lot of things to do with us being in relationship. Elly and I need to make this work...we'll do what we can to...for our sake as well as the peanuts."

Aaron finally nodded, "It sounds like you're taking a reasonable approach to this...that you've thought it through...and this is really what you want."

"It is, Aaron," Chloe confirmed, "Only there's one more thing-"

"Another bombshell for me, sis?" Aaron panicked.

"Hendrix will either need to go to Sydney tomorrow...or we might need to get him to stay at ours until Pierce gets back home...I'm not staying at Pierce's," Chloe told him.

"I guess that would feel a little...off...to stay in his bed when you know it's over," Aaron realized.

Chloe bit her lip, "Yeah...and also I've...or Elly and I have asked the Kennedy's if I can...sleep on their couch here for the week because I want to start helping Elly now with Elliot. She'll need support. I know she has her family here to help her. Had Shaun still being alive I probably would hold back on wanting to help her or I might not have any place to help Elly like I want to if Shaun was here but he isn't. I don't want to wait because I'm held back due to Pierce been overseas and I can't end it with him until he gets back. Elly and I can't work out how a relationship between us will work when she has to give all her focus and attention to Elliot if I'm not prepared to help her and include him in mine...even if it isn't in a parent way...yet."

"Are you really sure you're prepared for everything that comes with being in a relationship with Elly and having Elliot in your life...in a one day you might be his parent way?" Aaron finally asked.

"I am," Chloe answered confidently.