Thanks for the reviews Kelly & EC Brenway!
Kelly - Chloe made the right call telling Mark all! Let's hope she can win Elly back!
EC - pierce killed off or locked up forever...check - but which one could it be...? Poor Elly probably deserves the anxiousness you have been away longer than planned!
The Chemistry In Darkness
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Wednesday 26th February 2025
Nearly two hours later, Hetty had sped her old vintage car along the highways and streets from Geelong through to the coast of Victoria, headed towards the shore that was as close to Pierce's Island as possible. Chloe tried desperately not to hold on for dear life.
Chloe hadn't had the courage to tell Hetty that she was pregnant yet. Still the only people who knew was herself, her doctor, Elly and now Pierce.
Chloe was positive Pierce would've lapped up her letter she left him, she felt bad for giving him hope to the one thing he wanted for years before tearing it away from him with several words.
But it was like Chloe's eyes were finally open now. She could see the things Pierce had been doing to her for years. She'd seen them before, she wasn't completely blind, but seeing the truth that her husband was very likely drugging her with fertility medication for years to get her pregnant had sent her over the edge.
Chloe should've done so months ago when she realized that her own husband might've assaulted her whilst unconscious but the trauma in processing what she knew deep down he had done, had left her trying to simply refuse he could've done such a thing.
Now, Chloe was ready to let the truth be known, as it felt like her only way to escape her life with him. She realized that all her fears and insecurity about what Pierce had done to her must have been the reason why she'd spent weeks fearing that she was pregnant to him. The stress had caused her symptoms of believing she was pregnant but instead she hadn't been.
The only good thing to have come out of Chloe's stress and trauma, was the distraction that Elly and Aster had provided her with during the month they had returned to Erinsborough. Though she tried to fight it at the time because she hadn't wanted to be that person whom cheated on her husband, it had become impossible to fight it. Because what she had with Elly was indescribable.
And now that indescribability had put a smile on Chloe's face, one she didn't think she could ever wear again.
Because she had left her husband, with the truth of his behaviour set to reveal what he was really like and along with making it somewhat hard to find out where she gone to, Chloe hoped she had garnered herself at least a day or two's head start to find out if Elly had indeed gone to the Island. If she managed to find Elly on the Island, Chloe wondered if it was at all possible that Pierce might never find her.
The smile of her lips curled wider as she tried to imagine the look on Elly's face when she told her, whilst she was still waiting for a paternity test, she was positive the baby she was definitely carrying now, was Elly's.
As impossible as that was.
As Chloe realized they were nearing the shore up by the closest place you could boat out to the Island, Chloe wondered how she was even going to get to the Island. She'd been so focused on if she would find Elly was on the Island, she had barely even thought about the logistics of getting across the ocean.
The couple times that Pierce and I went out to the Island…first for our holiday with our friends and family before the Island caught on fire…then the trips to see if the Island could be salvaged before Pierce couldn't be bothered by it anymore…Pierce had booked us a full-sized yacht to get us over there. It's closing in on 5pm…I never even thought that dragging myself all across the city all day long to make it hard for anyone to realize where I've gone would mean I would arrive here so late…what if I can't make it over to the Island tonight? Where do I stay? Do I ask Hetty to take me somewhere safe and come back tomorrow?
As Chloe realized Hetty was slowing down her car, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw across the road from the shore was a boat shop that had a sign out the front hiring dinghies and a café next door to it.
Perfect, I can get something to eat since I don't know if I'll be able to find food on the Island…especially if Elly isn't there and I didn't think to bring any food with me…then hire a dingy. It'll take me hours to oar this thing across to the Island…but I'm determined to do so for Elly…and our baby…
Hetty soon parked her car and turned to Chloe, "Are you sure about me leaving you here to get across to the Island on your own?"
Chloe shrugged, pointing to the boat shop, "Don't worry about me. I will get over there come hell or high water…I believe in winning Elly back and being a part of Aster's life. And if all that is between re-uniting with the pair of them for us to be a family is a couple hours of oaring across water…I'll be on the Island before you know it."
Taking Chloe's determination for belief that her friend would be capable of getting across to the Island, Hetty asked, "Do you want me to stay here until I know you should be over there?"
Chloe tilted her head to the café, "I'm going to get food first since I don't have any. I'll ask the boat shop for an emergency kit so I can call back to the Coast Guard in case I get into any trouble. I promise you, Hetty, I'm getting to the Island tonight no matter what so I can be back with Elly where I should've been months ago."
"Okay," Hetty agreed, "Make sure you give them my number for any emergencies," then when Chloe went to get out of the car, "Chloe, go win back the love of your life, we both know that's who Elly is to you."
Chloe smiled wildly at the thought that Elly was the love of her life, then bid Hetty farewell and watched her drive off into the distance.
I'm all alone now…I hope to everything that I'm right and Elly's on the Island otherwise this could be the worst decision of my life…oaring out there when the sun is setting…I'll sleep on the beach…oar back in the morning and have no idea where else I can look for Elly and Aster…without a phone to help me either…please be right…
Chloe went straight to the boat shop, worrying if they would be closing at 5pm and she would be out of luck hiring a dingy this late let alone that she wouldn't be able to take it out to the water at night.
Chloe was in luck that the boat shop was open and said they could get all the gear she would need, including a life jacket, within half an hour. Chloe paid the dingy hire, including a hefty deposit with the promise to bring the dingy back the following evening or she'd lose the money. Chloe paid cash, honestly feeling happy to lose the whole lot if she found Elly on the Island and never returned the dingy.
Chloe lied her way through the boat shop attendant's question that she was hiring the dingy to use the following morning and wouldn't be going out on the water after the sun had set. When he explained the dingy would be ready for her in half an hour, Chloe told him she would be at the café next door and come back to collect all her gear for the dingy that was moored out on a small jetty, having been pointed out to her which one she was renting.
As she walked into the café, Chloe began panicking internally that she was in the completely wrong place, Elly and Aster weren't anywhere near the Island and she would be struggling to find her way home, or to Aaron and Mark's, the following morning, defeated and heartbroken.
Walking over to the counter, Chloe deemed she wouldn't be completely helpless as she knew she could borrow a phone or find another pay phone to call Hetty or one of her brothers to come rescue her.
And then have to start from scratch in searching for Elly and Aster to bring them home to me and our baby…
As Chloe sat at the counter, picking up a menu, she tilted her head and frowned.
The chick at the other end of the counter in the café uniform, the cap on her head, mug of hot warm drink in her hand, her nose in a book…is that two women staring lovingly at each other on the cover...? Forget that, she looks familiar…she looks like…
"Lexa, customer, can you go and serve her?" a voice from the kitchen shouted, Chloe seeing the guy from where she was sitting.
Lexa twisted her wrist around to glance at her watch, "I still have 2 minutes until my break is over. Can you serve?"
"Lexa?" Chloe asked in confusion at finding Elly's friend at this random café.
"Yeah, I…" Lexa looked over at the customer calling her name, trailing off as she realized it was Chloe, then glanced back at the guy in the kitchen, "Never mind, I'll serve and we can close up two minutes early tonight."
Before Chloe could react, Lexa shut her book, shoved it under the counter and was standing opposite Chloe within seconds.
Right…werewolf…they really move quick…
"Chloe," Lexa greeted Elly's mate, shocked to see her, "What brings you here to a random café? Just after some food?"
"I'm looking for Elly," Chloe answered honestly, "I came to find her…I thought she might be out on the Island…I'm going over there tonight with the dingy I just hired…unless I'm in the wrong place…or you being here makes me feel like I am in the right place…am I?"
Lexa eyed Chloe suspiciously, unable to forget about how heartbroken Elly had been the past few months without the blonde and how hard it had been watching her friend pine for her mate alone.
Chloe swallowed hard, knowing Lexa would've been told everything that had happened between her and Elly during their time together, "I made a mistake when I didn't choose Elly and Aster…I didn't know what I know now…I know I hurt her and I probably don't deserve a second chance with Elly…but I promise you, Elly and I need to talk, and if she's on the Island I'm going to find her…with or without your help."
Lexa couldn't help but smile softly, "Elly's on the Island. We all are. We've been living on the Island for months now. I'll help you get over there…but I swear if you hurt her…I will take you so far away from the Island you will never be able to find it again."
Chloe thought for a moment, knowing that she would always know where the Island was. But she knew what Lexa meant was that she'd never be welcome there again. And it wasn't like she could reveal their location to anyone to get a bunch of werewolves removed from her Island, as then Elly and Aster would disappear all over again.
I only need five minutes with Elly, to tell her I left Pierce, that we're having a baby together, that I'm so sorry for not choosing her when I thought the baby was Pierce's and that I want to spend my life with her, Aster and our baby…and if Elly still doesn't want to be with me after that…I'll raise our maybe werewolf baby all on my own…never able to stop wishing Elly can take me back…
"Acceptable threat," Chloe deemed, "Will you take me to her?"
"I will but I assume you still want to have something to eat before you reunite with Elly and Aster?" Lexa decided.
"Kinda hungry, yeah," Chloe admitted, before telling Lexa what food she wanted to order.
When Lexa took her order to the kitchen, Chloe raised her eyebrow when the tattooed brunette, stood back opposite her on the other side of the counter, "Why do you work here? Guess I never pictured a…werewolf…working at a café. Elly told me you were an MMA fighter."
Lexa raised her eyebrow at Chloe calling her a 'werewolf,' she knew Elly had told her mate the truth about them all but it was still weird knowing there was an outsider to their Pack who had the knowledge that could hurt them one day, and needed to trust Elly was right in saying Chloe never would.
"I got bored over on the Island. I come back to the main land for my fights but that was only once or twice a week. Then I stopped by this café one time after I won one of my fights and…I tell you the hot chocolate they make here…became an addiction for me. I was boating over every damn day with my girl to enjoy it. Eventually I asked them to show me how they make them…and they gave me an apron and put me to work before they showed me their secrets. Then I just never stopped coming in for a shift here every day. I don't need the money but I needed a distraction to keep me busy while the rest of The Pack have their own things to do," Lexa shrugged, before asking Chloe, "You already hired a dingy?"
Chloe nodded, "If you can get me over to the Island tonight, I can try to get my money back."
Lexa grimaced, "The guy at the boat shop is a hard ass. We'll take your dingy. Mine can stay here moored on the jetty. I'll bring yours back in the morning, then use mine tomorrow evening."
"Okay," Chloe agreed, secretly hoping that she herself wouldn't need to return with the dingy in the morning with Lexa and that she'd be reunited with Elly and Aster, whom would allow her to stay with them for their first day as a family together.
"Do you want me to call Elly to let her know you're on your way to win her back?" Lexa wondered.
Chloe licked her lips, deciding, "No, I don't want Elly to know, please don't tell her…I think it's better off if I surprise her."
"I think you're right," Lexa smiled knowingly.
Next time - How does Chloe's trip over to the Island go? Will she reunite with Elly at last?