Chapter 21- So Many Doubts
"Mmm…" Chloe said pulling back from the kiss.
Lex tried to smile, but it came out more of a smirk. "Taste good?"
"Mmm-hmm," Chloe answered.
Lex looked into her eyes.
"Did your father have much of an effect on you this time?" she asked licking her lips.
"Yes, and no," Lex replied. He wasn't sure which parts of the encounter with his father upset him the most.
"What did he want?" Chloe asked.
"It doesn't matter," Lex replied.
"Tell me," Chloe pressed.
"It doesn't matter," Lex repeated.
"Why don't you want to tell me?" Chloe asked, a little hurt by Lex's avoidance.
"Chloe, I said it doesn't matter," Lex snapped.
Chloe winced slightly. "I guess he did upset you."
"Chlo, I-"
Chloe cut him off. "No, you're right. It's none of my business."
The tension grew as the couple changed the subject.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's on your mind?" Lana asked Clark.
"Things," Clark replied vaguely.
"Chloe things?" Lana asked knowingly.
"Actually, Chloe and Lex things," Clark replied, not quite hiding the jealousy in his voice.
Lana nodded. "Want to share?"
"It's just that she's been hurt so much in the past. When Lex hurt her emotionally as well as physically a week and a half ago…I'm just worried about what might happen tonight," Clark explained.
"Because it's the first time they've been together since the party?" Lana clarified.
Clark nodded.
"Do you trust Lex?" Lana asked.
"He's my best friend," Clark replied.
"Do you trust Lex?" Lana pressed.
"I do, but at the same time I don't. I mean, I totally trusted him until he hurt Chloe. When he did that, some of the trust went away," Clark explained.
"So, you trust Lex, but not totally when it comes to Chloe," Lana clarified again.
"Right," Clark replied.
"Do you trust Chloe?"
"She's my best friend. I trust her in everything she does."
"But?" Lana asked knowing there was something else.
"But sometimes she can get too wrapped up in things and people can take advantage of her," Clark replied.
"Do you think Lex will take advantage of her?"
"I'm just afraid that Chloe will get so swept up into Lex that he will have too much power over her."
"You mean the power to hurt her, and make her still like him?" Lana asked.
"Exactly."
"Do you think that Lex would want to take advantage of Chloe and hurt her?"
Clark tried to find the right words. "I think that deep down he really wouldn't, but sometimes when he realizes he has that power over people it goes to his head-" Clark started.
"And he gets carried away. He doesn't realize what he's doing or how it's hurting himself or others," Lana finished for him.
"She really likes him, and I don't want her to get hurt again."
"Again?"
"Well, the last three guys she liked ended badly. There was Sean and Justin, and you know how that turned out. And the third…" Clark said trailing off.
"Was you," Lana finished sadly.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lex and Chloe had spent the last hour talking about Clark and Lana. All the conversation had accomplished was the make the rift between them even bigger.
"It's time to go," Lex said.
Chloe thought she heard a hint of sadness in his voice, but brushed it off. "Okay."
Lex helped Chloe into her coat and silently led her to his Astin Martin. He opened the door for her, then crossed to his side of the vehicle.
When Lex climbed in, Chloe put one hand on his arm. She felt him visibly stiffen at her touch, but chose to ignore it. She knew that Lex was feeling insecure, but she wasn't sure how to address it.
Chloe was not good at psychoanalyzing Lex. No one was good at psychoanalyzing any Luthor for that matter. She knew that something was wrong, and had a pretty good idea that it had to do with herself and Clark.
Chloe's first nightmare came back to her as she thought about herself, Lex, and Clark.
"Does your stomach hurt?" Lex asked noticing Chloe's hand pressed to her abdomen.
"What? Oh. No," Chloe said, laying her hand into her lap.
When Lex shifted the car into gear Chloe removed her hand. She sighed almost sadly as they sped off. She would have to wait until she was alone to think about how she truly felt about Clark and Lex.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lana wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or scream on the ride to Clark's house. From the way that Clark talked about Chloe, Lana could tell that he still loved the blond. Lana knew they were best friends, but that was beside the point.
Lana wasn't stupid. She knew that Clark and Chloe were very, very close to each other. As Clark's best friend, she would always have a special place reserved for her in Clark's heart. A place that Lana could never hope to occupy.
Lana could have accepted this if it didn't know how the best friends had felt about one another. Chloe and Clark had been in love with one another. Bad timing aside, they had fallen in love with each other. Chloe only moved on when she thought Clark wasn't emotionally available. Lana wasn't sure if Clark had ever moved on.
When Clark took Lana's hand, she stiffened.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lex couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice when he told Chloe it was time to meet up with Lana and Clark. It didn't matter anyway, Chloe would just think he was sad because they wouldn't be alone for much longer.
As Lex helped Chloe into her coat he put up his defenses. He wiped all emotion from his face, almost replacing his personality with the one he used for business.
Lex was tired of being second best. He knew that Chloe still cared for Clark. If it was true, then Lex could never hope to have her fully to himself. It wasn't that he was selfish, he just didn't want to share Chloe with anyone. That had happened with Victoria, and he wouldn't let it happen again.
Lex didn't like to be played the fool. It had happened once too often and he'd be damned if he let it happen again.
Lex threw the car into gear and sped toward the Kent Farm. He only felt himself relax when Chloe moved her petite hand.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Clark didn't notice the under current of tension between him and Lana. All he was concerned about was getting home so he, Lana, Chloe, and Lex could watch a movie and have some fun.
Clark knew that there was something wrong with Lana, but he wasn't quite sure what. People frequently called him dense, and for good reason. Soon, his thoughts drifted away from Lana and onto the intrepid reporter. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened recently. It shocked him to think of how many times he had almost lost her in just the past few months. First, with the kidnapping, then the car accident, and to pop it all off was Lex's brush-off.
Clark glanced at Lana. After another glance he took her hand. When he did, Clark thought he felt Lana stiffen a little. He just pushed the thought aside and continued the journey home.
"Mmm…" Chloe said pulling back from the kiss.
Lex tried to smile, but it came out more of a smirk. "Taste good?"
"Mmm-hmm," Chloe answered.
Lex looked into her eyes.
"Did your father have much of an effect on you this time?" she asked licking her lips.
"Yes, and no," Lex replied. He wasn't sure which parts of the encounter with his father upset him the most.
"What did he want?" Chloe asked.
"It doesn't matter," Lex replied.
"Tell me," Chloe pressed.
"It doesn't matter," Lex repeated.
"Why don't you want to tell me?" Chloe asked, a little hurt by Lex's avoidance.
"Chloe, I said it doesn't matter," Lex snapped.
Chloe winced slightly. "I guess he did upset you."
"Chlo, I-"
Chloe cut him off. "No, you're right. It's none of my business."
The tension grew as the couple changed the subject.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's on your mind?" Lana asked Clark.
"Things," Clark replied vaguely.
"Chloe things?" Lana asked knowingly.
"Actually, Chloe and Lex things," Clark replied, not quite hiding the jealousy in his voice.
Lana nodded. "Want to share?"
"It's just that she's been hurt so much in the past. When Lex hurt her emotionally as well as physically a week and a half ago…I'm just worried about what might happen tonight," Clark explained.
"Because it's the first time they've been together since the party?" Lana clarified.
Clark nodded.
"Do you trust Lex?" Lana asked.
"He's my best friend," Clark replied.
"Do you trust Lex?" Lana pressed.
"I do, but at the same time I don't. I mean, I totally trusted him until he hurt Chloe. When he did that, some of the trust went away," Clark explained.
"So, you trust Lex, but not totally when it comes to Chloe," Lana clarified again.
"Right," Clark replied.
"Do you trust Chloe?"
"She's my best friend. I trust her in everything she does."
"But?" Lana asked knowing there was something else.
"But sometimes she can get too wrapped up in things and people can take advantage of her," Clark replied.
"Do you think Lex will take advantage of her?"
"I'm just afraid that Chloe will get so swept up into Lex that he will have too much power over her."
"You mean the power to hurt her, and make her still like him?" Lana asked.
"Exactly."
"Do you think that Lex would want to take advantage of Chloe and hurt her?"
Clark tried to find the right words. "I think that deep down he really wouldn't, but sometimes when he realizes he has that power over people it goes to his head-" Clark started.
"And he gets carried away. He doesn't realize what he's doing or how it's hurting himself or others," Lana finished for him.
"She really likes him, and I don't want her to get hurt again."
"Again?"
"Well, the last three guys she liked ended badly. There was Sean and Justin, and you know how that turned out. And the third…" Clark said trailing off.
"Was you," Lana finished sadly.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lex and Chloe had spent the last hour talking about Clark and Lana. All the conversation had accomplished was the make the rift between them even bigger.
"It's time to go," Lex said.
Chloe thought she heard a hint of sadness in his voice, but brushed it off. "Okay."
Lex helped Chloe into her coat and silently led her to his Astin Martin. He opened the door for her, then crossed to his side of the vehicle.
When Lex climbed in, Chloe put one hand on his arm. She felt him visibly stiffen at her touch, but chose to ignore it. She knew that Lex was feeling insecure, but she wasn't sure how to address it.
Chloe was not good at psychoanalyzing Lex. No one was good at psychoanalyzing any Luthor for that matter. She knew that something was wrong, and had a pretty good idea that it had to do with herself and Clark.
Chloe's first nightmare came back to her as she thought about herself, Lex, and Clark.
"Does your stomach hurt?" Lex asked noticing Chloe's hand pressed to her abdomen.
"What? Oh. No," Chloe said, laying her hand into her lap.
When Lex shifted the car into gear Chloe removed her hand. She sighed almost sadly as they sped off. She would have to wait until she was alone to think about how she truly felt about Clark and Lex.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lana wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or scream on the ride to Clark's house. From the way that Clark talked about Chloe, Lana could tell that he still loved the blond. Lana knew they were best friends, but that was beside the point.
Lana wasn't stupid. She knew that Clark and Chloe were very, very close to each other. As Clark's best friend, she would always have a special place reserved for her in Clark's heart. A place that Lana could never hope to occupy.
Lana could have accepted this if it didn't know how the best friends had felt about one another. Chloe and Clark had been in love with one another. Bad timing aside, they had fallen in love with each other. Chloe only moved on when she thought Clark wasn't emotionally available. Lana wasn't sure if Clark had ever moved on.
When Clark took Lana's hand, she stiffened.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lex couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice when he told Chloe it was time to meet up with Lana and Clark. It didn't matter anyway, Chloe would just think he was sad because they wouldn't be alone for much longer.
As Lex helped Chloe into her coat he put up his defenses. He wiped all emotion from his face, almost replacing his personality with the one he used for business.
Lex was tired of being second best. He knew that Chloe still cared for Clark. If it was true, then Lex could never hope to have her fully to himself. It wasn't that he was selfish, he just didn't want to share Chloe with anyone. That had happened with Victoria, and he wouldn't let it happen again.
Lex didn't like to be played the fool. It had happened once too often and he'd be damned if he let it happen again.
Lex threw the car into gear and sped toward the Kent Farm. He only felt himself relax when Chloe moved her petite hand.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Clark didn't notice the under current of tension between him and Lana. All he was concerned about was getting home so he, Lana, Chloe, and Lex could watch a movie and have some fun.
Clark knew that there was something wrong with Lana, but he wasn't quite sure what. People frequently called him dense, and for good reason. Soon, his thoughts drifted away from Lana and onto the intrepid reporter. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened recently. It shocked him to think of how many times he had almost lost her in just the past few months. First, with the kidnapping, then the car accident, and to pop it all off was Lex's brush-off.
Clark glanced at Lana. After another glance he took her hand. When he did, Clark thought he felt Lana stiffen a little. He just pushed the thought aside and continued the journey home.