Chapter 19- The Luthor (Not Lex) Side Of Things
"Lex!" Chloe exclaimed as Lex walked into the flower shop. "Am I glad to see you!"
"What can I do you for?" Lex asked.
"I just ordered this new box of vases, but I can't lift it. Will you put it on the counter?" Chloe asked with a sweet smile.
Lex smiled. "Of course. Anything else?"
"You can keep me company if you really want to," Chloe said opening the box.
"I would love to," Lex replied. "Just let me go get some coffee."
"Ooh, get me some," Chloe said hungrily.
"I'll get you some apple juice," Lex corrected.
Chloe pouted. "Whatever you say, father."
Lex walked next door to the Talon. "Hey, Lan. I need a coffee and an apple juice."
Lana looked around. "Do you have Hannah with you?"
Lex looked confused for a moment. "Oh, no. It's for Chloe. She wanted coffee, but she's supposed to drink lots of water and juice."
Lana nodded. "Gotcha! She keeps trying to sneak in the coffee. She can be pretty sneaky, but don't let her get to you."
Lex laughed. "I won't. Thanks, Lan." Lex walked back into the flower shop to see Chloe concentrating on an arrangement of flowers. "Here you are, Ms. Sullivan."
"Don't get cute with me," Chloe said with a teasing smile.
"I'm cute with everybody," Lex said seriously, causing Chloe to laugh.
"Are you now?" Chloe asked rhetorically.
"What is the lovely Chloe up to after work today?" Lex asked.
Chloe smirked. "I am going home to take a very long, very hot bath to relax my muscles. Then I plan on staying up late, watching movies, and eating lots of chocolate."
"You won't be seeing the great Clark Kent?" Lex asked as if he were hinting at something.
"The great? I don't usually see Clark after work," Chloe said.
"Maybe you should start," Lex suggested.
"I don't think I like where this conversation is headed," Chloe said.
"I'm just saying that I think you should spend more time with Clark," Lex said innocently.
"Why?" Chloe asked.
"He loves you, Chloe. Can't you see that?" Lex asked.
Chloe crossed her arms in an absent-minded effort of protection. "Of course I can see that. That's why I'm trying not to lead him on by doing things that I think nothing about, but that he thinks are signs that I'm in love with him."
"You're not in love with him?" Lex asked sipping his coffee.
"Lex, I spent the last three years hating Clark with a fiery passion. No, I'm not in love with him," Chloe said, becoming upset.
"Clark isn't a bad guy," Lex said, standing up for his friend.
"His priorities just get a little skewed when it comes to his friends," Chloe said, rolling her eyes.
"Past tense, Chloe. They did get skewed," Lex said correcting her.
"Don't correct me. I know what I meant," Chloe replied.
"I know what you meant, too. Aren't you ever going to forgive him? You have been in Smallville for close on seven weeks, and Clark has done everything he can to show you that he's changed. Why won't you accept that?" Lex asked.
"I can't accept it yet, because I spent too long having my heart crushed by him over and over. I'll be ready when I'm ready, and no one can force me to be ready sooner than I can be," Chloe said turning her back.
"I'm just asking you to think about it," Lex said.
Chloe whirled around. "I have thought about it. I don't know if I can ever trust or love Clark again," she said, her eyes tearing. "You can't understand how much it hurts to know that, but it's the truth. I wish I could just forget about it, but I can't. I can't!"
"Don't forget about it, Chloe. Just put it behind you," Lex said adamantly.
"I tried for two years to put it behind me. It's not that simple," Chloe said.
"Yes, it is," Lex replied.
"No, it isn't!" Chloe shouted. "You have no room to talk to me about putting the past behind me. Why don't you put the past behind you? Forget about your mother, forget about Pamela?"
Lex looked crushed. "I can't forget about them. I loved them."
"And they both hurt you by leaving!" Chloe said proving her point. "I loved Clark, and he hurt me by pushing me aside. I can't just forget that, like you can't just forget that your mother and Pamela left you alone to face your father!"
"That was low, Chloe," Lex said, a look of pain flashing across his face. The look was gone before Chloe could decipher it.
"No, it was low coming in here to try and convince me to fall in love with Clark," Chloe said loudly.
"Chloe? What's wrong?" Clark asked walking into the flower shop.
"Lex just came in to try and convince me to be in love with you. Well Lex, it's not going to happen anytime soon, and won't ever happen if you and everyone else doesn't back the hell out of my problems!" Chloe shouted.
"Chloe, calm down," Clark soothed.
"I will not calm down. Did you send him in here?" Chloe asked, her eyes flashing.
"Of course not. I wouldn't do something like that," Clark said, amazed that Chloe would think such a thing.
"Would you?" Chloe asked angrily.
"Lex, can I talk to you next door?" Clark asked, his voice dripping with anger.
Lex held up his hands in a sign of surrender. "I didn't do a thing."
"Like hell you didn't," Chloe said, jerking a vase out of the box and slamming it onto the shelf.
"Lex, now!" Clark said, raising his voice. "In the back," Clark said gesturing toward the room at the back of the Talon.
Lex nodded and followed Clark, while an interested and confused Lana looked on.
"What did you think you were doing? What's wrong with you?" Clark asked.
"I was only looking out for you," Lex said.
"Well, in looking out for me you may have cost me the one thing I want the most," Clark said, trying to control himself.
"Clark, I just want you to have what you want," Lex said.
"You trying to get me what I wanted cost me Chloe in the first place," Clark snapped.
"That's not true," Lex said, becoming angry. "It's not my fault she left!"
Lana figured out what they were talking about and went to the flower shop to talk to Chloe. At first, she thought Chloe wasn't in the store. Then, she saw her sitting at the counter, her head on her arms.
"Chlo?" Lana asked gently.
Chloe lifted her head, her eyes red and wet.
"What happened?" Lana asked.
"I don't want to talk about it," Chloe said, wiping her cheeks.
"Are you okay?" Lana asked.
"Lana, I really don't want to talk about it," Chloe said sternly as Lex came in. "Get the hell out, Luthor!"
"Chloe, I'm sorry," Lex said.
"You're only saying that because Clark told you to," Chloe said.
"Yes and no. I truly am sorry, but I meant what I said," Lex replied walking a step closer. "Can you forgive me?"
"I'm not in a forgiving mood," Chloe said.
Lana placed a hand on Chloe's back. "Lex, you better leave."
Lex nodded and left.
"Chloe, I didn't tell him to do that," Clark said timidly walking into the shop.
"I know, Clark, and I didn't mean to yell at you," Chloe replied.
"Did you mean what you said?" Clark asked, hoping she'd say no.
Chloe nodded. "Yes, I did."
"I see," Clark said sadly. "I have to go."
"What did you say?" Lana asked as Clark left.
"That I won't fall in love with Clark any time soon and that it won't ever happen if everyone won't back out of my problems," Chloe said.
"Oh, Chloe," Lana said, staring after Clark.
"I meant it Lana, I just didn't mean to yell it at Lex with Clark standing here," Chloe replied.
Lana nodded. "I have to get back to work." When she got back to the Talon Lana picked up the phone. "Hey, Pete. You better go talk to Clark," she said before explaining the prior events.
"Lex!" Chloe exclaimed as Lex walked into the flower shop. "Am I glad to see you!"
"What can I do you for?" Lex asked.
"I just ordered this new box of vases, but I can't lift it. Will you put it on the counter?" Chloe asked with a sweet smile.
Lex smiled. "Of course. Anything else?"
"You can keep me company if you really want to," Chloe said opening the box.
"I would love to," Lex replied. "Just let me go get some coffee."
"Ooh, get me some," Chloe said hungrily.
"I'll get you some apple juice," Lex corrected.
Chloe pouted. "Whatever you say, father."
Lex walked next door to the Talon. "Hey, Lan. I need a coffee and an apple juice."
Lana looked around. "Do you have Hannah with you?"
Lex looked confused for a moment. "Oh, no. It's for Chloe. She wanted coffee, but she's supposed to drink lots of water and juice."
Lana nodded. "Gotcha! She keeps trying to sneak in the coffee. She can be pretty sneaky, but don't let her get to you."
Lex laughed. "I won't. Thanks, Lan." Lex walked back into the flower shop to see Chloe concentrating on an arrangement of flowers. "Here you are, Ms. Sullivan."
"Don't get cute with me," Chloe said with a teasing smile.
"I'm cute with everybody," Lex said seriously, causing Chloe to laugh.
"Are you now?" Chloe asked rhetorically.
"What is the lovely Chloe up to after work today?" Lex asked.
Chloe smirked. "I am going home to take a very long, very hot bath to relax my muscles. Then I plan on staying up late, watching movies, and eating lots of chocolate."
"You won't be seeing the great Clark Kent?" Lex asked as if he were hinting at something.
"The great? I don't usually see Clark after work," Chloe said.
"Maybe you should start," Lex suggested.
"I don't think I like where this conversation is headed," Chloe said.
"I'm just saying that I think you should spend more time with Clark," Lex said innocently.
"Why?" Chloe asked.
"He loves you, Chloe. Can't you see that?" Lex asked.
Chloe crossed her arms in an absent-minded effort of protection. "Of course I can see that. That's why I'm trying not to lead him on by doing things that I think nothing about, but that he thinks are signs that I'm in love with him."
"You're not in love with him?" Lex asked sipping his coffee.
"Lex, I spent the last three years hating Clark with a fiery passion. No, I'm not in love with him," Chloe said, becoming upset.
"Clark isn't a bad guy," Lex said, standing up for his friend.
"His priorities just get a little skewed when it comes to his friends," Chloe said, rolling her eyes.
"Past tense, Chloe. They did get skewed," Lex said correcting her.
"Don't correct me. I know what I meant," Chloe replied.
"I know what you meant, too. Aren't you ever going to forgive him? You have been in Smallville for close on seven weeks, and Clark has done everything he can to show you that he's changed. Why won't you accept that?" Lex asked.
"I can't accept it yet, because I spent too long having my heart crushed by him over and over. I'll be ready when I'm ready, and no one can force me to be ready sooner than I can be," Chloe said turning her back.
"I'm just asking you to think about it," Lex said.
Chloe whirled around. "I have thought about it. I don't know if I can ever trust or love Clark again," she said, her eyes tearing. "You can't understand how much it hurts to know that, but it's the truth. I wish I could just forget about it, but I can't. I can't!"
"Don't forget about it, Chloe. Just put it behind you," Lex said adamantly.
"I tried for two years to put it behind me. It's not that simple," Chloe said.
"Yes, it is," Lex replied.
"No, it isn't!" Chloe shouted. "You have no room to talk to me about putting the past behind me. Why don't you put the past behind you? Forget about your mother, forget about Pamela?"
Lex looked crushed. "I can't forget about them. I loved them."
"And they both hurt you by leaving!" Chloe said proving her point. "I loved Clark, and he hurt me by pushing me aside. I can't just forget that, like you can't just forget that your mother and Pamela left you alone to face your father!"
"That was low, Chloe," Lex said, a look of pain flashing across his face. The look was gone before Chloe could decipher it.
"No, it was low coming in here to try and convince me to fall in love with Clark," Chloe said loudly.
"Chloe? What's wrong?" Clark asked walking into the flower shop.
"Lex just came in to try and convince me to be in love with you. Well Lex, it's not going to happen anytime soon, and won't ever happen if you and everyone else doesn't back the hell out of my problems!" Chloe shouted.
"Chloe, calm down," Clark soothed.
"I will not calm down. Did you send him in here?" Chloe asked, her eyes flashing.
"Of course not. I wouldn't do something like that," Clark said, amazed that Chloe would think such a thing.
"Would you?" Chloe asked angrily.
"Lex, can I talk to you next door?" Clark asked, his voice dripping with anger.
Lex held up his hands in a sign of surrender. "I didn't do a thing."
"Like hell you didn't," Chloe said, jerking a vase out of the box and slamming it onto the shelf.
"Lex, now!" Clark said, raising his voice. "In the back," Clark said gesturing toward the room at the back of the Talon.
Lex nodded and followed Clark, while an interested and confused Lana looked on.
"What did you think you were doing? What's wrong with you?" Clark asked.
"I was only looking out for you," Lex said.
"Well, in looking out for me you may have cost me the one thing I want the most," Clark said, trying to control himself.
"Clark, I just want you to have what you want," Lex said.
"You trying to get me what I wanted cost me Chloe in the first place," Clark snapped.
"That's not true," Lex said, becoming angry. "It's not my fault she left!"
Lana figured out what they were talking about and went to the flower shop to talk to Chloe. At first, she thought Chloe wasn't in the store. Then, she saw her sitting at the counter, her head on her arms.
"Chlo?" Lana asked gently.
Chloe lifted her head, her eyes red and wet.
"What happened?" Lana asked.
"I don't want to talk about it," Chloe said, wiping her cheeks.
"Are you okay?" Lana asked.
"Lana, I really don't want to talk about it," Chloe said sternly as Lex came in. "Get the hell out, Luthor!"
"Chloe, I'm sorry," Lex said.
"You're only saying that because Clark told you to," Chloe said.
"Yes and no. I truly am sorry, but I meant what I said," Lex replied walking a step closer. "Can you forgive me?"
"I'm not in a forgiving mood," Chloe said.
Lana placed a hand on Chloe's back. "Lex, you better leave."
Lex nodded and left.
"Chloe, I didn't tell him to do that," Clark said timidly walking into the shop.
"I know, Clark, and I didn't mean to yell at you," Chloe replied.
"Did you mean what you said?" Clark asked, hoping she'd say no.
Chloe nodded. "Yes, I did."
"I see," Clark said sadly. "I have to go."
"What did you say?" Lana asked as Clark left.
"That I won't fall in love with Clark any time soon and that it won't ever happen if everyone won't back out of my problems," Chloe said.
"Oh, Chloe," Lana said, staring after Clark.
"I meant it Lana, I just didn't mean to yell it at Lex with Clark standing here," Chloe replied.
Lana nodded. "I have to get back to work." When she got back to the Talon Lana picked up the phone. "Hey, Pete. You better go talk to Clark," she said before explaining the prior events.