Hey, y'all! As promised, here is my dear Chapter 3, one that I've been
aching to post because I absolutely love what happens (you'll see, just
don't skip ahead, you'll spoil yourself). Thank you very very much to
those who have reviewed my story here and by email, I'm not quite sure how
to respond except to say thank you thank you thank you multiple times. I
say it (and type it) with sincerity because your support has been giving me
grins all day while I'm at work, thinking of how this will end.
Enjoy the chapter and tell me what you think!
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Month #3
"Are you sure everything is all right?" Gabe Sullivan couldn't mask his worry and didn't even bother trying to a few minutes into their conversation.
"Yeah, dad, it's great." Chloe opened one closet door, peeked in and closed it. She followed the same procedure for the next three closet doors as she talked with her father. Her clothes looked tiny compared to the large spaces. "I wish you would come visit me, the mansion is really nice. It'd be good to have you see it."
His sigh was audible. "Honey, I would, but-"
"Lex is your boss and you don't want to intrude," Chloe finished for him. "That may be true, you've said it more than enough times, but I'm also your daughter. I really wish you would come and see me."
"You could come and visit me, you know," Gabe argued back.
Chloe frowned at the receiver as she roamed around her bedroom. "You know I can't do that."
"Because Lex isn't ready to have everyone know you're with him. I've heard you say that enough times."
The words hit hard, especially since they were false ones that she'd purposefully fed him. "Mockery doesn't fit you, daddy," Chloe whispered, truly wounded.
There was a short pause before Gabe replied, "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's just that this is all hard to swallow. First you tell me that you're pregnant, then you hit me with the fact that it's Lex's. Add to that the fact that you're quitting school for who knows how long and now you're living in the mansion but don't want to tell anyone."
"That's certainly the Cliff Notes version of it all."
"Chloe, there's a time for sarcasm-"
"But this isn't it. Sorry, dad."
"It's just big and as your father, I'm not sure how to take it."
"Well, dad, it's my life and I'm not sure how to take it either." Sitting down on her bed now, Chloe ran a hand through her hair. "We just want our privacy. No one besides the three of us knows I'm in Smallville and we want to keep it that way. If the media get a hold of this, they'll go wild and honestly, I'm just not sure how to explain it."
"I think instead of media, you meant to say friends."
Chloe grinned wryly. "Can't fool you, huh, Dad?"
"Not a bit," Gabe sighed again. Loudly. "Is he going to at least do right by you? It doesn't sit well with me, this whole sneaking around. The least the man can do is make an honest woman of you."
"When did we slip into a 50's sitcom?" Chloe joked out loud, but her stomach sank at her father's suggestion. Marry Lex? Even she wouldn't stoop that low; she was trying to hold on to as much dignity as she could at this point.
"I may be old fashioned, but I know what's right."
Just then a knock on the door rang out. A maid glided in, but motioned toward her instead of speaking when she saw Chloe on the phone. Knowing instantly by her gestures, Chloe held up her index finger and waved the woman away. "Dad, I'm sorry, but at this point, it's as right as it's going to get. I should get going anyway, dinner's being put out in a few minutes and it'll take me that long to find the dining room again."
After Gabe chuckled a little, Chloe added, "And please think about stopping by here soon, I'd love to see you. Otherwise, I'll have to resort to sneaking around Smallville in the middle of the night and we both know how you love to be in bed by eight."
"I'll think about it, how's that?"
"It's better than a no. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Better believe it," Gabe answered heartily. "Love you, sweetie."
"I love you, too, daddy," Chloe said quietly before hanging up. Letting the cordless drop on the soft bedspread, she slid of the bed, landing quietly on the plush carpet. For not the first time, Chloe looked around the room and complimented Lex's intuition for what she liked. He'd chosen a room perfectly suited for her, in colors, style and comfort. An added plus was that his room was in another wing of the house. It was one of her few real pleasures.
As it was, living as a practical recluse drove her nuts half the time. Luckily, she'd found the staff to be more than helpful and discreet. It had taken more than week, but she'd finally convinced Louis to stop putting chocolates on her pillows after fixing up her bed. It was funny to her that they took her so seriously when she commented on the five-star service. Ann-Marie was nice companion, always willing to just sit and talk rather than wield a feather duster. She and Louis, among a few others, had made the change a little easier. Lex wasn't much help these days. She liked it better that way. Mostly.
Chloe couldn't think much about Lex these days without feeling a little guilty. Ever since the whole dinner proposition fiasco, he'd withdrawn even more, if that was possible. For a while, their random meetings had grown more silent and sullen; it was all she could do to escape as soon as they was done. Any conversation was polite and succinct, with an underlying tension that kept her awake most nights with frustration. Sometimes she couldn't help but wish for the friendly face that had invited her to the have a meal. At the time it had seemed threatening to her, as if there was something hidden that Lex planned to spring on her; in retrospect, she was beginning to realize that the look on Lex's face wasn't hurtful, but actually a little, well, friendly. Instead of taking it, though, she'd thrown it to the shredder. He'd said some harsh things, but Chloe also knew that she'd provoked him to that point. It was unfortunate that he knew exactly which buttons to push in order to strike back at her.
It was getting a little better, Chloe had to admit that much. For the past few days, she'd been trying to be friendly by showing up unexpectedly at breakfast, luring him into a conversation over the latest headlines in the Daily Planet or relaying a funny story that Ann-Marie had told her. Lex, though at first guarded, was more visibly relaxed as each morning came with the new paper. Even so, there was always something in the way and Chloe was starting to feel that it was bigger than she could tackle. Dinner tonight was a big thing; while the invitation had been put out weeks before, she was finally taking him up on it.
And to think that they were going to bring a child into the middle of this mess. It was all she could do to shake her head in amazement and horror.
Chloe looked down and gently patted her stomach. She had yet to really show and it was hard to believe that in a couple months she would look like she'd swallowed a small basketball. Moving towards the mirror, she turned sideways and regarded her still mostly flat belly. "So much for all those ab crunches I killed myself with," she bemused out loud. Suddenly, without knowing where the curiosity came from, Chloe grabbed a throw pillow off the headboard and stuffed it under the lower half of her shirt. She set herself up in front of the mirror again and stared at the transformation. Lumpy as it was, the picture was a little more convincing of the fact that she had the beginnings of a new person inside of her.
There were other signs already, her discomfort, some swelling in odd places. Chloe wasn't sure how to take it in stride, but from what the physician had told her, she had a nearly fully-formed human just hanging out in her uterus; all it had to do now was get bigger ala Miracle-Gro. He'd lightly mentioned mood swings, causing Chloe to inwardly groan, but she had to admit the man was right. But as long as she stayed away from the weird cravings, Chloe figured she had a normal path ahead of her.
The self-study was so intent that it took a small cough to get Chloe's attention to the doorway. Her cheeks colored when she saw Ann-Marie standing there with an amused expression on her face. Though it was too late, she jerked the pillow out from under her shirt, though not easily, for one of the tassels got caught on her hemline. It took a few more tugs, but Chloe was finally able to throw it in the general direction of the bed. "Hey."
"Hello," Ann-Marie smiled politely, but her eyes danced with laughter.
"Um, I just. I got." Chloe stumbled but finally gave up. "I guess dinner's getting cold."
"Mr. Luthor requested that you get there soon. It seems he's got some important news."
Chloe pretended to yawn. "Since when does even a bowel movement not seem important to Lex?"
She could tell that the other woman wanted to laugh, but Ann-Marie held it in. "I think you should get going."
"Mustn't keep the lord of the manor waiting," Chloe stuck her nose up in the air and held out her hand. "Lead the way, dear girl."
"Oh, behave," Ann-Marie indulged in a small giggle.
Chloe made her way down the hall after recovering the assaulted pillow from the floor and placing it back where it belonged. It was a long walk down to the dining room, but she knew exactly where it was, despite what she'd told her father. Her intent on exploring was never forgotten in the month and a half that she'd been there. The way Chloe saw it, if she was going to live in the old place for the next seven months, she might as well know all about it. It may not have had any apparent secret passages or closets full of skeletons, but it had a certain mystery that she couldn't get enough of.
But as she entered the dining room, barely lit by a fire glowing in the middle of the main wall, Chloe had to confess that the biggest mystery of all was standing in front of the open flames. "Sorry I'm late, Lex. I was on the phone with my dad."
"No problem, Chloe," he turned from the fire, an ever-present brandy glass in his hand. "I hope you told him I said hello."
"Always do." Chloe looked around the room. "Why's it so dark in here?"
"Ambiance," Lex replied silkily. "It adds a little something, don't you think? The quiet, the dark, the crackling of a controlled fire, it's quite sensual if you think about it."
"I'm already pregnant, Lex. It's not like you have to try again to make sure your boys hit the right target," Chloe retorted dryly. "Spare me the poetry, what's going on? Ann-Marie said you needed to discuss something important with me."
Lex cocked his head as if he were allowing her to win this round. He approached her slowly, placing his glass on a table on the way. "Indeed, I do. Is everything going well with you?"
"Like I said this morning and the morning before, everything is going great."
"Chloe, I'm trying to have a normal conversation with you, could you please let go of your grip on the sarcasm?"
She shrugged as if disinterested. "Funny, you're the second person tonight to tell me to stop that."
"Well, then maybe you should start listening. So tell me, how was the visit with the physician?"
"Good," Chloe smiled at Louis who had appeared out of nowhere with her usual. She began to sip on the chocolate milk as he quietly stepped away. "He says that everything is going smoothly and, to my delight, I can still have these without being in danger of appearing to be a large mammal."
"That's always helpful," Lex remarked lightly. There was a mischievous tone to his voice when he added, "And the mood swings?"
Chloe coughed up a little of her drink. It took a moment to recover, but she was flip in answering, "All there and accounted for."
"I'm sure." He pointed to the side of her mouth. "You missed a spot."
With a hasty hand, she cleared off the spot on her face but returned with, "Would you like me to enlighten you over the frequent urination and flatulence?"
She inwardly cheered when Lex screwed up his nose. "Please, God, no."
"Good, because it won't kick in for a little while longer."
"I'm sure it'll be a scintillating conversation when it does come up." Lex didn't bother t hide the rolling of his eyes.
Not able to help it, Chloe grinned at him, but it slowly slid away when she let her mind wander back to what she was considering earlier in the evening. "Lex, I really wanted to apologize to you. I mean, I've been trying to be more amiable, but I think that saying the words will be the best thing over all."
Once again he looked surprised. "What would that be?"
"For that night a few weeks ago, you know, when you first asked me to be here?" Chloe shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't give you much of a chance and I'm sorry."
"Consider it forgotten, I have," Lex nodded reassuringly. "Though, I hope you'll accept my own apology for what I said. There was no reason I should have lashed out at you like that."
Chloe was beginning to think that they sounded like a sitcom after all, but the sincerity in his voice was impossible to deny. "Completely accepted. And, hey, maybe we can still do that sometimes, you know, try spending time together. We're going to be living together for while, we should at least be friendly," Chloe offered.
Lex moved forward and stopped right in front of her. Head tilted to the side, he appeared to be giving her words deep consideration before pursing his lips and saying, "Actually, that's something I needed to speak to you about. I know we've discussed our living arrangements quite extensively, but I had a conversation this morning that made me start to rethink it all. Well, maybe not rethink, but I'm entertaining a change of terms."
Chloe fought to tweak his words with some wit. "I think the terms we've come up with are fine. I live here, I pop out a kid, you keep it, I get to move out and move on. Case closed."
"It seems your father has a different idea of what's going on, as well as a different solution."
Chloe froze. "He didn't happen to mention Happy Days, did he?"
A glimmer of confusion showed in Lex's eyes and Chloe couldn't help but give a small snigger. Lex may have known the history of the world like the back of his well-manicured hand, but when it came to The Fonz? Lex had no clue. "I don't follow, but it doesn't matter. It seems your father is quite intent on my 'doing right by you'."
She didn't hold in the groan. "He's really on a campaign today, now isn't he?"
"Oh, so you received his speech as well? I wondered about that." Lex looked over her shoulder and invited the chef to spread their meal on the table next to where they stood. "The fact is, Chloe," he continued after the other man left and he held out a chair for her. She paused for a moment at his gesture, but sat down when he raised an eyebrow. Chloe shook her head, sat, and motioned for him to continue. "I think he might be on to something."
"What?" Chloe dropped the fork she'd picked up to stab at her food. It landed with a clatter as she stared at Lex, who was in the process of sitting down across from her. "You're kidding me, right?"
"No, I'm not," Lex said calmly. He picked up a napkin and placed it on this lap, but before he brought his hands back up to the table, Lex put one in his pocket to pull something out. There was no mistaking the small box that came up in his palm. Chloe looked on, horrified, as Lex calmly put it down next to his utensils. "But I've been thinking over this many times, not just today. And as that goes, I'm feeling more and more convinced that this is the proper course of action."
"Proper course of action? Lex, you're barely getting me to sit down across from you for dinner, isn't this a bit sudden? And ridiculous?"
"Perhaps, but I believe it's the right thing."
She couldn't take her eyes off the little cube. Shocked with eyes wide, Chloe began to shake her head. "Lex, we had a deal. This isn't a part of the deal."
"Why didn't you tell me that your mother left when you were five?"
That was enough to make Chloe jerk up her head, fury on her features. "I didn't think that was any of your business, and I still don't. Plainly then, keep your nose out of it."
"Well, I do consider it my business, especially when you're in the process of doing the exact same thing to our child," Lex shot back. He began to fix the napkin in his lap once more. "And if I can stop that from happening again, I will."
Her back drew stiff when she heard him say that: their child? It was more like their mistake. "This is different and you know it," Chloe bit out.
"No, it's not," Lex's stare was hard to meet, but Chloe held fast now. "It is a mother and a child who has no reason to be solely blamed for the change in circumstances. You're going to run, just like her. That is not the Chloe Sullivan I always knew."
"Well, you screwed that Chloe Sullivan, literally and figuratively," Chloe placed on her hands on the tabletop and made a move to stand. "My father loved her and I still don't know why my mother ran out, but I at least know that I'm a different situation. I didn't ask for this child and I didn't want to keep it, but your damn Luthor pride isn't going to allow my wishes to come through even once."
Chloe, standing now, leaned over the table at him, "I have to live in your house, have your child and try to figure out how to get my life back at the end of all that. How dare you try and put me in the same place as a woman who faked the role of loving wife and mother before finally showing her true colors? I have yet to lie to you once, Lex, not even once. There is a difference and you know it."
Lex stared at the fiery woman in front of him, her stance rigid in defense and her fingers gripping the tablecloth in a fashion that reminded him of the old steering wheel in her VW Bug, not to mention some choice places on his body after one certain night. He licked his lips slowly, waiting for the anger to recede just a bit before saying, "There can be the difference in you choosing to stay, Chloe."
Her face blanched. "I can't do that."
"Why?" Lex looked down at the object next to his plate. Placing a few fingers on it, he pushed it towards her. "Because life isn't going as you expected? There's at least one thing I've learned in this lifetime, Chloe, and that's if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. I didn't plan this and neither did you. I just want to make the best of it with what I can."
Chloe hung her head for a moment before sinking back into her chair. "Marriage is forever, Lex. I can't commit to that. I just can't."
Lex pushed the box even closer to her. "Think about it. It will take time, but we can try and be a family. We both know that it's something you and I have craved for our entire lives."
Flinching as if she'd been struck, Chloe shook her head again. But this wasn't the family that she'd wanted to be in. It didn't have Martha or Jonathan, in fact, she'd get herself a handful in Lex's father alone, God help her when he came around. Instead of saying that, she put her fingers on the velvet box and pushed it back towards Lex. "Like I've said before, you don't love me. And I don't love you."
He looked down to where she'd pushed back the offer. Determined, Lex nudged it across the table. "I respect you, Chloe. And I know you respect me, even though you put up the pretense of not caring. You wouldn't be here if you didn't. That should be enough, don't you think?"
"It's called fear, not respect, Lex," she whispered hoarsely. "If I ran away, you'd find me and force me to do this anyway." And she pushed it back.
"I would not force you and you certainly don't fear me, Chloe. From what I remember, you fear nothing. Except maybe your feelings for a certain someone." It was prodded back towards her. "He won't understand, Chloe. And because of that, he won't accept. We both know that."
The box made a trip back to him. "There's still a chance."
"And we both know that's not true." And he returned it.
It came back. "I hate you."
And once more. "No, you don't. You hate that you can't have the perfect life. The fact is that it never existed. This is reality. This is life. I have more to offer than you are letting yourself see."
Lex put a hand over her hand as Chloe moved to push the cube back to him. "Be the mother you wanted her to be. Be the wife she never was. We may never love one another, but I will never do wrong by you, Chloe. Stay. If not for me, then stay for the child who deserves to have its mother within arm's reach. It's something we both lost, isn't it?" He squeezed her hand and purposefully softened his voice when he began to hear his own bitterness. "Don't let history repeat itself, especially since we both know the pain of knowing someone is gone when they should be right beside you."
Chloe shut her eyes, but she couldn't shut out the double-edged sword of his words. I'm sorry, Chloe, he had said. I really am. Clark's own feelings or lack thereof couldn't be ignored and Lex knew it. She knew it.
You'll never be as sorry as I am, Clark, Chloe thought inwardly.
She pulled her hand away, but Chloe took the box at the same time. Chloe dropped her hands into her lap and little by little opened it, letting the brilliance of the gems flicker with the firelight. Slowly, every so slowly, she pulled out the ring. Chloe bit her lip as she looked at Lex who watched her with a now passionless expression. He never saw her put it on, but instead only gazed on as she lifted her slender left hand from below the table. It sparkled brilliantly against her skin, but her demeanor lacked the exuberance that almost every other man wished for when asking one of the most important questions of his life.
"I suppose that is a yes," he finally commented.
Chloe simply nodded, got up, and left.
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He could be reflective when he tried.
Most of the time, he lived hand to mouth, running from one area of the room to another in a desperate race to complete everything that everyone was expecting of him. When the time came, Lex Luthor could give great advice to those who needed it; Clark had taken advantage of that constantly in the years past, but back then it almost always swirled around Lana Lang.
He could think of many things to say to his father, things that began from little cuts with words to a punch in the face with a simple snub. Lionel deserved it, everyone knew that, so Lex felt no guilt in preparing for their next confrontation. Confrontation. Really, that was the only word that best fit when their paths crossed. But these are where his thoughts lay, with his problems with other people who had long been his enemies or young fools who never realized what they had right in front of him.
Lex spun the eight ball from his pool table in his hand as he sat in the chair behind his desk. Truth be known, it was rare when he sat and thought about himself, about where he was in his life and what was going to come next when it came to something other than his company. Chloe Sullivan was a slap in the face. Their child was sting that followed.
Waking up, Lex thought carefully, can be a painful experience.
Slamming the eight-ball down on his desk, Lex was about to open a locked drawer at the bottom of his desk when the intercom buzzed noisily. "Mr. Luthor?"
His hand paused. "Yes, Louis?"
"There's a call on line one for you, sir. Clark Kent."
A steady breath. "Give me a moment."
"Yes, sir." The beep that followed was accompanied by the flashing of a red light on his phone. Clark was waiting.
He put his elbows on the table and stared at the blinking light. Hey, Clark, how are you? Good? Hey, great news, I'm getting married. Yeah, Chloe's going to be my wife. Soon, hopefully. What? You don't understand? Well, there's a lot of things you didn't understand along the way, why should this be any different? Hey, guess what, you moron, she's having my child, too. How do you like that? Oh, I forgot, I don't give a damn about your opinion when it comes to her, you lost that right a long time ago.
Lex shook his head, clearing the sour words from where they had long gathered. Resentment in check, he picked up the phone. "Clark, how are you?"
He had to bite his tongue from going on.
"Lex," Clark returned brightly. "I'm good. Sorry for calling so late, I was having a little trouble sleeping. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not, we haven't spoken in a while," Lex twirled the eight-ball with his fingers once more. "What's on your mind?"
Clark laughed, "You make it sound like I'm calling for counsel."
"Tell me of at least one time where you didn't call at an odd hour for some advice, Clark," Lex replied dryly. Bored with the ball, he pushed it off to the side and began to reach for the same desk drawer as before. It opened cleanly with the key that had been waiting in the lock.
"Uh, well," Clark stammered for a moment before sighing. "I'm fairly transparent, huh?"
"As your friend, I'll refrain from answering that."
"Thanks," Clark was quiet for a few seconds, a time Lex used to roll his eyes at his predictable nature. As much as he valued Clark's friendship, this cycle could get a little old.
"So what is it? Lana? Lori? Or some new girl from around Metropolis?"
"I'm calling about Chloe."
His hand was already halfway pulling out the box he'd been reaching for when Clark said that and it was a struggle to keep his voice even. "Well, this is certainly a first. From my understanding, your friendship with her has been put on hiatus for the time being. I can hardly see where any new developments could form from that."
Was it possible to hear someone scratching their head over the phone? "It's not like that, Lex, I'm just having trouble tracking her down."
Phone trapped between his ear and shoulder, Lex held the velvet-covered box in both his hands, setting it down gently on the table. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," Clark breathed in deeply and then continued, "No one seems to know where she is. Well, that's not true. I talked to her dad, but he wouldn't say anything about how I could contact with her. So far, she's been ignoring any of the emails or phone messages I've been leaving for her."
Lex's eyebrows lifted at Clark's answer. She's doing a grand job of shutting him out, he said to himself. But to Clark he responded, "I was under the impression that she wanted a break from you. You said yourself that things weren't going well after-"
Clark interrupted, "That's true, but I want to at least speak to her. I miss her, Lex. She was always a good friend to me and I want to make sure she's okay."
It was silence that answered him as Lex slowly opened the lid of the item in front of him. Sitting demurely inside was a long silver chain that he lifted with kind fingertips. Pooling it into one hand, he let it drape over his palm.
"Lex?"
"What are you asking me to do, Clark?" Lex grabbed at the phone with his free hand, listening carefully.
"You have a lot more connections than I do. I'm asking you to help me find her."
The fine metal glinted as he played with it, rolling it around his fingers as he'd done before with the eight ball. His breathed in slowly before saying, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Clark."
"What?" He was clearly stunned.
"I suggest," Lex began to place the necklace back in the box, "that you respect Miss Sullivan's wishes. Forcing yourself on her isn't going to work. If she wants space, give it to her."
"Then how do I know if she's all right?"
Lex braced himself. "Would you feel better if I told you myself that she's doing just fine?"
Silence.
Then finally, "You know where she is?"
"Yes, I do."
Silence again, for a just a few seconds that was followed with, "And you can't tell me."
"I have to respect her wishes."
"And those wishes are."
"That she be given the time to adjust to a new lifestyle."
"Without me."
"Without you."
"Oh."
Yes. Oh. Lex began to carefully adjust the jewelry, letting his friend take in what he'd just told him. Or not told him, if that's the way one wanted to view it.
"Lex?"
"Yes, Clark?"
"Can you tell her, um."
"Tell her what?"
".Never mind. I should go."
"All right. Good night."
He was close to hanging up the phone when he heard Clark's voice call out, "Lex?"
Bringing back the receiver to his ear, he asked, "Yes?"
"I really screwed up, didn't I?"
The lid was closed before he responded. "I'd rather not answer that."
"Oh."
"Good night, Clark."
"Um, g'night, Lex." And then the line went dead.
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The display was dark. It'd stayed that way for most of the evening, save one time when her father had called back. Chloe had decided to just let the voice mail reply instead of answering it herself; a part of her knew that this news was something she should be passing on, but at the same time, it was hard to believe it herself.
Was she really going to marry Lex Luthor?
Putting the phone to the side, Chloe reached into her purse and sat on the edge of her bed. When she pulled her hand out, it carried a very well thumbed picture book. She bit her lip as she looked through it one more time.
One last time.
Her favorite picture of Clark was the very last one that she took out; it was several years old, but it looked as if she'd taken only a few months before. The wonders of plastic coverings, she mocked herself mildly. Chloe let it lie in the palm of her right hand, staring intently at the face of the one person she'd managed to let rule her life for so long. No more.
Turning her left hand over, she let her gaze fall on the brilliant ring adorning her third finger.
And then back to Clark.
The ring again.
Was she doing the right thing?
Chloe gathered the pictures of Clark that she'd taken out of the plastic sleeves. Making her way over to the bathroom, she stiffened her back as she stood in front of the waste basket. One deep breath. Then a second. Then they fell.
She practically ran back to her bed, not daring to look back to where she'd thrown away the several captures of his face. One step at time, Sullivan, one step.. damn it.
Back in the bathroom again, she scooped the pictures from the trash. But before she could put them back in her purse, she opened a closet door and proceeded to pull down one of her bags once inside. Striving to not look at what was in her hand, Chloe stuffed them into a pocket inside of the main case; next she put it back on the shelf, shoving it into the darkest, farthest corner she could find.
Chloe backed out slowly, giving herself time to get used to the distance as each second passed. Her face reddened with shame as she stared at the dark wood. It was over, almost every part of her knew it, but Chloe wasn't ready to throw him away forever. Once more, she lifted her left hand into sight.
Lex was right, this wasn't what she expected. It wasn't what she'd planned.
God must be laughing like a maniac right now.
Enjoy the chapter and tell me what you think!
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Month #3
"Are you sure everything is all right?" Gabe Sullivan couldn't mask his worry and didn't even bother trying to a few minutes into their conversation.
"Yeah, dad, it's great." Chloe opened one closet door, peeked in and closed it. She followed the same procedure for the next three closet doors as she talked with her father. Her clothes looked tiny compared to the large spaces. "I wish you would come visit me, the mansion is really nice. It'd be good to have you see it."
His sigh was audible. "Honey, I would, but-"
"Lex is your boss and you don't want to intrude," Chloe finished for him. "That may be true, you've said it more than enough times, but I'm also your daughter. I really wish you would come and see me."
"You could come and visit me, you know," Gabe argued back.
Chloe frowned at the receiver as she roamed around her bedroom. "You know I can't do that."
"Because Lex isn't ready to have everyone know you're with him. I've heard you say that enough times."
The words hit hard, especially since they were false ones that she'd purposefully fed him. "Mockery doesn't fit you, daddy," Chloe whispered, truly wounded.
There was a short pause before Gabe replied, "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's just that this is all hard to swallow. First you tell me that you're pregnant, then you hit me with the fact that it's Lex's. Add to that the fact that you're quitting school for who knows how long and now you're living in the mansion but don't want to tell anyone."
"That's certainly the Cliff Notes version of it all."
"Chloe, there's a time for sarcasm-"
"But this isn't it. Sorry, dad."
"It's just big and as your father, I'm not sure how to take it."
"Well, dad, it's my life and I'm not sure how to take it either." Sitting down on her bed now, Chloe ran a hand through her hair. "We just want our privacy. No one besides the three of us knows I'm in Smallville and we want to keep it that way. If the media get a hold of this, they'll go wild and honestly, I'm just not sure how to explain it."
"I think instead of media, you meant to say friends."
Chloe grinned wryly. "Can't fool you, huh, Dad?"
"Not a bit," Gabe sighed again. Loudly. "Is he going to at least do right by you? It doesn't sit well with me, this whole sneaking around. The least the man can do is make an honest woman of you."
"When did we slip into a 50's sitcom?" Chloe joked out loud, but her stomach sank at her father's suggestion. Marry Lex? Even she wouldn't stoop that low; she was trying to hold on to as much dignity as she could at this point.
"I may be old fashioned, but I know what's right."
Just then a knock on the door rang out. A maid glided in, but motioned toward her instead of speaking when she saw Chloe on the phone. Knowing instantly by her gestures, Chloe held up her index finger and waved the woman away. "Dad, I'm sorry, but at this point, it's as right as it's going to get. I should get going anyway, dinner's being put out in a few minutes and it'll take me that long to find the dining room again."
After Gabe chuckled a little, Chloe added, "And please think about stopping by here soon, I'd love to see you. Otherwise, I'll have to resort to sneaking around Smallville in the middle of the night and we both know how you love to be in bed by eight."
"I'll think about it, how's that?"
"It's better than a no. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Better believe it," Gabe answered heartily. "Love you, sweetie."
"I love you, too, daddy," Chloe said quietly before hanging up. Letting the cordless drop on the soft bedspread, she slid of the bed, landing quietly on the plush carpet. For not the first time, Chloe looked around the room and complimented Lex's intuition for what she liked. He'd chosen a room perfectly suited for her, in colors, style and comfort. An added plus was that his room was in another wing of the house. It was one of her few real pleasures.
As it was, living as a practical recluse drove her nuts half the time. Luckily, she'd found the staff to be more than helpful and discreet. It had taken more than week, but she'd finally convinced Louis to stop putting chocolates on her pillows after fixing up her bed. It was funny to her that they took her so seriously when she commented on the five-star service. Ann-Marie was nice companion, always willing to just sit and talk rather than wield a feather duster. She and Louis, among a few others, had made the change a little easier. Lex wasn't much help these days. She liked it better that way. Mostly.
Chloe couldn't think much about Lex these days without feeling a little guilty. Ever since the whole dinner proposition fiasco, he'd withdrawn even more, if that was possible. For a while, their random meetings had grown more silent and sullen; it was all she could do to escape as soon as they was done. Any conversation was polite and succinct, with an underlying tension that kept her awake most nights with frustration. Sometimes she couldn't help but wish for the friendly face that had invited her to the have a meal. At the time it had seemed threatening to her, as if there was something hidden that Lex planned to spring on her; in retrospect, she was beginning to realize that the look on Lex's face wasn't hurtful, but actually a little, well, friendly. Instead of taking it, though, she'd thrown it to the shredder. He'd said some harsh things, but Chloe also knew that she'd provoked him to that point. It was unfortunate that he knew exactly which buttons to push in order to strike back at her.
It was getting a little better, Chloe had to admit that much. For the past few days, she'd been trying to be friendly by showing up unexpectedly at breakfast, luring him into a conversation over the latest headlines in the Daily Planet or relaying a funny story that Ann-Marie had told her. Lex, though at first guarded, was more visibly relaxed as each morning came with the new paper. Even so, there was always something in the way and Chloe was starting to feel that it was bigger than she could tackle. Dinner tonight was a big thing; while the invitation had been put out weeks before, she was finally taking him up on it.
And to think that they were going to bring a child into the middle of this mess. It was all she could do to shake her head in amazement and horror.
Chloe looked down and gently patted her stomach. She had yet to really show and it was hard to believe that in a couple months she would look like she'd swallowed a small basketball. Moving towards the mirror, she turned sideways and regarded her still mostly flat belly. "So much for all those ab crunches I killed myself with," she bemused out loud. Suddenly, without knowing where the curiosity came from, Chloe grabbed a throw pillow off the headboard and stuffed it under the lower half of her shirt. She set herself up in front of the mirror again and stared at the transformation. Lumpy as it was, the picture was a little more convincing of the fact that she had the beginnings of a new person inside of her.
There were other signs already, her discomfort, some swelling in odd places. Chloe wasn't sure how to take it in stride, but from what the physician had told her, she had a nearly fully-formed human just hanging out in her uterus; all it had to do now was get bigger ala Miracle-Gro. He'd lightly mentioned mood swings, causing Chloe to inwardly groan, but she had to admit the man was right. But as long as she stayed away from the weird cravings, Chloe figured she had a normal path ahead of her.
The self-study was so intent that it took a small cough to get Chloe's attention to the doorway. Her cheeks colored when she saw Ann-Marie standing there with an amused expression on her face. Though it was too late, she jerked the pillow out from under her shirt, though not easily, for one of the tassels got caught on her hemline. It took a few more tugs, but Chloe was finally able to throw it in the general direction of the bed. "Hey."
"Hello," Ann-Marie smiled politely, but her eyes danced with laughter.
"Um, I just. I got." Chloe stumbled but finally gave up. "I guess dinner's getting cold."
"Mr. Luthor requested that you get there soon. It seems he's got some important news."
Chloe pretended to yawn. "Since when does even a bowel movement not seem important to Lex?"
She could tell that the other woman wanted to laugh, but Ann-Marie held it in. "I think you should get going."
"Mustn't keep the lord of the manor waiting," Chloe stuck her nose up in the air and held out her hand. "Lead the way, dear girl."
"Oh, behave," Ann-Marie indulged in a small giggle.
Chloe made her way down the hall after recovering the assaulted pillow from the floor and placing it back where it belonged. It was a long walk down to the dining room, but she knew exactly where it was, despite what she'd told her father. Her intent on exploring was never forgotten in the month and a half that she'd been there. The way Chloe saw it, if she was going to live in the old place for the next seven months, she might as well know all about it. It may not have had any apparent secret passages or closets full of skeletons, but it had a certain mystery that she couldn't get enough of.
But as she entered the dining room, barely lit by a fire glowing in the middle of the main wall, Chloe had to confess that the biggest mystery of all was standing in front of the open flames. "Sorry I'm late, Lex. I was on the phone with my dad."
"No problem, Chloe," he turned from the fire, an ever-present brandy glass in his hand. "I hope you told him I said hello."
"Always do." Chloe looked around the room. "Why's it so dark in here?"
"Ambiance," Lex replied silkily. "It adds a little something, don't you think? The quiet, the dark, the crackling of a controlled fire, it's quite sensual if you think about it."
"I'm already pregnant, Lex. It's not like you have to try again to make sure your boys hit the right target," Chloe retorted dryly. "Spare me the poetry, what's going on? Ann-Marie said you needed to discuss something important with me."
Lex cocked his head as if he were allowing her to win this round. He approached her slowly, placing his glass on a table on the way. "Indeed, I do. Is everything going well with you?"
"Like I said this morning and the morning before, everything is going great."
"Chloe, I'm trying to have a normal conversation with you, could you please let go of your grip on the sarcasm?"
She shrugged as if disinterested. "Funny, you're the second person tonight to tell me to stop that."
"Well, then maybe you should start listening. So tell me, how was the visit with the physician?"
"Good," Chloe smiled at Louis who had appeared out of nowhere with her usual. She began to sip on the chocolate milk as he quietly stepped away. "He says that everything is going smoothly and, to my delight, I can still have these without being in danger of appearing to be a large mammal."
"That's always helpful," Lex remarked lightly. There was a mischievous tone to his voice when he added, "And the mood swings?"
Chloe coughed up a little of her drink. It took a moment to recover, but she was flip in answering, "All there and accounted for."
"I'm sure." He pointed to the side of her mouth. "You missed a spot."
With a hasty hand, she cleared off the spot on her face but returned with, "Would you like me to enlighten you over the frequent urination and flatulence?"
She inwardly cheered when Lex screwed up his nose. "Please, God, no."
"Good, because it won't kick in for a little while longer."
"I'm sure it'll be a scintillating conversation when it does come up." Lex didn't bother t hide the rolling of his eyes.
Not able to help it, Chloe grinned at him, but it slowly slid away when she let her mind wander back to what she was considering earlier in the evening. "Lex, I really wanted to apologize to you. I mean, I've been trying to be more amiable, but I think that saying the words will be the best thing over all."
Once again he looked surprised. "What would that be?"
"For that night a few weeks ago, you know, when you first asked me to be here?" Chloe shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't give you much of a chance and I'm sorry."
"Consider it forgotten, I have," Lex nodded reassuringly. "Though, I hope you'll accept my own apology for what I said. There was no reason I should have lashed out at you like that."
Chloe was beginning to think that they sounded like a sitcom after all, but the sincerity in his voice was impossible to deny. "Completely accepted. And, hey, maybe we can still do that sometimes, you know, try spending time together. We're going to be living together for while, we should at least be friendly," Chloe offered.
Lex moved forward and stopped right in front of her. Head tilted to the side, he appeared to be giving her words deep consideration before pursing his lips and saying, "Actually, that's something I needed to speak to you about. I know we've discussed our living arrangements quite extensively, but I had a conversation this morning that made me start to rethink it all. Well, maybe not rethink, but I'm entertaining a change of terms."
Chloe fought to tweak his words with some wit. "I think the terms we've come up with are fine. I live here, I pop out a kid, you keep it, I get to move out and move on. Case closed."
"It seems your father has a different idea of what's going on, as well as a different solution."
Chloe froze. "He didn't happen to mention Happy Days, did he?"
A glimmer of confusion showed in Lex's eyes and Chloe couldn't help but give a small snigger. Lex may have known the history of the world like the back of his well-manicured hand, but when it came to The Fonz? Lex had no clue. "I don't follow, but it doesn't matter. It seems your father is quite intent on my 'doing right by you'."
She didn't hold in the groan. "He's really on a campaign today, now isn't he?"
"Oh, so you received his speech as well? I wondered about that." Lex looked over her shoulder and invited the chef to spread their meal on the table next to where they stood. "The fact is, Chloe," he continued after the other man left and he held out a chair for her. She paused for a moment at his gesture, but sat down when he raised an eyebrow. Chloe shook her head, sat, and motioned for him to continue. "I think he might be on to something."
"What?" Chloe dropped the fork she'd picked up to stab at her food. It landed with a clatter as she stared at Lex, who was in the process of sitting down across from her. "You're kidding me, right?"
"No, I'm not," Lex said calmly. He picked up a napkin and placed it on this lap, but before he brought his hands back up to the table, Lex put one in his pocket to pull something out. There was no mistaking the small box that came up in his palm. Chloe looked on, horrified, as Lex calmly put it down next to his utensils. "But I've been thinking over this many times, not just today. And as that goes, I'm feeling more and more convinced that this is the proper course of action."
"Proper course of action? Lex, you're barely getting me to sit down across from you for dinner, isn't this a bit sudden? And ridiculous?"
"Perhaps, but I believe it's the right thing."
She couldn't take her eyes off the little cube. Shocked with eyes wide, Chloe began to shake her head. "Lex, we had a deal. This isn't a part of the deal."
"Why didn't you tell me that your mother left when you were five?"
That was enough to make Chloe jerk up her head, fury on her features. "I didn't think that was any of your business, and I still don't. Plainly then, keep your nose out of it."
"Well, I do consider it my business, especially when you're in the process of doing the exact same thing to our child," Lex shot back. He began to fix the napkin in his lap once more. "And if I can stop that from happening again, I will."
Her back drew stiff when she heard him say that: their child? It was more like their mistake. "This is different and you know it," Chloe bit out.
"No, it's not," Lex's stare was hard to meet, but Chloe held fast now. "It is a mother and a child who has no reason to be solely blamed for the change in circumstances. You're going to run, just like her. That is not the Chloe Sullivan I always knew."
"Well, you screwed that Chloe Sullivan, literally and figuratively," Chloe placed on her hands on the tabletop and made a move to stand. "My father loved her and I still don't know why my mother ran out, but I at least know that I'm a different situation. I didn't ask for this child and I didn't want to keep it, but your damn Luthor pride isn't going to allow my wishes to come through even once."
Chloe, standing now, leaned over the table at him, "I have to live in your house, have your child and try to figure out how to get my life back at the end of all that. How dare you try and put me in the same place as a woman who faked the role of loving wife and mother before finally showing her true colors? I have yet to lie to you once, Lex, not even once. There is a difference and you know it."
Lex stared at the fiery woman in front of him, her stance rigid in defense and her fingers gripping the tablecloth in a fashion that reminded him of the old steering wheel in her VW Bug, not to mention some choice places on his body after one certain night. He licked his lips slowly, waiting for the anger to recede just a bit before saying, "There can be the difference in you choosing to stay, Chloe."
Her face blanched. "I can't do that."
"Why?" Lex looked down at the object next to his plate. Placing a few fingers on it, he pushed it towards her. "Because life isn't going as you expected? There's at least one thing I've learned in this lifetime, Chloe, and that's if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. I didn't plan this and neither did you. I just want to make the best of it with what I can."
Chloe hung her head for a moment before sinking back into her chair. "Marriage is forever, Lex. I can't commit to that. I just can't."
Lex pushed the box even closer to her. "Think about it. It will take time, but we can try and be a family. We both know that it's something you and I have craved for our entire lives."
Flinching as if she'd been struck, Chloe shook her head again. But this wasn't the family that she'd wanted to be in. It didn't have Martha or Jonathan, in fact, she'd get herself a handful in Lex's father alone, God help her when he came around. Instead of saying that, she put her fingers on the velvet box and pushed it back towards Lex. "Like I've said before, you don't love me. And I don't love you."
He looked down to where she'd pushed back the offer. Determined, Lex nudged it across the table. "I respect you, Chloe. And I know you respect me, even though you put up the pretense of not caring. You wouldn't be here if you didn't. That should be enough, don't you think?"
"It's called fear, not respect, Lex," she whispered hoarsely. "If I ran away, you'd find me and force me to do this anyway." And she pushed it back.
"I would not force you and you certainly don't fear me, Chloe. From what I remember, you fear nothing. Except maybe your feelings for a certain someone." It was prodded back towards her. "He won't understand, Chloe. And because of that, he won't accept. We both know that."
The box made a trip back to him. "There's still a chance."
"And we both know that's not true." And he returned it.
It came back. "I hate you."
And once more. "No, you don't. You hate that you can't have the perfect life. The fact is that it never existed. This is reality. This is life. I have more to offer than you are letting yourself see."
Lex put a hand over her hand as Chloe moved to push the cube back to him. "Be the mother you wanted her to be. Be the wife she never was. We may never love one another, but I will never do wrong by you, Chloe. Stay. If not for me, then stay for the child who deserves to have its mother within arm's reach. It's something we both lost, isn't it?" He squeezed her hand and purposefully softened his voice when he began to hear his own bitterness. "Don't let history repeat itself, especially since we both know the pain of knowing someone is gone when they should be right beside you."
Chloe shut her eyes, but she couldn't shut out the double-edged sword of his words. I'm sorry, Chloe, he had said. I really am. Clark's own feelings or lack thereof couldn't be ignored and Lex knew it. She knew it.
You'll never be as sorry as I am, Clark, Chloe thought inwardly.
She pulled her hand away, but Chloe took the box at the same time. Chloe dropped her hands into her lap and little by little opened it, letting the brilliance of the gems flicker with the firelight. Slowly, every so slowly, she pulled out the ring. Chloe bit her lip as she looked at Lex who watched her with a now passionless expression. He never saw her put it on, but instead only gazed on as she lifted her slender left hand from below the table. It sparkled brilliantly against her skin, but her demeanor lacked the exuberance that almost every other man wished for when asking one of the most important questions of his life.
"I suppose that is a yes," he finally commented.
Chloe simply nodded, got up, and left.
*******************************************
He could be reflective when he tried.
Most of the time, he lived hand to mouth, running from one area of the room to another in a desperate race to complete everything that everyone was expecting of him. When the time came, Lex Luthor could give great advice to those who needed it; Clark had taken advantage of that constantly in the years past, but back then it almost always swirled around Lana Lang.
He could think of many things to say to his father, things that began from little cuts with words to a punch in the face with a simple snub. Lionel deserved it, everyone knew that, so Lex felt no guilt in preparing for their next confrontation. Confrontation. Really, that was the only word that best fit when their paths crossed. But these are where his thoughts lay, with his problems with other people who had long been his enemies or young fools who never realized what they had right in front of him.
Lex spun the eight ball from his pool table in his hand as he sat in the chair behind his desk. Truth be known, it was rare when he sat and thought about himself, about where he was in his life and what was going to come next when it came to something other than his company. Chloe Sullivan was a slap in the face. Their child was sting that followed.
Waking up, Lex thought carefully, can be a painful experience.
Slamming the eight-ball down on his desk, Lex was about to open a locked drawer at the bottom of his desk when the intercom buzzed noisily. "Mr. Luthor?"
His hand paused. "Yes, Louis?"
"There's a call on line one for you, sir. Clark Kent."
A steady breath. "Give me a moment."
"Yes, sir." The beep that followed was accompanied by the flashing of a red light on his phone. Clark was waiting.
He put his elbows on the table and stared at the blinking light. Hey, Clark, how are you? Good? Hey, great news, I'm getting married. Yeah, Chloe's going to be my wife. Soon, hopefully. What? You don't understand? Well, there's a lot of things you didn't understand along the way, why should this be any different? Hey, guess what, you moron, she's having my child, too. How do you like that? Oh, I forgot, I don't give a damn about your opinion when it comes to her, you lost that right a long time ago.
Lex shook his head, clearing the sour words from where they had long gathered. Resentment in check, he picked up the phone. "Clark, how are you?"
He had to bite his tongue from going on.
"Lex," Clark returned brightly. "I'm good. Sorry for calling so late, I was having a little trouble sleeping. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not, we haven't spoken in a while," Lex twirled the eight-ball with his fingers once more. "What's on your mind?"
Clark laughed, "You make it sound like I'm calling for counsel."
"Tell me of at least one time where you didn't call at an odd hour for some advice, Clark," Lex replied dryly. Bored with the ball, he pushed it off to the side and began to reach for the same desk drawer as before. It opened cleanly with the key that had been waiting in the lock.
"Uh, well," Clark stammered for a moment before sighing. "I'm fairly transparent, huh?"
"As your friend, I'll refrain from answering that."
"Thanks," Clark was quiet for a few seconds, a time Lex used to roll his eyes at his predictable nature. As much as he valued Clark's friendship, this cycle could get a little old.
"So what is it? Lana? Lori? Or some new girl from around Metropolis?"
"I'm calling about Chloe."
His hand was already halfway pulling out the box he'd been reaching for when Clark said that and it was a struggle to keep his voice even. "Well, this is certainly a first. From my understanding, your friendship with her has been put on hiatus for the time being. I can hardly see where any new developments could form from that."
Was it possible to hear someone scratching their head over the phone? "It's not like that, Lex, I'm just having trouble tracking her down."
Phone trapped between his ear and shoulder, Lex held the velvet-covered box in both his hands, setting it down gently on the table. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," Clark breathed in deeply and then continued, "No one seems to know where she is. Well, that's not true. I talked to her dad, but he wouldn't say anything about how I could contact with her. So far, she's been ignoring any of the emails or phone messages I've been leaving for her."
Lex's eyebrows lifted at Clark's answer. She's doing a grand job of shutting him out, he said to himself. But to Clark he responded, "I was under the impression that she wanted a break from you. You said yourself that things weren't going well after-"
Clark interrupted, "That's true, but I want to at least speak to her. I miss her, Lex. She was always a good friend to me and I want to make sure she's okay."
It was silence that answered him as Lex slowly opened the lid of the item in front of him. Sitting demurely inside was a long silver chain that he lifted with kind fingertips. Pooling it into one hand, he let it drape over his palm.
"Lex?"
"What are you asking me to do, Clark?" Lex grabbed at the phone with his free hand, listening carefully.
"You have a lot more connections than I do. I'm asking you to help me find her."
The fine metal glinted as he played with it, rolling it around his fingers as he'd done before with the eight ball. His breathed in slowly before saying, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Clark."
"What?" He was clearly stunned.
"I suggest," Lex began to place the necklace back in the box, "that you respect Miss Sullivan's wishes. Forcing yourself on her isn't going to work. If she wants space, give it to her."
"Then how do I know if she's all right?"
Lex braced himself. "Would you feel better if I told you myself that she's doing just fine?"
Silence.
Then finally, "You know where she is?"
"Yes, I do."
Silence again, for a just a few seconds that was followed with, "And you can't tell me."
"I have to respect her wishes."
"And those wishes are."
"That she be given the time to adjust to a new lifestyle."
"Without me."
"Without you."
"Oh."
Yes. Oh. Lex began to carefully adjust the jewelry, letting his friend take in what he'd just told him. Or not told him, if that's the way one wanted to view it.
"Lex?"
"Yes, Clark?"
"Can you tell her, um."
"Tell her what?"
".Never mind. I should go."
"All right. Good night."
He was close to hanging up the phone when he heard Clark's voice call out, "Lex?"
Bringing back the receiver to his ear, he asked, "Yes?"
"I really screwed up, didn't I?"
The lid was closed before he responded. "I'd rather not answer that."
"Oh."
"Good night, Clark."
"Um, g'night, Lex." And then the line went dead.
****************************************
The display was dark. It'd stayed that way for most of the evening, save one time when her father had called back. Chloe had decided to just let the voice mail reply instead of answering it herself; a part of her knew that this news was something she should be passing on, but at the same time, it was hard to believe it herself.
Was she really going to marry Lex Luthor?
Putting the phone to the side, Chloe reached into her purse and sat on the edge of her bed. When she pulled her hand out, it carried a very well thumbed picture book. She bit her lip as she looked through it one more time.
One last time.
Her favorite picture of Clark was the very last one that she took out; it was several years old, but it looked as if she'd taken only a few months before. The wonders of plastic coverings, she mocked herself mildly. Chloe let it lie in the palm of her right hand, staring intently at the face of the one person she'd managed to let rule her life for so long. No more.
Turning her left hand over, she let her gaze fall on the brilliant ring adorning her third finger.
And then back to Clark.
The ring again.
Was she doing the right thing?
Chloe gathered the pictures of Clark that she'd taken out of the plastic sleeves. Making her way over to the bathroom, she stiffened her back as she stood in front of the waste basket. One deep breath. Then a second. Then they fell.
She practically ran back to her bed, not daring to look back to where she'd thrown away the several captures of his face. One step at time, Sullivan, one step.. damn it.
Back in the bathroom again, she scooped the pictures from the trash. But before she could put them back in her purse, she opened a closet door and proceeded to pull down one of her bags once inside. Striving to not look at what was in her hand, Chloe stuffed them into a pocket inside of the main case; next she put it back on the shelf, shoving it into the darkest, farthest corner she could find.
Chloe backed out slowly, giving herself time to get used to the distance as each second passed. Her face reddened with shame as she stared at the dark wood. It was over, almost every part of her knew it, but Chloe wasn't ready to throw him away forever. Once more, she lifted her left hand into sight.
Lex was right, this wasn't what she expected. It wasn't what she'd planned.
God must be laughing like a maniac right now.
