Chapter 3

Fucked out. That's how she felt and it should have been enough, but there was something nagging at her. It disturbed the wonderful relaxation in her muscles and made her mind buzz when all she wanted was to enjoy the high. This was wrong.

"Stop thinking and enjoy it Chloe."

The voice startled her and chased away whatever ease was left in her body. "I can't and how did you know that I was thinking at all?"

"I just know you that well. It's just another one of the many reasons this is right."

"This will never be right, it isn't even real."

"This is real, more real than my marriage or your relationship with Clark."

"If it's so real why can't we just bring it out into the open? Why can't we let everyone know?" A weight shifted on the bed and she could here pacing footsteps by the far wall.

"Chloe I'd love to go walking through the park with you. I'd love to buy you gifts and tell everybody they're for my girlfriend but I can't and that's the way it is."

Chloe began chewing on her fingernails and tried not to scream. "Then why can't you?"

"Because that isn't how life works."

"It's not fair." She wanted to punch herself for the whining tone in her voice and the uncharacteristic little girl that had taken over her mind.

"Life isn't fair Chloe, I would think you would know that better than anyone. If it was fair neither of us would have had to grow up without mothers, now would we?"

"Why did you have to bring that up?" The words had been harsh and brought stinging tears to the woman's eyes.

A hand ran softly over her face and cupped her chin, "I'm sorry that was harsh, let me make it all better."

Chloe was pulled into warm arms that smelled of money and fresh linen. She would let herself be folded into the illusion and the pain would melt away until morning, then this could all be straightened out. It wouldn't happen again.