Chapter 4-
The first thing she felt was the sun on her face, warm and inviting. As she turned in the bed she realized the pillow next to her was cold. A faint scent of lavender still clung to the sheets but there was no longer an imprint of her midnight visitor on the sheets.
The ringing of her phone startled her out of thoughts of the night before. "Hello?"
"Just wanted to say good morning. Sorry I had to leave so early."
"It's okay. I hadn't expected to find you here this morning."
"That makes me sound so cold. You never were a morning person anyway."
"Did you need anything else?"
"Not really, but how about meeting me for lunch? At the cafe you like so much?"
"I don't think that's such a good idea...."
"Why? You just said last night-"
"I know what I said last night. Convenient that that's all you took into account."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that no, I'm not going to meet you for lunch and I don't want you to call anymore."
"Chloe..."
"No, listen to me, I'm tired of this. Sneaking around is fine in some situations but not my sex life."
"We aren't just about sex."
"I wasn't finished." The anger was evident in her voice, tinged by something else.
"By all means continue."
"Stop patronizing me."
"I'm not."
"Fine, I'm completely serious this time. I'm tired of these nightly visits; it's too hard. If you can't be with me in the daylight you can't be with me at all. I don't want to be some diversion from your marriage just because it bores you."
"Chloe that isn't what you are-"
"Stop! I deserve more than this." The tears began falling and it was hard to keep the sobs out of her voice.
"Chloe don't cry, let me come over tonight and we'll really talk this out, how does that sound?"
"It would have been fine months ago, but I'm beyond that. Just let me go quietly okay?"
"Is that what you really want?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
"Good-bye."
The silence on the other end was answer enough and there was nothing left for her to do but hang up.
*
It had been three months and when Chloe climbed into bed she still waited for the click of the front door and the soft tap of shoes, but they never came. Fighting back tears she told herself that it was what she'd wanted and things were better this way but deep down she didn't believe it.
Clark had stayed the night last night, he'd been so happy to see her and it had been reflected in his lovemaking. He'd been energetic and caring, gentle at just the right moments and letting loose when she needed it, but it hadn't been enough. She'd told him in the morning that it wasn't going to work and that she was sorry. The stricken look on his face had been too much to bear and when he'd left she released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.
Throwing the covers back she picked up the phone and punched in the familiar number.
"Hello?"
"I was wrong."
"I know."
"Will you come over?"
"I'll see you in ten minutes."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Thank you, Lana."
***********************************************************************
AN: So what did you think? I hope I surprised you all. If I dissapointed you, well, i'm not sorry. Let me know what you thought, either review me here or check out my sight and leave it in the guest book.
The first thing she felt was the sun on her face, warm and inviting. As she turned in the bed she realized the pillow next to her was cold. A faint scent of lavender still clung to the sheets but there was no longer an imprint of her midnight visitor on the sheets.
The ringing of her phone startled her out of thoughts of the night before. "Hello?"
"Just wanted to say good morning. Sorry I had to leave so early."
"It's okay. I hadn't expected to find you here this morning."
"That makes me sound so cold. You never were a morning person anyway."
"Did you need anything else?"
"Not really, but how about meeting me for lunch? At the cafe you like so much?"
"I don't think that's such a good idea...."
"Why? You just said last night-"
"I know what I said last night. Convenient that that's all you took into account."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that no, I'm not going to meet you for lunch and I don't want you to call anymore."
"Chloe..."
"No, listen to me, I'm tired of this. Sneaking around is fine in some situations but not my sex life."
"We aren't just about sex."
"I wasn't finished." The anger was evident in her voice, tinged by something else.
"By all means continue."
"Stop patronizing me."
"I'm not."
"Fine, I'm completely serious this time. I'm tired of these nightly visits; it's too hard. If you can't be with me in the daylight you can't be with me at all. I don't want to be some diversion from your marriage just because it bores you."
"Chloe that isn't what you are-"
"Stop! I deserve more than this." The tears began falling and it was hard to keep the sobs out of her voice.
"Chloe don't cry, let me come over tonight and we'll really talk this out, how does that sound?"
"It would have been fine months ago, but I'm beyond that. Just let me go quietly okay?"
"Is that what you really want?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
"Good-bye."
The silence on the other end was answer enough and there was nothing left for her to do but hang up.
*
It had been three months and when Chloe climbed into bed she still waited for the click of the front door and the soft tap of shoes, but they never came. Fighting back tears she told herself that it was what she'd wanted and things were better this way but deep down she didn't believe it.
Clark had stayed the night last night, he'd been so happy to see her and it had been reflected in his lovemaking. He'd been energetic and caring, gentle at just the right moments and letting loose when she needed it, but it hadn't been enough. She'd told him in the morning that it wasn't going to work and that she was sorry. The stricken look on his face had been too much to bear and when he'd left she released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.
Throwing the covers back she picked up the phone and punched in the familiar number.
"Hello?"
"I was wrong."
"I know."
"Will you come over?"
"I'll see you in ten minutes."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Thank you, Lana."
***********************************************************************
AN: So what did you think? I hope I surprised you all. If I dissapointed you, well, i'm not sorry. Let me know what you thought, either review me here or check out my sight and leave it in the guest book.
