He shifted uncomfortably. "Why was my dad driving to work?"
He looked to the ground. "I called him in," he said, not allowing his voice to waver. He looked back up and saw the tears streaming down her face. She jerked her arm away from his touch causing him to wince but all the while keeping eye contact.
Why was this so hard for him? He had known this was how she was going to react. The feelings of guilt and pain came surging back.
She stared at him, pushing him to continue. Half of her hoped that he would say everything was okay and she didn't need to worry and that she could go home. Or even that it was nothing too serious. The other half didn't want to know at all.
He needed to finish. Her eyes kept urging him to in a painful way and were practically boring into his head. "On his way to the plant he got into a car accident..." Lex paused. She was the only person in the whole world that could truly unnerve him and make him feel unsure of what he was doing. "...with a semi- truck."
Chloe went numb. Everything started to swirl around her and things were starting to fade away. She felt herself slipping away and succumbing to the anxiety.
Then she felt a firm grip around her waist that jerked her back. Lex was holding onto her, keeping her from falling away to the ground. Even though he was the last person she wanted to see right now, she was thankful that he had been there to catch her.
Their bodies were pressed up against each other as he held her there. He was surprised that she wasn't pushing him away and even more shocked when she rested her head against his chest. Lex seriously doubted she was aware of what she was doing, but he was cherishing every moment of it.
His breath hitched as he realized his grip on her had hiked up the shirt so that her underwear was in clear view for everyone to see. He would have moved to pull the shirt back down but then that would break the contact. After a few minutes he realized there was no choice and he led her over to a chair, keeping her steady and supporting her with his arm still around her waist. Before they sat down he took off his coat and placed it on her.
They sat there for a few moments in silence. She leaned against him, burrowing her face into his shoulder and crying. He didn't know what to do except stroke her hair. Lex knew for sure she wasn't aware of what she was doing.
Chloe shocked herself with her actions, but she needed somebody and Lex was the only one there for her to turn to. He was also surprisingly comforting. While others such as Clark and Pete would have tried to comfort her, Lex only whispered her name in her ear and stroked her hair.
"Shhhh...Chloe..." he whispered. He didn't promise her that everything would be okay. He didn't tell her not to worry. He couldn't because he didn't know that.
Eventually she controlled her tears and rather reluctantly pulled away. He kept his hand in her hair as they stared intently at each other. They could argue right now. She could explode at him and blame everything on him. He could try to express all the emotions that were flooding him. She could try to find out more about what was going on. He could try to promise her anything that would help.
"Can I see him?" she whispered, accidentally glancing down at his lips.
Oh God. He wanted her so badly... but he pushed those thoughts aside to find that all he wanted to do was comfort her. He wanted her to trust him. He silently shook his head.
"Not just yet," he replied. She sank back against him. "I'm so sorry Chloe," he whispered into her ear, "For everything."
His breath on her ear made her shiver. She could be ranting and screaming at him that it was his fault, but she knew he already felt guilty for it. She knew that yelling would not help anything. Chloe realized that this could have happened any day and honestly, she couldn't blame him for it. She knew Lionel already blamed everything that went wrong on Lex.
"It's okay," she replied, pulling back to look him in the eyes. He held his breath.
Considering everything that had happened Lex was astonished that Chloe was not in hysterics. Then again, she had her own ways of coping.
"It's not your fault," she whispered. He could have died right then and there. She smiled at the shock and relief that registered in his eyes. Her cheeks were still tear- streaked. He took in a deep breath as he wiped away some of them with his thumb. She leaned into his touch and sighed.
"You know, you're taking this rather calmly," he whispered softly. She smiled.
"And I haven't even had coffee yet," she laughed, but it only made more tears start to fall. His heart truly ached for her. He knew what it was like to have to worry about losing someone you loved. Lex pulled her against him again and she started to cry into his chest. He waited for her to calm down again, his hand twisted in her hair. Lex glanced around and looked at the other people in the waiting room who quickly averted their eyes when he glared at them.
"Do you want to go to the cafeteria with me?" he asked and she nodded then frowned.
"But what if the doctors come back with something?" she looked at him as she shakily stood. He helped her stay steady.
"Wait a second," he went to the desk and told the nurse that if the doctors were looking for them they would be in the cafeteria.
He looked to the ground. "I called him in," he said, not allowing his voice to waver. He looked back up and saw the tears streaming down her face. She jerked her arm away from his touch causing him to wince but all the while keeping eye contact.
Why was this so hard for him? He had known this was how she was going to react. The feelings of guilt and pain came surging back.
She stared at him, pushing him to continue. Half of her hoped that he would say everything was okay and she didn't need to worry and that she could go home. Or even that it was nothing too serious. The other half didn't want to know at all.
He needed to finish. Her eyes kept urging him to in a painful way and were practically boring into his head. "On his way to the plant he got into a car accident..." Lex paused. She was the only person in the whole world that could truly unnerve him and make him feel unsure of what he was doing. "...with a semi- truck."
Chloe went numb. Everything started to swirl around her and things were starting to fade away. She felt herself slipping away and succumbing to the anxiety.
Then she felt a firm grip around her waist that jerked her back. Lex was holding onto her, keeping her from falling away to the ground. Even though he was the last person she wanted to see right now, she was thankful that he had been there to catch her.
Their bodies were pressed up against each other as he held her there. He was surprised that she wasn't pushing him away and even more shocked when she rested her head against his chest. Lex seriously doubted she was aware of what she was doing, but he was cherishing every moment of it.
His breath hitched as he realized his grip on her had hiked up the shirt so that her underwear was in clear view for everyone to see. He would have moved to pull the shirt back down but then that would break the contact. After a few minutes he realized there was no choice and he led her over to a chair, keeping her steady and supporting her with his arm still around her waist. Before they sat down he took off his coat and placed it on her.
They sat there for a few moments in silence. She leaned against him, burrowing her face into his shoulder and crying. He didn't know what to do except stroke her hair. Lex knew for sure she wasn't aware of what she was doing.
Chloe shocked herself with her actions, but she needed somebody and Lex was the only one there for her to turn to. He was also surprisingly comforting. While others such as Clark and Pete would have tried to comfort her, Lex only whispered her name in her ear and stroked her hair.
"Shhhh...Chloe..." he whispered. He didn't promise her that everything would be okay. He didn't tell her not to worry. He couldn't because he didn't know that.
Eventually she controlled her tears and rather reluctantly pulled away. He kept his hand in her hair as they stared intently at each other. They could argue right now. She could explode at him and blame everything on him. He could try to express all the emotions that were flooding him. She could try to find out more about what was going on. He could try to promise her anything that would help.
"Can I see him?" she whispered, accidentally glancing down at his lips.
Oh God. He wanted her so badly... but he pushed those thoughts aside to find that all he wanted to do was comfort her. He wanted her to trust him. He silently shook his head.
"Not just yet," he replied. She sank back against him. "I'm so sorry Chloe," he whispered into her ear, "For everything."
His breath on her ear made her shiver. She could be ranting and screaming at him that it was his fault, but she knew he already felt guilty for it. She knew that yelling would not help anything. Chloe realized that this could have happened any day and honestly, she couldn't blame him for it. She knew Lionel already blamed everything that went wrong on Lex.
"It's okay," she replied, pulling back to look him in the eyes. He held his breath.
Considering everything that had happened Lex was astonished that Chloe was not in hysterics. Then again, she had her own ways of coping.
"It's not your fault," she whispered. He could have died right then and there. She smiled at the shock and relief that registered in his eyes. Her cheeks were still tear- streaked. He took in a deep breath as he wiped away some of them with his thumb. She leaned into his touch and sighed.
"You know, you're taking this rather calmly," he whispered softly. She smiled.
"And I haven't even had coffee yet," she laughed, but it only made more tears start to fall. His heart truly ached for her. He knew what it was like to have to worry about losing someone you loved. Lex pulled her against him again and she started to cry into his chest. He waited for her to calm down again, his hand twisted in her hair. Lex glanced around and looked at the other people in the waiting room who quickly averted their eyes when he glared at them.
"Do you want to go to the cafeteria with me?" he asked and she nodded then frowned.
"But what if the doctors come back with something?" she looked at him as she shakily stood. He helped her stay steady.
"Wait a second," he went to the desk and told the nurse that if the doctors were looking for them they would be in the cafeteria.