Pete POV

"I'm going to run in and run back out Pete." Chloe was saying as we rode in her car back to her house. "I need my camera if we're going to go to the open market."

I gave Chloe a look. "I still don't understand why you need your camera Chloe. You've been to the open market tons of times."

Chloe gave me a sweet smile and turned her head back to the road. "Because Pete, a good reporter is always ready for a possible scoop." Chloe turned her head to me again and winked. "Besides if I hadn't been so distracted this morning not to mention tired, I probably would have remembered my camera to begin with."

I grinned back at Chloe, took her free hand in mine and gave it a tight squeeze. I thought back to last nights, or should I say this mornings, events. Chloe and I had talked and kissed and talked and kissed some more.

It had been the best night/morning of my life.

"Well, then I guess it's not only my fault it's your fault too." I said as I stared at her profile.

Chloe grinned. "Yeah, I'll take partial blame for it." Chloe squeezed my hand back. "No arguments there." We pulled up to the front of her house and stepped out of her car.

"Hey Lana's here." She said as she stepped around Lana's jeep and headed for the front door. "She didn't mention staying here for the rest of the day when I spoke to her on the phone earlier. I thought she and Clark were going out." Chloe stepped up to the front door and unlocked it holding the door open for me.

I closed the door behind me before coming up behind her and wrapping my arms around her waist. "Maybe they decided to stay in and see a movie." I snuggled my nose into the back of her neck and inhaled. Our night had progressed way faster than either of us had thought it would. I never would have thought we'd be this comfortable with each other but here we were.

Chloe leaned back into my arms and sighed in contentment. "Maybe." She turned around and gave me a quick but sweet kiss on the lips. "Come on. Let's get the camera and get the heck out of here."

I grinned and followed Chloe up the steps. Not far from the bottom of the landing I started to get a funny feeling. Like if we were intruding. Don't ask me. I don't know where it came from, but there it was nonetheless. The air was heavy somehow and…..full of…something. I don't know how to explain it. All I knew was that I had to get Chloe back down the stairs and outside before it was…….

Too late.

Chloe was striding with her usual purpose to her room when she stopped outside her bedroom door and stopped with her head cocked to the side.

Listening.

I quickly and as quietly a possible ran the rest of the way up the stairs but before I could reach her she was walking to Lana's bedroom door. It was only when I reached the top of the stairs that I could hear the sounds.

The sounds of a very passionate Clark and Lana.

Chloe's footsteps faltered as she approached the slightly opened doorway and looked inside, even though I knew in her heart of hearts she knew it was wrong. She knew she should've just turned around and walked away.

But curiosity killed the cat.

It was like I was moving in slow motion. It was like the whole world had stopped and I could actually hear Chloe's heart breaking as I reached her and pulled her away, but not before getting an unwanted glance inside the room.

I don't think I'd ever be able to look Clark in the eye again.

Chloe just stood there not looking at me, not looking anywhere.

As quietly as possible I pulled Chloe away from the doorway and down the stairs. The whole time I desperately tried to stop my heart from pounding to the breaking point. I desperately tried to stop from succumbing into the depression that was beckoning me from the darkness I thought I had left behind when last night I had all my wishes granted.

Finally, I dragged her out the door and into her car. I put her in the passenger side and ran around to the driver's side.

"Chloe, give me the keys to the car." I said as calmly as possible.

Chloe didn't respond. Her hair was covering her face, so I couldn't see her expression. I couldn't see what I honestly didn't want to see. What I didn't think I could handle.

"Chloe?" I said again, a little more forcefully.

Finally, Chloe raised her head and looked at me in the eyes.

And then she smiled. Nervously, but it was a smile nonetheless.

And I felt my heart go back to the speed it was meant to go at. I took the breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"You okay?" I practically whispered.

Chloe looked down at her hands before raising her head to meet my eyes once more. "Yeah." She replied. "Yeah I'm okay. I didn't think I would be. But I am."

I swallowed once in nervousness, "You sure?"

Chloe gave me tremulous smile. "I wasn't at first. In fact I thought I was going to fall on my ass in shock and…….a little disappointment. But….." She hesitated. "I turned around and there you were. Like always. There you were ready to pick up the pieces like always. And suddenly it didn't matter." Her voice got stronger as she voiced her emotions to me and more than likely to herself. "It didn't matter Pete because I had you. I have you."

My heart lurched in hope but I couldn't help the shadows of doubt that pervaded. "Chloe, you looked like you were going to pass out. Like you were going to cry." I pulled my hand out of hers and looked away from her face and out the windshield. "I won't play second fiddle. Not anymore. Not when I know what it's like…..to be with you."

I felt Chloe leaning towards me and suddenly her fingers were on my face grabbing it and turning it towards her. "Listen to me Pete. You are not second in my life. I admit it was a shock and it hurt to see….to see them together that way. But again, it didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would. And do you know why I was finally able to wake up and smell the Java?" I shook my head no. "Because of you. Because I now know what it is to be happy. To know that I have someone in my life who will be there and love me back."

I closed my eyes and gently removed her hand from my face. I reached in and placed a small kiss on her lips. "I do love you Chloe. I have for so long. I don't want to lose the little we have."

Chloe smirked at me. "Little? I'd take that back Pete Ross, because what we have is anything but little."

I sighed half in relief, half in lingering apprehension. "No. I guess it's not little." I looked back at the house and Chloe turned her head and looked with me. "What about your camera?"

Chloe shrugged and settled back into her seat. "I'll pick up a disposable on the way to the open market. No big deal." Chloe grinned, reached into her jacket pocket and tossed the car keys at me. "Now drive so we can spend the rest of this beautiful day together."

I caught the keys in my hand and started the engine. I wasn't all together thrilled with Chloe's reaction or her reasoning afterward but I couldn't bring myself to question her further. I was never really good at saying no to her.

As we drove to the open market, some of the tension lifted and Chloe and I held up conversation. But during the lulls of silence that came up every now and then, one question kept popping into my head:

Why hadn't Clark heard us?


End of Chapter Twenty - Six