WHILE EVERYONE SUSPECTS YOU
Creases and lines ran through his hand. He wondered what they meant. People say, after all, that your destiny is written on your palm. You only need to look closely and read the signs. Maybe if he read a series of lines, combined angles and focused on some, he would see her name there.
Or maybe not.
And he would read 'killer' instead.
A lot of people seemed to believe in that, despite his knowledge of his own innocence. But then again, his blood ran a Luthor tint. He was guilty. He was guilty the moment he was conceived. And right about that time, Lex did not care that everyone believed he shot his father. Hell, he did not even give a shit that Clark had admitted that he did not have complete faith that Lex did not do it. To Lex, even if he himself believed that he was guilty, it did not matter. What hurt the most was that Chloe was probably out there, thinking that she let a cold-blooded bastard touch her.
That was what stuck in his craw the most.
Because right now there was no way he could defend himself. He did not have proof that he did not shoot his father. No one in Metropolis saw him in the time that he used as his alibi. He had been in Smallville a couple of hours before his father was shot. He could not even claim a waiter or a neighbor as his alibi. He had stayed parked out in the fields, looking up at the sky, trying to discern a message from the stars. Then, he had only been concerned about how he would approach Chloe after he miserably failed to protect him in his own house. Even if he had the evidence that would completely vindicate him, he could not bring them to her. She had not been to see him-she had not allowed him to see her-since the night she walked out of his study, out of his life it seemed.
Lex traced the lines of his palm with a cold finger. He really needed to have the heating in this room fixed. He'd had the job postponed because he was delighted about the way Chloe shivered whenever he laid her on his cold desk. It made him feel warmer to know that he could warm her up. If he remembered correctly, this was the fate line, the other the love line. He had heard someone say that this indicated how early in life one would get married. Well, that did not count anymore. He'd been married once, to a meteor mutant. That was not the love indicated, or maybe he was just fated for disaster.
Business associates in Metropolis, a few years ago, commented that he was just like his father. Lex knew they believed it would be a compliment. He wondered just how much like his father he was. What if, like Lionel, he had countless women but only one true love? And that one true love, like Lillian, would only be given for a short time. It was heartless if his time with Chloe had run out.
What scared him the most was that had it not been for her, Lex was certain that after his discussion with his father, he would have shot Lionel.
There was a storm raging outside. Lex had been waiting in the study while lightning lit the room at irregular intervals.
It had been one of their usual father and son talks. Their favorite topics were discussed-money, treason, vengeance. He had had to bring up something else, something that gutted him more than losing his business did. His father's defense belittled the damage that Lex had been certain would ruin his life.
"I'm just realigning your priorities. Your attempt to establish a home life with the girl is at the expense of our mutual goals, son."
When in the face of the enemy, it is stupidity to show reaction. Yet Lex could not help the way his nostrils flared, the way he cringed at his father's use of the word. "The only thing we share is mutual enmity. This entire father-son reconciliation act was just a smokescreen to stab me in the back."
"If you were really ready for this huge commitment, Lex, there's no way my actions could have taken it away. Yet now you are here, having just lost your company, sitting alone in the dark. Where is the rock solid foundation you believe your relationship was based on?"
"When I broke away from you, I swore I'd never be under your thumb again. And that means that I am off limits to you. But never mind that, dad. Just know that that means you do not look at, touch or even know Chloe."
Lionel slowly smirked. "Who's going to stop me, Lex? You?"
Lex felt Dominic's withering gaze on him. "I'll fight you on this and I'll win."
"You better have something stronger than words to back up those threats, son."
"Oh believe me, dad. I do."
Lex laid his hand down on the table. He could not blame Clark. Hell, he believed he could have killed his own father. What gave him the idea that Clark would have more faith in him than he did in himself? And now that he imprisoned himself in the house and in the hospital, he could not even stand somewhere several feet away from Chloe to feel better about himself.
The door opened very slowly, shedding light into the dark room. Lex looked up and saw the silhouette on the doorway. His breath caught, because even though the light was behind her shadowing her face, he would recognize her form anywhere.
He tried to speak, to tell her that he was innocent, to insist that he did not try to kill his father despite all his desperate desire to see the old man out of their lives. He wanted her to believe that he could not do what everyone had accused him of. And if all else failed, he wanted her to tell him that she forgave him. He would not protest. As long as she told him that she forgave him, he would admit to the crime.
"You're here," was all he managed to say.
"I'm sorry I stayed away for so long."
Lex swallowed deeply, because she was moving closer to him now. "I let you down."
She was now so close, and if he extended his arm, he could touch her. "I wasn't angry at you, Lex. Don't ever think that. I just feel that this house is so filthy. I feel like I'm dirty here."
He closed his eyes. "Even filthier now, because I shot my father."
Lex never expected the small, smart blow on his temple that followed his statement. He opened his eyes and saw Chloe's young face scrunched up in irritation and disbelief. "Are you insane?" she hissed.
"Maybe I was. Maybe I'll introduce that defense to my lawyer. He'd taped us, Chloe. He'd taped you. I had enough reason to kill him."
And then she did what he never thought she'd do again. Lex's heart jumped to his throat at the contact. She grabbed his hand and brought his fingers to her lips. "How can you say that? These hands have touched me intimately, Lex. They're not capable of hurting anyone, not even your deranged father. Not when they touch me so gently."
It was like a great thorn was removed from his heart, a huge boulder from his shoulders. Lex cupped her cheek. His eyes roamed the face that he missed so deeply. She was so beautiful. Despite the brave front she showed the world, she was his salvation. She was going deeper into a life she should never have been exposed to. Now that it seemed like he will be working for his father again, he felt it was only apt that he warn her, "You'll be treading in the darkness that is my life."
And she understood. Even glad. "You were born into the darkness Lionel created, Lex. That darkness isn't inside you. And I'm ready to walk through it with you."
Lex finally smiled, the first time in the longest week of his life. "Make sure I don't stumble here. You'll be my guiding light."
Chloe nodded, and kissed his fingers. "As much as you've always been mine."
Creases and lines ran through his hand. He wondered what they meant. People say, after all, that your destiny is written on your palm. You only need to look closely and read the signs. Maybe if he read a series of lines, combined angles and focused on some, he would see her name there.
Or maybe not.
And he would read 'killer' instead.
A lot of people seemed to believe in that, despite his knowledge of his own innocence. But then again, his blood ran a Luthor tint. He was guilty. He was guilty the moment he was conceived. And right about that time, Lex did not care that everyone believed he shot his father. Hell, he did not even give a shit that Clark had admitted that he did not have complete faith that Lex did not do it. To Lex, even if he himself believed that he was guilty, it did not matter. What hurt the most was that Chloe was probably out there, thinking that she let a cold-blooded bastard touch her.
That was what stuck in his craw the most.
Because right now there was no way he could defend himself. He did not have proof that he did not shoot his father. No one in Metropolis saw him in the time that he used as his alibi. He had been in Smallville a couple of hours before his father was shot. He could not even claim a waiter or a neighbor as his alibi. He had stayed parked out in the fields, looking up at the sky, trying to discern a message from the stars. Then, he had only been concerned about how he would approach Chloe after he miserably failed to protect him in his own house. Even if he had the evidence that would completely vindicate him, he could not bring them to her. She had not been to see him-she had not allowed him to see her-since the night she walked out of his study, out of his life it seemed.
Lex traced the lines of his palm with a cold finger. He really needed to have the heating in this room fixed. He'd had the job postponed because he was delighted about the way Chloe shivered whenever he laid her on his cold desk. It made him feel warmer to know that he could warm her up. If he remembered correctly, this was the fate line, the other the love line. He had heard someone say that this indicated how early in life one would get married. Well, that did not count anymore. He'd been married once, to a meteor mutant. That was not the love indicated, or maybe he was just fated for disaster.
Business associates in Metropolis, a few years ago, commented that he was just like his father. Lex knew they believed it would be a compliment. He wondered just how much like his father he was. What if, like Lionel, he had countless women but only one true love? And that one true love, like Lillian, would only be given for a short time. It was heartless if his time with Chloe had run out.
What scared him the most was that had it not been for her, Lex was certain that after his discussion with his father, he would have shot Lionel.
There was a storm raging outside. Lex had been waiting in the study while lightning lit the room at irregular intervals.
It had been one of their usual father and son talks. Their favorite topics were discussed-money, treason, vengeance. He had had to bring up something else, something that gutted him more than losing his business did. His father's defense belittled the damage that Lex had been certain would ruin his life.
"I'm just realigning your priorities. Your attempt to establish a home life with the girl is at the expense of our mutual goals, son."
When in the face of the enemy, it is stupidity to show reaction. Yet Lex could not help the way his nostrils flared, the way he cringed at his father's use of the word. "The only thing we share is mutual enmity. This entire father-son reconciliation act was just a smokescreen to stab me in the back."
"If you were really ready for this huge commitment, Lex, there's no way my actions could have taken it away. Yet now you are here, having just lost your company, sitting alone in the dark. Where is the rock solid foundation you believe your relationship was based on?"
"When I broke away from you, I swore I'd never be under your thumb again. And that means that I am off limits to you. But never mind that, dad. Just know that that means you do not look at, touch or even know Chloe."
Lionel slowly smirked. "Who's going to stop me, Lex? You?"
Lex felt Dominic's withering gaze on him. "I'll fight you on this and I'll win."
"You better have something stronger than words to back up those threats, son."
"Oh believe me, dad. I do."
Lex laid his hand down on the table. He could not blame Clark. Hell, he believed he could have killed his own father. What gave him the idea that Clark would have more faith in him than he did in himself? And now that he imprisoned himself in the house and in the hospital, he could not even stand somewhere several feet away from Chloe to feel better about himself.
The door opened very slowly, shedding light into the dark room. Lex looked up and saw the silhouette on the doorway. His breath caught, because even though the light was behind her shadowing her face, he would recognize her form anywhere.
He tried to speak, to tell her that he was innocent, to insist that he did not try to kill his father despite all his desperate desire to see the old man out of their lives. He wanted her to believe that he could not do what everyone had accused him of. And if all else failed, he wanted her to tell him that she forgave him. He would not protest. As long as she told him that she forgave him, he would admit to the crime.
"You're here," was all he managed to say.
"I'm sorry I stayed away for so long."
Lex swallowed deeply, because she was moving closer to him now. "I let you down."
She was now so close, and if he extended his arm, he could touch her. "I wasn't angry at you, Lex. Don't ever think that. I just feel that this house is so filthy. I feel like I'm dirty here."
He closed his eyes. "Even filthier now, because I shot my father."
Lex never expected the small, smart blow on his temple that followed his statement. He opened his eyes and saw Chloe's young face scrunched up in irritation and disbelief. "Are you insane?" she hissed.
"Maybe I was. Maybe I'll introduce that defense to my lawyer. He'd taped us, Chloe. He'd taped you. I had enough reason to kill him."
And then she did what he never thought she'd do again. Lex's heart jumped to his throat at the contact. She grabbed his hand and brought his fingers to her lips. "How can you say that? These hands have touched me intimately, Lex. They're not capable of hurting anyone, not even your deranged father. Not when they touch me so gently."
It was like a great thorn was removed from his heart, a huge boulder from his shoulders. Lex cupped her cheek. His eyes roamed the face that he missed so deeply. She was so beautiful. Despite the brave front she showed the world, she was his salvation. She was going deeper into a life she should never have been exposed to. Now that it seemed like he will be working for his father again, he felt it was only apt that he warn her, "You'll be treading in the darkness that is my life."
And she understood. Even glad. "You were born into the darkness Lionel created, Lex. That darkness isn't inside you. And I'm ready to walk through it with you."
Lex finally smiled, the first time in the longest week of his life. "Make sure I don't stumble here. You'll be my guiding light."
Chloe nodded, and kissed his fingers. "As much as you've always been mine."