TEETERING ON THE PRECIPICE
The feel of her lips under his was enough to push all the darkness away. Lex closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her. He felt her hand cup his cheek. She deepened the kiss. It was all he could do to pull reluctantly away.
Lex looked down into her half-closed eyes and instructed the driver of the limo, "Take her back to the house or to the hospital."
"No. Wait! I thought I was going with you," Chloe protested in her seat.
He dropped another kiss on her nose. "You've got to go, Chloe."
Lex climbed out of the vehicle and stalked towards Helen Bryce's ex- boyfriend, recently out on bail. The discussion about confronting the man again had been a long one. Chloe had been feeling guilty for a long time about what Helen had been going through because of her involvement with them. Seeing Helen in the hospital brought the guilt rushing back.
They had to help her. They had to make sure that the man would never bother Helen again. It was a simple and convoluted purpose that haunted Chloe until he agreed to do something about it. Now here he was. He tracked him down. It would be a cold day in hell before he allowed Chloe anywhere near the madman though.
"Paul," he called out.
The setting was too cliché. Helen's ex turned around, his shoes an inch deep in the puddle. The alley was dark. The night was cool and dry.
"Rich boy again," Paul drawled. "Come to tell me to stay away from Helen or you'll pay someone to arrest me?"
"I came to tell you not to do anything that will bury you deeper." Lex shook his head. "If you can get out of this mess, just leave. It's not worth it, Paul."
Lex turned his back on the man, eager to go home. He had done his part. He had done their part. Chloe could not possibly need more than this. He had no control over the way an insane man rationalized.
He should have expected it, but Lex had never been at his most intelligent when it concerned the young woman that he loved. He felt a body slam into him from behind. Lex stumbled and fell hard on the abrasive ground.
Lex jerked his elbow into Paul's stomach. When Paul recoiled, Lex jerked up and staggered to his knees. He glared down at Paul. The man threw a punch that Lex easily deflected. He grabbed Paul's shirt and slammed his fist down straight into Paul's mouth, bursting his lip. Lex kicked at Paul's thighs. He let the man go. Paul collapsed onto his arms and knees.
"I don't fight to kill," Lex spat out. "Not anymore."
Lex stumbled away from the heaving man. He was a few steps away from the light of the street when tight hands grabbed his arms. The cold point that settled at the small of his back stopped him in his tracks.
"Turn around. Back into the alley, Luthor."
Lex dragged his feet slowly into the darkness. He breathed slowly, in and out. He kept his breathing slow, to keep calm. He walked farther and farther from the light, feeling the prick of the knife. He closed his eyes and walked blindly, not much different because of the unlit alley. He conjured the image of Chloe in his mind, and suddenly, his eyes were flooded with brightness. He would not die that night.
By some miracle, Paul's forceful steps faltered. Lex was able to veer away and look at his attacker. His eyes widened when he found out what the miracle save was. Paul was fighting Chloe off against the dank wall. Lex saw Paul hand grab at the front of Chloe's blouse, tearing away the cloth in violence. Lex's sight grew red. He took Paul by the back of his shirt and pulled him away from Chloe. At the periphery of his vision, he saw Chloe sit limply on the wet ground.
Paul looked down at his hand, at Lex, and then at Chloe. The man scampered quickly away. Lex walked over to Chloe and helped her up. He pulled her back towards the street and into the limo.
"What did you think you were doing?" he demanded.
Chloe leaned back against the cushions. "Saving your sweet ass," she breathed.
"That isn't funny, Chloe! I told you to go home. You had no right endangering yourself like that."
"Sorry."
Lex frowned. Chloe never gave up early in an argument. There were too few instances when that happened, and those instances never bode well. "Chloe," he said firmly. Her glazed eyes turned to him. He scanned her face-her trembling lips, her pallid complexion, the sheen of perspiration of her skin. "Chloe, are you cold?" he inquired coolly, knowing that it was not the time to lose control.
He reached for her cheeks and felt the tiny shiver. He was terrified by the look in her eyes. He ran his hands down her sides. When he felt the warm stickiness at the side of her waist, Lex's eyes went to hers.
"The hospital!" he yelled to the driver.
"No," Chloe whispered. "No. No hospital. Lex, you know we can't."
He grasped his head between his hands, staining his face with her blood. "Fuck," he muttered. "We've got to get you looked at, Chloe."
She touched his face and leaned towards him. "I'm cold."
He enfolded her in his arms, rubbing her back to help the blood circulate. "Chloe, we have to-"
"No hospital. Promise me," she said, before drifting to unconsciousness.
Lex held her tightly against him. He could think of only one destination. As the driver took him there, Lex rested his lips on Chloe's hair, his eyes closed. It was one of the longest rides of his life.
~~
He kicked the door of the castle open. Lex carried Chloe inside. He shouted for his private doctor, who had been called beforehand. One of the servants reached for Chloe, but Lex scowled at him. He was not going to surrender his burden to anyone. He made his way up the stairs, afraid all the while of the passive limpness of Chloe in his arms.
He laid her gently on the bed and sat down beside her. When the doctor walked inside, he did not acknowledge him. He held her hand and waited while Chloe was turned to her side. The doctor unveiled the wound, and Lex flinched at sight of blood.
"Why don't you wash up, Lex?" the doctor asked. Lex detected the concern in the man's voice. After all, they had known each other since his wild college days. They knew each other as much as brothers did.
"I'm not leaving," Lex answered curtly.
The older man shook his head. "You're not doing her any good."
"I won't leave a person that I love when she's in this condition. I did that once and I'm still regretting it." He waited for the doctor to finish cleaning the wound and bandaging it. Lex stood and took Chloe's blouse off. Gingerly, he put her in a silk pajama top that he had lying on the table.
"Your fiance is in the hospital, Lex," the doctor reminded him.
"My fiance's right here," he answered. The older man did not ask questions. He knew Lex well enough to know when not to question. "Why is she so hot? It's a wound."
"There's an infection," came the answer. "It's a shallow wound, but I don't have the means to effectively drain the infection. When the fever breaks though, you'll know that she's going to be fine."
Lex nodded. "I owe you," he began.
The doctor stopped him. "It doesn't have to be said." He laid a hand on Lex's shoulder on his way out.
It was the next morning when Lex woke up to the feel of Chloe's fingertips dancing on his cheek. He gave her a sleepy grin.
"I never keep you safe," he told her. Before she could deny his statement, Lex continued, "And I've learned something about myself other than that."
"What is it?"
Lex opened the drawer beside him. He showed her a thin gold necklace with a very simple diamond ring as pendant. "I learned that I'm not as noble as I pretend to be when I'm with you. I won't sacrifice my happiness anymore."
Chloe bit her lip and reached for the ring. "We have a plan?"
"I have an idea," he admitted. "We'll work on it further. We'll only have to wait for a few more weeks before everything's the way it should be, Chloe. Do you believe in that?"
"I believe in you," she answered. "What's a few more weeks in exchange for a lifetime?"
Lex smiled and nodded. "Now we've got to talk about the stubbornness that almost got you killed. Again." His hand tightened around hers.
"You take me, Lex; you take my stubbornness," she reminded him. "It's a package deal."
"I can live with that."
The feel of her lips under his was enough to push all the darkness away. Lex closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her. He felt her hand cup his cheek. She deepened the kiss. It was all he could do to pull reluctantly away.
Lex looked down into her half-closed eyes and instructed the driver of the limo, "Take her back to the house or to the hospital."
"No. Wait! I thought I was going with you," Chloe protested in her seat.
He dropped another kiss on her nose. "You've got to go, Chloe."
Lex climbed out of the vehicle and stalked towards Helen Bryce's ex- boyfriend, recently out on bail. The discussion about confronting the man again had been a long one. Chloe had been feeling guilty for a long time about what Helen had been going through because of her involvement with them. Seeing Helen in the hospital brought the guilt rushing back.
They had to help her. They had to make sure that the man would never bother Helen again. It was a simple and convoluted purpose that haunted Chloe until he agreed to do something about it. Now here he was. He tracked him down. It would be a cold day in hell before he allowed Chloe anywhere near the madman though.
"Paul," he called out.
The setting was too cliché. Helen's ex turned around, his shoes an inch deep in the puddle. The alley was dark. The night was cool and dry.
"Rich boy again," Paul drawled. "Come to tell me to stay away from Helen or you'll pay someone to arrest me?"
"I came to tell you not to do anything that will bury you deeper." Lex shook his head. "If you can get out of this mess, just leave. It's not worth it, Paul."
Lex turned his back on the man, eager to go home. He had done his part. He had done their part. Chloe could not possibly need more than this. He had no control over the way an insane man rationalized.
He should have expected it, but Lex had never been at his most intelligent when it concerned the young woman that he loved. He felt a body slam into him from behind. Lex stumbled and fell hard on the abrasive ground.
Lex jerked his elbow into Paul's stomach. When Paul recoiled, Lex jerked up and staggered to his knees. He glared down at Paul. The man threw a punch that Lex easily deflected. He grabbed Paul's shirt and slammed his fist down straight into Paul's mouth, bursting his lip. Lex kicked at Paul's thighs. He let the man go. Paul collapsed onto his arms and knees.
"I don't fight to kill," Lex spat out. "Not anymore."
Lex stumbled away from the heaving man. He was a few steps away from the light of the street when tight hands grabbed his arms. The cold point that settled at the small of his back stopped him in his tracks.
"Turn around. Back into the alley, Luthor."
Lex dragged his feet slowly into the darkness. He breathed slowly, in and out. He kept his breathing slow, to keep calm. He walked farther and farther from the light, feeling the prick of the knife. He closed his eyes and walked blindly, not much different because of the unlit alley. He conjured the image of Chloe in his mind, and suddenly, his eyes were flooded with brightness. He would not die that night.
By some miracle, Paul's forceful steps faltered. Lex was able to veer away and look at his attacker. His eyes widened when he found out what the miracle save was. Paul was fighting Chloe off against the dank wall. Lex saw Paul hand grab at the front of Chloe's blouse, tearing away the cloth in violence. Lex's sight grew red. He took Paul by the back of his shirt and pulled him away from Chloe. At the periphery of his vision, he saw Chloe sit limply on the wet ground.
Paul looked down at his hand, at Lex, and then at Chloe. The man scampered quickly away. Lex walked over to Chloe and helped her up. He pulled her back towards the street and into the limo.
"What did you think you were doing?" he demanded.
Chloe leaned back against the cushions. "Saving your sweet ass," she breathed.
"That isn't funny, Chloe! I told you to go home. You had no right endangering yourself like that."
"Sorry."
Lex frowned. Chloe never gave up early in an argument. There were too few instances when that happened, and those instances never bode well. "Chloe," he said firmly. Her glazed eyes turned to him. He scanned her face-her trembling lips, her pallid complexion, the sheen of perspiration of her skin. "Chloe, are you cold?" he inquired coolly, knowing that it was not the time to lose control.
He reached for her cheeks and felt the tiny shiver. He was terrified by the look in her eyes. He ran his hands down her sides. When he felt the warm stickiness at the side of her waist, Lex's eyes went to hers.
"The hospital!" he yelled to the driver.
"No," Chloe whispered. "No. No hospital. Lex, you know we can't."
He grasped his head between his hands, staining his face with her blood. "Fuck," he muttered. "We've got to get you looked at, Chloe."
She touched his face and leaned towards him. "I'm cold."
He enfolded her in his arms, rubbing her back to help the blood circulate. "Chloe, we have to-"
"No hospital. Promise me," she said, before drifting to unconsciousness.
Lex held her tightly against him. He could think of only one destination. As the driver took him there, Lex rested his lips on Chloe's hair, his eyes closed. It was one of the longest rides of his life.
~~
He kicked the door of the castle open. Lex carried Chloe inside. He shouted for his private doctor, who had been called beforehand. One of the servants reached for Chloe, but Lex scowled at him. He was not going to surrender his burden to anyone. He made his way up the stairs, afraid all the while of the passive limpness of Chloe in his arms.
He laid her gently on the bed and sat down beside her. When the doctor walked inside, he did not acknowledge him. He held her hand and waited while Chloe was turned to her side. The doctor unveiled the wound, and Lex flinched at sight of blood.
"Why don't you wash up, Lex?" the doctor asked. Lex detected the concern in the man's voice. After all, they had known each other since his wild college days. They knew each other as much as brothers did.
"I'm not leaving," Lex answered curtly.
The older man shook his head. "You're not doing her any good."
"I won't leave a person that I love when she's in this condition. I did that once and I'm still regretting it." He waited for the doctor to finish cleaning the wound and bandaging it. Lex stood and took Chloe's blouse off. Gingerly, he put her in a silk pajama top that he had lying on the table.
"Your fiance is in the hospital, Lex," the doctor reminded him.
"My fiance's right here," he answered. The older man did not ask questions. He knew Lex well enough to know when not to question. "Why is she so hot? It's a wound."
"There's an infection," came the answer. "It's a shallow wound, but I don't have the means to effectively drain the infection. When the fever breaks though, you'll know that she's going to be fine."
Lex nodded. "I owe you," he began.
The doctor stopped him. "It doesn't have to be said." He laid a hand on Lex's shoulder on his way out.
It was the next morning when Lex woke up to the feel of Chloe's fingertips dancing on his cheek. He gave her a sleepy grin.
"I never keep you safe," he told her. Before she could deny his statement, Lex continued, "And I've learned something about myself other than that."
"What is it?"
Lex opened the drawer beside him. He showed her a thin gold necklace with a very simple diamond ring as pendant. "I learned that I'm not as noble as I pretend to be when I'm with you. I won't sacrifice my happiness anymore."
Chloe bit her lip and reached for the ring. "We have a plan?"
"I have an idea," he admitted. "We'll work on it further. We'll only have to wait for a few more weeks before everything's the way it should be, Chloe. Do you believe in that?"
"I believe in you," she answered. "What's a few more weeks in exchange for a lifetime?"
Lex smiled and nodded. "Now we've got to talk about the stubbornness that almost got you killed. Again." His hand tightened around hers.
"You take me, Lex; you take my stubbornness," she reminded him. "It's a package deal."
"I can live with that."