A/N: I cannot apologize enough for the long overdue update. I'm still having a hard time with this story, I know what I'm trying to set up, but it's hard to fit everything in. Then the plot bunny for Cosmo hit me. I finished that, so now I can get back to this and hopefully finish When You Can't Hide Anymore soon. After that I'm going to try to wrap up my stories on then start on the sequel for Cosmo. It may take a while, so bear with me here.

………………

"He didn't try anything?" Clark asked Chloe in disbelief.

"Nothing." Chloe confirmed mopily.

Clark raised his eyebrows. "You don't sound too upset about that."

Chloe glared at him. "I am. Lex was a perfect gentleman all night. That means he's not going to give up on this."

Clark nodded in understanding. Chloe had shown up a few minutes earlier after her date with Lex ended. He'd invited her over to the mansion for dinner and walked her to her car afterwards and didn't try anything. The way she had ascended the stairs had caused the warning bells to go off in his head. Chloe was always full of fire. He'd never seen her look as defeated as she had a few minutes ago. Clark had been ready to run over to the mansion and break Lex's legs.

Chloe buried her face in her hands and sighed deeply. She could feel Clark's eyes boring into her with sympathy. She hated that.

"Chloe?" he asked timidly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have any feelings for Lex?" Chloe jerked her head up to stare at him. Where had that come from?

"Do you think this would be bothering me so much if I didn't? That I would get so angry whenever I'm around him? Why I would avoid him?" she shot back.

Clark nodded. "You have feelings for Lex, he has feelings for you-"

"We don't know that Clark. Being attracted to someone and having feelings for them are completely different things." Chloe interjected.

"You're afraid of being hurt." Clark said softly. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. After everything he's put her through it made sense that she would be cautious. The fact that the man in question possibly didn't return her feelings made it that much more of a risk.

"Do you blame me?" Chloe gazed sadly into Clark's eyes. "I can't go through that again Clark. It would kill me."

"I'm not the one you should be telling this too."

Chloe stood and began to pace around the loft. "I'm not telling Lex." Telling Lex was bad. Seeing Lex was bad. Being around him caused her to want to do more than just see him.

"Why not?" Chloe stopped at stared at Clark as if he'd just sprouted antennae. "Why? Hm, let's see. There's the part about him wanting a fling whereas I have the actual feelings. Not to mention the constant threat to my life just by knowing him. And let's not forget the way my dad feels about the Luthors just now. Oh, and we can't forget Lionel's animosity towards me now can we?"

Clark stood and walked over to stand right in font of her. "Chloe, you can't hide from Lex forever."

"I can try." she said defiantly.

Clark took hold of her shoulders and turned her around, walking her towards the stairs. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting you to your car if I have to carry you." he answered.

"Why?"

"Because you're going to talk to Lex." Chloe began to protest and Clark raised his hands to silence her. "Chloe you'll drive yourself, and everyone else, crazy until you do. Go."

She knew he was right. But that didn't stop the childish impulse to stick her tongue out at him to come out. Clark laughed. "Real mature."

With a pout she walked out to her car, dreading what she had to do next.

………………

She watched as Chloe got back into her car and drive away. It would take her about twenty minutes to get back to the mansion. She knew there was no way she could beat her there. So how was she supposed to stop it?

She took a deep breath and sat down a fallen log. This was so unfair. She hated that she had to this, but she had no choice. It was for everyone's safety.

………………

"Yes I understand Warren. Everything is all set." Lex had been on the phone with Warren Steele for the past half hour, ever since Chloe left. Lex could certainly empathize with the man, he'd just sold the company he'd spent his whole life building. But that didn't mean he had to give Lex a detailed history of each of his 200 employees.

As Warren continues to prattle on about Mr. Chambers in accounting and his three children, Lex's mind began to wander. And they ended up right where they always did. To Chloe. She had looked so beautiful that night. The deep blue of her dress suited her fair skin and hair to perfection. It was all he could do not to grab her and have his way with her right on the spot.

As if cued, Chloe stepped into his office for a second time that night. He blinked rapidly, trying to convince himself that she wasn't just another fantasy. Silently, she walked around the table that held the remnants of their dinner. Circling slowly, she began to trace her finger around one of the wine glasses. Lex watched her, transfixed.

"Warren," he interrupted the lament on Mr. Chamber, "I'm sorry but I'll have to call you back." He hung up the phone as Warren continued talking.

Lex eyed her movements. She was still tracing the glass, avoiding his gaze. He rose and walked up behind her. He placed his hands lightly on her shoulders and trailed them down to a atop over her hands. Chloe sighed in contentment and leaned her head back against his shoulder. Lex inhaled deeply, savoring the warm scent he always associated with her.

"You came back." he said softly.

Instead of offering an explanation vocally, which she wasn't sure she could do, she turned her palms over under his hands, interlacing his fingers with her own. They stood that way for awhile, just enjoying the closeness.

"What did Warren want?" Chloe asked, breaking the spell.

"He's worried about his employees." Lex answered.

She nodded. "Understandable. You didn't get that reputation for ruthlessness by accident."

That stung. He knew she was still upset about the night at the penthouse, and he didn't blame her. But that didn't quell the pain her comment caused.

"No. I earned it."

Slowly Chloe extracted her hands from Lex's and turned to face him. "What is this for you?"

Her question caught him off guard. He wasn't entirely sure how to answer her, didn't really know what she was asking. "I don't really know what you're asking."

"This. Us. What do you want from it?" she clarified for him.

"You. I just want you." he told her truthfully.

There was a barrage of questions running through Chloe's mind. He wasn't telling her what she wanted to know, and he knew it. And he knew that she knew it. But he wanted her to trust him. Like she used to.

………………

She stopped at the edge of the driveway, panting for breath. She had just run from the Kent farm, terrified that she wouldn't get there in time. Looking up, she saw that she had cut it close.

They were standing a breath apart, gazing at each other. She knew that gaze, had seen it every day of her life. Her heart breaking, she picked up a large rock and threw it with all the strength she possessed. Turning, she ran back through the woods, the sound of shattering glass echoing in her ears.

…………………

Chloe jerked backwards, the sound of glass breaking pulling her out of her Lex-induced fog. Two of his bodyguards charged into the room, guns drawn.

"Mr. Luthor are you alright?" one asked.

"I'm fine." he answered. "Chloe?"

"Fine." she murmured.

Lex looked at her, concern filling his eyes, at the tone of her voice. She was pale, chewing on her bottom lip nervously while she wrapped her arms around her waist. Defense mechanisms. He'd seen her use them countless times. It meant she was pulling away, trying to distance herself from the situation.

Lex put a hand on her arm and pulled her off to the side away from his bodyguards who were still inspecting the rock. 'Morons.' he thought. "Chloe, are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine…physically. But I think I'm going to go." she started towards the door, but was halted by Lex's hand once again on her arm.

"You don't have to." he told her sincerely.

She smiled slightly at the honesty in his voice. But it didn't change anything. She'd been close to making a mistake, the only thing really holding her back was the danger Lex was always in. That rock had just reinforced it. The chance of getting hurt emotionally, she wasn't happy about that, but it came with the package. That came in every relationship. Threats to her life was an entirely different matter.

"Yes. I do." she replied.

………………

"I did it." she whispered to herself as she watched Chloe get into her car. 'So why am I not happy?' she thought. But she knew why and was reminded of it when she felt the pain in her chest. Not as bad as she'd expected, but still. The only thing that hurt worse was watching Chloe wipe away the tears spilling from her eyes as she drove off.

"I'm sorry."

………………

A/N: Short I know, but on time. I'm still working on getting things in order, and then I'll be able to write longer updates. Until next time.