A/N: I know, I know. I've been a bad, bad updater. It's a good thing that I hate to leave things unfinished, because I am trying to wrap some of my in-progress stories before I move on to new ones brewing in my head. Now that my muse and I are on speaking terms again after I have shed my workaholic ways, the creative juices have started flowing. Enjoy!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Disclaimers in Prologue I"Pete?" Chloe eyed her best friend, almost not believing that he even dared to step foot in a Luthor building. Even more so, not believing his impeccable timing in breaking her almost-kiss with Lex.
"Hey," he murmured in response, swinging back and forth. Comfort was clearly the farthest thing to describe Pete Ross right now, and especially in the presence of Lex Luthor, the tension grew worse.
Chlor barely knew what to do as she was still in shock of his presence at Lex's condo. Ever the gentleman, Lex read the situation and did what it called for. "Excuse me," he directed to the two friends as he motioned to enter his condo, giving them some privacy.
Before he completely entered his home, however, he turned to them and said, "You can come in if you want. I'll be heading to bed. Pete, you're more than welcome to stay." He smiled at the two before leaving them be.
Pete raised an eyebrow as Lex's form disappeared into the condo. He turned to Chloe questioningly. "What was that all about?"
She had to put her emotions in check to avoid further prodding from Pete. Stepping in a Luthor building was one thing; being okay with a potential admission that she may be falling in love with Lex Luthor was another.
"He was only being friendly," she responded, trying to not let a guilty expression pass her face. "That's all."
Despite her efforts, however, Pete was clearly more perceptive than she expected. "Right," he said, finding some of his usual snark in Lex's absence. "Was I interrupting something?"
'More than you would want to know,' Chloe thought to herself. Pete was definitely not the person to be confessing her affections for one Alexander Luthor. "Not at all," she insisted half-heartedly, looking around to see if she could find a spot to sit. Her eyes settled on a cozy-looking mini-couch right by the door to the condo.
'Figures,' she laughed internally. "Chloe?" Pete broke into her reverie. "Are you sure?"
"Sure about what?" she asked, racking her brain for the end of their conversation thread before she daydreamed right in front of Pete.
"Me interrupting something?" he inquired again, clearly suspicious of his best friend's odd behavior.
"Of course not, Pete," she shrugged. "We just came back from dinner."
"A date?" he prodded. Surely by the way Chloe was acting, there was more to her and Lex than what she was letting on.
"No!" she denied without hesitation. A calming breath later, she added, "No, we're just friends."
Pete raised an eyebrow, indicating to Chloe that he wasn't completely buying it. She sighed. She knew that despite his irrational distaste for the Luthors and penchant to be the center of attention, Pete Ross was one of the more rational people in their little Smallville clique. At this time, as he was the only one in that group that was still talking to her, she figured that he deserved to know the truth.
"Pete," she finally sighed. "Have a seat." She tapped on the space next to her. Eyebrows still raised, he slowly walked over to the other side of the couch and propped himself down.
"Do you mind telling me first what you're doing here?" she asked, practically begging her best friend. When he raised his eyebrows again, she explained, "I just need some time to organize my thoughts.."
Pete nodded in understanding. "That's fine," he said with friendly sympathy in his voice. "I came here to warn you. Clark and Lana went to Lionel Luthor to tell him about you and Lex…whatever 'you and Lex' means."
"I know, Pete," she replied. "He came and surprised us during our..dinner."
Pete was taken aback for a moment at how quickly the Luthor patriarch got his plans, whatever they may be, in motion, but he was perceptive enough to catch Chloe's hesitation. "Are you sure that it was just a 'dinner', not a date?" he grinned.
Chloe threw him a harmless glare. "Pete.." she started, a frustrated tone ringing in her voice. "I need to tell you something."
"Uh-oh," the young man half-joked. "This can't be good." He would have added more humorous if not for the shadow that darkened over Chloe's features. "Chlo, what's wrong?" he asked.
After a deep breath, Chloe began her story, wishing to the unknown powers that her best friend would turn out to be far more understanding than what she pegged him for.
An hour had passed as the young Sullivan blonde narrated her recent health woes to her childhood companion, who in the progress of her tale, had taken her hand and squeezed it affectionately in various occasions. "I wanted to tell you, Pete," she finished. "I just didn't want anyone to pity me."
He smiled sympathetically. "I can understand why you would want to keep this to yourself, but you know that I would have done everything in my power to make sure that you would be alright."
"I know that you would," she grinned back. "I just didn't want you to worry about me constantly."
Pete laughed wholeheartedly, earning an incredulous look from Chloe. "Kid, with you running off on your journalistic adventures only to run into Smallville's freak of the week, I already worry about you constantly." After a slight pause, he continued. "So you're going to be okay?"
The lady nodded. "Lex has sponsored my cardiologist's research into my disease, so things are looking up for the time being."
Pete quirked an eyebrow. "Speaking of Lex, you have yet to answer my query about the status of your relationship," he joked. "And don't even think of lying to me, Miss Sullivan. Because I know you like the back of my hand."