Clark stands cornered by the sink of his own kitchen, pinned by a pacing Chloe who is obviously upset.
"I can't believe you've known all along where she was and you didn't tell me," Chloe says, blinking hurt eyes at him.
"She didn't want to be found, Chloe," Clarks says. "I don't think she wanted to be interviewed, either," he adds, regretting it and meaning it at the same time.
"And what, you just assume that I am just out to publish people's hidden secrets? Did you think I couldn't genuinely be concerned about her?" Chloe says, the pitch of her voice bordering shrill.
Clark stands silent, feeling as though doing the right thing for Audrey meant doing the wrong thing to his friend.
Luckily for Clark the uncomfortable silence is broken by his father coming through the kitchen door, the screen behind him catching the cold breeze and slams shut.
"Well, I think I was finally able to convince Lex to go home for the night," Jonathan says, dragging himself towards a chair.
Instantly he can sense the tension between Chloe and Clark. He passes Clark a sympathetic look, knowing himself the wrath of a passionate woman.
"Is your mother in with Audrey?" Jonathan asks, figuring since the cat is out of the bag about their company, he can speak freely.
"Yeah, I think she's feeling a little better now," Clark says,
keeping his eyes on Chloe.
She walks over to the door, pausing with her hand on the handle, fueled by the steam coming out of her ears.
"The truth isn't something to hide, Clark," Chloe says, the pain she feels causing her voice to tremble. "But, I guess I'm just not the kind of friend you can trust with it," she adds, making her point as she walks out the door.
x X x X x
Audrey is sitting up in bed, clutching the warm tea Martha brought in to her. In typical motherly fashion, Martha adjusts the down pillows behind Audrey's back before taking a seat on the corner of the bed.
"You gave everyone a pretty good scare when you fainted," Martha says, her maternal instincts currently in overdrive. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"
Audrey blushes, and looks down. "I'm sorry if I frightened everyone," she says, taking a sip, embarrassed that once again her vulnerability has landed her in a position to be cared for by the Kents.
"Oh, sweetie, sometimes we all want to run away from Chloe," Martha says with a grin.
Audrey manages a smile that quickly fades away from her pale face.
"But she really does mean well," Martha adds, understanding Chloe's natural curiosity.
Audrey nods, well aware how cryptic every single action she has done since coming to Smallville has seemed. It's been practically unbearable living every day with the knowledge herself, she can only imagine how odd it seems to those on the outside.
Martha, hoping Audrey feels well enough to talk about what happened, decides to open the door. "I really don't understand why Lex would act that way," Martha says, still a little confused by his distant reaction to seeing Audrey.
"I'm sure he really was happy to see you again," Martha adds, hoping to ease Audrey's mind.
"He had every right to act that way," Audrey says quietly, placing the tea cup on the tatted doily resting upon the night stand.
Martha understands that the Luthor's relationships are very
different from those she's accustomed to. But something in her heart refuses to believe that Lex could be so cold to someone he had obviously once loved so deeply.
"I'm sure you already know this, but men can be complicated when it comes to matters of their heart," Martha begins. "They're not always able to-"
Audrey stops Martha by shaking her head.
"I wish it was that," she breathes, letting her long lashed lids cover her water filled eyes.
Wringing her hands, she swallows hard against her emotion, hoping to compose herself enough to speak that which she feels may kill her.
Unable to bring her eyes to meet Martha's when she delivers what, to her is the fatal blow, Audrey rips off the proverbial band-aid and expels the truth: "He doesn't know me."
Martha, unable to understand the words just revealed to her, only can raise a quizzical brow, hoping to not jump to the conclusion that Audrey has up until this point been lying about everything. Pushing away that awful thought that slipped into her mind, Martha tenderly takes Audrey's hand, believing she's just upset, and assuming the worst
Twisting the dagger embedded in her heart, Audrey lets her lips speak again, every syllable seeming to steal another piece of her soul. "The terrace disappeared..." she says trailing off, the very confession making it all the more real to her.
Martha, trying desperately to decipher the emotional puzzle Audrey is presenting to her, doesn't know quite how to react.
Feeling as though her lungs are unable to push air past the lump building in her throat, Audrey can only fight enough to let the word "erased," find it's way out of her body.
Martha's hand goes to her mouth, the final piece of the puzzle revealing the tragic picture Audrey's misfortune has painted. She could never purge the memory of what Lionel had done to his son, robbing him of his own thoughts and memories. But, until this very moment she did not truly realize all that was stolen from Lex. Looking into the heart broken eyes of she who was destined to always be his beloved, Martha can see the tiny flicker of hope that once resided within the green irises now drowned by pools of despair.
"Every moment we shared. Every time we touched. Every time we said 'I love you' has been erased from his memory. The procedure his father ordered took me away from him forever," Audrey says, tasting every sorrow. "Took him away from me," she clarifies, embracing her own loss.
Martha, familiar with the heart break of losing a dream come true, lets go of the tears welled up in her eyes, letting them trail down her cheeks and fall softly onto the bedspread.