Disclaimer: again Chapter 1.
CHAPTER 20: Dining Out
" You didn't have to do this, Lex, " said Chloe, having a look at the menu.
" It's the least I could do, Chloe. You were right. You cannot be cooped up in that apartment like a prisoner. "
" Well, yes, but... don't you think that this is a little bit excessive, Lex ? Booking the whole restaurant for the two of us. "
" You needed an evening out, Chloe. And, considering everything we've been through, I wanted to guarantee our safety. This way my bodyguards'll find their work easier. "
" How can you live like this ? "
" You get used to it, Chloe. I've lived most of my life surrounded by security cameras and bodyguards. It doesn't mean I enjoy it. Who likes living like a prisoner even in the street ? I'm sorry you've been dragged into this, Chloe. Lucas should have known better than to jeopardise what he had with you. I know I would, " he said, holding Chloe's gaze.
" Lex ? " asked a blushing Chloe. " I've always wondered..., " she said, lowering her eyes. " Forget it, " she murmured, changing her mind.
" What was it you wanted to ask me, Chloe ? " he asked her, pouring more mineral water into her empty glass.
" When did you find out you had a brother ? " she blurted, saying the first thing that came to her mind.
" Twelve years ago I discovered my dad had had Lucas' mother committed to an asylum. She used to look after me when mum was ill and, eventually, my dad made her his lover. When he found out she was pregnant, he decided to shut her up and, once Lucas was born, he took him away from her. I thought your husband was dead. My dad told me he had died in his sleep like my brother Julian, but a few months later I learnt the truth, " he explained, certain the question that had left Chloe's lips wasn't the one she had intended to ask.
" That's when you rescued him in Chinatown, right ? "
" Mm..., " responded Lex, dabbing his mouth with the napkin.
" I'll never understand your family's twisted dynamics, " she confessed, finishing her crème caramel.
" You should have stayed away from us, but now you're part of this family. "
" Do you resent me for marrying Lucas, Lex ? " asked Chloe without meeting his eyes.
" Resent you ? Why would I resent you ? You're the best thing that could ever happen to my brother, " he said passionately.
" Do you really believe that, Lex ? " she asked, raising her misty eyes to meet his gaze.
" You' re a wonderful lady, Chloe. He couldn't have chosen a better partner to spend the rest of his life with, " he stated, squeezing her hand over the table.
" What about you, Lex ? Have you found what you've been looking for ? " she asked, slowly withdrawing her hand from his.
" I don't know if I'll ever get what I want. Sometimes you have to make compromises and accept what fate is ready to grant you. "
" I've never pictured you as a quitter or a coward, Lex. "
" I'm realistic, Chloe, that doesn't mean I'll give up trying to get what I desire with all my heart. "
" Were you happy with Lana, Lex ? " she dared ask.
" She needed me and gave me the greatest gift I could hope for, " he responded, lowering his eyes to her tummy.
" Need. What about love ? Why do you always think of yourself as unworthy, Lex ? " she asked, unsettling him.
" Habit, maybe, " he answered, shifting uncomfortable on his chair.
" You deserve a lot better than a woman's gratitude, Lex. "
Mm... things are getting interesting, don't you think ? Go to chapter 21.