The morning sun light dripped through the window, embracing Chloe with its warmth. She stood looking out the window, her mind wandering a thousand miles a minute. She glanced down at the ring she clutched in her hand. She had spent the whole night staring at the ring. Remembering Oliver's words, remembering how much his actions with Tess had caused her pain. The knock at the door, brought her out of her daze. She placed the ring in her jeans and took a deep breath to clear away in thing that might make her look like she hadn't slept in days. She opened the door to find A.C. hidden behind a single red rose.
"I know that it's not a whole acre of roses, but it's my way of saying I am sorry." He blurted out, as he entered handing her the rose. "I shouldn't have kissed you. I shouldn't have gotten into your business with Oliver." He grinned with his puppy dog grin. "Forgive me."
She smiled. "Of course." She placed the rose on the counter. "A.C., you mean a lot to me. You're a great friend and I know that when my back is against the wall,… I know that you'll be there to protect me."
"So your in love with Oliver."
She inhaled as she nodded yes.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." She wiped away the tear that had fell from her hazel eyes. "I don't know."
A.C. pulled her in for a friendly hug. He hated that she was hurting so much and there was nothing he could do for her.
* * * * *
Chloe sat on the sofa at Clark's barn. She didn't know why when she was in needed of being saved, she'd end up there. She stood up at the sound of heavy feet climbing the stairs. It had been a long time since she entered that barn. Since she wanted to talk to Clark. She almost missed those days, when she they would search out stories for her wall of weird.
Clark stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her. She was pale and thinner than usual. He had been so wrapped up in his new life, that he had practically forsaken his best friend. How long had she looked so weak, and worn? He halve smiled. "Hey, Chloe."
She smiled tightly.
"What's up?" He tossed his jacket onto the desk beside him.
"I was just remembering the old days. The ones where I could always come to you as a friend." She laughed. "When we would sit and work out what-ever problem we might have had over apple pie and fresh milk."
Before she could get the last sentence out, the wind had blown through her hair, and Clark was standing there with an apple pie and two glasses of milk. Chloe smiled.
"You still can, Chloe." He sat the glasses and the pie on the desk. "I know that it seems we have out grown each other. And that there is this wedge between us, but I will always be here for you. I will always be the first guy there to save you." He pulled her in and hugged her the way they used too. "So lets sit down and talk."
She nodded. "Okay."
They took there places on the sofa. "What's going on?"
"I've been seeing some one."
Clark looked a little surprised. "Do I know him?"
"Yeah. Yeah." She looked into his eyes. "It's Oliver."
Clark's eyes practically bugged out. Had he heard her right? "Oliver Queen?"
"The one and only." She grinned. "We started out casual. Nothing serious. Then the next thing I know, I can't get him out of my head. Things were getting serious. I realized that I had always been attracted to him. I had always had feelings for him, I just hid them. I never let myself go there."
Clark leaned back on the sofa. He needed to take this all in. He knew that Oliver and Chloe had been working a lot together, but he never pictured them together. "Why didn't you tell me?"
She shrugged. "We decided to keep it a secret. It doesn't matter now anyhow." She stood up and walked over to the opening in the side of the barn. "It's over now."
Clark walked over to her. "What do you mean?"
"Well, playboy billionaire couldn't be faithful." She glanced up at Clark. "He slept with Tess." She cleared her throat. "How naive can I get, right?" She found herself once again fighting back her tears. "How could I ever think some one sane could love me?"
"Chloe," He felt his heart breaking for his friend. He wanted to run to Oliver's and press him into a pile of expensive clothing for taking advantage of her like that.
"Clark," her voice cracked. "It hurts so bad. I try to make myself hate him. I try to imagine them together, but nothing helps. I can't stop this pain in my chest." She said as her tears fell freely down her cheeks. She beat her fist into her chest. "I can't take loosing him." She collapsed in Clark's arms.
"Shh… it's going to be okay." He said as he cradled her in his arm. Rage feeling his body, his blood veins pulsing through his body.
* * * *
The elevator to Oliver's apartment rattled as it came to a stop. Oliver was standing over his desk looking through some photo's of him and Chloe, when he took her to the Bahamas. He slid them beneath the manila folder on his desk. He smiled when he saw Clark.
"Hey, man. Did you get a chance…."
Clark grabbed Oliver by the collar lifting him a few inches above the floor. "I am going to talk and your going to listen. Do you understand?"
Oliver nodded as Clark sat him back down on the ground. He adjusted his collar. He knew what this was about and frankly he didn't mind the lecture. God knows he had given himself enough lectures since that terrible night.