Chloe (Chardonnay Series Book 1)

by Hollye Davis

  “Don’t worry so much Aunt, I’ll be fine. I need to do something to get my mind off Edwin, this is the best solution.”

  Aunt nodded and with a squeeze of her hand, Chloe left the kitchen and cottage. When she emerged out on the wooden deck, she was a little surprised to find Cole waiting for her in the front.

  “I’m going to walk to the bus, so just pick up Kim,” she announced to him as she walked down the stairs.

  “No,” he said defiantly.

  “Yes.” She glared at him and started walking toward the front gate of the community. He grabbed her arm but she yanked it away.

  “Don’t EVER grab me!” She shouted, turned and took off and ran.

  Cole had already caught up to her by the time she got to the front gate but she didn’t let it deter her from walking around his truck and entering the bus. He was not happy. She didn’t care and closed her eyes once she was seated.

  Kim was waiting, stomping her foot impatiently when Chloe stepped off the bus. Oh here we go, Chloe thought, rolling her eyes.

  “Cole was so angry at you this morning, why didn’t you ride with us?”

  “I don’t want anything that Edwin arranged for me.”

  “Oh so Cole isn’t your friend?”

  “Edwin paid him to pick me up, I fired him. It’s simple as that. He’s still my friend but at the stables, not in his pick-up.” Chloe stepped around Kim who clearly wasn’t finished.

  Chloe spotted Jeff waiting by the door as usual. Her next firing was to commence and she was determined.

  “Jeff, I appreciate all you’ve done but I won’t need your services anymore. Thank you.”

  Chloe marched passed him down the hallway.

  Jeff caught up with her, “Why?”

  “I just don’t need Jeff. I don’t need to hide behind anyone and I certainly don’t my ex-boyfriend’s employees to keep me safe.”

  “Ex, huh?”

  She turned toward him, “That’s none of your business.”

  “Because that would make sense of the phone calls I received from him,” Jeff said.

  She didn’t answer, turning toward her locker, but Jeff continued anyway, “He said that he was worried about you and that I needed to watch you closely.”

  “Damn, that bastard!” She punched the air as she walked, “How dare he?! He has no say in my life. He doesn’t have any right,” she wanted to hit something but she couldn’t find anything that wouldn’t hurt her worse.

  “Woahhh…I didn’t mean to step in it here. I just said that it made sense.” Jeff had his hands up in the air in surrender.

  “Doesn’t matter, Jeff, you may go,” she turned toward him again, “I don’t need you and let’s not make a scene about it.”

  Kim had followed them, looking at her as if she had lost her mind. Maybe she had.

  “Are you going to fire me too, Chloe?” Kim asked softly.

  Chloe stopped stunned. “What do you mean?”

  “Well you just fired Cole and Jeff, two very good friends of yours because you broke it off with Edwin. I was just wondering if you were saving me for last. I would like to know ahead of time, you know. So I can interview for a new best friend or something. This seems like corporate America of friendships and all,” she said.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Kim, you didn’t lie to me and I don’t think Edwin hired you to do anything did he?”

  “No. of course not. Whatever, Chloe, that’s not the point. The point is that you just dumped two good friends. I’m appalled at that.”

  Chloe shook her head. She didn’t have answers. She just knew what she needed to do. Purge Edwin from her life.

  Still shaking her head, she walked into her classroom effectively ending their conversation.

  Chloe spent most of the day playing catch-up barely having time to do anything but take make-up quizzes and do classwork. Jeff continued to escort her but she pretended he wasn’t there. Didn’t he get a clue?

  By the time art arrived, Chloe was in such a bad mood she refused to talk to anyone. Kim sent her the squinty-eyed death glares and Jody looked as if she was going to start crying. She ignored them both.

  She skipped lunch not wanting to deal with more death glares from Kim or the guilt of making sweet Jody sad. Instead she went to the library to do some more catch up work. By the end of the day, she walked straight to the bus and got on. Cole and Kim glared at her as the bus drove by his truck. She closed her eyes and disappeared.

  Her day was so horrible she couldn’t wait until she got up the stairs into the sanctity of her cottage. She dropped her bag on the floor, shucking out of her light jacket, but stopped midway. Edwin was there. She looked up into his bright blue eyes, his fists clinched to his sides. She wanted to turn and run but it was too late.

  He was angry.

  He held up her necklace in his visibly shaking hand.

  “Why? I mean that little to you?” She looked at the wall, her vision was blurring.

  “I can’t have reminders of you, Edwin,” she choked out. She finished taking her jacket off and hung it in the hall closet.

  “I got a call from Jeff, he said you fired him.”

  “Yes, I need to learn to deal without anyone.”

  “Cole called and said you refused to ride with him.”

  “Yes.”

  “Christoph told me that you didn’t want to be his friend anymore.”

  “Yes.” She confessed still looking at the closet.

  Edwin’s voice was getting closer but she didn’t move. Even though he hadn’t touched her, she could feel him everywhere.

  “I can’t live without you, Chloe.” She wouldn’t look at him. She couldn’t look at him. She didn’t believe him. He was a liar. She needed to remember that.

  He touched her face and she turned her head. His eyes held so much sorrow, so much feeling.

  “I love you. I’m dying, I’m afraid I’m no one without you.” Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as he lowered his head slowly to her. She was torn. She wanted his touch as much as she wanted her next breath, but he was a liar and this wasn’t healthy. He stepped closer, his hand slowly turning her toward him, she was helpless as his lips touched hers. It felt as if she would die from need. She didn’t move. He pulled her closer and kissed her more deeply. She moaned when his tongue entered her mouth. She was a weak idiot.

  She wrenched away on a sob.

  “You can’t do this, Edwin, you don’t have the right!” She was crying, “I loved you and you made it dirty!” She pushed at his chest. “I hate you! You lied to me!” and she ran off to her room and slammed the door. She climbed on her bed and cried.

  A while later, or maybe a few minutes, she wasn’t sure, it felt like a lifetime, a knock sounded on her door. Before she could answer it cracked open. Her aunt peeked in and asked tentatively, “May I come in?”

  “Yes.”

  “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Edwin left a few minutes ago. I was surprised to find him here. He was on the couch with his head in his hands. His eyes were bloodshot and he wouldn’t talk to me. Did you guys have an argument?”

  Chloe nodded.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  She shook her head. Aunt climbed into her bed and Chloe crawled into her lap. Her aunt cradled her head and rocked her.

  “I love you, Chloe, more than anything. I can’t imagine loving a daughter more. I want you to know I’m always here for you. I’m only human and I’ll make mistakes but I’ll try to be the best for you. I understand the heartbreak and betrayal you feel. I loved someone very deeply once and it ended horribly. I don’t think I have ever gotten over it. I didn’t have anyone that was there for me at the time. I think if I did I could’ve healed better. I want you to know if you ever need anything, I’m here. Okay?”

  Chloe nodded, a sense of security filled her, “I love you, Aunt. Thank you.” Silly insignificant words but all Chloe could manage at the moment.

  When the darkest shadow sw
allows the sky and the sun seems to never show again, I don’t despair anymore. The cloud will pass or crack to show the brilliance behind it when I least expect it. I must keep faith. - Chloe’s diary

  Chapter 14

  The Fight

  The next day at school didn’t seem to be any improvement to the previous day. Cole tried to give her a ride that she refused and Jeff wouldn’t go away. She ignored them all.

  Kim was still angry at her but she was slowly softening. Jody was confused.

  Kim was being a really great friend by not telling anyone about who she had been dating. Chloe was still humiliated that she dated a guy for over half a year and never knew he was famous.

  With second period over she started down the hall spotting Jody in the distance. Chloe quickened her pace to talk to her, to at least clue her in that she broke up with Edwin.

  However about halfway to Jody, Britney appeared. Chloe watched in horror as Britney shoved Jody into the lockers causing her to drop all her books.

  It was like one of those strange things in life you hear people talk about. Where everything around you seems to stop and your vision goes into hyper-focus on one detail. In this case the detail was Britney and how Chloe was going to beat her ass.

  Taking huge strides she walked straight up to Britney and pushed her so hard that she fell to the ground.

  “How does it feel, whore? Why don’t you go and pick on someone your own size. Like me?” Chloe stepped on her hand, “How does it feel to be defenseless?” She taunted her. She removed her foot from her hand allowing Britney to rise again so she could shove her right back down again.

  “It isn’t a lot of fun is it Britney?” Britney was getting pissed but Chloe didn’t care. When Britney got up this time, Chloe grabbed her by her shirt and shoved her against the lockers.

  “You know who I AM, Britney?” She said inches from her face, “I’m someone who has had just about enough of your crap. You can do what you want to me, but you leave my friends alone.” She shoved her again against the locker releasing her. This time Britney didn’t fall but came after her with claws drawn.

  Chloe was ready.

  When Britney went for her face, Chloe moved out of the way and tripped her to the ground. Britney sprung back up and launched herself at her again, which was the perfect opportunity for Chloe to grab her hair and punched her in the stomach.

  People were all around not saying anything, not doing anything. She went for another hit with her fist when suddenly she was being pulled from behind.

  Damn it! She wasn’t through. She wanted to show the bitch what it felt like. Thrashing, she landed a kick on Britney somewhere soft before she was completely removed, physically carried out of the crowd and down the hall. She twisted to see who was dragging her and was surprised it was Jeff.

  “What the hell?” she asked.

  “You needed to get out of there before the teachers came. They were on the way.”

  “Oh. You can put me down now.” He did, she straightened her clothes and started walking to an unknown destination. When she felt she was far enough away to take a breath without them finding her right away, she stopped and leaned against the lockers, Jeff followed.

  “God, I feel so ashamed, Jeff. I shouldn’t have done that but when that bitch shoved Jody, something just snapped. I’ve not been myself lately and that was the last straw. I’m so tired of being taken advantage of.” She put her head down and covered her eyes with her hand.

  “Don’t be sorry, Chloe, anyone of us would have done the same thing. You were just the closest.”

  The bell rang. It was the start of the next period but neither of them moved. She needed to go to class but didn’t want to. She knew the office would be calling and she just didn’t want to deal with that…or anything.

  Turning to Jeff she asked if he would walk her to the public bus stop. He nodded. He waited until she was safely on the bus before returning to school.

  When Chloe arrived at the cottage she was surprised to find her aunt was there.

  “Hey, is everything all right?” Chloe asked softly. Aunt turned immediately and came running to her and gave her a hug.

  “You must’ve got a call from school.” Chloe stated.

  “Yes, they’re looking for you. They said something about you attacking some student.”

  “Yes, Britney after she knocked Jody into some lockers.”

  “Oh Chloe. I’m sure you had your reasons but why didn’t you stay in school?” Aunt asked.

  “Because that idiot Vice Principal will find a way to blame me and make Britney sound wonderful and I just couldn’t bear it today.”

  “Well you don’t have to, but tomorrow you will. We’ll go in together. I’ll make sure they don’t crucify you.”

  “Thanks, Aunt.”

  Walking to her room she sat on her bed and started going through her backpack for her cell phone. She wanted to make sure Jody was okay so.

  She hadn’t used the cell phone since the awful day she found out about Edwin. The first notification on the screen was that the voicemail was full. After she cleared that another notification beeped at her saying her message box was full. She went to her messages and saw 150 texts from Christoph, Edwin, Sandra, Christine, and Penelope. There were a few from Kim and Jody. She hit delete all and got rid of them. It was the past, she needed to move on.

  She called Jody.

  “Oh my God Chloe, things are crazy here,” Jody said excitedly.

  “Are you okay?” Chloe asked.

  “Oh yeah, of course. People are like ‘bout time someone stood up to that bitch Britney’ and Chloe is awesome.”

  Chloe listened as Jody yammered on about how Britney left school after the next period. Finally, Jody wound down and Chloe hung up the phone.

  She was ashamed at what she had done. It was beneath her, no matter what the rest of the school thought. She looked around her empty room and sighed. She felt sad and empty.

  Do you know how many times I had wished I could have rewound a moment and had the perfect comeback, or how many times I wished I defended myself when I didn’t? But with anything, you better be careful what you wish for because when you are able to react as you always wished you could, it might not have the outcome you imagined. -Chloe’s diary

  Chapter 15

  Setting the Record Straight

  The next day she and her aunt and her went to school to meet with the Vice Principal. They sat in the jackass’s office and listened how it was inappropriate behavior to act in such a way, in sum that she should’ve turned the other cheek. Chloe had enough, “If you would’ve just done your job and stopped this harassment when I got beat up, then this would’ve never happened.”

  The Vice Principal was shocked by her outburst as it was the first time she had ever said anything besides agree with him.

  He sputtered out, “Now you listen, young lady.”

  Chloe interrupted him, “No, now you listen, I have sat here in this office while you have made every excuse in the world to justify Britney’s behavior and I’m sick of it. I think you need to reassess your little star cheerleader and ask HER why she evokes me to attack her. Maybe a lecture about how if you don’t make waves in a school then people won’t bother you or some tripe you’ve told me in the past!”

  “Well young miss you are asking to be expelled with an attitude like that,” the Vice Principal threatened.

  “If you don’t think that I couldn’t test out of school at this moment you’re crazy. The only reason I’m here is because I want to get into college. I carry a 3.8 GPA and I don’t cause trouble. I may not do drama and I may not be a cheerleader, but I do keep your ratings up. You need to sit back and really think about threatening expulsion. I can make your life a lot harder when you have to explain why you expelled an honor student whose only crime is that she finally defended herself against a bully because the administration wouldn’t do anything about it.”

  As the Vice Principal sputtered, Aunt jumped
in, “I think that we’ve said enough here. I’m sure that you’ll be talking to Britney about her behavior after this won’t you? Chloe has suffered enough around here and I think that’s sufficient punishment. I don’t think we need to talk about this anymore.” With that Aunt got up and Chloe followed.

  They made their way out of the office and down the hall. When they got a good distance Aunt turned around to her and said, “I’m so proud of you, Chloe. Don’t misunderstand me, you should always be respectful to authority figures, but it was time to defend yourself. That guy was a royal ass.” They both laughed and hugged. Aunt drove her to the cottage forgoing school for another day.

  Chloe was feeling good for the first time in a long time. She hummed as she went to her room and picked up her phone. She started dialing Edwin when she remembered that Edwin and her were no more. The pain hit her so hard that she had to sit down. How could she have forgotten?

  Reaching between her mattresses she pulled out the magazine. It was sad it was the only pictures she had of him. She gazed at the picture, mourned him. She opened to his interview and reread some of the interview questions again.

  When she finished she sat back staring at the ceiling thinking about all the times they had talked. She thought about the late night fires.

  She realized how stupid she was for never asking him personal questions or explanations to weird behavior. She sat there all night thinking about Edwin.

  She thought about his ridiculous jealousy against Cole. She laughed and that reminded her she laughed a lot when she was with him. She thought about when she first arrived in California and how damaged she was. Edwin took his time helping her get over her past. He never judged her or thought less of her because of her insecurities. Why would he waste his time if this weren’t real to him? She thought about how torn up he was at the hospital and how he cried. She thought about him and her necklace. Edwin may have withheld part of his life with her, but he had given every bit of his love to her. When the light began to shine through her glass doors she had come to one conclusion, her life sucked without him.