Chloe smiled sympathetically. She was used to people worrying or complaining about her weight. She didn’t know why, maybe because she walked a lot. The last time she’d gone in for a checkup, the doctor told her he wanted her to gain weight. And she’d been trying, but it just didn’t happen.
Even with her excessive sweet tooth, and love of other junk food, she couldn’t gain weight, which probably made her the envy of other girls including Heather.
“Your metabolism mustn’t be that slow. You’re just as skinny as I am.”
Heather sighed. “That’s because I watch my diet and go to the gym four times a week. I wish I could eat as much as you do and not get chubby. Heck just watching you eat all that, I can already feel a muffin top sprouting above my hips.”
Chloe laughed. “So tell me honestly. What’s going on between you and Simon?”
Heather raised her eyebrows and smiled mischievously. “I’ll tell you, if you tell me what’s going on between you and Professor Hottie. Are you guys really dating?”
“Didn’t we already discuss this the other day?”
“No. You refused to tell me, remember? So spill it! I’ll tell you all about Simon, if you tell me about Ryther.”
“I don’t - I mean I guess you could say we’re still trying to figure it out.” Chloe took another bite of her sandwich and tried to act nonchalant.
“Have you guys kissed?” Heather had stopped eating, the conversation having made her forget all about her food.
Chloe dropped her gaze to her shoes. So much for being nonchalant.
“So you have? Dang it Chloe stop being so shy.”
“Fine,” Chloe said, “if you really want to know. We dated for a while when I was living in New York. Now that he’s here, we’re decided to try again. Okay, happy now?”
“You still didn’t tell me if you’ve guys have kissed.”
Chloe huffed and threw a waded up napkin at Heather. “Isn’t that obvious? Of course we’ve kissed. Now it’s your turn. Tell me what’s really going on between you and Simon.”
“Wednesday night, while you spent the night with – I’m guessing Ryther – Simon and I kind of… well we hooked up.”
Chloe coughed as her soda went down the wrong way. “You’re kidding? How did that happen?”
“Well I’d tried calling Jett to see if maybe he wanted to hang out or something. Of course he said he was busy. I hated having to spend the evening all alone, so I called Simon. We spent the evening drinking Smirnoff and watching a marathon of Friends. One thing led to another and, you know, lots and lots of sex.”
Chloe couldn’t believe it. Was Heather actually blushing? “So was it just sex, or is it something more?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s something more. I’m praying it’s something more. You know, I really think I like him.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I think Simon’s a great guy.”
It was nice to see her friend was no longer hung up on Jett. It was way past time Heather moved on and tried to find happiness elsewhere. Chloe didn’t know Simon all that well, but she knew he’d treat her better than Jett ever could.
Somewhere between listening to Heather’s constant chatter about Simon, they managed to finish their lunch. After they’d thrown away their trash, they began to meander down toward the shops, but halfway there, Heather got a phone call and took a seat at one of the empty benches in the middle of the walk way.
Not wanting to pry, Chloe headed into the nearby pet store so that she could ogle at all the new puppies. She ended up falling in love with a husky pup and would have gladly stayed there all day cuddling him if Heather had not come in and dragged her away.
“Where would you even keep him? You know they don’t allow pets in the apartment.”
“I know,” Chloe said and gave one last sad look at the husky.
Heather tugged her arm. “Come on, you said you needed lotion. Lotion is much more practical than buying a huge dog.”
Chloe pouted. “Alright. So was that Simon?”
Heather stopped walking. “Yeah. He’s feeling really down. He had to go to the police station this morning for more questioning.”
“Do they still think he did it?”
“He thinks so, but there just isn’t a whole lot of evidence. All they have to go on is that stupid bottle of water.”
“I hope they can find the real culprit soon and leave Simon alone.”
“Yeah me too. Chloe I hate to do this, but can you take the bus home? I should probably go check on him now.”
“Yeah sure. You go ahead.” Chloe said and smiled reassuringly.
“Okay, if you’re sure. I’ll see you at home later.”
Chloe nodded.
“Be careful,” Heather said before turning to walk away. “There must be a sale or something. There’s quite a crowd gathered over there.”
Chloe turned to the crowd that had formed in the hall between the clothing stores as Heather hurried to the exit. The closer Chloe got to the crowd she began to realize there was some kind of street performer or something. She could hear the delighted expressions from the many bystanders.
When she got to the edge of the crowd, she could see that a man dressed in black wearing a simple fencing helmet held the crowd spellbound. Chloe couldn’t see what the person was doing so she pushed her way through the throng of tightly knitted people to get a closer look.
She froze. The man was contact juggling with clear crystal like balls. They moved smoothly as they glided over and around his elegantly gloved hands.
Her eyes were glued onto the fluid movement of the balls. They looked like bubbles, weightless and unstable. One wrong flick of the fingers and the bubbles would burst. How often had she watched these balls and wondered how such a feat was possible?
In the beginning, Earon had made it seem so magical, as if the balls were truly able to defy the laws of gravity. But the closer she got to Earon, the more she despised seeing those crystal orbs floating over his fingertips. Even now, the sight of those balls made her stomach roil and her throat clench.
The man moved around the crowd letting the balls slide around a few bystanders’ shoulders and hands. He glided the balls with the same delicate skill. Her eyes focused on the long gloved fingers as his wrist bent up and down. So alike were his movements to Earon that she took an unsteady step back.
He stood right in front of her, his wired mask inches from her face. Her heart raced to the rhythm of the spinning balls and her feet were glued to the floor.
The mask juggler didn’t seem to notice her overpowering fear and pulled her out to the center. When he grabbed her hand and held it palm up to receive his spinning orbs she jerked her hand away. The balls tumbled to the floor.
Ignoring the looks of shock from the crowd, Chloe took one long look at the masked man and peered between the wiring of his helmet. Orange eyes stared back at her. She let out a tiny shriek, shoved her way through the spectators, and rushed to the exit.
Her heart pounding, Chloe’s only thought was to get as far away as possible. She didn’t dare turn around for fear he was coming after her. It was Earon. Chloe was sure of it. But how? He’d died.
Outside a crisp cold breeze attacked her. Her loose hair whipped about her face. The sky was turning dark. It would probably rain soon. Maybe even storm.
Chloe raced toward the bus stop. There were already a few people waiting. He’d never be able to grab her with so many witnesses. She slowed down and looked behind her. There was no one there.
Walking the rest of the way, Chloe allowed her mind to catch up. There had been a lot of witnesses in the mall too. Earon would never have been able to do anything. But was that Earon? Chloe tried to picture the stranger’s eyes. Because of the darkness inside the fencing helmet, how could she be sure his eyes had been amber? Because they’d glowed.
Earon’s eyes had always appeared to glow in the darkness. Like wolf’s eyes they were. But he was dead. He’d been burned to death in a fire. Sh
e pictured the fencing helmet again and began doubting if she’d really seen his eyes or because of her panicked state, she’d only imagined seeing those glowing wolf eyes.
Chloe took a seat on the bench between two girls. Her hands were shaking so bad she had to sit on them. No matter what she saw, she was still frightened and wanted to get home.
When she saw the bus coming up the road, Chloe stood up and formed a line with the other waiting passengers. She hugged herself. Please be home Heather, Chloe prayed. She was too upset and didn’t want to be alone in the apartment.
Chapter Fifteen
Chloe noticed Rhys’s car in the parking lot before she saw him sitting on her front step, his face serious and full of purpose.
“What are you doing here?” She asked coming up the walk. After the humiliating scene at the mall, Chloe wasn’t really in the mood to see anyone. Not even Rhys.
His face was set into a deep frown as if he’d been contemplating something worrisome. His musical probably. Rhys had said he was under a deadline. And yet here he was sitting on her porch like a man who was obviously stressed about something.
Rhys stood to allow her entry to the door. Chloe fished out her keys and put them into the lock. “What’s the matter? Is it your work? Do you have writer’s block or something?” She asked trying to make light of the situation. Never had she seen Rhys look so utterly torn. Surely his work wouldn’t cause him such trouble?
Chloe opened the front door and took one step inside. Rhys remained standing on the porch. Turning back to Rhys she said, “I’m not sure I’ll be very good company today. And by the looks of you, I’d say you won’t be either. But at least come inside so we can be miserable together.”
Smiling, even though she felt like crying inside, Chloe reached out and took his hand. Rhys came willingly; however, once they were inside he dropped her hand so forcefully that Chloe knew instantly his problem wasn’t because of his work. It was because of her. She swallowed and took an involuntary step away from him. What had she done to make him like this? Her brain was a whirlwind of activity as she tried to come up with possible explanations but of which there were none. Her mind was shooting blanks.
“Rhys…” Chloe let his name hang in the air between them, an unspoken plea that begged for him to say something. To let her know what had made him so quiet and upset. Whatever was wrong, surely they could fix it. After all the trouble they went through to get back together. Surely this was only a trivial mistake.
“Is it true?” He asked, his voice a bit louder than a whisper. His fists were clenching and unclenching at his sides. He wasn’t depressed. He was angry. This swift realization made her suddenly afraid.
“Is what true?” She asked hesitantly. An agonizing thought struck her. Oh God! Not that. Surely it wasn’t that. How could he know? An icy hand ran its fingers down her spine turning her blood cold. Did he know?
“Did you really try to commit suicide?”
Chloe took another step back, panic vibrating through her system, and shook her head in denial. She instinctively touched the right side of her tummy giving herself away. She jerked her hand away but it was too late, he’d already seen the gesture.
Rhys moved quickly snatching up the bottom hem of her shirt. She let out a yelp and tried to pull her shirt down. “Stop it! What are you doing?”
“I want to see it,” He growled and flung her arms away.
She brought her hands back refusing to let him see her scar. “Please,” she cried. She held her arms down over her stomach. She’d never wanted him to find out like this.
Grabbing her hands, he clamped them tightly in one hand and jerked her shirt up over her torso. His gaze took in the jagged scar above her pelvis.
Deeply ashamed and overwhelmed with grief, Chloe struggled against him and started to cry. Her tears slid down her cheeks as his hand roughly traced the line of the puffy red flesh.
Letting her shirt fall, Rhys pulled her roughly against him. “Tell me why?” He demanded. “Was everything Josie said true?”
His face was so full of rage that Chloe couldn’t look at him and had to turn her face away. When she made no answer, he shook her roughly. “Answer me damn you!”
“Yes it’s true,” Chloe shouted back. “I tried to kill myself. It was the only way I could get away from him!”
“What did Earon do to you?”
Chloe took an unsteady breath. Her cheeks were soaked from her tears. She wanted to wipe them away, but Rhys still had her hands in his iron grip. “What did Josie tell you?”
“That doesn’t matter. I want to hear the truth from you.”
Moaning, Chloe’s weeping was out of control. “Please,” she wailed, “don’t ask me. I can’t tell you.” She was ashamed and horrified. What if he didn’t believe her? Josie hadn’t at first either. How would he react? Oh God, she couldn’t bear him knowing. She couldn’t let him know what Earon had done to her.
“Damn it Chloe, tell me!” He refused to let her turn away from him. “Did he rape you?”
She continued to weep. Rhys let go of her and raised his hand. She flinched in preparation for a slap, but it never came. Instead his hand gently grabbed the back of her neck and he pulled her face against his chest. Rhys sighed heavily, his chest bumping into her nose.
“Please,” he said against her ear, “I need to know.”
Chloe forcefully wiped at her tears and thought about getting into her car and driving away. Her keys were still in the door lock. All she had to do was push herself out of his arms and run. But she couldn’t. She never thought this day would come and now that it had, she felt too frightened to do anything.
“I never wanted you to find out,” She whispered against his chest. “I’m so ashamed.”
She pushed him away and turned her back on him. She couldn’t bear to look at him. “I’d been so excited to be actually cast in a musical. Not to mention with someone so skilled and breathtakingly handsome as Earon. Just watching him perform and hearing his voice… He was so perfect. A virtuoso. And I couldn’t believe that he’d wanted me as his partner.
“At first I was completely smitten with him. I wanted him to teach me everything. I looked up to him, like a student would to her favorite teacher. Like a daughter would her father. Maybe I just wanted him to fill that void in my heart.”
She moved farther away from Rhys so that she wouldn’t be tempted to run to him for comfort. She doubted he’d want to comfort her after hearing everything.
“Everything about him fascinated me and I did my best to please him. When he offered to give me private singing lessons, I was ecstatic and agreed without hesitation. I don’t know how many hours we spent locked away inside my dressing room singing opera after opera. My voice improving beyond my wildest dreams. And I owed it all to him. Under his teaching, I’d become perfect. He was like my very own phantom. My very own angel of music. And I loved him for that. But it had been a mistake. The love I felt for him, wasn’t the love he wanted.”
Chloe took a breath and walked over to the sofa to sit down. Her legs were shaking horribly and she felt like she couldn’t hold herself up any longer.
Rhys watched her, his expression hidden by the sudden dimness of the room. The storm clouds had finally opened up letting a torrent of rain crash down. Chloe didn’t bother to turn on the light as the room became darker still.
On the sofa, she pulled her legs up against her chest hiding her face behind her knees. She wished the thunder would cover up her confession.
“As time passed I began to realize that this love was something dark. Our nightly tutoring sessions had become an obsession for him. But by then it had been too late.”
She peered up at Rhys’s shadowed face. “After I met you, I stopped staying after to practice. I wanted to spend every free moment I had with you.” She snuffled and brushed at her cheek. “I didn’t know about his feelings then. It was only after you left that he suddenly confessed and started locking me up every night. Maybe he was
afraid I would leave and go after you.”
Lightning flashed through the window illuminating the room for a millisecond. Chloe blinked and felt her heart lunge. She wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn she’d seen a tear slide down Rhys’s cheek. Chloe wanted to go to him, but she forced herself not to. It had probably just been a trick of the light.
Besides, after she told him the rest, Chloe wasn’t sure he’d want her near him ever again. After all she was damaged goods.
Her lips trembled. “Every night, he’d come to me always confessing his everlasting love and begging me to sing for him. And I did. If anything I pitied him. But then he started to touch me. A small caress here and there. Then came the nights when he’d force his lips against mine. I tried to fight him. I even screamed for help. But we were always alone. No one ever heard. No matter how much I wanted to tell someone about it, I couldn’t. I was much too frightened. He was always there watching. Always threatening me to stay silent.” Chloe shook her head and clenched her fists. “You see, he’d threatened to hurt Sophie if I didn’t obey him. He said he’d kill everyone in the theatre if I told.”
Rhys shifted and Chloe thought perhaps he was going to come to her. He stayed there in the shadows waiting for her to finish.
“A small part of me didn’t believe him. Night after night he touched me getting ever so closer to… I finally broke down and confessed everything Sophie.” Chloe gripped the knees of her jeans tightly in her fists. “She didn’t believe me. She said it wasn’t possible. I cried and begged her to save me, but she refused. I was the crazy one, not Earon. Not her precious Earon.”
Chloe pursed her lips afraid to go on. This was the part where Rhys would turn from her in disgust. If she hadn’t already lost him, Chloe was sure she would after this.
Outside the storm raged. With each crack of thunder, Chloe’s heart came that much closer to bursting. “Of course she’d told Earon what I’d said. That night after the performance, he came to me in a rage. He threw things. A vase smashed against the wall near my head. I thought he was going to kill me. I wish now that he had.” Chloe’s voice shook as sob tore through her. “He grabbed me. Threw me onto the floor. I begged him to stop but he wouldn’t. I told him I loved you but that only sent him further over the edge. He said he’d prove his love for me. He –”
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