We Ended Up Together
Page 6
"I didn't leave him only because of that. I also just didn't love him. He worked all the time leaving me at home and I couldn't live like that anymore," Chloe explained. Brad listened intently, watching her face as she spoke.
"That's really brave," Brad responded. Chloe looked up at him with glassy eyes. His soft brown eyes held her focus. As they sat there a shiver trembled down Chloe's body, partly due to Brad’s thoughtful words, but mostly because she was cold and soaking wet from head to toe.
Brad noticed the tremor shake Chloe's small frame.
"Do you want to change into something dry?" Brad asked.
"I would but I kind of didn't bring anything with me," Chloe replied, kicking herself for forgetting to grab a change of clothes before she left. But another shiver rippled through her body.
"I'm sure I can find you something to wear. Come with me," Brad stated, confidently. He got up from the couch and Chloe followed him like a lost puppy. They walked past the kitchen and bathroom door into another doorway leading to a small hall outside the bedrooms.
Chloe trailed a couple of steps behind Brad as they entered his bedroom. The walls were a warm gold color adding to the comforting vibe the room gave off. Brad walked over to his dresser and searched through a few drawers. Then he finally found what he was looking for.
Brad held out a white t-shirt to Chloe.
"Um, this shirt is too small for me so I'm sure it will fit you nicely," Brad explained.
"Thank you," Chloe replied with honesty. She took the t-shirt from Brad. "Where can I change?"
"You can use the bathroom," Brad said pointing out the door in the direction of the bathroom.
"Okay, thanks," Chloe responded, before she turned and headed for the door. Brad went back into the living room and sat on his couch again, trying to occupy his mind with anything but Chloe.
Soon Chloe emerged from the bathroom. Brad’s shirt hung loosely down to her mid-thigh. Brad swallowed hard. Never could he have imagined that Chloe would be in his apartment, wearing his shirt. She looked absolutely incredible with her wet hair and shy smile, as she sat next to him on the couch once again.
"Thanks for letting me stay here," Chloe said, breaking the silence.
"It's no problem Chloe. You can stay as long as you need to. I know how it feels to be in your position, and knowing that you don't have anyone to turn to like I did, it has to be hard," Brad said, timidly.
"It's a lot less hard now that I'm here with you," Chloe answered. She looked into his eyes; something about them just drew her in like a moth to a flame. As she stared at him, she subconsciously leaned in a bit.
Chloe was only a foot away from Brad’s face. She bit her lip as she lost herself in the moment. Brad too gazed at her eyes, noticing her leaning closer to him. He knew the look in her eyes; she was going to kiss him.
For a second, he considered closing the gap between them to fulfill his teenaged self's fantasy. How he had longed to kiss her for so long. He could only imagine what it would be like to have her soft pink lips against his own.
But the logical side of him won over. He knew Chloe was probably just upset about her divorce and seeking comfort.
"We should, um, get to sleep. It's getting late," Brad commented. Chloe nodded as she backed up. She was amazed at how much of a gentleman Brad was as she realized he didn't take advantage of her moment of weakness.
"Where should I…?" Chloe asked wondering where she would be sleeping.
"Why don't you take my bed? I'll sleep here on the couch," Brad responded, knowing exactly what she was going to ask.
"Are you sure? I would happily take the couch. I mean, you took me in…" Chloe replied.
"You've had a long day. Please, take the bed. I insist," Brad stated. Chloe opened her mouth to speak but closed it again as she lost her nerve. She was too tired to argue.
"Thank you," Chloe answered, sincerely. She hesitated a moment before she stood up. "Goodnight, Brad."
"Goodnight," Brad replied, softly. Chloe headed to Brad’s bedroom and climbed under his red comforter. She exhaled a drained sigh as her head rested on the soft pillow.
Chloe lay awake for a while, thinking about her day. She finally felt free of the chains that held her prisoner in a world she detested. Even though she still had a long road ahead, she was glad she had done what she did before she lost her mind.
She inhaled deeply smelling Brad’s scent all around her. It comforted her and soon she dozed off into a deep sleep. Finally her future looked brighter.
Chloe woke the next morning to the unfamiliar room and quickly remembered where she was. She was so happy that the whole thing wasn't a dream. She sat up in Brad’s bed and looked around. She admired the cleanliness of the room. She noticed a folded piece of paper on the bedside table. It had her name written across it. She picked it up and unfolded it.
Chloe,
I didn't want to wake you, but I had to go to work. I have a few lectures to give, so I'll be home around 3:00pm.
Please help yourself to anything you want for breakfast and lunch.
-Brad
Chloe smiled to herself and placed the note back on the table. She decided to have breakfast and then go back to her apartment to grab her belongings.
On his lunch break, Brad logged onto his email. He was disappointed to see that there was still no new email from his friend. Brad was concerned about her so he decided to email her again.
Hi,
I hope everything's okay. I'm just worried that you haven't contacted me yet, as usually you reply within hours.
Please let me know what's going on. We can talk about your decision to leave your husband. Plus I have a new roommate that I want to tell you about. She's that girl I met recently that I liked back in high school. Anyways, email me back.
Chloe sat in a taxi and watched as the city flew by her window. She had changed into the clothes she wore the previous night, which were now dry. She couldn't help but feel nervous when the taxi pulled to the curb in front of the old apartment she had once shared with James.
Chloe tensely climbed the all too familiar stairs and arrived outside of the apartment. She knocked on the door hoping someone was inside to let her in.
Soon the door opened and James stood there looking at her in shock.
"Have you changed your mind?" James asked hopefully.
"No, I've come for my things," Chloe replied. Then she walked past James and headed straight for her closet. She began to pack a few bags with articles of clothing and a few personal belongings. James stood in the doorway of their bedroom and watched.
James held a little hope that he could change her mind about the divorce. He had been in hell for the past day. Chloe's father was absolutely fuming when he entered the cabin without Chloe. When he explained that she left because she didn't like her life, Philip became even more infuriated.
Of course James was smarter than to mention his cheating with Linda and Becca. He even acted completely normal when Linda's husband returned from his evening ski trip.
After a while, Chloe had everything she needed. It was tough to see her entire life with James packed into a few suitcases. But, the sooner she could leave, the better. Chloe couldn't take another minute of James’ sad eyes watching her every move, willing her to stay.
Chloe carried all of her bags towards the door. James followed her closely. Chloe had to put a few bags down to open the door. When one of her shoulders was bare, James grabbed her arm, his vice-like grip made her turn back around.
He pulled her against him so fast she barely had time to register what was happening. James locked her in a tight grip as he assaulted her lips with his. James’ lips pressed against hers longing for her to kiss him in return, but Chloe's lips did not move.
After a few seconds Chloe was able to get him off of her. She looked at him with disbelief. Did he really think a kiss like that could solve their problems and make her stay? Chloe shook her head disgusted with the feeling of James’ crushing mou
th on hers.
"What the hell was that James?" Chloe shouted as she backed away from him.
"Please Chloe, don't go," James pleaded, looking at her with a pained expression on his face.
"I have to," Chloe responded, more calm.
"Please don't. I'm sorry for cheating," James said, practically begging for forgiveness. He wanted her to stay. He couldn't imagine the feeling of being alone and facing the repercussions.
"James an apology is not enough. I'm not leaving you because you cheated. I told you. I can't live this way anymore. This is not me," Chloe explained.
"What about the life we had planned. We were going to stay married forever, what happened to that promise?" James asked.
"James, when I promised you those things, I didn't know what I was promising to do. I thought this life would be different, but I'll never be able to explain how it feels to have the only purpose of keeping up an image," Chloe disclosed.
"Please just stay. We can work things out. Just think of all the people we'll disappoint if you leave," James explained.
"Why should we go on living this lie for them?" Chloe responded.
"Because it will cause chaos if we don't," James said. "Think of how this will ruin my life when you escape it."
"You don't care that I'm miserable? You just care that the name you live up to will be dragged through the mud," Chloe accused, angered by James’ self-centeredness.
"But face it Chloe, you're letting down your family and mine. Please just consider that for a minute," James reasoned. Chloe did take a second to understand what James was saying. But when she thought of spending another day home alone, or faking enthusiasm at a party, she stuck to her decision.
"I can't do this for them. I have to think of myself for once. All my life I've been living with the fear of endangering my family's image. I just can't take another day of it," Chloe explained.
"You can't leave. What am I going to do? Did you ever think of what this will do to me?" James asked again, bitterly. Chloe was shocked to hear his egotistical thoughts on the matter at hand.
"I can't believe you would say something like that," Chloe said, angrily. "Can't you think of anyone other than yourself for once? Can't you see how unhappy I am?"
"Why can't you consider my point of view? When you leave, I'm going to be the one dealing with the massacre," James stated.
"I'm sure if you tell them what happened, they'll understand," Chloe pointed out.
"Chloe I'm sorry about cheating and I'm sorry you don't love this lifestyle but can you please try once more," James pleaded again. Chloe shook her head.
"It's not only this life, or that you cheated on me with two other women. James, face it, we have nothing in common. Part of the reason I can't stand this marriage is that we don't love each other. Our parents practically pushed us into this marriage for their own benefit, and we just went along with it," Chloe explained.
"Why didn't you ever say something? We could have fixed this. I mean, I was dealing with it just fine," James stated.
"That's because you were cheating on me with Becca and my sister," Chloe clarified. "Plus I didn't want to fix it; I only want to leave this for something better."
James looked at the ground. He knew she was right. He didn't deal with it because he thought cheating would help get him through it.
"So I guess this is it," James said, breaking the tension-filled air.
"I'm going to go," Chloe said, softly. "Before I do, I'd like to return these." Chloe slid the wedding band and engagement ring off of her left ring finger. James looked at her with a hurt expression, as he held out his hand.
Chloe placed the rings in his palm.
"Thanks for giving these back," James said sincerely.
"I'll talk to you soon about the arrangements for our divorce," Chloe said, James nodded. Then she picked up her bags, once again, and left the apartment. James couldn't help but feel upset, but he also felt happy. At least Chloe would be able to live the life she wanted.
When she exited the building, she inhaled a deep breath of air. These steps were steps into a whole new life.
She was free at last.
Chapter 8
Brad twisted his doorknob with a flick of his wrist as he arrived home to his apartment. As he entered his living room, he noticed Chloe sitting on the couch, leaning over his coffee table. She was writing on something, her cinnamon hair falling over her face, hiding it from view. She kept her elbows rested on the table but raised her head to look up from her paper at Brad.
At the sight of him in the entranceway, Chloe sat up straighter and tucked her hair behind her ears, giving Brad a shy smile. Brad admired the way the outer corners of her eyes crinkled with her smile. Brad returned the smile, happy to see her. He finally withdrew his gaze from Chloe long enough to notice the bags scattered around her.
"What's all this?" Brad asked curiously as her gestured to the bags. He then placed his briefcase on the floor beside his side table and placed his keys in a bowl on the coffee table.
"Sorry about the mess. I stopped by my old apartment and picked up a couple of things," Chloe explained, hesitantly glancing at him.
"Don't worry about it. What are you up to now?" Brad asked as he stepped over a bag and sat on the couch beside Chloe. He loosened his tie slightly as he relaxed, waiting for her reply.
"Um, these are my divorce papers. I stopped by my lawyer's office and picked them up. I'm going to fill them out and then just get my ex-husband to sign them," Chloe explained.
"I know how hard it is to go through a divorce, trust me. So if you need anything I'm here for you," Brad said, sincerely. Chloe looked at him and smiled.
"Thanks Brad for everything. I really appreciate it," Chloe replied with honesty in her tone.
"I'm glad I can help," Brad said. For a moment Chloe felt tears in her eyes. Brad was just so sweet. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she just stared at the calm expression on his face.
Luckily the phone began to ring at that moment. Brad rotated on the couch and picked it up, turning away from Chloe.
"Hello?" Brad answered.
"Brad, it's Kathy," Kathy's voice spoke from the other side of the phone.
"Oh hi, what's going on?" Brad asked, inquiringly.
"I wanted to remind you that you have Jake this weekend," Kathy said. Brad furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, before recalling these plans. Chloe watched him with interest.
"I completely forgot. Listen, I have company and she really needs my undivided attention right now. I thought it was your weekend," Brad responded. Feeling uncomfortable under Chloe's watch he stood up and paced to his living room window.
"No. Remember, Harry and I are taking a trip to the Hamptons," Kathy said carefully. Brad felt a pang of discomfort ripple through his body. Anything to do with his ex-wife and her boyfriend still hurt for him to hear about.
"I'm sorry. That completely slipped my mind. But, we did discuss that," Brad apologized, unable to hide his sadness. "When will you drop him by?"
"I'll bring him tomorrow at 10:00," Kathy replied, somberly.
"Okay, I'll, uh, see you then," Brad responded. As much as he loved his son, he had hoped he could have this weekend alone with Chloe. She needed him right now, with what she was going through.
Brad and Kathy exchanged goodbyes and then Brad walked over to his side table to hang up the phone. As soon as Chloe heard the click of the handset hitting the base, she broke the silence.
"Is everything okay?" Chloe asked softly. Brad glanced down at her, as she still remained seated on the couch.
"Um, well, my son has to come and spend the weekend. I'm really sorry," Brad apologized.
"Brad that's fine. Don't worry about it," Chloe said, dismissing him with a hand wave.
"It's just that I usually take Jake to visit Vanessa. I'm sure you're welcome to join us if you'd like," Brad suggested, kindly. Chloe took her focus off of his face and looked at the floor.
"I don't kn
ow if that's such a good idea," Chloe mumbled. Brad stepped around the arm of the couch and sat down beside her once again.
"What do you mean?" Brad asked as he stared at her with a perplexed expression.
"I haven't seen her in years. We promised to stay in touch, but that didn't happen," Chloe explained, still looking at the ground as the guilt caught up with her. She looked up into Brad’s concerned gaze.
"Chloe, I'm sure she'll be fine. I bet she'll just be happy to see you again," Brad stated.
"Okay, I guess you know her better than I do. I'll come," Chloe decided.
"That's great," Brad exclaimed.
Chloe still hadn't convinced herself that this was a good idea. It was the reason why she didn't call Vanessa after Brad had given her Vanessa’s number. She was scared that Vanessa would be bitter about the way they left things.
Chloe had met James in college. As soon as she started dating him, her parents discovered that James’ parents were in the same country club.
Chloe began spending more and more time with James, going to functions their parents attended and making friends within the club. All came at a cost as she had less time for Vanessa. Eventually they just drifted apart and soon enough they lost touch.
It was as if their years of friendship were forgotten when Chloe started dating James. She didn't know how Vanessa would react to seeing her again.
Chloe decided to stop thinking about that by changing the topic of their conversation.
"So, it must be hard to take care of Jake all by yourself," Chloe spoke, breaking the silence that filled the apartment.
"Actually, the toughest part is not getting to see him every day. It's hard having to drop him off and pick him up," Brad explained.
"I can't even imagine how it feels. I guess I'm lucky my divorce doesn't involve kids," Chloe pointed out.
"I just love having him around though. The time I get to spend with him is always so much fun," Brad said, smiling to himself. Chloe couldn't get a burning question off her mind, so she decided to just come out and say it.
"Brad, can I ask you something personal?" Chloe started, watching as he snapped out of his thoughts and became serious.