In The Woods, Somewhere

Chapter 14

Chloe drove with your family to the house you grew up in, though Chloe had her eyes on her mother. She was a little too quiet for comfort, eyes locked on you. You were talking and laughing with your mother, your father not paying attention as he drove. What is on your mind? Chloe averted her gaze as Diane's eyes slowly turned to glance at her. A bitterness filled Chloe's senses, she liked you, she genuinely thought you were a great person, it was just her own relationship with her mother. After everything that happened, Chloe still found herself bound to Diane. It's proof of our kinship, our blood.

Getting to the house, Chloe took the spare bedroom while you and Diane took your old bedroom. However, Chloe got to look in before you went to show Diane. Your bed was a double-twin, drawings scribbled all over the walls and posters on the ceiling. Chloe recognized one of the posters of a deer, the same deer Diane was wearing a hoodie of. Louis? God, he looks and sounds like a rich bitch. Chloe left your room, looking at the spare bedroom. There was a twin sized bed and a couple of empty rat cages stacked on each other. On the wall by the cages were names with birth and death dates.

Chloe sat on the bed, continuing to look around. This room was right next to yours, what was worse was that the beds were against the same wall. She heard you and Diane coming down the hall, giggling and talking to each other. Something about a completed handwritten book for Dungeons and Dragons, a campaign you had written yourself and still wanted to play.

Chloe laid down, exhausted from the flight and the jetlag. As she went to close her eyes, she heard you and Diane giggling and the bed shifting. "Diane, that tickles! We need to keep our voices down, Chloe will hear us." "Hear us doing what? Tickling and talking?" Chloe rolled her eyes, groaning quietly to herself. I took a week off for this?

The next day, Monday. Chloe got out of bed, looking in your room. She saw her mother holding you tightly, Pumpkin laying behind Diane's legs, her own legs tucked just behind yours. She went down the hall, sitting in the living room. She then heard a door open, seeing your mother walk out into the hallway. "I didn't expect you to be awake so early, Chloe. Is everything okay?" Your mother asked quietly, sitting on the couch beside her.

"I'm okay... Actually, no, I'm not okay." Chloe mumbled, seeing your mother turn to her and nod to continue. "My mother and I used to be very close, but that was because she made me sick. When I left for college, we agreed that I'd still be in her life as long as she got therapy and improved. She did improve, and then she met (Y/N)." Chloe spoke quietly, anger seeping into her thoughts. "She's so carefree now, I'm glad she's happy, but she's just..." "It hurts seeing the face of the person that hurt you live without consequences?" Chloe nodded as your mother cut to the point. "I can assure you, karma comes for us all. She's happy, but that doesn't invalidate your trauma. You're always welcome here and you're always welcome to talk to us." Chloe gave your mother a hug, smiling.

As the day progressed, Chloe noticed small things her mother did for you. It's almost ritualistic how you two do things together. Cuddling on the couch, Chloe watched you use your fingers to make small circles on her mother's stomach, Diane's hand in your hair slowly massaging your scalp. The odd thing that Chloe picked up on was that Diane had given you something squishy and coated in powdered sugar. The excitement in your eyes as you didn't hesitate to take it from her fingers. "What was that?" Chloe mumbled, Diane's eyes landing on her. "Marijuana edible." Chloe felt her blood go cold. "Don't worry, in this family we smoke and consume edibles. Before I left, I would make fruity pebbles edibles." You reassured, smiling. Chloe felt her blood run cold, memories returning to her. "Chloe, can you help me with this?" Her attention was turned to your mother, going into the kitchen.

"Thank you for getting me out of that situation, I thought I was going to shut down." Chloe gave an awkward laugh, seeing your mother's reassuring smile. Chloe helped your mother make little hand pies. There was a shepherd's pie and a vegetarian version, the vegetarian version made in a half moon shape.

Chloe enjoyed spending time with your side of the family, then it struck her. Seeing you eating with her mother, laughing and cuddling. The anger she felt had an underlying pain, something she didn't understand at first. Jealousy. Jealousy that her mother was holding you, wanting to take Diane's place. No matter how much she wanted the anger and jealousy to not mingle, they were bound to each other. Anger at her mother, jealousy that it wasn't herself holding you.

After dinner, Chloe laid in her bed alone. She felt so much anger, her heart thudding. She understood her feelings and although she barely knew you, she wanted to rip you from Diane's arms. Her ears pricked at the sound of you and Diane crawling into bed, talking to each other. "Your hands are always so soft, Diane." "Thank you, sweetheart." No. "If you were a carnivore, which part of me would you eat first?" "Well, I'd probably start here." Chloe heard Diane give you a soft kiss. Stop. "You're so sweet, honeybee." That should be my nickname. "We both have soft hands, I think a carnivore would find us both delicious if we were in that world." Another kiss. Stop, please. "I love you." I love you too. "I love you too, gummy bear." Chloe heard you laugh at the nickname. "I think that'll stick, after that time you had two." Then, there was silence. Chloe could hear the two of you moving, then the sound of a light being turned off. "Good night, Diane." "Goodnight, (Y/N). Goodnight Pumpkin." Chloe heard the cat meow. I'm going to hate this week.