Pas de Trois

Chapter 7: "Does that clear things up?"

“I’m sure. Let me show you,” Slade said. He leaned in and kissed her, hard.

 

Chloe almost didn’t kiss him back. Slade could feel her hesitating and if she hadn’t curled her fingers around his arms, pulling him closer, he would have backed off. A second later she gave in and returned the kiss, lips pushing harder than his so he felt confident to keep going.

 

Slade had Chloe close enough that he could feel the goosebumps on her skin when their tongues connected. He heard her soft moan and wished they weren’t standing right there by the front door because the last thing he wanted was to have to stop.

 

But he did stop, fighting all his instincts to keep pushing, because he knew they had to talk. He had to know why she kept pulling away. To tell her that she made his heart do crazy things and he wouldn’t be lying when he said he’d never felt like that about anyone else.

 

“Does that clear things up?” Slade asked.

 

“I have to go,” Chloe said as her phone started ringing. She may as well have kicked him in the stomach.

 

“Chloe, you can’t run out on me now,” Slade shook his head. He put his hand over the front door, panicking at the thought she was going to run from him again.

 

“Yeah, I can’t stay here another second,” Chloe looked as terrified as he felt. Slade only knew he had to fix it, that he had to explain so maybe she wouldn’t feel like running.

 

“Wait, no, we have to finish this conversation,” Slade said. “You’re not going anywhere.”

 

“Slade, get out of my way,” Chloe picked up her bag. Her phone started ringing again. “Hi Dad,” she answered this time, glaring at Slade. He crossed his arms. Brent could wait, just this once.

 

“Okay, be right there,” Chloe said. She hung up. “Slade. My dad is outside. We’re leaving for LA right now. Hannah’s having a baby. You have to let me leave.”

 

“What?” Slade shook his head. Of all the things he’d expected her to say, that was not one of them. “Your sister, Hannah? I thought she was here, at Juilliard.”

 

“No, you have to move,” Chloe’s voice got louder and Slade could see she wasn’t just a little nervous anymore. She was actually freaking out and he had to get out of the way.

“You really do have a lot of secrets,” Slade said as he opened the door. As Chloe said, Brent’s black Escalade with the blacked out windows was waiting there.

 

“Guess we have that in common,” Chloe said, pushing past him. It was raining outside but it didn’t matter because she was already running to the car.

8 months earlier…

 

“Chlo?” Hannah was at her desk. She looked nervous, like she was about to cry. That was how Hannah always looked.