BEHIND THE PAINT

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
The awkward silence got even more awkward as the number of people in the room reduced to Tom,his ex girlfriend and his baby's mom.
"Oh would you look at the time...I gotta work on that...thing " Zendaya sparked up trying to head into her work room.
"What thing" Chloe slurred.
"That thing with the other thing on it.. geeshhhhh chlo" zee retraced and left.
"Sooo..how have you been.. both of you " Tom started, moving closer to Chloe.
"Oh you know...same as always..good" Chloe stuttered.
"Umm thanks for defending my little sister.." she said,with a sure nod.
"Does this mean you're not mad at the fight " he tracked, knowing fully well how Chloe felt about sticking it to the man.
"Oh I'm furious... It's different with Halle but violence for me is still a no no" Chloe stated.
"But...I think I see myself breaking that belief in that situation " she smiled, warming his chest in the process.
"Well..you two look a lot like identical twins... when I saw him hurt her...I saw you" Tom explained under his breath. Dispite the obvious age difference,

the bailey sisters looked like they were cloned to look the same.
"And I couldn't stand to see you get hurt... even if it's by me" he added , looking at her eighth month old pregnancy.
"Tom ..." Chloe wanted to resurface but he interrupted her.
" I'm so sorry Elizabeth..for .. everything" he apologized.
"It's not your fault completely.." she sighed, understanding him.
"I know It's too much to ask but...can I please be in the baby's life...I know I don't.." Tom stuttered before Chloe placed he hand on his mouth.
"Kk you don't have to ask...you can be in her life if you want to" she giggled. So beautiful was her entire self that only God knew what it took to keep him from not kissing her.
"Her life?.. " he asked , hesitating to put his hand on her belly.
"Yes...it's a girl" Chloe hinted and grabbed both of his arms , placing them on her belly.
"Kkk she's... she's moving.. she's.." he said, nervously.
"Yeah, she's been doing that since you walked through that door today " Chloe  told him, putting her hand on top of his.
"Tom..are you ok" she asked, looking under him at his face, his irresistibly

chocolate brown eyes blazing through her own.
"I'm.. I..am sorry..it's just... she's.. she's sooo real..like really real" Tom responded, earning a smile from her. She knew exactly how he was feeling.
"Do you remember..in college..we had a fight about which baby would be better as the first child" he breathed.
"Kk I said, I prefer my first kid to be a boy ..and you said yours would be a girl.kkk obviously to piss me off" She said. Ofcourse she remembered.
"No...you misunderstood me...not completely but...I always thought it would be cool to be a girl Dad..kkk because I only have brothers so.." he told her. Chloe was surprised because she had no idea Tom even had siblings.
"Well , I guess you got what you wanted.. except it's not with Zendaya..I'm sorry " she apologized lowly.
"No I did get what I wanted and it's not with Zendaya but..with someone I never thought would be better " Tom stated.
"Thanks Tom..that means a lot" Chloe admitted.
"And thanks for agreeing to be in the baby's life... You're a really good friend " she added drawing him back. Tom had never ever been friend zoned before so the feeling was knew. Uncomfortably new.
"Uhhh..ye yeaahhh... definitely, friend" he emphasized.
"Ye yeaahhh...I mean..I know we've never actually gotten there but that's on you for being an English dick trash.." Chloe stuttered making him laugh.
"I mean...if it's too much ..we could" she nervously landed and he shook his head vigorously,not wanting to stop her. It wasn't too much but too

little that even after everything they had been through,she only thought of him as a friend.
"Not at all..I..think, the baby would love to see mom and dad not try to kill each other every chance they get" he contained, the atmosphere becoming tense for him.
"Kkk I think so too...kkk " she laughed, letting him stare at her through the awkwardness. She was so close and yet still so far away.