Just for Tonight

46.

Chloe left them alone as she went into the bathroom to take a warm shower. She needed it.

Ville was silent for a moment. "It's a lot to take in." He looked at Migé as if to ask his opinion.

"I...I'm having trouble imagining her ...with that guy. And I blame myself: we often phoned each other and I never guessed anything".

"I can't understand how a guy dared to hit my sweet Chloe".

"She stayed with him, Ville". Migé winced. "Tell me, you two ... are you going to get back together?"

"You know how much I love her, Migé. But right now, I'm completely lost." He plunged into thought.

"In any case, there's no way she'll ever set foot in that guy's house again," Migé sighed loudly.

"I agree with you". His jaw clenched. "I'm gonna go check on Emy. Tell Chloe... tell her ... I'm coming back here today."

He ran off.

Chloe came out of the bathroom, her hair still wet. Jeans, black T-shirt and scarf. Migé smiled. "He went to see Emy," he said quickly.

"Ah. Fine." She picked up her phone. She had four missed calls. Raf.

"Migé, I have a call to make."

"I'll leave you to it, then".

She took his hand: "Stay. I need your strength".

He settled behind her on the sofa and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you scared?", he asked softly.

"I am. Since I've seen Ville again, certain things have become more important. Like getting out of this situation with Raf. Now yes, I'm afraid of him".

She dialed the number. Migé put his ear to the phone.

"What plane are you taking?", he asked directly.

"Raf ... I'm going to stay here. I'm going to stay here forever. I'm not coming back."

Raf's voice turned honeyed.  "Chloe, after all I've done for you, you can't abandon me. After all we've been through, our love... Come back to me".

"Raf, Finland is my home". She cut him off.

He raised his voice.

"When I met you, you were nothing. You were nobody. Just an empty carcass. I nursed you, I loved you, I made you. I made you a good journalist, I gave you your own radio program. Without me, you're nothing.Without me, you'll never get anywhere. I made you, and I can destroy you in the same way."

Migé felt her shaking.

"I'm not coming back, Raf. I'm never coming back. You can burn everything that belongs to me. I'm taking my life back where I should never have left it".

"Think about it, Chloe". His voice had become strangely calm. "I can also damage your singer's career...".

"Leave him out of it. I'm not staying here for him. He's got a girlfriend anyway. If I stay, it's for me". Chloe was shaking more and more.

"You know what you have to do ... you come home immediately and we'll forget the whole thing".

"Never!", Chloe almost shouted.

"Then I'll ruin you".  He hung up.

Migé looked at her and tried to comfort her.

"He will, Migé. He'll destroy me and, above all, he'll shatter Ville's career".

"How could that be?", Migé asked, horrified by the conversation between his friend and Raf.

"He's a press magnate, Migé". She sighed. "What he doesn't know, he makes up. I've learned that from him and seen him do it more than once. That's the reason why I'm so afraid to break up with him. The only thing I care about is protecting Ville".

"You'll have to talk to Ville about it when he gets home. We will find solutions", Migé tried to reassure her.

When he returned to Migé's, he found them both deep in discussion.

Chloe looked at him. His eyes were dark circles and he looked sad. He took a seat beside Chloe and put his hand on hers.

"Is everything all right here?", he asked.

"And how are you?", she replied.

"Emy will be gone in two days. But it has been... hard". He looked at Chloe, almost embarrassed.

"Don't apologize. I've had a difficult phone call to make, too."

"Did you finally call him, then?". His green eyes regained their sparkle. Migé coughed.

"He's threatening us. He wants to ruin us, both me and you Ville. He has the power, he runs the media".

"What can he do to you, from a distance?", he asked with concern.

"Destroy my career. I'm sure that already now I can apply here in Helsinki but no one will hire me anymore. What worries me most is what he can do to you".

"I'm not afraid of him, you know," he replied with a wry smile.

"Don't underestimate him".

He looked at her. He didn't dare imagine her with this guy.

"How could you...?".

"Ville, I wasn't supposed to see you again or report to you. That part of my life was over. So ... whatever I might have done ... I never considered the consequences. Even less that it would fall on you". She sighed deeply, sensing that he no longer understood her.

"She punished herself for leaving you. With that guy. End of story, Dude." Migé tried to reason with Ville.

"We absolutely have to work on your self-esteem", Ville declared. He yawned. "Migé, I'll take your room... I'm exhausted. These last two days have been... difficult". Without a glance at them, he disappeared into the bedroom.

"He's really angry", she noticed, looking at Migé.

"He'll understand. I understand, but I don't love you the way... he loves you."

"Do you think he still loves me?", she asked disbelievingly.

"He never stopped loving you, sweetie. He never said anything against you, he just... stopped talking about you." He sighed loudly. "Romeo and Juliet..."

"I feel more like The Ugly Duckling, Migé. I'm ashamed to have let things go this far with Raf, but ... I think ... there was this sort of addiction. One day, Ville told me ... that I had a fucking need for attention. He was probably right".

"Chlo ... you're the only one who has always handled with his rock star side without making outbursts. The fans who clung to him, trying to seduce him ... he always admired that about you. But it must have affected your self-esteem".

"Why me...and not someone else". She sighed, "Look at Emy for example...".

"Chloe, you're not The Ugly Duckling. And you have his heart. Don't doubt it."

"I don't know if we'll ever get back together Migé. Right now, both he and I need to take stock. I need to find a job and a place to live. Get back on my feet without anyone's help. Otherwise, I'll make the same mistakes again... feeling indebted or dependent on someone... even if it's him".

For the first time for a while, her voice was firm. Migé smiled.