The Mistake (A Chlathaniel Story)

21

"I'm so fucking tired," Chloe whispered as she got up again when she heard Joy screaming. Nath trailed his fingers over her arm and smiled at her, brushing her hair away from her face. She smiled, his gentleness making her think back to some hours earlier when they decided to shower together while Joy was asleep. Surprisingly, despite his horniness, Nathaniel didn't try making it any more than a shower other than when he sent her small smirks and touched her in ways that made blood rush into her cheeks. The way he ran his hand through his hair as the water droplets ran down his skin was also an honourable mention. She wasn't surprised that he was being gentle with her, he was always overly sweet and she guessed that he could sense she was tired but she still found the fact that he preferred to take care of her, unlike her previous lovers who liked nothing more than using her when they felt like it, refreshing.

"Hey, I'll take this one. Just pour some of your milk into a bottle, I'll feed her." Chloe rose an eyebrow, already shuffling towards the crib in a robe. She took one that already had her milk inside and smiled at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I might not have the boobs but I helped make that baby, I want you to rest. Besides, I feel like holding her. I just can't believe that she's here… she's beautiful and amazing… perfect, just like you." Chloe scoffed, folding her arms over her chest with a slight grimace she hoped Nathaniel didn't notice as she remembered her night with Jax. She hadn't even been drunk, that was the saddest part. She knew Nath was at home but she was feeling shitty and numb, it was that night when she destroyed their anniversary dinner and she wanted to go crazy, so she did. Unfortunately, Jax was there to notice her weakness and she foolishly, willingly succumbed to his advances and spent the night at Nathaniel's old dorm with him.

"I… believe me, Nath, I'm not perfect. Not even close." He rose her chin up so their eyes met and pecked her lips, smiling.

"But you're perfect for me, Miss Bourgeois." She stuck out her tongue, flinching slightly at the sound of her own surname. She told him she would heat it up, ignoring his protests for her to rest and climbed downstairs slowly, her soft, cream-coloured slippers padding the sounds of her feet. She was on her way to the kitchen when she noticed a figure on the couch. She switched on the lights, her eyebrows furrowed but she groaned inwardly when she noticed who it was.

"Oh! Genevieve, g-good morning," she managed to stammer out, noticing that the hour hand on the wall clock some feet away was stationed a little past one.

"Call me Miss Kurtzberg. I probably shouldn't be using my late husband's name, now that I think about it but I got used to it over the years." Chloe stiffened slightly and nodded, struggling not to wring the woman's neck both mentally and in reality.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kurtzberg. Excuse me, I have to get this milk-"

"You are never going to be a part of this family. I honestly advise that you don't, dear, it isn't worth the pain. I wasn't surrounded by these gingers, once. Now I am and look at me. This thing you have with my son is not going to last, alright? I understand that you're probably desperate for comfort, what with your perverted father and your rapist uncle taking advantage of you." She switched on the television, where a gossip news host was likely to be picking Chloe to pieces but Chloe didn't listen, she just watched.

First, she watched them show an excerpt of videos of her during the reunion, then her father and uncle with mugshots. Then, they showed a blurry image of 'Canary' holding onto her metal pole at Le Sucre and giving some men a show. "And of course, you've been a stripper for a while too, you poor girl. Just don't bring your craziness into this family, we have more than enough of it and you're pathetic enough alone, we don't need someone like you around here."