25. Chloe
25
Chloe
“Good day, Ms. Summers. Daisy Shelton here from Beaumont Properties. I’m reaching out regarding your interest in seeing the Tower Apartments. We’ve scheduled a viewing for you today at 4:00 P.M. To confirm your availability for this time, please get in touch with us. You can reach us at...”
I don’t catch the phone number Daisy spells out as I set the phone aside, preoccupied with getting ready to head out for some last-minute grocery shopping. Panic sets in at the thought of missing out on the apartment viewing as that’s the only really affordable option in the area. I quickly open my laptop and pull up my browsing history to find the website I had last visited.
I found the link, and as expected, there’s a studio rental on the market for $2,500.00 a month. It even has partial views of the bay.
I spend some time drooling over a video and a gallery of photos, then proceed with confirming the viewing by dialing the phone number on the website. I’ll gladly put a deposit down to secure this place.
I close the site and am about to power down my laptop so that I can leave when my phone rings. It’s Michelle. Wonder if everything is okay, I answer. After all, she never did anything wrong. Our relationship was always great.
Her voice bursts through the receiver as soon as I answer, “Hi, Mich—"
“Hi, Chloe. I dunno what’s going on with Dad, but he didn’t go into work today. Did you guys fight again? He’s being weird.”
“I’m sure he’s just fine. Does he look sick or anything?”
“No, he looks really tired, like he’s been up all night. Maybe that’s a sign he’s starting to feel sick, I dunno. But this is not like him at all, Chloe. He never misses a day in the office, unless he’s taking me to Disneyland or something.”
I guess he hasn’t told Michelle that I don’t work for him anymore. In any case, I don’t want to leave her hanging, and since it’s not necessarily an emergency, I tell her I’ll be there in a little while after I get my shopping done.
That’s right. I’m doing this for Michelle, not Daniel.
I arrive at the grocery store and see a few familiar store clerks. Nodding hello, I grab a cart and push it down the aisles in record timing. I have my list in front of me, but my mind is on Daniel as I blankly toss things into the cart.
Why didn’t he go to work? Did a deal go wrong? Did he have a fallout with Garamond? Did his date not like the flowers? No way, they were beautiful. Or could it be that he realizes he needs to change how he interacts with his staff and doesn’t know how to do it alone? The guilt is probably eating him alive.
Calm down, Chloe. Don’t worry about the why. Just think of Michelle.
I’m done shopping and it’s only 11:00 A.M. There’s plenty of time left to swing by Daniel’s place and still make my apartment viewing.
When I get there, Michelle greets me at the door. “Thanks for coming, Chloe. I knew I could count on you. He’s in there,” she says, pointing to the living room, then heading upstairs.
There he is, sitting upright and looking just fine as I suspected.
I consider leaving after verifying that nothing was obviously wrong with him, but something stops me. I came all this way. I need to see what’s going on. Maybe it’ll help me get the closure I need.
I collect my nerves, and sit across from him on the armchair, not beside him on the sofa. I can feel his eyes following me.
He waits for me to look at him. “Can you come and sit next to me,” he whispers, patting the sofa.
Closing my eyes, I sigh. I desperately want to be by his side, but I need to understand why I’m here.
“Why should I?”
“Because I need you close.”
My heart begins to ache.
“Because I miss you. I miss you so much I can’t stand it, Chloe.”
I feel my eyes begin to water, but the fear and doubt in me keeps them at bay. He has to show me he’s all in before I let my guard down in the slightest.
“I’m so sorry, Chloe. I never meant to hurt you…over and over again.”
Hesitantly, I walk over to the sofa and sit beside him. He scoots closer to me, closing the gap.
We face each other, his eyes searching mine for any sign of hope.
He continues, “All the things I said...” He pauses and looks down. “They were wrong. When you first walked into my life, you were the light in a dull world. I’ll be honest; it irritated me. You were everything I thought I didn’t want—vibrant, full of life, and unapologetically yourself. It threw me off balance, off routine, a routine I fought hard to get to with Michelle after Maddie. I fought it, fought you every step of the way. I tried to convince myself that what I felt was annoyance, not attraction. I told myself that the tightness in my chest was frustration, not desire. I told myself that love was a distraction, a weakness I couldn’t afford. But the truth is, I was scared. Scared because every time I looked at you, I saw the possibility of a life so much richer than the one I was living. So much richer than I thought I could ever have again.”
Silence. He takes my hand in his.
“I don’t have any excuses for the way I treated you. I was cruel, unjustifiably arrogant and contentious. I wanted to push you away before you got too close, before you saw the real me and realized I wasn’t worth the effort. But you were relentless. You chipped away at my defenses with your laughter, your kindness, your intelligence, you sheer persistence.”
Daniel runs his thumb over my palms repeatedly. When he looks back up at me, I see tears pooling in his eyes.
“And then, somewhere along the line, I started to go crazy. Crazy with the need to be near you, to hear your voice, to see your smile. I’d lie awake at night, replaying our conversations, imagining what it would be like to hold you. I was falling, and it terrified me because I knew I didn’t deserve you. Not after the way I treated you since the moment you stepped into my office. I was an idiot, Chloe. A fool for thinking I could fight this, for thinking I could live without you. You’ve become a part of me, a part I didn’t even know was missing until you showed up. I love you, Chloe. I love you with a ferocity that takes my breath away. And I’m so sorry for the pain and confusion I’ve caused you.”
My heart longs for him. I want to take him into my arms, but I resist a little longer. Hearing the agony in his voice is excruciating, but I need to hear everything. I need to know if this is real. There’s no room for mixed signals. Not anymore. I gently squeeze his hand, offering a small smile.
“I understand if you can’t forgive me, if you want nothing more to do with me. But I needed you to know the truth. That every harsh word, every cold shoulder, was me trying to protect myself from the one thing I wanted most in the world— you . You don’t have to say anything. You don’t even have to stay. Just know that you’ve changed me, Chloe. You’ve made me want to be a better man. And no matter where you go, what you do, who you’re with, I’ll always be here, loving you. You taught me that much—how to love again.”
Overwhelmed, I can’t stop the tears. “I regret leaving, Daniel. I fell in love with you, and I don’t know how or when it happened. I just fell, and couldn’t see any way out, other than to leave because I thought you didn’t feel the same way.”
Daniel tenderly dries my tears and cradles my face. “Don’t regret anything.”
“I’m sorry, too.”
He pulls me in for a hug, the intense rhythm of his heart envelops me. “You have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong.” He pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. His fingers run through my hair, and we melt in each other’s embrace.
“I’m sorry I had Michelle make that call. It wasn’t my finest hour, but I didn’t know how else to get you here. Not after how everything unfolded. She was excited about it, actually. She had a hunch you wouldn’t have jumped to come see me if I asked you directly. She even knew I had a thing for you before I did.”
“I knew something smelled fishy,” I tease, pulling away from his face. “But I came anyway… for her. You’ve got a lot of making up to do, you know, even though my heart has already forgiven you.”
Even though my tone is playful, Daniel takes it to heart. “I know, and I will. My brothers flew in to make sure of it. They were here this morning and I had to kick them out before you got here so they wouldn't make a mess of things. You met Garamond already and you'll probably meet Ethan later tonight when they get back.”
I wink. "I'm glad I have them in my corner."
Without saying another word, he cups my face and leans in for the most sensual kiss I’ve ever experienced. His lips are soft yet demanding, sending warmth throughout my body. I get lost in his hold, feeling the strength of his body against mine. His taste is addicting, a blend of mint and something uniquely him. My fingers thread through his hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. Time seems to stand still as we lose ourselves in each other, every worry and bad thought disappearing until only the intensity of our connection remains.
He finally let’s go and looks hazily into my eyes, our hearts racing. “I will never stop making it up to you, Chloe. I won’t take you for granted ever again.”
“So, it looks like I’m coming back to Andrews Enterprise to work for you, huh?” I chuckle.
“To work with me, not for me,” he corrects. “I’m going to cherish every minute with what’s been right in front of me all this time.”
“And what’s been in front of you?”
“The woman I owe everything to.”
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. They say it’s all about timing. We go through things that we don’t understand in the moment, only to make sense of them later. And when the pieces finally fall into place, the journey proves its worth, a reminder that every twist and turn shapes our path in ways we can’t foresee.
I now trust Daniel with all my heart and will forever adore Michelle. I can’t wait to see what’s next with this new sense of belonging and family.
The End