Novel Square
Chapter 37
“I know this is hard to believe, but I wasn’t stalking,” I counter.
Chloe’s eyes narrow, a mix of anger and confusion on her face. “So you just happened to be in the neighborhood of Moth to the Flame? Come on, Jack. Stop treating me like an idiot.”
“I know how it looks, but I wasn’t following you. When you left your house in the middle of a snow storm, Mr. Haven called me worried about you. He didn’t think you should be out in the weather. I was already in it, working at the station due to high calls. And well . . .” I take a deep breath, knowing I need to explain everything. “I had no idea where you’d go this late and in a storm. So I was just going to start checking off your usual places. Coming here was just one of the spots.”
Chloe’s expression softens slightly, but I can still see the doubt in her eyes. “And you just happened to arrive at the exact moment I needed help?”
“Thank god I did.”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “Everything I thought I knew has been turned upside down.”
“I know. And I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. But Chloe, you have to believe me when I say that my feelings for you are real. Everything between us—our conversations, our connection—that was all genuine.”
“How can I trust that? How can I trust anything you say?”
“Because I’m telling you the whole truth now,” I insist, taking a step toward her. “No more secrets, no more lies. Ask me anything, and I’ll answer honestly.”
“Why didn’t you just talk to me? After the accident, why didn’t you reach out normally instead of . . . watching from afar?”
“I tried, at first. I visited you in the hospital, but you were still in and out of consciousness. By the time you were lucid, I . . . I didn’t know how to explain why I felt so connected to you. I was afraid you’d think I was crazy, or worse, that you’d reject me.”
“So instead of talking to me like a normal person, you decided that watching me from afar for two years was the better option?” she asks, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.
I wince at her words. “I know it sounds crazy. It was crazy. I just . . . I couldn’t get you out of my head. I know what it feels like to be alone. Really alone. Knowing you were going to have to feel that way, the same way I had, well . . . I couldn’t let that happen. The memory of that night, of pulling you from the wreckage . . . it haunted me. I told myself I was checking up on you, making sure you were okay. But it spiraled into something I couldn’t control.”
“Jack,” she starts, her voice breaking slightly, “I appreciate that you’re being honest now. And I’m grateful you showed up when you did tonight. But you have to understand how messed up this all is.”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
I nod, making eye contact with her that she doesn’t break. “I wish I could go back and do things differently. From this moment on, I swear to you, I’ll respect your boundaries completely.”
Chloe studies my face, searching for any sign of deception. “And if I tell you to leave me alone? To never contact me again?”
The thought of never seeing her again feels like a physical blow, but I force myself to nod. “Then that’s what I’ll do.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, her eyes never leaving mine. Finally, she speaks, her voice soft but firm. “I need time, Jack. Time to process everything that’s happened tonight. With you, with Tyler, all of it. I can’t make any decisions right now.”
“Of course,” I say quickly. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here if and when you want to talk. And if you don’t . . . I’ll understand.”
Chloe nods, then glances around the empty office. “I should go. It’s late, and I—”
“Let me drive you home,” I offer. “It’s still storming out there, and after everything that’s happened . . .”
She hesitates, clearly torn between her desire for solitude and the practicality of a safe ride home. Finally, she nods. “Okay. But just a ride home. Nothing else.”
“Absolutely,” I agree. “Just a ride home.”
As we make our way to my car, the silence between us is heavy with unspoken words and emotions. The snow is still falling heavily, blanketing the city in white. I open the passenger door for Chloe, then circle around to the driver’s side.
The drive to her house is quiet, the only sound the soft swish of windshield wipers clearing away the snow. I can feel Chloe’s eyes on me occasionally, but I keep my gaze fixed on the road, giving her the space she needs.
When we pull up to her house, I put the truck in park but leave the engine running. Chloe turns to me, her expression unreadable in the dim light.
“Thank you,” she says softly. “For the ride. And . . . for earlier.”
I nod, gripping the steering wheel tightly to keep from reaching out to her. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re safe.”
She hesitates, her hand on the door handle. “Jack, I . . .”
“It’s okay,” I interrupt gently. “You don’t have to say anything. Take all the time you need.”
Chloe nods, then opens the door. The cold air rushes in, carrying with it swirling snowflakes. She pauses halfway out of the truck, turning back to me.
“Goodnight, Jack,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Goodnight, Chloe,” I reply, watching as she makes her way up the snow-covered walkway to her front door.
I’m watching her still. Watching her walk away from me.