The Wrong Side of Midnight (15 page)

She took small steps while holding onto Matthew so she wouldn't have to put so much weight on her leg. When they reached the stairs, he slowly carried her up to her apartment door.

"You have to unlock the door, I
don't have my key."

Matthew unlocked the door and slowly opened it. Chloe kept her eyes on the ground so she wouldn't trip and end up being admitted again.

"Where would you like to sit, love?"

"I'll go over there to the couch. On her way she lifted her eyes, and saw them all.

"Welcome home, Chloe!" shouted Matthew, Conner, Becky, Sherry, Lois, and John.

"Oh my God!
You guys are
sooo
perfect!"

After all the hugs, Chloe was given her gift. They all pitched in and bought her a really nice recliner and a new cell phone. Conner got up from the chair, walked over, and
wrapped her gently in his arms.

"Welcome home, Chloe. Welcome home."

"Conner, you're walking!"

"I quit smoking and I'm taking better care of myself. I
walked
down here and left the wheelchair at home."

"You walk better than me now. I'm so proud of you…"

Everyone had a great time and Chloe loved her presents and the surprise party, but the best gift of all was when Matthew escorted her to the bedroom and opened the closet door. Hanging neatly next to her things were Matthew's clothes.

∞  ∞  ∞  ∞

Becky made sure that Chloe got to all her physical therapy appointments after the casts came off. She could move her fingers on her injured hand, but she'd have to work really hard to get them fully functioning. Luckily, she wasn't showing any signs of nerve damage. She managed pretty well on her own, although Becky and Lois stopped by to help out often. The only thing she couldn't do was drive. She was given the okay to get behind the wheel, but she was frightened. Matthew knew he had to help her work through her fears so she wouldn't end up being a
prisoner in this home, too.

"Let's go car shopping, sweetheart."

"I don't want to drive, Matthew, so I don't need a car."

"Please?"

"Not right now, it's too soon."

He stopped trying to push her, but would mention it from time to time. She wasn't budging though, and that was worrying him.

One Saturday afternoon it was raining, so he couldn't work. Thumbing through the classifieds, Matthew saw a few nice cars that Chloe would like, and they'd be a lot safer.

"Look at these, Chloe. You want to ride over there and take a look?"

"I have a car and a Jeep at my
parent's house, so we could go over and pick those up if you want, but I'm not driving either until I'm ready. Let me call and make sure it's still in the garage."

"Actually, I think I'll put a movie in and we can watch it together. It's pretty crappy outside anyway." The last thing he wanted to do was have Sylvia mistreat her on the phone, or come face to face with either of her parents. He'd take Becky over and she could pick up the Jeep. He'd rather Chloe drive that one anyway for safety. Matthew made a mental note to call Becky. But he knew she was just as ticked off as he was. Either way, he didn't see this ending well. There was still some time for things to improve,
because the wedding wouldn't be for several months. One thing was for sure; he and Becky were running out of excuses to cover up her parent's neglect.

"Just go in there and ask the staff. You might as well try to get keys for both vehicles while you're there. Do you know if they're even home?"

"I don't know, Matthew. Sylvia stopped taking my calls."

"Should I come with you?"

"Do you think you can stop yourself from punching her in the face?"

Matthew hesitated.

"Wait in the car," said Becky as she patted his shoulder. "Wish me luck."

Becky knocked on the front door. A young woman on the staff opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm Chloe Burlington's friend and I'm here to pick up her two vehicles."

"Her vehicles?
I don't understand."

"She has a red Jeep and a Mercedes in the garage."

"I'll have to ask Mrs. Burlington. Come in, please."

Becky stepped inside but never left the foyer. She pretty much grew up in this house, but it was so foreign to her now.

"Becky, why do you need Chloe's car?" Sylvia laughed.

"I'm here to pick up her Jeep too. Her other car was wrecked and she's still recuperating. I thought I'd pick them up for her before the roads got too bad."

"She only has one vehicle, the Mercedes we bought for her."

"Where's her Jeep?"

"I got rid of it. What kind of person with her status drives a Jeep, not to mention an older model?"

"Chloe loves that Jeep. When she bought it, it was new. I'd like her to have it back."

"It's gone I'm afraid…"

"You got rid of it?"

"Yes, I did. Becky, dear, my daughter isn't going to be driving a
vehicle that totally lacks class, and she's not driving a Mercedes in…
Detroit.
Those thugs would do God knows what to her."

"You care, why?" Becky was done trying.

"Don't be silly, she's my daughter."

"You're pathetic, did you know that? You're a pathetic, angry, self-centered woman."

"I think this conversation is over, Rebecca."

"Yeah, I think you're right. I tried being nice to you for Chloe's sake, hoping you'd hate her less. You'll die an angry, old woman, Sylvia. And by the way, all your hard work at being the biggest bitch
ever
is doing nothing for your
wrinkle lines…"

Chapter 14

Matthew and Chloe sat in front of the television after dinner. Chloe was feeling so much better, but still had a hard time with certain movements and got tired easily. The doctor told her the recovery process with someone who suffered injuries such as hers was long. Matthew had been very gentle with their love making, and even though things were getting back to normal, Chloe still wouldn't drive. He stopped talking about it and decided she'd get behind the wheel again when she was ready. Matthew turned on the news, and he
couldn't have picked a worse time to do so.

"Mrs. Burlington, how is your daughter doing after her tragic accident?"

"As good as can be expected," Sylvia answered nervously.

"Have you spoken with her today? She's living at the estate, isn't she?"

"No, she isn't living here."

"Does she have permanent disfigurement or can she go back to a normal life?"

"I spoke with her a bit ago, and she's doing well. That'll be all for now." Sylvia stopped the interview and continued driving through the gates.

"She just
lied
like that?"

"Baby, I know it's hard…"

"It devastates me! How can you treat your own child that way? That's
my
house, which means they're
home
. I thought they were gone! Not one time, Matthew, not
once
did she call me! I could have used her to lean on many times in my life, and she was never there! Always out of the country…but now,
now
I find out she's
home
?!"

Matthew had no words to make it better. The truth was
,
her accusations were correct. He turned off the television and held her while she cried. When Chloe calmed down some, he excused himself saying he forgot to lock his truck. The moment Matthew walked outside, he called Becky.

"She knows. Chloe knows her mother's home."

"Let me guess, she saw her mother
lie
her butt off on camera?"

"Yeah and she's not doing very
good
. Care to come over and help me cheer her up?"

"On my way."

By the time Becky arrived, Chloe had stopped crying and was just getting out of the shower. She acted cheerful, but it was very evident it was just that.
Acting.

"Come on, love, we're getting out of here."

"I don't want to go anywhere, Becky, it's six-thirty."

"I didn't ask. Let's go."

Chloe rolled her eyes but did what Becky told her to. She knew better than to argue with her when she spoke like this.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. Come on."

Chloe climbed in the Jaguar, the car she'd been in a hundred times with Becky, and her heart started to race. She wasn't afraid of the speed, or her friend's driving skills. Intersections with traffic lights scared the heck out of her. Becky read her body language, facial expressions, and was well aware of the little things Chloe did when she got nervous, like playing with her clothing. But still, Becky drove for half an hour.

"Seriously, where are we
going?"

"Right here."
Becky got out of the Jag, walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. "Hop out."

"Why?" asked Chloe as she got out of the
car.

Becky climbed in the passenger side and closed the door. She rolled the window down and smiled. "Drive."

"I'm not driving your car."

"You've driven it many times. You're more than capable of handling a stick."

"I'm not ready for this…"

"Oh, you're not ready to go back out in the world, but you're ready to allow that accident to keep you hostage inside your home. Get in."

Chloe walked over to the driver's side and got behind the wheel. The engine was still humming. She made one last plea to her friend, which got her nowhere. Putting the car in first, Chloe headed up the dirt road. No other cars were around, and for that, she was relieved. After a few turns and going up other streets, she remembered how much fun driving Becky's car was.

"I saw my mom on the news this evening."

"Yeah, so did I.
Turn
here. How much did she crush you this time?"

"A lot.
I wanted to explode."

"I wanted to kick my screen. Turn here and then keep going straight. It looked like the reporters
caught her returning home from some place."

"I had no idea she was there. I wonder if my dad is."

"There's construction ahead so take the ramp. Your dad doesn't seem as mean as your mom. It's clear, you can get over. I always remembered him as being nice. Pass this truck. You didn't see much of him while you grew up, did you?"

"No he wasn't around. Lois was my parent."

"Chloe, just because someone has a kid, doesn't mean they should be a parent. I'm sorry to say this, but you got
stuck
in that kind of situation. Get off up here at the exit. Even though your mom and dad are the way they are right now, doesn't
mean they'll always be. You have to find that fine line between acceptance and hope. Go down here."

"Wait we're going back to my apartment?"

"If you keep too much hope, you'll be let down constantly. If you stay angry, you'll destroy yourself."

"I can't help but feel the way I do."

"But if you accept the way they are and just live your life, no matter what happens, you'll be okay because you know you have people that'll do anything for you. Congratulations, love, you just made it through the intersection where you had your accident, and you're okay."

Chloe smiled and finished
driving to her apartment while Becky turned up the radio. The girls sang at the top of their lungs.

"Your mother got rid of your Jeep, so shopping tomorrow with me to buy a new one?"

"Yeah, shopping tomorrow with you to buy a new one.
But no Bob."

"No Bob."

∞  ∞  ∞  ∞

Chloe drove in her new red Jeep with ease. The first several times behind the wheel, Becky rode with her. She wasn't even going to attempt driving to the grocery store alone. She was definitely more cautious about driving through green lights,
and waited a little bit longer before leaving a red light, but she was enjoying being out of the apartment when she wanted. She'd begun picking up shifts for Sherry, and stopped by to say hello to her even when she wasn't working. Conner walked down to visit once in a while, and she liked bringing him lunch a few times a week, but
everyone
gathered around Chloe when the holidays came. Even though her small circle of friends were like family, they worried she wouldn't handle the season well.

The Burlington's had stayed in Michigan, not because of Sylvia, but Earl had refused to leave. He wasn't doing much of anything these days, especially communicating with his
wife. Earl knew it was just a matter of time before his daughter came to ask him why. Talking to Sylvia about anything other than what she wanted was exhausting. When he told his wife he was thinking about retiring, and how nice it was to be home, and how they should call Chloe to come over for the holidays, she shut herself in the bedroom for three days.

Chloe had a pleasant time and joined in on all the many festivities that people planned for her, and they didn't argue anymore when Chloe spoiled them. For Christmas, she had a catering company deliver food for the staff at the hospital that cared for
her. Everything seemed great. But it wasn't, and no one was more aware of that than Matthew. Chloe had to confront her parents, but a face to face meeting wasn't going to happen. Truth be told, she probably wasn't welcomed on the estate and would be stopped by the guards. He knew she couldn't handle any more rejection from them, so a letter seemed to be the best choice, and then she could stick it in the mail. All he could do was
give
her the suggestion and tell her why it would be good for her. Writing it would be up to Chloe.

When Matthew saw her start to spiral downward, he'd talk about the wedding and how beautiful she'd look. That always got her spirits up. They set a date for April and booked
a church. Becky threw her a beautiful bridal shower, and all the guys attended too. The day after the shower, Chloe wouldn't get out of bed. 

∞  ∞  ∞  ∞

She had barely been sleeping. There were shower gifts still on the floor in boxes that should have been opened weeks ago, but she lacked the energy and desire to open them. At one point, Chloe was good at plastering on a fake smile, acting joyful and happy even when she wanted nothing more than to break down in tears. But ever since that
blasted news report of her mother lying, she'd lost the ability to hide anything. The wedding shower was really nice, even with just a handful of people there. Chloe maintained her smile throughout that evening, but she lay awake in bed that night knowing her mother had
chosen
not to come. She overheard Matthew and Becky talking one day about how Becky invited her mother to the shower. The news report confirmed she was still in Michigan, which removed all excuses.

Chloe looked down at the writing tablet and pen that Matthew had left on the dresser. She knew she'd have no trouble writing her thoughts and feelings down in a letter to her parents, but there was no
way in hell she could mail it. If she upset them with her words, they'd never come into her life. Not only that, but her mother wouldn't bother opening it, let alone reading it. If anything, she'd give it to the staff and ask for a quick summary, or have one of them respond to the letter. But she had to write it; not for her parents, but for herself. Chloe reached over on the nightstand and grabbed the box of tissues. Lying on her stomach with just the light coming in through the window, Chloe put the pen to the paper, and as the tears rolled down her cheeks, she wrote.

Matthew peeked in the door to
check on Chloe, and without a sound he immediately closed the door and went back in the living room. From the look on her face, the wads of tissues, and the quick pace she was writing at, he knew she was composing the letter. When Chloe came out of the bedroom, her face was red, but she seemed to be carrying less emotional baggage on her small shoulders. He didn't bring up the letter, and neither did she.

"I'm kind of hungry. Do you want to order Chinese or something? Ask your dad if he'd like to join us. I haven't seen too much of him lately and I miss our visits."

"I bet he'd love it. We always order the same thing, so why don't you call, and after I bring Pops down
here, I'll take off and pick it up."

"Thank you for suggesting I write that letter. I'm never going to mail it, but it helped me to put what was spinning around in my head down on paper."

"I love you, Chloe, and just know that you can tell me anything. You never have to be embarrassed or ashamed of your parent's behavior. They need some serious help. If you can't sleep and you have things on your mind, wake me up. If I'm at work, call me. I'm there for you, sweetheart."

Chloe kissed his mouth slowly and wrapped her arms around him. She knew Matthew would move mountains for her, and she wanted to share everything in her life with him.
But the mere thought of telling him the raw, bitter truth of what her parents were making her feel, describing in detail everything that was stabbing her heart, was more than she could bear.

∞  ∞  ∞  ∞

Spring was just around the corner, and Becky called Chloe almost daily to ask if she wanted to go look at gowns. The wedding was in four weeks and they'd done nothing to prepare. She brought over magazines and pointed to dresses that would look so cute on Chloe's delicate frame, but the only response
she'd get was "That looks nice." Trying to get her friend to open up wasn't working. Finally, Becky went to a bridal shop and picked up six dresses and brought them over. She laid out each one, and after an hour of arguing, Chloe picked up a dress and tried it on.

"You look so gorgeous in that! Do you like it?"

"Sure. We can get this one." Chloe didn’t even smile. She wanted Becky to take the dresses back to the store.

"Sweetie, this is your big day. You should wear the gown of your dreams, not just pick one to get it over with. Here, try on this."

"Let's just get the first one. It fits fine; we won't have to get it altered."

"Chloe, talk to me."

"Actually, I was going to go take a quick nap before Matthew comes home. Take my card out of my purse over there and buy it when you return the others." Without waiting for a response, she walked out of the room and closed her bedroom door.