Chapter Fourty

“What are you thinking about?” Timothy asked her. Chloe turned so she could look at his face.

“What?” she asked.

“You have been quiet for a while, and I can hear the gears turning in your head,” he said. “Everything okay?”.

“Yeah I’m fine,” she replied. “What did you want to talk to me about? Curiosity is killing me”.

Timothy sighed deeply. "I know I said I wanted to talk, but I was really dreading the moment when we actually talk " he said.

Chloe couldn't help a chuckle. "I'm sorry, but I had to ask. It's been on my mind since then and I can't stop thinking about what you want to say. I'm curious and you can't blame me. There are a lot of things going through my head so please stop making me guess. Or were you just messing with me?"

"I wasn't. Trust me I wasn't. I guess I just have to say it now and get it over with."

He turned down the volume of the TV before he turned back to her. "I should first start by saying sorry..."

Chloe looked confused. "For...?"

"For what I said" Timothy continued. "We can't deny the fact that the last time I paid you a visit, it didn't go so well.."

"Oh...that... " said Chloe as she lowered her gaze and stared at her lap instead. It was such an embarrassing memory, and the fact that he was talking about it didn't make her feel better one bit. After his rejection, she had hoped that they would never speak of it again.

"It's alright" she lied. "That was weeks ago and I'm totally over it. Besides, it doesn't matter anymore. I thought you didn't ever want to talk about it."

Timothy took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. "You see, that's the thing. It does matter.... At least it does to me. I have been telling myself that it doesn't but it clearly does because I haven't been able to stop thinking about it and I want to make this right."

Chloe managed to meet his gaze. Her eyes filled with confusion, curiosity and need for him. She wanted to withdraw her hand from his, but she loved the way her hand felt in his, so she let him continue to hold it. "Okay. And just how do you intend to do that?" she asked.

He smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, I thought I would just start by apologizing."

"There's no need for that, Timothy"

"Tim," he corrected.

Her eyes narrowed. "I thought you wanted me to call you Timothy. You said so yourself... You're saying a lot of things and changing them so much and it’s starting to get really confusing"

"Please... Can we forget that I said that too? I was being a jerk.. I know that"

"Fine... There's no need for that.. Tim. There's no need to make it up to me... Whatever that means" she replied.

"Actually, there is. Like I said, I behaved like a total asshole, and for that I want you to know that I am sorry"

Chloe looked at his mouth, remembered how skilled he was at kissing her and touching her and calculated the distance between them. All she had to do was move a little on the couch and she’d be in his arms… No, she wouldn’t allow him to be her distraction... Not again … She didn't know if she wanted to play that game anymore... Especially now that Matthew was in the picture and she had decided to give him a chance. Matthew was here not several miles away, and he was ready to try. She couldn't say the same about Timothy. She hated long distance relationships and experience had taught her that it could never work out.

She had to keep him at arm’s length, she thought… Chloe stared at a point behind his shoulder and forced out her words. “It's alright, Timothy. You really don't have to apologize. Besides, I too have something to say. I am to blame for how things went down that night. It was my fault too for.... Look, I know that I wasn’t very professional that night…I came onto you and you reacted….”

“No, you weren’t professional,” Timothy agreed, his tone measured and calm. “I like that you weren't. I wanted so badly that I denied how attracted I still was to you. You took me by surprise... Just showing up after these years and I don't think I was ever okay with the way things ended between us. You came back, looking so different and beautiful and so fucking confident…so I took it out on you. But it's been years and I think that now we should put that behind us." He paused briefly, then added softly. "You looked very good that night you know — You were daring and beautiful. I was captivated. You tossed back alcohol like it was juice, danced with me provocatively and then invited me ito take you to bed.”

Chloe sighed as she blushed. Yeah, she remembered. How could she forget? She’d been there, and the fact that he was talking about what she had done that night made her feel hot all over.

“I know what I did that night, Timothy.... Tim,” Chloe said, her words stiff as she shook her head. "And I'm not sure I want to talk about it. It's embarrassing"

Timothy had the temerity to flash a megawatt grin as he tightened his grip on her hand, as If to stop her from pulling away.

“No, I don't want you to be sorry, Chloe. In fact, I'm sorry that I.... That I ended it earlier than I should have. But…”

Chloe held her breath as he suddenly moved closer to her. He looked completely at ease while she felt as if her heart was about to explode from her chest any minute judging by how fast it was beating. He stared down at her, his eyes an enigmatic color between brown and black. “I thought about it a lot after I got home. In fact, till now, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Now I know that it is crazy for me to just stop by and say these things to you, but I had to tell you how I feel Chloe. And I know that you might be too mad at me to listen to what I want to offer, but you should know that at some time in the future, rain or shine, hail or hellfire, we will pick up where we left off that night.”