Chapter 6

“Where can he be dad?”

“I don’t know, I which I did.”

“I thought he was fine about the whole situation.”

“He was, I think. He never really talks to anyone not after you left. You were the one he talked to about things.”

“Yeh but never Chloe.”

“Do you think that’s what’s made him do this?”

“Well, yes.”

“But he hasn’t really mentioned her for the past six months unless she rang.”

“But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t think about her.”

“True. But has she said anything about him to you?”
”No. She doesn’t open up to anybody but Lee.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“I’ve asked her but she is one of Clo’s best friends and she won’t tell me.”

“Did you ask Chloe?”

“No. I couldn’t she has had a hard six months, I didn’t want to make it worse for her.”

“Ok. Lets look in here.” Gil said as he turned into a hotel car park.

“Hey baby. Where’s Clo?” Matt asked as he and Gil got back to the house.

“She went to lay down about four hours ago and I haven’t seen her since.

“I’m gunna go check on her.” He said as he kissed his girlfriend and went quietly up the stairs. As he reached Chloe’s room he knocked on the door and pushed it open. He looked at the baby blue coloured room, the cot in the corner and baby toys around the bottom of it. He then looked at the bed to see that Chloe wasn’t there. He checked the en-suite but she wasn’t there neither. He walked out confused, he was about to head back downstairs when he turned back and opened the door to Jeff’s room. He looked at Chloe’s body, which lay curled up in the middle of Jeff’s bed. He walked over to her and took the picture from her hand. He looked at in and then back at Chloe. He placed the picture on the nightstand before he walked to the cupboard in the corner of the room and pulled out a blanket. He placed it over her and kissed her cheek lightly. As he shut the door, he felt his heart sink as he realised she still cared about him, she still loved him.

He went downstairs and took Jamie back upstairs and put him in his new bed. Lee walked in a stood beside him. “She still loves him doesn’t she?”

“I think she does.”

“God, her life is way to complicated. She needs a break from all of this.”

“I know but what else can we do? We have been there for her when ever she needed us, we looked after Jamie when she wanted sometime to herself.”

“That’s not what I meant. I mean she needs a break from us. She has had to put up with us for the last four months as we laughed, joked and kissed in front of her. How do you think she felt when she saw us? I can’t imagine how much she wanted that to be her and Jeff.”

“I hadn’t thought about it like that, maybe we should wait to we are alone before we do that stuff.”

“Good idea. I feel so sorry for her Matt. She doesn’t deserve this.”

“I know. Hey, come here, don’t cry.” He said as he wrapped his arms around her.

“She needs him Matt, this is going to destroy her.”

“I know. We just have to find him.”

“This is starting to get hopeless.” Matt said as he and Gil drove around for the fifth day in a row.

“I know but we need to find him. You’ve seen Chloe, she’s heartbroken all over again.”

“I don’t know where else we should go. We’ve driven nearly all over the state.”

“I guess we should give up. He’ll come home when he’s ready.”

“But what if he doesn’t?”

“I don’t know. But what is the point of this, were not getting anywhere.”

“Ok, lets go home.”

“I don’t know how you do this.”

“Do what?” Chloe asked Lee as she rock Jamie gently in her arms.

“Be a mum.”

“I have to do it.” She said smiling. “But I love him more than anything. You’ll understand when you have kids.”

“I guess I will. I just hope I’m as good a mum as you.” She said as she heard a car pull up. “Looks like their back.” she said as Chloe got to her feet and quickly walked to the door to meet the two men.

“Did you find him?” Chloe asked as she looked desperately into Matt’s eyes.

“No hun, we didn’t.” he replied as he watched the tears form in her eyes. “He’ll come back. I know he will.”

He followed her back into the house and made everyone a drink. Chloe just put hers on the table and didn’t touch it. She just sat and stared at her baby, which lay asleep in her arms.

After they sat there for half an hour Chloe knew where Jeff would be, the first place she and Jeff kissed, the place where she told him about her feelings for Matt.

“Can you look after him Matt?” she asked as she carefully laid the baby into Matt’s arms.

“Yeh.”

“Can I borrow your car?”

“Sure, where are you going?”

“To find him.”

“But we’ve looked everywhere.” He said as he handed her the keys.

“I know, but I know where he is.”  She shouted back at them as she ran from the house.

She got in the car and sped out of the driveway. She headed for the freeway, which she hoped was the right one. She recognised the petrol station up ahead so she drove a little further before she turned of and followed the little windy road. And just like she’d hope she saw Jeff’s car parked up ahead. When she pulled up next to it, she cut the engine and got out to see that Jeff had stood up and was looking surprised. They stood there, their eye looking deep into the others.

“How did you know?” he said softly.

“Because I just did.”

“Why are you here?”

“Because we have to talk.” She said as she slowly walked over to him.

“Have a seat.” He said as he sat down on the blanket that was usually kept in the back of his car for his dog to lay on. She sat down in front of him and crossed her legs.

“There’s something you need to know.” She said as she looked again into his eyes.

“I know you and Matt are together.”

“NO! We’re not together. That’s what I thought you were thinking. But my friend Lee, who came with us, has been seeing Matt for the last four months.”

“My brother’s gay?”

“No. Lee is a girl.”

“Oh. I thought she was a guy.”

“I know you did.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“I shouldn’t have run of like I did but I couldn’t help it. The thought of seeing you again. Seeing you with Matt’s baby. I couldn’t do it.”

“So you thought by running of it would make the problem go away?”

“I don’t know what I thought, but I knew once had left I couldn’t go back.”

“Why?”

“Because I couldn’t. I had been waiting for the phone call to say you were coming here for about two months but it hit me when I spoke to you. The thought of living in the same house as you but not being able to ho…” he cut of as he realised what he was actually saying.

“Say it.”

“I couldn’t hold you.”

“I didn’t want to be in the same house with you because I knew that I..” she broke of as she looked away from him but he brought her face back to him.

“What?”

“I…I still have feelings for you.”

“I have feelings for you too, strong feelings.”

“But you said you didn’t want me if I had the baby, and I had the baby.”

“I know what I said.”

“What are we going to do? We can’t go on like this.”

“I know, but I can’t go back there.”
”Where?”

“The house.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t face dad and Matt.”

“Why not?”

“Because they’ll think I’m stupid.”

“No they won’t. They have spent the last five day searching the state looking for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes Jeff, really. They want you to come home.” She paused “I want you to come home.”

The sat in silence before either decided to speak.

“Don’t you want to meet your nephew?”

“I don’t know Clo.”

“He’ll love you Jeff.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he’s a good judge of character.”

“Clo, he’s six months old.”

“So, he’s clever like his mum.” She said as Jeff smiled a little.

“Maybe but how do you know when he sees me he won’t cry his eyes out?”

“He won’t, he’ll love you, just like I do.”

“What did you say?”

“I love you.”

“But, I didn’t think you did, not after everything that had happened.”

“I will always love you Jeff. No matter if we are together or apart, I will always love you.”

“I don’t want to be apart from you Clo. I love you. I want to be at your side, I want to hold you when you sleep, I want to kiss you the way I used to.”

“I want you to hold me when I sleep. I want you to kiss me.”

Jeff moved and stood on his knees as he took Chloe’s hand and made her do the same. He then took her other hand and pulled her body closer to his.

“I love you.” He whispered to her.

“I love you too.”

“Can we make this work?”

“I think we can.”

“I want this to work. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Me too.” She said as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Me too.”

He let go of her hands and placed his arms around her body as he pulled he even closer to him. She ran her hands up his back and wrapped them around his neck as she lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. Slowly she brushed her lips over his. He brushed his against hers before he captured her lips in a passion filled kiss. His tongue ran along hers before he explored the familiar surrounding of her warm, wet mouth. She ran her tongue along the side of his as she gently began to suck on it. Jeff’s arms moved form around her waist and into her hair. They knelt there letting their mouths make love to each other as they ran their hands up and down each other’s bodies.

Chapter 7

previous part~~~~ Chapter 5