She drove through the gates without stopping. The staff knew Becky, and she could come and go as she pleased. If Becky had someone else in the car with her, she would have been stopped. When she rang the bell, a maid answered the door.
"I need to see Lois."
"Lois Shepherd?"
"Yes, the cook. Could you get her please? This is kind of an emergency."
"I'm sorry. She no longer works here."
"Are you kidding me? Lois is family to Chloe. Where is she?"
"I don't have that information."
"Great. Are the Burlington's here?"
"No, ma'am."
Becky left the estate as quick as possible. Chloe is going to freak out over this. She stopped by her house and packed a bag. She left a note for her mother explaining she was going to stay at Chloe's for a few days. It wasn't a lie, but if her mother knew where she was going, she'd tie her to the wall.
She pulled up at the apartments and went right up to Chloe's door. Becky didn't pound on the door, but repeatedly knocked on it without pausing. She knew that would get her friend moving.
Chloe opened her eyes and stared at the door. Angrily, she threw back the covers and jumped to her feet, only to find herself landing back on the bed when the room started to spin. She got up more slowly and made her way to the door.
"Chloe! Open the dang door!"
Becky stared at her disheveled friend. She was almost in the same condition as when Becky rescued her before. She took Chloe's hand, walked her to the sofa, and then went into the kitchen and came back with water and a slice of toast. The last thing Becky was going to do was yell at her.
"You have to drink and eat this."
Chloe nodded her head and did as told. When she was done, she laid her head on Becky's shoulder.
"You stopped answering my calls. Where's your phone?"
"Over there. It's off. I was making myself crazy checking it every other minute to see if Matthew called. I couldn't stop so I shut it off."
"Sweetie, you have to let Matthew go. You can't destroy yourself over a guy."
"I care so much for him and his dad. I can't let people I love suffer. How do I get them to accept my help?"
"What does his dad say? Is he mad at you?"
"I don't know, he won't talk to me."
Becky knew Chloe wasn't going to let this go. To get her home, she'd have to help resolve this dilemma. The girls sat in silence for a while.
"Do you want me to talk with either of them?"
"No, Matthew's pretty angry at you too I think. You went along with the lies. I'm sure he's told his dad about you. It has to be me."
"You're chasing him."
"All I want is for one of them to listen to me. If Matthew could see that I'm the same girl he fell in love with, he'd let me help him."
"But that isn't what Matthew believes. All he sees is you chasing him."
"So what am I supposed to do, wash my hands of this whole thing? What if Conner dies because Matthew couldn't get him help? What if they go hungry or can't afford to keep the heat on? What if the roofing company fails or, God forbid, Matthew gets hurt on the job? Becky, I have got to find a way to help them."
"You still love him, don't you?"
"I love him more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life."
"I'll help you, Chloe, but you have to listen to me. If you don't take care of yourself I'll move in permanently just to smack you every morning."
"Tell me your plan, please. I'm completely lost and have no idea what the first step should be."
"Step one is to shower. I love you but you stink … "
While Chloe was in the bathroom, Becky discarded all the rotting food in the fridge, and started a grocery list. It was very obvious her friend had lost weight and was already thin to begin with. It was important to get Chloe outside in some fresh air, even if it was just a trip to the grocery store, but avoiding the guy causing all the stress was imperative right now. Becky checked her watch and felt some relief, knowing Matthew would still be on someone's roof and not here where he could see her. If he was mean to Chloe in front of Becky, she'd come at the jerk like a crazy woman. That's when it hit her. She knew exactly how to help her friend.
Chapter 8
Chloe drove back from the grocery store with bags of fruit, veggies, and microwavable meals that required very little preparation. Even though Becky made sure she got some nutrients in her system, she felt dead. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep her mind off the horrible situation she ended up in. Her fall from grace in Matthew's eyes played over and over in her mind. The good memories of her time with him were tainted. When she would try to think of the happy days, sorrow overcame her. If only things could be different. Why won't he let me explain it all to him? Chloe knew there was no one else to blame; she caused it herself. She lied. Chloe hated liars as much as the next person. Since when did I become a liar? Suddenly it dawned on her; she'd been telling lies all her life, and it began with her parents, especially her mother. Hiding her mom's neglect and abandonment became second nature. I should legally change my name and start over. Maybe move to a new state. My life is so screwed up.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"I'm sorry, Beck. Tell me again."
"Stay away from him. That's what you have to do. Stop trying to contact Matthew, stop knocking on his door, and if you see him, go the opposite way."
"If I do what you're suggesting, he'll forget about me. There'd be no hope of helping him after that." Chloe sighed in frustration as she pulled up in the parking lot at the apartments. "I should knock on their door one last time. Maybe Conner will talk to me."
"No! So help me, Chloe, if you make yourself crazy again, I really will make you come home."
"Okay, okay. I'll try it for a few days and that's it. Deal?" Chloe knew that Becky would do exactly what she threatened. Having to go back to square one and live inside that blasted mansion would be the end of her.
"It's better than nothing. You'll see that I'm right, and when you do, I won't have to convince you of anything. Just don't give up, Chloe. You're worth more than this."
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Becky stayed for a couple more days, and when she left, the challenge of keeping away from Matthew became greater. It was easy to do with someone breathing down her back all the time, but now the conscious decision lay on Chloe's lap. She couldn't believe how much of her day revolved around finding an opportunity to talk to him. Every time she spent money, she pictured Conner and his lack of medical care, Matthew's worried face, their empty refrigerator, his old truck … Chloe wished she could go talk to Lois, but the fear of security not allowing her to leave the estate again kept her away.
Each day was blending into the next. She was forcing herself to stay out of bed, forcing herself to eat and drink. After Chloe found herself struggling to fill all the hours in the day, she went to visit Sherry after her shift. She'd been refusing the paychecks the older woman tried to give her, which made her question why the young, wealthy woman wanted to clean up such unpleasant messes for free. But Chloe desperately needed to keep busy, even if it meant cleaning up those unpleasant messes several hours a day.
"You're already working for free. Why do you want to pick up extra days?"
"I like it here, plus I live in the building. Just think of it as me cleaning my home." Chloe smiled. Sherry stared at her.
"Is this because you're trying to run into Matthew?"
"No, it's the opposite. I really need to stay busy, Sherry. If he ever wants to talk to me, he can come to me. Matthew knows where I live."
Sherry nodded her head and returned the smile, but couldn't hide the concern in her eyes. "Here's the spare key for the supply closet. When you find yourself with time on your hands, you can clean anytime you want. But if I hear that vacuum running at three in the morning … " Sherry got up and wrapped her arms around Chloe. "You don't have to clean, sweetie. You're allowed to come down here and just sit and chat if you want." Sherry felt so bad for her. She wished the stubborn man would give her a chance to explain and stop being so hard headed.
Chloe thanked her and took the key. She had to get out of Sherry's office because Matthew was due home any second. Her strong urge to go out to the parking lot to wait, and hopefully talk to him, was almost overwhelming. Keep walking, she chanted over and over again. Just as she was ready to climb the stairs, she saw Matthew out of the corner of her eye. She pretended to be looking for something in her bag and was surprised to see him stop and stare at her. After about three minutes, she climbed the stairs without letting him know she was aware of his presence. Matthew was still standing in the same place, watching her every step.
Matthew slammed the door when he got inside his apartment. Conner looked up with a questioning look. His son had been on edge ever since he broke up with Chloe, but he knew he'd just set Matthew off if he approached the subject. When he heard the cupboard slam shut, then the refrigerator door close loudly he couldn't take it anymore.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing!"
"So you slam things around for no reason now?"
"Why is she still living here? I don't know why Sherry hasn't thrown her out."