Behind the Screen

Chapter 39

Emily looked back at me with a worried look on her face, I could tell she didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry I - I know you don't want anything to do with me right now, but I need to talk to you," Chloe said desperately, "I can't do this anymore."

"I think you should probably leave," Emily said as she stepped back over in front of me.

"No, it's okay Em," I sighed as I put my hand on her back.

"You sure?" She asked me.

I nodded and she stepped aside, might as well get this over with.

"You guys can talk in here if you want to," Emily said quietly to me.

"It's fine, I'll just step outside," I told her.

"Okay, she nodded as she gave my arm a squeeze and walked away.

I went outside and shut the door behind me. I walked past Chloe and sat down on the front steps.

"Okay Chloe," I said, "say what you need to say then."

She sat down next to me and I glanced over at her. I don't think I'd ever seen her look so distraught before.

"Actually, wait," I continued, "how did you even know I was here or where Emily lives?"

"Um," she said before pausing, "I kind of followed you here after work...I was desperate."

I raised my eyebrows and looked at her before shaking my head and turning away.

"I just couldn't wait around any longer, I'm sorry," she said, "but listen, when I said this wasn't what it looked like, I was telling the truth, I meant that."

"Hold on," I said, "have you still not broken up with him?"

"Well no, but -" she started.

"Jesus Chloe, what the fuck are you even here for then?" I asked angrily as I began to stand up.

This clearly wasn't worth my time.

"No, hold on," Chloe pleaded as she grabbed on to my hand, "please Katie, just let me explain."

I sighed as I debated for a minute before reluctantly sitting back down. I heard Chloe take a deep breath next to me before she continued.

"Mason and I, we - we've been together for almost a year," she said.

"A year??" I asked as I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes," she said, "but a month or two before we started talking - I don't know, things were going downhill."

"I downloaded that dating app before I really knew what I wanted to do, or what I should do," she continued, "but I guess I was curious if I'd find anyone else, or if I'd have any connections or anything like that."

So far nothing that she'd said was justifying what she'd done to me, but I tried to keep my mouth shut and let her finish.

"As soon as we started talking, before I even knew it was you," Chloe said, "I told Mason things weren't working out between him and I."

"But you're still together," I cut in.

"Yes I - I'm getting there," Chloe said.

"He just got really weird and possessive after I told him," she continued, "he didn't want to let me go."

"So why didn't you just tell him you were done and have it over with?" I asked her.

"It's not that easy," she said, "I've been trying to take care of this since the very beginning Katie, I swear. And I know I still should've told you, but I just - I kept thinking I'd be able to handle it."

"Chloe this still isn't making much sense," I said, "I get that breakups are hard but - if you really wanted this, us I mean, you could've ended things with him by now. It must not have been that important to you."

"No, that's not it at all," Chloe said as she shook her head, "I do want to be with you and I do care about you, so much, I just - "

She stopped mid sentence as I watched her hands shaking in her lap. There was definitely still something that wasn't adding up.

"You just what?" I asked her.

"Fuck, I don't know," she said as she rubbed her hand over her face.

"Okay," I sighed, "well I don't really know what else to say then Chloe."

We sat there as the tension between us continued to build, and all I wanted to do was get up and go back inside.

"He threatened me," Chloe finally said under her breath.

I wasn't sure if I'd heard her right, and I looked over and watched the expression on her face.

"He - what?" I asked her.

"He threatened me," she repeated, "if I broke up with him."

"What do you mean?" I asked, "like he threatened to hurt you??"

"No," she shook her head, "he never said that, he just kept telling me that if I broke up with him he'd make my life a living hell, he'd make sure I regretted it...shit like that."

"What the fuck," I mumbled.

"I - I didn't know what to do," Chloe said.

"Chloe why didn't you tell me this earlier?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said as she rested her head in her hands, "I thought I could take care of it."

"And," she continued hesitantly, "I felt like it - it made me look really weak and pathetic, the fact that I couldn't break up with him. He shouldn't scare me this much."

"Chloe..." I said before trailing off.

"It's fucking stupid, I know," she said.

"It's not stupid, and you're not pathetic," I responded, "it's fucked up on his part is what it is."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now," Chloe said quietly as she hugged her knees.

"Shit," I mumbled, "I don't know."

"Let's go inside, we'll start there," I continued as I stood up.

I held my hand out to her and she looked up at me questioningly.

"Come on," I nodded, trying to reassure her.

She hesitantly reached out and took it as I helped her up.

"Are you sure Emily is going to want me in her house? She already tried to get rid of me once," Chloe said.

"Well in her defense, neither of us were very happy to see you," I told her, "I'll explain everything, it's fine."

"No, don't - " Chloe started, "I mean, I just - I feel like such an idiot, I don't need more people judging me for this."

"Chloe," I said, "if you don't want me to tell her, I won't, but she's not going to think that."

"Yeah, okay," she sighed.

I nodded as I opened the door and led her inside of Emily's house.

——————————————