Chloe

Chapter 14 - Jealousy

Bear was all muscle and soft feet. I galloped down the trails to the beach through the water and never once did he balk at what I asked him. As his hooves pounded the sand the salty sea breeze ran across my face. I welcomed the taste on my lips, my tangled hair, and the freedom I felt. - Chloe’s diary

Chapter 14

Jealousy

They had galloped on the beach for an hour when she turned back toward the stables. It was the third day of riding Bear. Her muscles didn’t hurt anymore, the air was perfect, and she never felt more content. When she turned down a path she noticed Edwin’s car parked at the stable’s parking lot. She steered Bear around the stables to see if they could locate him, her heart pounded in anticipation. 

When she finally spotted Edwin he was in a deep conversation with Cole. When she guided Bear closer she noticed the conversation wasn’t pleasant, in fact they looked like they were going to fight. Her heart pumped faster causing Bear to shift beneath her. She quickly dismounted leading him behind her, toward them. Edwin turned as she approached and she knew instantly he was not happy. She swallowed down her fear and pretended not to notice.

“Hello Edwin, what a nice surprise. If you wait a minute I will cool Bear down and we can take a walk.” Cole reached for Bear taking his reins. It was something that he had done many times in the last three days. She smiled a thank you at him as he started walking Bear away.  When she turned back to Edwin his eyes had narrowed. 

She tilted her head to the side and was about to ask what was wrong when he spat out rudely, “Don’t bother. I see you are otherwise occupied here,” he looked disgustedly at Cole and then left. Cole stopped and tensed at Edwin’s parting words.

She didn’t know what she had done to offend Edwin so.

“Son of a b***h,” Cole mumbled, shocking her further. He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Sorry, but you need to lose your boyfriend. He’s just another rich spoiled jerk, they’re plenty around here.”

“He isn’t my boyfriend. He’s a friend,” she explained.

“Humph, that’s not what he implied. He told me to keep my filthy stable hands off of you or he would do it for me. He implied that you were involved with him,” Cole said.

Involved? The only thing she was involved in was anger. How dare Edwin say such things and threaten her friend.

“I need to go. Do you mind taking care of Bear?” She was trying hard to swallow down the tears and anger, failing miserably.

“Sure,” Cole said but before she could walk off he squeezed her shoulder, “Don’t let anyone treat you badly. You deserve better.” She nodded.

   When she arrived at the cottage Edwin’s car was out front. It infuriated her. She stomped up the stairs to find her aunt in the living room looking out at something on the beach. Chloe slammed the door. Her aunt swung around, “What in the world did you do to Edwin?”

“I don’t have the slightest idea!” she shouted stomping to her room slamming that door, and then strictly for emphasis, she went into the bathroom and slammed that door too. 

After a long hot shower, which settled her nerves down enough to concentrate on getting dressed to fix dinner, she walked into the living room to find Edwin pacing. His head down, an intense frown marring his perfect complexion. She stopped to glare at him, her anger surging out of control by the mere sight of him. 

Typically, she was able to control her anger, mainly by justifying other people’s actions and laying blame on herself, but this time she couldn’t or wouldn’t. Her emotions were too close to the surface when it came to him. 

When he looked up she shouted, “How dare you!” at the same time he said softly, “I’m sorry.” Well damn, that defused some of her anger.

   They stood there staring at each other, breathing heavily, as if their emotions were linked somehow. God he was beautiful but she was angry. She would not let that distract her. She clinched her fist, trying to hold on to the anger.

“You had no right being rude to me. I’ve had enough people be rude to me. I don’t need you to be one of them,” She huffed. 

Edwin scowled further, “What is that guy to you? How long have you known him?”

“That guy is none of your business!” She growled. She wasn’t giving in this time, she was standing her ground, she was not afraid.  Okay, that last part was a lie. She was petrified and trembling uncontrollably. Never had she refused to answer a question out of anger.

“I see. It’s like that. You’ll just ditch our relationship for some cowboy!” Edwin’s words dripped with ice as he stepped closer. She refused to move and was proud that she held her ground, even if she was looking at her feet.

“I didn’t ditch anything for anyone,” She looked up, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” She gulped, her stomach rolled with pain, “Cole’s a friend,” she said calmer, “He’s from Texas, he likes horses, I dunno why any of this bothers you! I mean, like, I DO talk to other people,” she looked down at her feet again and amended, “kinda.”

He let out a sigh, “Chloe, I’m jealous as hell. I want to forbid you to see him, but that’s not me.” She looked up as he raked his hand through his hair, “You..” he stopped himself, swallowed, “You need to know, I want us, to you know, be us.”

She frowned, what the heck does that mean? To be us? like friends us? He is jealous, but is it like a best friend who doesn’t want another friend to come in and mess that friendship up? Edwin stepped even closer to her. Her gaze was on his collar bone. She needed clarification. She poked him in the chest with her index finger.  “You said things to Cole about us being involved, that’s not true. We’re just friends right?”

   He thought for a moment and then said, “It’s true.” 

She was terrified to look into his eyes so she kept talking to his chest, “As far as I know I’m not ‘involved’ with anyone.” 

His finger brushed the underside of her chin and lifted her face to meet his eyes.  He was looking at her so intensely that she forgot to breathe. 

“Yes, Chloe. You’re involved with me.” She gasped as he leaned his head down and kissed her opened lips. “And no, we aren’t just friends, not anymore.” Then he kissed her deeper.

Stunned motionless, she didn’t have a clue what to do but it didn’t seem to bother Edwin. He moved gently against her lips coaxing her until she melted into him. All anger, all her thoughts morphed into feeling, supreme wonderful feeling. In all her dreams, in all her thoughts, nothing felt as good as his lips on hers.  She followed his lead and kissed him back. He pulled her tighter to him. She happily complied, melting her body into his as they became one.

 The kiss lasted until she heard a gasp followed by a giggle that was unmistakably her aunt. Chloe jerked out of Edwin’s grasp. Feeling ashamed, Chloe grappled for some sort of explanation. Denial certainly wasn’t going to work in this situation, it was obvious what they were doing.

“Aunt, I ahh…” But thankfully, Aunt Claire smiled and  simply said, “I have to go. You two please behave yourself. I don’t want the cottage to burn down with all the sparks going off here in the living room.” 

Chloe was blown away, she had thought maybe her aunt would kick her out for loose morals or at the very least ground her. Instead she left, how odd.