Chloe (Made Men, #3)(44)

Seeing her face now covered by her hair and breathing heavily, he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Chloe.”

As she desperately tried to get her breath and nerves under control from almost being kissed, she kept her eyes on the ground. Then she opened her car door to escape the closeness between them.

He watched her get in and grabbed the door before she could close it. “I shouldn’t have tried that without asking. Please forgive me.”

Taking a deep breath, she hoped to find the words.

“I-it’s okay.” She just needed to get away for space. After being surrounded by so many people all night, it felt like it was hitting her all at once. “I-I promise.”

Amo stared at her for a moment then swiftly nodded his head. “Happy Birthday, Chloe,” he told her right before shutting the door.

Watching him walk away, she dug her nails deep into her palms. She thought she had been doing so good tonight, almost like she wasn’t plagued by human contact.

I thought for once I might be normal …

Drawing first blood only made her dig deeper.

I thought for once I wasn’t a freak.



*

Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!

Amo could hear the clock ticking. Time was almost up. He had been so careful to go slowly with her, working day in and day out to get her used to him. Now that his time was almost up, he had been getting ballsy, trying anything to get close to her. However, he was afraid he might have gone too far.

He couldn’t help it. The second he had seen her in that black dress that clung to her curvy figure, he had wanted his hands all over her body and his lips all over her beautiful face. Every day he spent with her, he just fell deeper and deeper, finding something different to admire about her.

To him, she was perfect, inside and out.

All he wanted was for Chloe to stay and continue their friendship. If he could get her to do that, then he could be patient and take as long as she needed for them to become more.

I would wait forever for her if that’s what it took.





Thirty-Six





That Way, He Knows I’m Really Gone … And I’m Not Coming Back





“Have you finished packing?”

Chloe zipped the large suitcase closed, struggling to slide it from the bed. “Almost. I have so many clothes, they won’t fit.” She stared at the two suitcases that were already filled, the zippers threatening to break. “Do you have a suitcase I can—”

“I need the ones I have. Besides, they won’t match,” her mother snapped.

Her suitcases are black. How wouldn’t they match? Her mother knew she wouldn’t ever see any of her suitcases again if she lent one to her. Just like Chloe had no plans to see her once she boarded the plane to California.

“That’s okay. I’ll run out tomorrow and buy one.” Chloe sank onto the edge of her bed as her mother walked around, surveying the sterile room that had been her bedroom since her father had moved her into this house after becoming mayor.

“You’re going to take that broken music box?” she asked resentfully, looking at it sitting on her nightstand waiting to be packed.

The music box that no longer played had been her late aunt’s, the one who died while giving birth to her. She had taken one look at it and fallen in love. She could still remember opening the present her father gave to her, turning the key, and listening to the tune over and over again until her mother had made her stop.

“I’m going to pack it in my backpack with my laptop as a carry-on. I won’t have to worry about it getting more damaged.”

“Well … I’ll go. You don’t need my help. Good night.”

Chloe sat on the bed, watching the door close and wanting her ghost tears to be real. Neither of her parents were going to miss her. She could see them going out to eat in an expensive restaurant and toasting to each other that she would be gone when they returned home.

Ring.

Chloe picked up her phone from her nightstand, and Elle’s voice came over the phone.

“Are you still awake?”

“Yes. What are you still doing awake?”

“Nero decided he wanted pizza. I have to go get my parking permit for college the day your flight leaves. What time is your flight?”

“Eleven a.m.”

Elle let out a breath. “That’s good. I can pick up my permit after one.”

“I told you, you shouldn’t come. We will just stand around, crying.” She’d had this conversation with her so many times. It was going to be too hard on both of them if she came. When the tears didn’t fall down her face, it was going to break Elle’s heart.

“How about we do something tomorrow? You know I’m going to see you before you leave, Chloe.”

She shook her head. “But I have to finish packing and go to the mall to get a few last minute things and buy another suitcase—”

“Okay, then I will meet you at the mall tomorrow.” Elle’s voice held a smile.

Dang it … Even if she protested, Elle was going to be there.

“You’re not going to make it easy for me to leave, are you?”

“Nope!” Elle said, her smile more prominent through the phone. “Listen, you know Nero and Amo want to come to say one last good-bye, too.”