When Angels Fall (Fallen Angels) (24 page)

“So, tell me about this Nick. He is a hottie. It’s about time you started hanging around boys like him. When I was your age—”

“When you were my age, you were cheer captain and prom queen and had any boy you wanted. You’ve told me this story.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. Besides, if you would stop acting like a nun at that school, you would have the fun I did. I bet Nick would like that. I bet he would like a lot of what you have to offer if you weren’t such a goodie-goodie,” Shelly taunted her.

“You know nothing about him. Nick is nothing like the guys you dated.” Chloe wanted to raise her voice and scream at her, but she kept herself in check. Shelly could make things hard for her if she saw it fit.

“So, are you two an item? Come on, Chloe, you can tell me. He stuck up for you a lot today with Daddy. And I could swear you were a little close when I came in. Did I interrupt something?” Shelly played with Chloe’s hair and smiled at her in the mirror.

“Why does it matter to you? Why does anything I do matter to you?” Shelly had never taken in interest in her life before. Now, suddenly, she wanted to know more?

“Because there are big changes coming and I want you and me to be friends. I know I’m not your mom, but let’s try for your dad to be friends. It may help you a lot with him, to know you have accepted me,” she explained to Chloe.

“Is that why he sees though me, because I haven’t accepted you?” Chloe questioned her.

“Your father and I are very busy people and your attempt to get his attention last year really changed the way he feels about you. You’re more of a burden to him right now than anything. I can fix that if he thought we were friends. So come on, tell me about Nick,” Shelly urged her again.

Chloe glared at the woman walked out of her room.

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Nick found his mom in the kitchen, making dinner. He dropped his books on the counter. “Hey, Mom. How was your day?” he greeted as he snuck a carrot she‘d been cutting.

“It was good, not much going on. Did Chloe make it home okay?”

“Yeah, and I got to meet her father and his wife today,” he informed her and tried to think about how he could explain them.

“And…?”

“It’s just amazing how much I take you and Dad for granted sometimes. I mean, I come home from school and we talk about our day. At dinner, it’s a circus, but it’s just the way we are. I never have to guess how you feel about any of us. I don’t think you or Dad has ever had anything harsh to say to us. Yeah, you really should have given Kevin up for adoption, but, hey, everyone makes mistakes.” He snickered and she rolled her eyes at him. “But the guy walks in the door and the first thing he asked Chloe is if she brought the mail in when she got home from school. Who does that? She went from smiling and kidding around to the girl I was with on Friday, when Millie died.”

His mother didn’t seem to know what to say about that. “Here, taste this.” She gave him a piece of bread with garlic butter on it.

“Needs more garlic,” Nick replied, scarfing it down.

“Really? I thought I put enough in there. I don’t want it too garlicky. Kevin hates it that way. So, what is the deal with you and Chloe? Are you dating?” she asked as she mixed more in.

“Yeah, we are finally. It took some time for her to trust me, but we’re good now. Plus, she’s smarter than me, so now I know my grades won’t fall behind.” He laughed.

“She is sweet. I like her, too. Are you really sure there isn’t enough garlic?” she asked again. “It’s smells really strong.”

“I know Mark and I like it that way, so more for us. Oh, and get this, her stepmother asked me to Thanksgiving dinner with them. I know you and Dad want us home for holidays, but if it’s okay, can I go?” He really didn’t want to miss their family dinner, but he just felt that he really needed to be there with Chloe.

“Nick, normally, I would say no, but I think it would be okay. Invite them here for dessert, though. I want to meet them and find out about Christmas.”

“So, you and Dad talked about it?” Nick hoped, excited that she wouldn’t be alone.

“Yes and no, but maybe if we meet them and find out what’s really going on, then we can make a decision. So, since you and I are having a mother-son moment, can we talk?”

“Sure, what’s up?” He knew this was coming. It was the
girlfriend
talk.

“I want you to know I really like Chloe. But I want you to realize that it seems she’s been through a lot in her short life. I don’t think she’s like the other girls you’ve dated. Just watch yourself.”

“I know, Mom. And I hope she can see that I’m going to be here for her. I hated seeing how upset she got today when they came home. If you could have seen the look on her face…” It hurt to think about it and he wondered how she was doing now.

“Nicky, you really care about her a lot, don’t you?” she asked him. There was something different with him when it came to Chloe.

“She isn’t like anyone I’ve dated before. There’s just something about her that just fits, you know?” he answered.

She smiled at that. “Yes, I know. And I hope you keep that in mind when things get tough. So far, you seem to be steady and good for her.”

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Thanksgiving arrived with Chloe dreading dinner and she just wanted to get it over with. Shelly told her they needed to talk to her about something; she could only imagine what it was. For the most part, Chloe just stared out the window as her father and Shelly talked.

 
It wasn’t until Nick reached over at some point and took her hand that she remembered he was there. It made her smile to think that he was going to be there with her. After they arrived and were seated, you could cut the tension at the table with a knife.

It wasn’t like with Nick’s family, where there was always constant commotion. Here, it was just cold. As the soup was served, Chloe decided to speak up. “Dad, I got an invitation to visit a college in New York in January. I don’t know the dates yet, but they are offering me a full scholarship if I decide to attend college there.” She hoped to impress him.

“My schedule for January is pretty full right now. Let me know as it gets closer and I will let you know,” he said, dismissing her.

“It’s on a weekend, so it wouldn’t interfere with work,” she added. She just wanted a little bit of his time. Just to show him how smart she was.

“Our weekends are going to get pretty full in the coming months,” Shelly explained and smiled at her father.

“Oh, I didn’t realize that. Are you starting a new project in New York?” Chloe really hoped she was. She would love to have the house to herself again.

“Well, kind of. Tommy, let’s tell her,” Shelly suggested.

“Tell me what?” Chloe asked her father.

“I’ll let Shelly tell you.” He smiled at Shelly.

Chloe cringed at that. She looked across the table at Nick, who was waiting to hear what they had in store for Chloe now.

“Well, we won’t know until tomorrow, but your father and I have decided to start a family. We will be seeing a doctor in New York almost every weekend until I’m about three months. But I’m pretty sure we’re going to find out that I’m expecting tomorrow,” she said.

Chloe dropped her spoon. “I’m sorry, what?” Did she just hear her right?
A baby?

“I’m very excited about this, Chloe, a second chance at being a father. You should be happy for me,” her father told her.

“It’s just all happening so fast. While we’re in New York this weekend, I need you to clean out your mother’s room. I have a moving company coming on Saturday to take it to storage for you, unless you want to donate it. But I want to use that room as the baby’s room,” Shelly informed her.

Chloe was speechless. She couldn’t breathe. “Excuse me.” She got up from the table and the chair fell behind her. She felt like the walls were closing in, so she all but ran from the table. It felt as if she was going to collapse suddenly. It was as if all the air had been sucked from her body. She ran until she made it to the car, and then suddenly, she felt Nick’s arms around her.

“Shh, it’s okay.” He held her, not really knowing what to say.

“What just happened? What did she just say? I have to clean out my mother’s room?” She tried hard to catch her breath. How was she going to do this? She was afraid to be in that room.

“I don’t know what to say.” He tried to help her to calm down.

“He wants a second chance at being a father? How about asking me for a second chance? Why can’t he try with me?” After all, she was his daughter, his firstborn. What had she done to make him give up on her? She was fighting back the tears. She didn’t want to cry in front of him or them.

“Chloe, go back in there and ask him that. Ask him why he has treated you this way.”

“What would it matter? I’m nothing to him. He has a new family now. What does he need me for?” She was starting to realize that her days at home were numbered now. She put her arms around him and felt him hug her tighter. “I’ve got nothing now. There’s nothing I can do to make that man treat me like his little girl.”

 
“Then it’s his loss. Someday, maybe he will realize it,” Nick said as he stroked her hair.

After her mother died, she just wanted him to take care of her, but instead, he turned to Shelly.
 
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, let’s go back.”

He took her hand in his and they went back.

When they sat back down, Shelly watched her and waited.

“Are you finished with your little temper tantrum?” her father scolded her.

Chloe could just nodded.

“Nick, what time are your parents expecting us?” Shelly questioned him.

“Around 7:30,” he answered.

“We’re just waiting for the check, and then we’re leaving. You have embarrassed me, young lady. You owe Shelly an apology,” her father said, continuing to scold her.

Chloe bit at her lip and then said, “I’m sorry for my actions. I am very happy for you and my father.”
 

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It killed Nick to hear her talk this way. It wasn’t as if she‘d run from the place screaming. She got up and the chair fell over. But they had to show the power they had over her, and Chloe was so starved for their attention that she would do as they wished.

He couldn’t understand what he just witnessed, but he knew that it was like her father was talking to hired help instead of his daughter.

“You should be happy for us, Chloe. This is very important to your father and me. We have wanted a family for a while and now it is finally happening. Besides, you’ll be off to college soon, and you won’t be bothered by the children we’ll have. You are at the start of your life. Just think of it as a happy way to close this chapter,” Shelly stated, adding to the rejection Chloe was already feeling.

Nick watched as Chloe held her head down, and he tried hard not to say anything about how they were now dismissing her.

When they arrived at his house, Nick walked through the door and Max tackled him.

“You missed it. I nailed Kevin in the face with the butter,” he gloated.

“That’s cool, buddy. Where are Mom and Dad?” Nick now just wanted to get far away from Chloe’s parents as possible.