Coda Part 4

4.

Lois took the news that Chloe had been promoted much the same way she’d take the news that she’d have to have a root canal. Chloe knew that it wasn’t so much that Lois didn’t want her to get the promotion, as much as she hated losing.

“I suppose you think this is because of Lex and me?”

Lois looked Chloe in the eye. “I think it’s because you’re a great reporter who got the job under your own merit. I just don’t like coming in last. First Jimmy, now you. I guess I’ll be the last one out of here, when I’m sixty.”

“You’ll b up there with me in no time. You’ll see.”

“I’ll help you pack up.”

Chloe and Lois found boxes and started packing away Chloe’s things. “It’s amazing how much junk I’ve got in this desk.”

“Have you told Clark about your promotion, or your new digs?”

“Why would I? He wouldn’t give a damn.”

“You should tell him because he’s your friend. Look, I know he’s been wrapped up in Lana lately, and you don’t see him like you used to, but that doesn’t mean he’s suddenly your enemy.”

“This isn’t something that’s been happening just lately, Lois. Look, I don’t want to get into this right—Lex.”

Lois followed Chloe’s gaze. Lex stood at the steps across the room, looking at Chloe, who felt her thighs quiver with anticipation, and her stomach flipped at the smirk on his lips. Lois didn't fail to notice that when Lex's eyes flicked to her, they looked unbearably smug.

"I really hate that guy," Lois said. "Chloe, rethink what you're doing. Don't-"

"Lois, we've been through this," Chloe said quietly, so none of the other fledgling reporters could hear what she was saying. Gossip traveled fast, and she didn't want to spark rumors about her and Lex.

“Lex is giving me a lift to the Talon,” Chloe said. “I have a few things to pick up and take to my new place.”

“You're making possibly the biggest mistake of your life, being with him," Lois said.

She had such pleading in her eyes that for a moment Chloe wanted to give in and promise she'd break it off with Lex. But then she thought of Clark, and she was filled with bitterness again, and she'd be damned if she stopped seeing Lex now.

"I’ll finish here,” said Lois, seeing Chloe's eyes harden again. “Will I see you any at all this weekend?”

“Sunday, my new place for dinner. I won’t forget you, I promise.”

Lois caught Chloe by the arm as she moved to pass. “Don’t have sex with him on my bed.”

“I won’t.”

“Or the couch—”

“—okay—”

“—or the kitchen—”

“—I won’t—”

“—not in the bathroom either—”

“—Lois—”

“I’m just sayin.’”

Chloe prized her arm from Lois’s grip and started for Lex, shaking her head. They didn’t touch one another, or even speak to one another, but Lois had a feeling that once they were in the back of that limo—

She shivered with disgust, and started formulating a plan to get her cousin out from under Lex Luthor’s spell. A familiar face came to mind, and she smiled. She knew just who to call.

****

Lex’s body was almost totally hairless. He was smooth, and soft in all the right places. She liked his hands, though. They were large and manly, and somehow they were rough, despite the lack of physical labor in his life. He was cupping her ass as she rode him, helping her stay balanced as the limo took a tight curve. His tongue flicked out to tease her nipples as she bounced enthusiastically on his lap, and then climaxed in time with Lex.

If Clark knew I was fucking Lex Luthor, Chloe thought with malicious glee, he’d shit himself.

She found herself laughing while Lex’s lips grazed her throat.

“What’s so funny?”

“I wonder how Clark would feel if he knew about us.”

“And that made you laugh?”

She climbed off of him and fixed her underwear before pulling her skirt down. She wore skirts a lot lately, to make it easier to fuck Lex spur of the moment.

“Ever wonder how Lana would react?” he asked, pouring her some champagne. It was her favorite brut, which he kept stocked in her new apartment and in the car, just for her. It made her eyes water at the potency.

“I don’t think she’d give a damn, to be honest,” Chloe said. Lex’s eyes became hooded.

“Want me to come up?” he asked.

“No, I just have a few things. I won’t be a minute.”

The car pulled up in front of the Talon and Chloe jumped out, heading inside. Lana and Clark were there, and it looked as though they’d been waiting to ambush her. She passed by them, and Lana’s smile turned quickly to a frown.

“I’m not looking for a fight,” Chloe said, passing them. “Just leave me alone.”

Chloe saw Lana hold Clark back, and she was surprised by the anger she felt from that one simple move. She hated both of them in that moment.

****

“Chloe smells like…sex,” Clark said, his face pinched.

“Clark,” Lana said, holding his arm to stop him from going after Chloe. “Did you smell that aftershave on her?”

“I smelled more than aftershave on her.”

“It’s Lex’s.”

Clark’s head whipped around from the apartment and Chloe’s diminishing form to look at Lana.

“Lex?”

“He’s parked outside. I thought I saw her get out of his car.”

Clark saw the stretch limo out on the curb, and fury like he’d never known in his life set his blood on fire. He pulled free of Lana’s grasp and headed for the stairs.

****

Chloe entered the Talon apartment and headed for her side of the closet she'd shared with Lois. All of the clothes she hadn't moved into her new place hung there. It was strange, picking them out to move to her own place. A place she'd share a great deal of the time with a man she never thought she could tolerate, let alone accept as her lover. When she came back through to the living room, she saw Lana and Clark in the doorway.

“Where’ve you been?” Clark demanded. “Who’ve you been with?”

Chloe tried to move past him to get a bag she’d left on the counter, but Clark grabbed her arm. He wasn’t letting her walk away this time.

“Tell me!”

“Clark!” Lana said, watching Clark grip Chloe’s arm tightly.

“It’s none of—”

“WHERE!”

“Fine, you want to know? I’ve been fucking Lex Luthor in the back of his limousine, and I loved every second of it!” Chloe shouted, feeling herself give in to the seething rage she’d felt building for weeks.

Clark was breathing through his nostrils like an old winded dog, and Chloe could swear his eyes were starting to glow. She also knew that she was going to have one hell of a bruise on her arm where he gripped her—at least for a few minutes, before her meteor power healed her. She pulled her arm and he let her go. Lana looked as though Chloe had kicked her in the gut, and that brought Chloe some small measure of satisfaction. She'd had the persistent feeling that Lana wasn't quite as over Lex as she claimed to be.

“You’re screwing Lex?" Clark said. "He’s our worst enemy and you’re—How could you do this!”

“It's none of your business.”

"Look, Chloe, Clark and I are because we're concerned about you," Lana started. Chloe let out a short, ugly laugh.

"I'll just bet you are, Lana. Do me a favor, and at least stop pretending like you give a damn about me."

Clark spoke over Lana's reply, saying, “I don't know how you managed to forget, but Lex is no good, Chloe, and I’m not going to stand by and let him hurt you the same way he did Lana.”

"Where was all this concern when I needed it?” Chloe asked.

“Look, I know I haven’t been a good friend this past month but having sex with—”

“Month?” she said, feeling tears sting her eyes. “This has been going on a lot longer than a month, Clark. As soon as Lana came back you were gone. Where were you when I need to talk about breaking up with Jimmy? I told you about it and you turned your back on me! What about being my personal bomb squad?” Chloe realized she was about to divulge her biggest secret to Lana, but she didn’t care. “I’ve been dealing with this meteor power all on my own and you haven’t done a goddamn thing to help me understand it. I never see you unless you need something, and since she’s been back you haven’t even come to me for that! I’m not blind, Clark, I can see what’s happening. You have Lana now, to be your lover, and now she’s your best friend. She’s everything to you, and I’m nothing.”

Clark looked duly abashed, and Chloe rounded on Lana, who was looking at Chloe as though she expected her to turn green, or grow an extra pair of eyes in the center of her forehead.

“You always had his heart, but that wasn’t enough for you, was it, Lana? You had to take his friendship too, so that I’m left with nothing.”

"All right, that's enough!" Lana shouted. "Chloe, I've never wanted to take Clark's friendship from you!"

"You keep saying that, Lana," Chloe sneered, "and I'm sure it won't be too hard to convince Clark of it. After all, he's always believed everything you say without question, hasn't he?"

To Clark, Chloe looked so small and wounded, standing there with her clothes held to her chest like a flimsy shield, tears streaming down her face. Looking at her broke Clark's heart, and he wanted to reach out to her, but he knew Chloe wouldn't allow it. Somehow, reaching out to her now seemed pitifully inadequate, like he was a day late, or a dollar short. She turned her attention back to him.

“I know you, Clark, and I know you don't forget things. I know you didn’t forget our dinner date that night. You just chose to be with her instead of me, and you didn’t even care enough about my feelings to call.”

“Chloe, I’m sorry—”

“Get out!” she shouted. Anger was replacing self-pity and hurt. She dropped the clothes on the floor and pointed to the open doorway behind Clark and Lana. “Get out of this apartment, get out of my life! I never want to see either of you again. We're not friends anymore, so stop coming around and pretending like we are!”

“Clark, come on," Lana said, pulling on Clark's arm. She looked as though she had better things to do and just wanted to leave.

He looked numb, pale, and moved as though he was blind and needed someone to guide him, taking short and uncertain steps out of the apartment. Chloe slammed the door behind them, and he heard her bitter weeping on the other side of the door.

In the back of the limo, Lex Luthor watched it all on the flatscreen directly opposite him. He saw Clark walking numbly down the steps, and Lana’s pale, pinched face, and felt a moment of smug satisfaction. He’d destroyed Clark’s most precious friendship, and it was only a matter of time before the reality of the situation drove a wedge between Clark and Lana. Despite Clark’s talk of how much in love he was with Lana, Lex understood one simple fact: no one had ever meant more to Clark than Chloe Sullivan, and now he’d lost her for good.

Chapter 5