Page 51 of Into The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 10

Chloe

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She waitedat the house for Wade. Wes came by to keep her company. She hoped it was okay that she arranged for Wade’s family to go to the cemetery. She understood if he wanted the privacy, but sometimes it was good to go with gut instinct and do what you felt wasright.

Chloe felt that Wade needed them. She didn’t think it was appropriate for her to go because she was the girlfriend. Merissa’sreplacement.

His family, on the other hand, was different, and she just felt that he needed their support and presence. Sometimes that was all you needed to gather strength. Someone’spresence.

Like Wes being here with her, and his continuoussupport.

They were playing chess and he was winning. They opted for it because it was one of those games that allowed you to be sociable while you thought about what you needed to at the sametime.

“You don’t think he’ll throw me outside, do you?” Wes asked. “Wade threw me outside a lot when we were younger. I know I’ll lose, but I swear if he tries it I’ll have tofight.”

“Wes, you got him out of prison, cleared his name and everything, why would he dothat?”

“Because he, my dear, Chloe, he thinks I’m trying to move in on his girl,” Wes said in the same rough, angry voice Wadeused.

Chloe frowned and moved her pawn one place forward on the chess board, to which Wes responded by taking it with his bishop, leaving her knight open to attack. She hadn’t meant to move that pawn, it should have been the other one a few places down. Wes laughed at heractions.

“Damn it. I meant this pawn.” She winced, pointing at the other pawn that was next to the one she moved. “Can I have areplay?”

He laughed even more. “No, we can’t, I’m afraid; this is adult chess, not we’re-five-years-old-and-I’ll-allow-you-to-go-back-and-correct-your-mistakechess.”

“We didn’t play chess when we were five,” shesnapped.

“Maybe not you. I did, though. My IQ wouldn’t allow me to play anythingless.”

He was teasing her, she knew, but she was still annoyed at herself for making such a foolish mistake. When they were younger, Wes would have her in check mate within five minutes of the game starting, but she’d gotten better as the years went by and now she was able to play for all of half an hour before thathappened.

“You used to allow me to replay,” she pretended topout.

“Go on, then.” He shook his head and handed her back thepawn.

“Thank you, Wesley,” she cooed, laughing. She placed the piece back on the board and looked at up at him, the seriousness returning to her. “Thanks, Wes. Thank you so much for all you’ve done. Thanks for getting Wade out of prison and single handedly running an investigation. You savedhim.”

“You’rewelcome.”

The gentle smile she loved lifted the corners of hismouth.

“Any time. I just hope he does huff and puff and blow the house down when he sees me. And, I reckon my goose will be well and truly cooked when he finds out that I’m seeing hissister.”

She laughed at that. “How are you and Taylor? You guys look so happytogether.”

“Thanks, I think we are. I certainly am happy. I really like her a lot. She’s more than what I imagined, and what I imagined was already amazing.” His eyes sparkled as he spoke and Chloe felt genuinely happy forhim.

“I’m happy for you two.” Chloesmiled.

“Thanks. How about you andWade?”

As a couple they were great, more than great. Individually was another story entirely. She was still aware that they had this Aaron guy to deal with and Zeek was still at large. Aside from that, she couldn’t help but feel inadequate at her inability to help Wade more. She knew he felt guilty over Merissa’s death and for their son, and it wasn’t the sort of situation where she could help him get over it. What happened wasn’t something he could get over. Time may allow him to manage to cope with it, but as for forgetting, Chloe didn’t think anyone could do that. Their deaths weren’t something toforget.

“We’re okay,” she decided to say. “I worry about him, though, and what he’s going through. It’s a lot to deal with. I feel bad for him and I wish there was more I could do tohelp.”

“I think you help him by just being there, here.” Wes smiled, sympathy filling his eyes. “That’s all you can dosometimes.”