"You're already working for free. Why do you want to pick up extra days?"
"I like it here, plus I live in the building. Just think of it as me cleaning my home." Chloe smiled. Sherry stared at her.
"Is this because you're trying to run into Matthew?"
"No, it's the opposite. I really need to stay busy, Sherry. If he ever wants to talk to me, he can come to me. Matthew knows where I live."
Sherry nodded her head and returned the smile, but couldn't hide the concern in her eyes. "Here's the spare key for the supply closet. When you find yourself with time on your hands, you can clean anytime you want. But if I hear that vacuum running at three in the morning…" Sherry got up and wrapped her arms around Chloe. "You don't have to clean, sweetie. You're allowed to come down here and just sit and chat if you want." Sherry felt so bad for her. She wished the stubborn man would give her a chance to explain and stop being so hard headed.
Chloe thanked her and took the key. She had to get out of Sherry's office because Matthew was due home any second. Her strong urge to go out to the parking lot to wait, and hopefully talk to him, was almost overwhelming. Keep walking, she chanted over and over again. Just as she was ready to climb the stairs, she saw Matthew out of the corner of her eye. She pretended to be looking for something in her bag and was surprised to see him stop and stare at her. After about three minutes, she climbed the stairs without letting him know she was aware of his presence. Matthew was still standing in the same place, watching her every step.
Matthew slammed the door when he got inside his apartment. Conner looked up with a questioning look. His son had been on edge ever since he broke up with Chloe, but he knew he'd just set Matthew off if he approached the subject. When he heard the cupboard slam shut, then the refrigerator door close loudly he couldn't take it anymore.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing!"
"So you slam things around for no reason now?"
"Why is she still living here? I don't know why Sherry hasn't thrown her out."
"You saw Chloe I take it."
"Yeah, I saw her."
"Did she say anything?"
"I just stopped home to fix you some dinner, and then I'm going up to Cars for a beer."
"Matthew, you know you can talk to me, so I don't know why you insist on keeping everything bottled up."
Matthew heated up some soup and made a grilled cheese sandwich for his father without saying another word until he was walking out the door.
"I'll be back in a couple of hours."
Chloe was on her way to the store that evening to pick up some coffee and cleaning supplies for Sherry. She didn't even need to look over to see if Matthew's red pickup was sitting next to her at the traffic light, she could hear it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him turn his head toward her, but Chloe kept facing straight ahead. Matthew revved his engine, and she pretended not to notice. When the light turned green she drove straight, obeying the speed limit. Matthew squealed his tires and turned the corner.
John sat at a table in the bar watching the ball game on television. He spotted Matthew come in, order a beer, and chug down almost the entire thing. John ordered a couple more and then waved his friend over.
"As ticked off as you've been, I can assume you're not celebrating. What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Here we go again, Matt. This is getting pretty old. It's okay to have a bad day now and then, but you're pissed off all the time. Your mood has Chloe written all over it."
"I want her out of the apartment. Everywhere I turn, there she is!"
"Talk to her."
"Look, I just came to relax. I don't want to talk about Chloe," growled Matthew through clenched teeth.
John just nodded his head and sat quietly. He knew if Matthew was left alone, he'd eventually spill what was in his head. Well, some of it, but if you read between the lines, you could usually get the full story. After Matthew finished his second beer, he stared blankly at the television screen. John hoped the silence would help, but it wasn't looking good. After watching him tie five straws in knots, shred a few napkins, and slam his phone down on the table, Matthew began to mumble. Then he got up and headed towards the door.
"Listen, I'm heading home, so why don't you check on your dad and then come downstairs to my apartment and hang out for a bit?"
He ignored John and left.
Matthew tossed and turned in bed. Just thinking about what Chloe had done made his face red and his temper flare. At three in the morning he got up, threw on his clothes, and then slipped quietly outside. The night was chilly, and a slight drizzle had begun. He turned to go back inside but found himself walking down to John's apartment instead. Matthew hesitated before knocking and checked his watch. It was way too late to be popping in. He turned to walk back home when the door opened.
"Sorry, man. Did I wake you up?"
"Come on in. I was just watching some re-runs. Can't seem to sleep." John held the door open and watched Matthew go to the fridge and grab a beer. His concern about his friend is what kept him from sleeping. The last thing he needed was to bail Matthew out of jail from plowing someone in the face. He'd never seen the guy this angry.
"I love her."
"I know you do. There's nothing wrong with trying to work things out. I think you're making a mistake."
"She paid my father's medical bills, did you know that?"
"If she didn't love you, she wouldn't have done it. You're assuming she lied to mock you."
"I was paying the bills just fine on the plan the hospital set up for me. She made me feel like crap. Incompetent."
"She didn't make you feel that way, Matt. You've held a low opinion of yourself ever since Josie decided to be a wench. I don't understand why Chloe has to suffer because of something she had nothing to do with. Let me ask you a question. If you two were married, would you let her help you then?"
Matthew picked at the bottle label. "I'm ticked off she lied to me. She tried to stoop to my level out of pity, that's what hurts the most. Can you imagine the audacity of someone pretending to be poor? That is mocking me."
"You wouldn't have gone near her if you knew how rich she was. You couldn't look past the money, Matt. Maybe it's time to swallow your pride and realize she helped you out of love."
"Love…" Matthew laughed, and out the door he went.
John glanced at the clock and was grateful it was Sunday.
He didn't feel like going back inside his apartment. The sound of oxygen hissing made him feel guilty. Matthew knew his father would feel better if he got the care he needed. He walked out to the parking lot, leaned against his old pickup, and looked over at the new red Chevy Silverado underneath the lights. If I ever see that fake salesman again, I'll break his jaw. I wonder how much humor they both got over me acting like an idiot. Memories of running down the hall yelling how he'd won came flooding back, making his face burn. I wish someone would set it on fire. But the old truck was on its last leg, and he feared that one day soon it'd break down and never start again. Then what? Matthew lost track of how long it'd been since he talked with Chloe. He missed her and hated her at the same time. He knew a relationship with that woman would mean being her project. She's probably told all her rich friends about how pathetic my life is, but my life was just fine until she showed up.