“I love her too,” he said with a smile. “It’s another thing we have in common.”
They got into the little sports car and with the top down they began the three hour ride to New York. They drove along the coastline and Chloe took in the beauty of it as they passed. The ocean stretched out in all directions and the rays of the warm, morning sun scattered like diamonds across its surface.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Derek said. “These were the kind of days I loved when I was a kid. My brother and I spent a lot of time out on Long Island with my cousins at the beach during the summer.”
“Your brother’s an attorney like your Dad?”
“Yeah, Jake is a rising star at the firm. I hardly even see him anymore.”
“He’s older than you?”
“Two years, yes, he’s thirty-three.”
“Were you two close growing up?”
“We were, yes. I had my issues in high school and Jake had a steady girlfriend so that was when we stopped really doing everything together. Before that, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t get away from me. I followed him everywhere.”
Chloe smiled. “I’ve always wondered what that would be like.”
“To follow Jake everywhere?”
Chloe looked at him and smiled. “Well, I don’t know. Is he as hot as you?”
Derek laughed. She loved the sound of it. “Some might say hotter,” he said.
It was Chloe’s turn to laugh. “Unless he was created on Mount Olympus by Zeus himself, I cannot imagine that is even remotely true.”
He glanced back over at her and his crystal blue eyes twinkled before he quickly put them back on the road. He was a really cautious driver and Chloe thought about how traumatized he must have been after Sarah was killed. She wondered how he’d ever been able to get behind the wheel of a car again.
“Jake is smart, good-looking, rich, sophisticated and he’s really one of the kindest people I know. He has a really big heart. But, when it comes to women, he has the worst taste. He seems to attract the gold digger types. They use him for what they can get and toss him aside. His self-confidence has taken a beating over the past several years.”
“So why do you hardly ever see him? It sounds like you miss him.”
“I do. But he’s given up women...again,” Derek told her with a grin. “He’s on a work kick now. You have to make an appointment and pay him a retainer to see you.”
“Maybe if you weren’t so busy dealing with my drama, you’d have time to make that appointment.”
He glanced at her again and then all of a sudden he pulled the little sports car over to the side of the road and turned towards her. “You do know that none of this so-called “drama” is your fault, right?”
“I can hardly deny some accountability,” she said.
“You didn’t ask to be stolen at birth...you didn’t ask to be abused as a child...you didn’t ask to be abused as an adult...and, you didn’t ask to be stalked by the likes of Jesse Donovan!”
“I know all of that, Derek. I really do. I just can’t stop thinking about poor Chantelle and how she’s in a hospital in so much pain because she chose to help me. It makes me worry about the rest of you...you most especially.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me, Chloe.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” She said. “If I didn’t know what a pussy Jesse is and I thought he’d face you head on, man to man, I wouldn’t worry. I have no doubt that you could take him. But he won’t come at you that way. He’s an animal, but he’s a smart animal. I worry that the more people I involve in this little circle of mine, the more victims I create for him.”
“That’s how you have to stop thinking of it, Chloe. You’re not creating victims...Jesse is. You are not now, nor have you ever been responsible for his actions. I know you know that.”
She nodded. “I do, most of the time,” she said. “The anxiety gets the best of me sometimes and tries to take hold of my thoughts.”
“Don’t let it,” he said, “Simple as that.” Then he grinned to let her know that he was only trying to lighten her mood. God, she loved that grin. He was ridiculously gorgeous.
“Simple,” she said, smiling back. “Let’s get this show back on the road.”
*******
S
amantha was waiting for them at the door when they got to the Whitemore’s home. She looked pretty, as usual, in a peach colored sundress with her blonde hair shining in the sun. They both looked amazing for their age. She smiled brightly as they came up the walk, hugging Derek and then Chloe.
Samantha stopped before she completely pulled away from Chloe and put her soft hand on the side of her face and said, “We’re so happy you’re here.”
Trevor gave Derek’s arm a squeeze then and said, “Yes we are, but why don’t we let them in Sam?”
The older woman laughed and stepped back so that they could come inside. As she led them into the front room Trevor looked at Derek and said, “Do you want me to help you get the bags out of the car?”
Derek looked at Chloe to make sure she was okay with him leaving her alone with Samantha. Chloe smiled and gave him an almost imperceptible nod.
“Sure Trevor, I’d appreciate it.”
“Chloe, please sit down,” Samantha told her. “Can I get you something to drink? You’ve had a long drive up, are you hungry?”
Chloe sat down and with a smile she said, “No thank you, I had breakfast right before we left and Derek stopped for coffee on the way out too, so I’m good.”
“Good, lunch is ready to go other than grilling the hamburgers and hot dogs, but Trevor just lit the barbecue so that won’t take too long...”
Samantha was still on her feet and Chloe could almost feel the anxiety flowing out of her. “Samantha, why don’t you sit down with me?”
Samantha smiled nervously and took a seat across from her. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I’ve tried to talk myself out of this anxiety all morning.”
“I know. I’ve been feeling the same way.”
Samantha looked at her for several seconds and then she said, “Do you know why I’m so nervous?”
“You’re worried about the DNA results?”
“Yes, but the truth is I don’t care what the results say...Well, that’s not really accurate either. I do care, as in I’m hoping that you’re our biological child. But I’ve already got it in my head that you’re family and if you’re not biologically related to us...I just hope you feel the same way. I’m worried most that we won’t have you in our lives any longer. I’m afraid we’ll lose you before we even have the chance to know you.”
She had tears building up in her eyes. Chloe couldn’t imagine the kind of loss that these two people had dealt with. She was touched that they already thought of her as family and she told her so.
“It means a lot to me how welcome you and Trevor have made me feel here. If this DNA test doesn’t prove that we’re related I would still be honored to have the two of you as friends.”
Samantha got up and sat next to her on the couch. She hugged Chloe again. Chloe was trying not to stiffen her muscles. The physical contact was still strange for her and not extremely comfortable. She even had to fight through it with Derek sometimes. But at the same time it was nice. It was nice to have people in her life that she felt safe with. She felt safe here.
“You’re not fawning all over her are you, Sam?”
The men had walked through once already, but they took the bags to the guest rooms straight away, looking like they didn’t want to interrupt the conversation. When they came back in, Samantha had Chloe in her arms. Trevor’s voice was light but when Chloe looked up at him, she could see in his eyes that he was worried about his wife. As hard as this was for her, she could only imagine how much harder it must be for them.
“She’s fine,” Chloe said with a smile. “She’s making me feel welcome.”
“Speaking of,” Samantha said, “Come with me and let me show you your room.” Chloe got up and Samantha led her down the hall to the room where she would be staying. “This guest room connects with Derek’s room through the bathroom there. The sheets are fresh and the linen cabinet is stocked but if there’s anything else you need...”
“Samantha,” Chloe said, softly. The poor woman looked like she was about to explode. “It’s all lovely. Thank you. Maybe we should just open the envelope now so that you...all of us don’t have to spend too much more time thinking about it.”
Samantha sucked a deep breath in and then held a trembling hand out to Chloe. Chloe took it and Samantha said, “I think that’s the best idea that I’ve heard in a long time.”
––––––––
T
hey decided after talking to Trevor and Derek to wait until after lunch was over to open the envelope. Trevor had already put the meat on the grill and everything else was ready. Chloe and Derek helped put the salads that Samantha had made out on the table and by the time the table was set, the meat was ready.
Samantha was an excellent cook. Trevor told them that Samantha had made the hamburger patties with her “special” recipe. Chloe had never had a simple hamburger that tasted so good. She hadn’t even known she was hungry because the anxiety had been gnawing away at her guts for so long. Then again, maybe it was just the company that made it all taste so good.
Chloe knew that Samantha and Trevor had to be feeling the same anxiety as she was...or worse. Yet they kept the conversation light and amiable throughout the meal, talking about a gala that they’d taken part in planning and simple things like the weather. It was relaxing and pleasant yet the elephant in the room still stared her in the face as she did her best to enjoy it. She had thought and worried about this for weeks now and she had decided that she was ready to know so that her mind could begin dealing with it one way or the other. She was at a point in her life where she’d finally decided that she wasn’t going to run from any of it any longer. She deserved to have a life and she was more than ready.
After lunch she and Derek insisted on cleaning up. They were in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher and Derek asked her, “Are you doing okay?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’m doing good. I’m still nervous, but I think that’s probably normal in an abnormal kind of situation like this. I’m ready to find out.”
Derek put his arms around her from behind and bent down to bury his face in her hair. Chloe had her arms on top of his and as she felt him nip at her neck, she moaned softly and leaned back into him. He growled and spun her around, slamming his lips down against hers. For a few seconds she forgot where they were. Hell, she even forgot who they were. The only thing that she knew at that very second was that this man made her feel things that she never even knew existed.
She felt him slide up the edge of her shirt and place his hands on her warm ribcage and that was when reality sat in.
“Um...Derek,” she said, pulling back from the kiss. Her voice was breathless and raspy. “I don’t think we should be doing this here.”
He silenced her words with his mouth. Chloe made another desperate little moaning noise and tilted her head so that his tongue could delve deeper. She felt his hand sliding up higher under her shirt. Reluctantly and almost painfully, she broke the kiss again and pushed against his chest with one hand.
“Stop, you’re killing me here.”
Derek flashed her one of his signature grins and took his hands out of her shirt. He brushed his fingers softly along the side of her face and said, “I’m sorry, I’ll be good. You just make it so damned hard.”
She giggled. “I was washing dishes.”
“And looking so fine doing it,” he said.
“Later?”
“You can bet on it. That door between our rooms better be wide open tonight or I might have to break it down.”
She reached up on her toes and kissed his soft, full lips one more time. She drew strength from him.
“Let’s go do this,” she said.
He nodded and took hold of her hand. They found Trevor and Samantha on the porch. It was still a gorgeous day and the back of the house overlooked the rolling green hills and made it that much better. Chloe loved the way it smelled out here too; everything smelled clean and fresh and new.
She took a seat at the patio table and Derek took the one next to her. Without saying a word, Trevor handed her the envelope. She stared at the front of it for several seconds. It was addressed to the Whitemore’s and the return address said, “Albany Geno-Tech Lab”.
With a resigned sigh, she turned it over and pulled it open. She took out the letter contained inside. Her eyes scanned the multi-colored report in her hands. It listed all three of their information at the top and underneath that was a graph with multiple columns. The first row at the top listed Trevor as the “alleged” father and stated his date of birth and where the sample was taken from. The next column was hers; she was the “alleged” child. In the third column was Samantha’s information. The lab guy had told them when he took the samples that this was called an “inclusion” report because the samples were compared from both parents. The other type where only the father and “alleged” child are sampled is known as an “exclusion” report. The column along the left side had a lot of words in it like, STR locus and a lot of “Allele’s”. Chloe assumed it all had to do with genetics. She was stalling and she could feel everyone at the tables eye’s on her as she let hers slide to the bottom of the paper.
In the bottom column it said: Statistical results and then Combined Direct Index: 267, 890 and next to that it said: Probability = 99.9999440623%.
Trevor and Samantha Whitemore were her parents.
As ready as she thought she was that sudden fact stole her breath and the heat from her skin. She was suddenly cold and shaking. Her defenses were as thick as the paper she’d just dropped to the table.
Derek didn’t ask any questions. He just moved his chair so that he was facing hers and pulled her into his chest. She melted into him feeling his firm torso as he folded his hands around her back and pulled her in closer. She had to suck in a deep breath of air; her lungs were suddenly burning for it. As he held her she cried and her body shook.
She was crying for the missed time that she would never get back with her parents and she was crying for the sister she never knew and she was crying for that scared, abused little girl who thought for so long that she’d been thrown away because no one wanted her. She’d placed so much of her self-worth on that, listening to her “father” tell her that he’d taken her in because her real parents had found her to be “revolting.” He would tell her these things as he put his disgusting hands all over her, pounding her self-esteem down as sure as if he’d used a sledge hammer to do it. Now she had proof that he was not only a disgusting pedophile, but he was a disgusting liar and child stealer to boot.