Chloe and Samantha proppedthemselves up on stools at the breakfast bar to prepare the salad.Todd and Patrick decided they would take care of barbequing thesteaks on the balcony, as only men could, according to theirrhetoric. As the delicious aroma of barbequed steak and garlicSwiss mushrooms permeated the apartment, everyone appeared to relaxinto party mode. Chloe used the remote to activate the soundsystem. Before long, they were all enjoying the music and making avaliant attempt at the lyrics to the old classics. Patrick dancedaround in the kitchen with Samantha, as she held aloft a plate ofanchovy stuffed olives in one hand and a glass of champagne in theother.
Needless to say, the talk aroundthe dining room table focused on the new Sydney venture. Relived,Chloe noted that Todd had finally relaxed with Patrick, who, itseemed was either oblivious to his brother’s bad mood or wise to itand hoped it would pass.
Samantha took the opportunity togrill Chloe in the kitchen, while they were stacking thedishwasher. “Todd seemed tense when I arrived. Any ideawhy?”
Chloe didn’t look her in the eye.“He didn’t say.”
“You do know I loveboth boys, don’t you. They’re like family. I won’t think badly ofeither of them.” Samantha paused, a plate in one hand.
“Yes, Ido.”
“Still nothing to tellme?” Samantha stacked the plate in the dishwasher and leant backagainst the bench, arms crossed, patiently waiting for Chloe’sreply.
“I think Todd wasannoyed that Patrick had his arm around me when he came home. Ithink he overreacted, that’s all. Patrick and I are justfriends.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Okay, we’ve been outon a date, but that was weeks ago, we’re friends. It’s nothingmore,” Chloe replied. “Don’t look at me like that. I was interestedand now I’m not. Okay?”
“Does Todd know that?”Samantha reached forwards and took Chloe’s hand. “You do know he’sin love with you, don’t you? I have known him for many years and hehas never been this concerned for any woman until now.”
“Who, Todd? Don’t beridiculous, Samantha. We’re good friends.” Chloeinsisted.
“Oh. So you are tryingto tell me you are ‘just friends’ with both brothers, and have nointention of taking it any further with either of them?” Samanthalet go of Chloe, and fisted her hands on her hips.
Their conversationcame to an abrupt halt when they heard the sliding door open. Toddand Patrick returned from the balcony carrying the barbeque toolsand the platters. As Chloe bent down to the dishwasher, she glancedup. Samantha’s eyebrow arched. She’s notgoing to let this drop.
Even as they sattalking and drinking coffee after dinner, Chloe could not getSamantha’s words out of her mind. “You do know he’s in love withyou, don’t you?” kept circling round and around in her head. Shethought about the way Todd had rushed into her room when she hadthe nightmare, and the fact that he had stayed with her through thenight when she was an emotional wreck. She’d thought at the time hewas being kind. She hadn’t considered anythingmore. Be honest,you haven’t let yourself consider it, haveyou?
Chloe said her goodnights andexcused herself early. The day’s events had tired her out, and shewanted some time alone. She had some serious thinking todo.
Todd switched off all the lights.Patrick and Samantha had finally left the apartment a little aftereleven o’clock. Sipping from a glass of Scotch, he absentmindedlystared out at the night sky through the unadorned windows as hethought about the last few hours, and his jealous reaction. Notsurprisingly, Melbourne’s eclectic cityscape did little to cheerhim tonight.
He didn’t hear Chloe approach,but he sensed her presence behind him. He turned to see her bathedin moonlight, dressed in a long white silk nightgown. She couldn’thave looked lovelier, or more delicate, than at that moment. Todd’sheart beat a little faster as he waited for her to speak. Hesurmised they were going to talk about his behaviour earlier. Howcould he adequately explain the flash of anguish he experienced onseeing Patrick with his arm around her, without exposing hisfeelings? Feelings he had tried unsuccessfully to bury.
“Would you like adrink?” Todd held up his glass, swirling the amberliquid.
Chloe slowly shook her head asshe walked towards him.
“Todd we’re friends,right? Good friends?”
“Yes weare.”
“Okay, so can you tellme what was bothering you when you arrived home?”
“It doesn’t matter,Chloe.”
“Yes it does. I wantto clear it up. I don’t want this to hang over us. You seemed to beangry with Patrick and me. Why?”
“I wasn’t angry withyou. Patrick should have waited until you were better to make amove on you. He didn’t have to have his hands all over you…”
“Hey, hang on aminute, he didn’t have his hands all over me.”
“When I came in he hadhis arm around you. If I hadn’t interrupted you, I can imaginewhere that would have gone.” Todd’s gut twisted with the memory.“You’re still not one hundred per cent, you know. I don’t like tosee him taking advantage of you. You’re not out of the woodsyet.”
“You don’t give memuch credit do you?” Chloe took one more step towards him, so shecould look him in the eye. “Nothing was going on, and nothing wouldhave today. Patrick and I are friends. Sure, he has taken me out fordinner, but other than a date, and a few kisses, nothing hashappened. Not that it’s any of your business anyway. But to set therecord straight, he wasn’t taking advantage of me. I can look aftermyself, and when or if I decide to welcome a man’s advances,I don’t need your permission. You’re not myfather, so back off.”
She turned swiftly, intent onreturning to her bedroom, and clumsily bumped into the chair. Asshe faltered, Todd’s hand shot out, steading her and pulling herfirmly to his chest.
Her body trembled against his.“Are you okay?” Todd asked.
In a flash of awareness, timestood still for Chloe. She had a painful recollection of beinghurt, then held safely in Todd’s arms. His voice was in her headtalking to her, saying things to her no one else could have said.The scenes of the accident and in the hospital were being playedout. A kaleidoscope of images flashed through her mind in quicksuccession.
She turned to face him, her eyeswide in
