Love Me Long (Love Me Book 4)

Chapter 19

Chloe had been home for two weeks. Silas had taken her to his home in Amsterdam to spend a week recovering, and then he had escorted her back to Savannah. Neither one of them had talked much. There was no heart-to-heart conversation where they talked about what had happened, and Chloe had no idea how much Valentine had told Silas about what had happened.

Needing to keep busy, Chloe immediately called the hospital and told them that she could return to work. The hospital had taken her up on the offer and scheduled her the next day. It was a wise decision because it kept her busy most days, but today was her day off, which meant that time was passing very slowly.

Chloe decided not to sit at home and brood. Instead, she decided to walk, she ventured out into her square and onto the coffee shop beyond, and as soon as Chloe walked in, she saw Ben Emerson, Lia's husband, sitting in a corner, typing away on a laptop.

"Are you writing, or may I join you?" she asked as she reached his table, coffee in hand.

He looked up at her with a frown, smiling when he realized who it was. "Sure," he said, pushing the chair next to him out by way of invitation.

Chloe smiled at his quick change in demeanor. Ben probably got hit on by women a lot since he was such a handsome man. She would have to ask Lia about it one day. On second thought, she had probably not. Lia was a bit neurotic when it came to Ben and his good looks.

"If you're writing, I can easily sit somewhere else," Chloe offered once again.

Ben closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair with his coffee in his hand. "No, I write at home. Here, I answer emails and handle business. I don't like to intermingle my two spaces."

Chloe nodded as if she understood when she really didn't.

Ben watched her closely as she settled into her chair.

"Where did the confident Chloe go?" he asked, causing Chloe to choke on the mouth full of coffee she had at his directness.

"Excuse me?" she asked, reaching for a napkin and wiping her lips.

"You've always been one of the most confident women I know. Even in high school, you were that way. What's changed?" His eyes narrowed as he tried to figure it out.

"What makes you think I've lost my confidence?"Chloe asked, sitting her cup on the table.

"You nodded when I told you I don't like to intermingle my spaces as if you knew what that meant. You have no clue what that means, and instead of admitting it, you acted as if you knew. That's a lack of confidence."

"Is it?" Chloe asked in a soft voice.

"Yes, and you've been quiet on our group outings. It's driving Lia and Faye crazy, and Silas and I crazy by association. Faye tells Lia that Silas hasn't said a word about his trip to bring you home, and she's too nervous about bringing it up and asking him." Ben was laying it all out on the line.

"Silas probably doesn't know that much unless Valentine told him." Chloe shrugged.

"Valentine Juric? Did you see him while you were there?" he asked casually.

Chloe pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nothing against you, Ben, but if I share with you, you'll share with Lia, who will share with Faye, who will share with Silas. Not that Silas cares, but still."

"Why don't you want to share?" Ben asked another direct question.

"I do, I'm desperate to talk to someone, but I need someone who won't try to solve my problems or try to make everything better." Chloe reached out and spun the cardboard sleeve around her coffee cup. "I know Lia and Faye will try to do both."