Love Me True (Love Me Book 2)

Chapter 24

Chloe waited for Silas to come around and open her door for her. This was not how she had wanted things to turn out, but Silas was being very understanding with the situation in which they now found themselves. She should have never allowed herself or Silas to enter into the game they had been playing. She knew the chances that they were taking, and Silas did as well. What they didn't know was how things on the other side would play out and how it would affect them.

"Remember why we are doing this Chloe," Silas said softly into her ear as she lifted herself out of the car seat and joined him on the sidewalk.

Chloe nodded as he linked his arm through hers.

"Are you sure this is necessary though, this is going to change everything for both of us, especially at work," she responded just as softly.

"I'm sure. This is the only way to keep you and everyone around you safe. If we don't make this look convincing then you will be in danger as well as those you care about." He moved his arm around her waist as they walked towards the theater.

It was the first week of November and it was the Savannah Film Festival. Silas had been given some tickets to a movie that has been filmed locally, and there were sure to be people from the hospital there, which meant that if they were going to make their relationship look convincing this would be the best place to start.

"You mean Lia and Faye?" She tried to control the shiver that ran up her spine.

"Yes." His voice was curt.

They stepped into the lobby and Chloe immediately recognized many of the faces and they recognized theirs. Silas helped her off with her coat and asked her if she wanted a drink as he pushed some of her hair off her shoulder and looked down at her with a smile.

She smiled back and shook her head. The last thing she wanted was a drink. There was too much to worry about.

When she looked away from Silas she looked right into Faye's eyes, she looked confused by her sudden appearance with Silas, but not concerned. "Oh look, there's Faye," she said as she waved.

Silas grabbed her elbow before she could go to her friend. "Chloe, say hello but keep it quick, she is in more danger than Lia."

Chloe's mind raced to figure out what he was saying. "Because you live in her house as well?" she asked.

"Yes." His voice was clipped. "They might think she's a part of the plan."

Chloe nodded then, with her smile still pasted to her lips, she walked toward Faye who was with her new police officer friend.

"Faye," Chloe greeted her as she gave her a hug. "Is this James?" she asked holding out her hand to greet him.

Faye introduced them and they made a little small talk before Chloe told them they wanted to go find their seats and they made their getaway.

"You know she'll have questions, right?" Chloe asked Silas.

"If she hasn't asked you any questions by now, she's probably not going to," Silas assured her as they walked into the auditorium greeting the people they knew as they went.

*******

Faye's heart had stopped when she saw Chloe and Silas enter the lobby. They looked good together, and when he took her coat, smiled down at her, and brushed her hair off her shoulder, Faye felt jealousy slice through her like a knife.

"Doesn't she work with you at the hospital?" James asked as he watched Chloe wave to her.

"Yes, so does the man she's with, he's a surgeon at the hospital." She was pleased her voice was level, she hoped the look on her face was just as level.

Faye had been surprised when James had called her earlier in the week to invite her to attend the movie with him. She hadn't been expecting to hear from him at all, and realizing that she had had a good time on their last date and she wanted to see the movie that everyone was talking about, she agreed readily. However, she hadn't known that Silas and Chloe were going to attend as well. If she had she wouldn't have agreed.

Chloe walked towards her with Silas following behind her, and Faye did her best to keep her eyes averted from his massive presence.

"Faye," Chloe greeted her as she gave her a hug. "Is this James?" she asked holding out her hand to greet him.

Faye watched James flush a little at the attention Chloe was giving him.

"Yes, James, these are my friends Chloe Lockwood and Dr. Silas DeGraff." James still held Chloe's hand and he released it to take Silas's hand.

Faye took a moment to look up at him and when her gaze encountered his he appeared to be only politely interested in the exchange.

He said it was going to get worse before it got better, but this was unbearable. This did not look like a simple outing between friends. The way Silas kept his arm around Chloe was almost as if he was afraid, she would get away from him. It was lover like.

Maybe he had been trying to make a choice between them so he had been keeping them both dangling and this was his way of letting everyone know that he had made his choice and that choice was Chloe.

He had also told her that things were not as they appeared, a little voice reminded her.

"What are your plans for Thanksgiving?" Faye asked. Last year Lia and Chloe had spent the holiday at her house.

"Oh, I have to work this year and so does Silas," Chloe said as she let her gaze wander around the lobby.

It felt as if Chloe was dismissing her and it hurt. Perhaps Silas had told Chloe about their kiss and now Chloe was mad at her. This was the awkwardness she was afraid would happen between them.

"I hope you both enjoy the show, we're going to go look for our seats," Chloe said with a smile before she looked up at Silas who returned her smile then nodded to Faye and James, before walking away with Chloe.

"What's his story? He doesn't seem to be the friendly sort, is he one of those doctors that thinks he's better than everyone else?" James asked as he put his empty glass on a waiter's tray as he passed.

"Not that I've ever noticed, all of the nurses love him." Faye shrugged as if to say it really didn't matter.

For some reason, an image of the picnic she had with Silas on the Fourth of July flashed through her mind, when it had been just the two of them, and she wished for another moment like that between the two of them. She wished so hard, she almost closed her eyes. Now he would have a moment like that with Chloe, she felt another stabbing pain at the thought.

"Well, all the nurses will be disappointed tomorrow when word that he's dating her gets around. Did you see the way she had him trailing after her? Of course, she's the type of woman that men trail after if you know what I mean?" he said thoughtlessly.

Faye knew exactly what he meant, but thankfully she didn't have to agree as the lights flickered and they were forced to find their seats.

Faye had no clue what the movie was about or if she even liked it, by the end of it she had a raging headache and she wanted to go home.

James didn't appear to be upset in the least by the news and he dropped her off at her gate, this time he didn't even bother to get out of the car.