more chloe thoughts for ch21

"Chloe, have you been smoking again?"

I blushed, sinking into my seat and pulling my knees to my chest.  "W-wha... Why are you asking me that?"

"I can smell it.  Has Violet been badly influencing you?" 

"No..."  My voice was almost inaudible, so I cleared my throat and sat up, trying to appear remorseful.  "I'm sorry." 

Izaak didn’t break his intense stare.  "You don’t need to slip back into bad habits.  Where are your cigarettes?"

My eyes watered and I pouted, finally caving to his stern look. Reaching inside my bag, I grabbed the pack of Marlboro and handed it over.

Izaak peeked inside the box.  "You've smoked 13.  Is that all?"

I squirmed, avoiding eye contact until Izaak commanded me to respond.  "I had a few more that I got from other people..."

He sighed and shook his head, looking away finally.  "Is this why you were sick?  Because you started smoking again?"

"No..."

"What's going on, kiddo?  What do you need to tell me?"  All defenses were down as he lifted my chin so I could see his genuine eyes.  

My gut told me that he knew everything already and was waiting for my confession.  Or maybe it was my anxiety.  "It's work," I began, chewing on my fingernail.  Maybe it was time to just tell him.  "One of the clients... he..."

His stupid phone started vibrating, cutting me off (like always!).  The sound gave me a flashback to childhood... my parents fighting, Dad's phone vibrating so forcefully I'd thought it would wiggle off the table.  

"You don't love either of us!  You're too obsessed with your schemes.  You'll never choose us."

"That's not true."  He reached for the phone.

"You're just going to answer that in the middle of our conversation?  Proving my point."  She took out a cigarette from a red leather cigarette case, lighting it there in front of him.

"Nancy... please.  I promised I would leave the crime life."

"You're a fucking liar," she sneered as she finished packing her bag.

The vibrations stopped, so now my cries could be heard.  "You're scaring Chloe.  C'mon, you don't want to make her upset.  Just calm down and let me fix this."

"It's too late."  She zipped up the suitcase and gave me a look that could kill.  "Go pack your clothes."

"Don't speak to our little girl like that.  Princess, can you give your mother and me a minute?"

I was frozen in place, now crying louder as the phone started vibrating again.

"You know what?  Keep her.  Maybe it'll teach you some responsibility.  Unless you end up shipping her to your mother's.  But not my problem anymore."  Then she lifted the suitcase and left, never to come back.

I was so lost in my memory that I hadn't realized Izaak had gone to the other room to answer the call.  It was probably his work — they called almost every night about this time.  The universe's reminder that work is more important than me.  If I told Izaak, he'd turn me in.  I couldn't handle prison... I wouldn't get as lucky as Sage since I didn't have the same kind of money for a good lawyer to cut me a deal.  Especially since I'd definitely lose my job with Gabe.

Ugh.  Maybe I could steer Violet in the wrong direction during our trip.  A flash of my nightmare came to mind — the photoshopped pictures.  What if I could find somebody to frame?  I shouldn't have deleted all of those profiles or I could've uploaded a new picture to the one associated with Winters.  Maybe I could plant a photo in Violet's case file?  

I was still thinking of what to do when Izaak came back apologizing, neutral expression so I couldn't tell how the call went.  Regardless, my need to confess had disappeared.

"So one of the clients...." he urged, now fully focused on me again.

"Was being really creepy with me."  I turned away, blushing.

"Did he sexually harass you?"

His direct question made me blush even more.  "No... I mean, I dunno."

"You need to tell Gabe or Human Resources."

"But..."

"If you don't, I'll tell him tomorrow at the meeting."

"No!" I half-shouted.  The last thing I needed was to be on the radar with Winters.  "I mean, I'll talk to him about it.  Please don't tell him at the meeting, that would be too embarrassing."

"If you don't, I will."  I nodded, chewing on my fingernail again.  "So that is why you were sick, eh?  Avoiding work?"

I squirmed a little, nodding solemnly.

Finally Izaak sighed.  "If you're trying to make me feel sorry for you, it worked."

Now looking up, I gave him hopeful eyes.  

He pulled me to sit on his lap.  "If someone mistreats you, please speak up immediately.  You do not need to be alone, especially if it makes you go back to this nasty habit."

My tummy twisted into knots and I hated myself so much for not being as good of a person as Izaak deserved.  "I'm sorry," I said innocently.  "And since you feel sorry for me, it means I don't get the hairbrush, right?"  I poked my lower lip out and batted my eyelashes.

"You know the penalty, kiddo."