A Man With A Past
1939 Words
Chloe's POV
I thought that hiding out in the mountains was a good idea. It's quiet and secluded, I didn't think that I would find a dying man out there. All of that was not in the plan. I had no choice but to do what was right.
My mother said that good karma always comes back to you, so I have tried all my life to do what's right. At that moment, saving his life seemed like the right thing to do. I couldn't leave him out there, but would have died.
I did the right thing. I should have just ended things there. That is what a smart person would have done, but then I had to listen to my stupid heart. This man looked at me in a way that I hadn't been looked at in years and it got to me.
I know he thinks that I couldn't see it, but I saw it all. When he held me in his arms, it felt like home, like I could trust him. I should have known that it was all a lie, that what I felt was not real. How could I say that I am falling for a man whose name I don't even know?
He fooled me and said that he didn't have his memories. Now, all of a sudden, he remembers everything. I am not the one to judge, but the man who came here said a lot of things I can't explain.
If he remembers who he was, why didn't he tell me? I told him everything about me, he could have told me about himself. I wasn't going to judge him. How could I? I am not perfect either.
But now, I don't think that I can believe anything he tells me. Still, until I know what I am caught up in, I have no choice but to do what he tells me. I wasn't going to go with him. That was until he mentioned New York.
Tessa is going to be there in a week; she offered me a place to stay; I can go and live with her. Hopefully, I would have been done with all this new mess I got myself into. I should be worried about Gabby, and now I find myself in a chopper, on the way to the city.
I haven't said a word to the man since we left the cabin. I honestly don't know what to say to him. The chopper landed on the grass, I have been so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even see how we got here.
" We're here," he said and helped me to get out.
I got out of the chopper, and I was in awe. I was standing in front of a huge mansion, the biggest I have ever seen so far. I thought my house was b; this one makes it look like a one-bedroom apartment.
I also couldn't miss all the security details around the property. This place is a fortress. There is no way Derrick is going to get to me here.
" Is this your home?" I asked him.
" Well, I grew up here, but I live in Soho, this is my mother's house," he said to me.
" Your mother? Is she here?" I asked her.
" I think so," he said to me.
" What are you going to tell her? About me, you can't tell her about Derrick. You can't tell anyone," I said to him.
" I can't lie to my mother Chloe," He said to me.
" And yet you had no problem lying to me, I mean, I don't even know your name," I said to him.
" Damien, Damien Romano," He said to me.
" Italian?" I asked him.
" Yes," he said.
The door swung open, and a beautiful-looking woman came out. She was a bit short. She wore a stylish two-piece suit and heels. She had his eyes. She smiled at him.
" My son..." She said and hugged him.
" Mother... This is my friend Chloe, I owe her my life," he said to her.
" Thank you," she said and hugged me, took me by surprise but was much appreciated.
" It's okay, I would have done what anyone could have done," I said to her.
" She's being modest. She helped me a lot," he said, looking into my eyes.
" Come in, it's cold outside," she said.
We went inside, and the house was magnificent on the inside, with a high ceiling and a huge crystal chandelier hanging. Marble floors and golden finishes made the white walls pop.
" Mrs Romano, your home is beautiful," I said to her as we made our way to the living room. I sat down on the couch, and Damien sat next to me; he took my hand and held it in hand. I didn't pull it away, but only out of respect for his mother.
" Thank you, it has been passed on from generation to generation," she said to me.
" Mother, let me take Chloe upstairs, I need to talk to you about something," Damon said to her.
" I'll be in your father's office, Chloe. My home is your home. Feel free dear," she said.
" Thank you," I said to her.
Damien took me upstairs, and we walked for a bit hand in hand, but still nothing was said to each other. We reached a door with a black stallion painted on it.
We went inside the room; it was a bedroom bigger than the one I had; it had a king-sized bed, a chaise lounge, and two doors to the left. It was neat, with no pictures on the walls or anything else.
" Who's room is this?" I asked him.
" Mine, now ours," he said to me.
" Ours? What do you mean by ours? It looks like there's plenty of room in this house. We don't have to share," I said to him.
" I can see that you are still upset about earlier on," he said to me.
" Of course I am upset. You have been lying to me. Did you even have amnesia?" I said to him.
" Yes, yes, at first I couldn't remember who I was. It was not a lie," he said to me.
" Then when did you get your memories back?" I asked him.
" A couple of days ago, and I wanted to tell you," he said to me.
" And I am supposed to believe that? Why didn't you tell me?" I asked him.
" Because I wasn't sure if I wanted to share you with my family just yet, not until I knew for sure that what I was feeling, was real," he said and held my hand.
" Who are you? The truth this time, no lies!" I said to him.
" I will tell you everything later, I promise you; for now, you can relax. Is there something you need?" he asked me.
" No, I want to know now!" I said to him.
" Chloe, there are things that I can't tell you, not because I don't want to, but because I have to protect you; my world is dangerous; the lesser you know, the better," he said to me.
" Do not make decisions for me, Derrick did that! Let me be the one to judge if I can handle it or not. You say that you want to explore your feelings with me, that you want a life with me,
What kind of life do you want? One with secrets? Because I can't do that. I have a lot at stake; it is not just me; I have my baby to think about; if you want me to trust you, you have to earn it!" I said to him.
" You're right, you need to know the truth; tonight, you'll know everything about me; for now, I have some things I need to sort out; my brother has made a mess of things," he said to me.
" Fine, I'll be here when you come back," I said to him.
" See you soon, pretty lady," he said and gave me a quick kiss.
I watched him walk out, and he said that he was going to talk to his mother and that his brother had made a mess. I have a lot of questions for him, I hope he knows that I am not going to let this go.
I opened the first door and walked right into his closet. It was full of clothes. For someone who doesn't live here, he sure kept a lot in his old room.
My phone rang from the bedroom. I went to the bed and picked it up without even checking who was on the line.
" Hello," I said.
" Chloe, my beautiful wife," Derrick's voice said on the other line. My blood ran cold. It was like there was a cold breeze in the room, I felt goosebumps all over my body, and I almost dropped my phone.
" Derrick... How did you get this number?" I asked him.
" Why are you doing this? Why do you want to break up our happy home?" he said to me.
" Happy? I haven't been happy in years Derrick, don't act like you don't know what you did to me," I said to him.
" I apologized for it, you forgave me, and we moved on; look, I am willing to forget this whole thing; I am willing to forgive you for what you did, for those stupid divorce papers, and for involving my mother in your little scheme.
Which I will admit, I didn't see coming, but also, I am glad that you involved her. How else would I have been able to get your number? Come home, and all will be forgiven," he said to me.
At that moment, I felt like bursting into flames. He wanted to forgive me? Forgive me for what? Choosing myself for once? Wanting a better life together myself and my child?
" I am not coming back, ever!" I said to him.
" Are you sure about that?" he said to me.
" Sign the papers, Derrick, sign them, or I will expose you for everything you did," I said to him.
" Well, that would be bad for you because you will go down for it," he said to me.
" What? Why would I be blamed for the things you did?" I asked him.
" Because of the bribe money, the money laundering, all of that happened from your Swiss bank account," he said to me.
" My what?" I asked him. Because I know for a fact that I don't have an offshore account, he is the one who made the money, so he is the one who took care of our finances. Still, I never signed anything.
" Chloe you are smarter than this, so whatever evidence you think you have against me, it is only going to put you in danger, I know every judge in town, I will make sure that you go away for a long time, but I don't want that," he said to me.
" You're bluffing, you would never!" I said to him.
" Maybe I am. Tell me, is that a risk you want to take?" he said to me.
" You're pathetic, you will never find me, sign the papers Derrick!" I said and hung up.
- Writer
