His Ruthless Revenge (A Dark Bully Romance)

Chapter Thirty Eight

"I'm glad you came." Chase greets me warmly, opening the front door. "I wasn't sure you actually would."
"I promised I'd come back." I remind him, my heart racing at the very sight of him.
He looks incredible and I can see he's made an effort for me tonight.
He's wearing a light blue shirt which emphasises his piercing eyes and a pair of dark jeans. His shirt clings to him in all the right places and I can't help but notice how handsome he looks. His athletic physique is even more muscular than I remember and I have to force myself to look away so I don't keep on staring.
He smells amazing too and I instantly recognise the familiar scent of his cologne. I always told him it was my favourite and the fact that he's wearing it now is telling.

He wants to impress me.

"Are you hungry?" He asks, leading me into the hallway. "I can order food for us."
"Why don't you order a pizza?" I retort sharply, referring to the lie he told me before about ordering one.
"Ok, I deserved that." He sighs heavily, lowering his head in shame.
"It was a cheap jibe." I admit, apologising for my crass comment. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologise for. It's me who should be apologising."
"Let's just accept that we've both done things that we regret. We've both made terrible mistakes and hurt one another in the past but I want that to stop now. I need it to stop."
"I agree." He replies amiably, seeming to relax a little. "The offer still stands though. Do you want me to order us something to eat?"
"I don't really have much of an appetite."
"Are you nervous?" He enquires gently.
"I'm terrified." I murmur, wringing both my hands together.
"Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?"
"Just act normal. You don't usually behave like this unless you've done something wrong."
"Behave like what?"
"So polite and formal."
"Shall I start being rude and aggressive? Is that what you'd prefer?" He jokes, chuckling lightly.
"And stop apologising to me as well." I advise him, trying to establish some ground rules between us.
"Sorry."
"Chase!" I admonish him, slapping him on the arm playfully.
"It's just been so long since we spent actual time together. I don't know how to be around you." He reveals.
"It is strange. It's strange being back here again."
"Let me get you a drink. What do you fancy?"
"Do you even need to ask?" I challenge him.
"Hot chocolate right?"
"Always."
He smiles at me before making his way into the kitchen and I'm left alone in the hallway. I enter the living room and decide to take a seat on the sofa.
I accidentally sit on something that's wedged between the cushions and reach down to see what it is. I inhale sharply when I notice it's a toy tractor.
I stare at the yellow toy and place it back where I found it, taking a few moments to figure out where it came from and who it belongs to.
Of course it must be his son's and the sudden realisation of this hits me like a slap in the face. My hands start to tremble and my heart begins to pound inside my chest. I just want to run away and get the hell out of there but can't bring myself to move. I'm completely frozen.
"Here you go." Chase announces, handing me my hot chocolate as he enters the room.
I refuse to take it, clenching both my fists as I try and resist the urge to chuck it at him.
"I think I should go." I whisper, pulling myself up onto my feet.
"What? Why? What's wrong?" He demands roughly, grabbing hold of my arm so I can't go anywhere.
"This was a mistake." I tell him, refusing to look at him. "I can't do this."
"What happened? I literally just went to make you a drink and now you're saying you have to leave? What have I done?" He asks me, his voice desperate as he fires questions at me.
"I found this." I reply dejectedly, showing him the toy tractor.
He takes it from me before placing it back down, raking his fingers through his hair.
"Billy must have left it here." He informs me, putting my drink down beside it. "It's his favourite."
"I-I need to go." I stammer, trying to get the hell out of there before I lose it completely.
"April, you're not going anywhere." He replies forcefully, making me sit back down again. "We have to talk about this."
"I don't think I can."
"Baby, just because I have Billy doesn't mean we can't be together." He says gently, kneeling down in front of me.
"I think it does." I add quietly, nodding my head as though I finally understand that.
"But why? Why does it mean that? Loads of people with kids have relationships all the time."
"I think our situation is a little different." I remind him dismally.
"I know that." He sighs deeply, taking my hand in his as he begins to stroke it.
"Would you have been able to accept my child if I'd had one with Finn?"
"I already told you that I would. I told you I'd be there for you when you thought you might be pregnant." He answers hastily, eager to remind me.
"What if I'd slept with Finn when we were together? What if I got pregnant because of it? Would you have been able to accept it then?"
He pauses for a few moments, hesitating because he doesn't want to admit the truth.
"April, I... I don't know what I would have done." He replies feebly.
"You see? It makes all the difference. It makes it that much harder to forget and I don't know if I can ever get past it!" I cry frantically, fighting back my tears.
"You don't have to see him if you don't want to." He assures me. "You really don't."
"Chase, he's your son." I conclude firmly. "How am I supposed to be with you and not have anything to do with him?"
"We'll make it work." He replies stubbornly. "I promise you I'll do everything in my power to make you feel comfortable with it."
"Your child should always come first, Chase. That's the way it's supposed to be. He's supposed to be your priority."
"Joint first." He emphasises, desperate to convince me.
"And what about Louise? How does she fit into all of this?" I challenge him bitterly.
"She doesn't." He answers curtly, clenching his jaw in anger.
"Of course she does. She's the mother of your child. She's always going to be in his life which means she's always going to be in yours."
"April, that's not true." He groans impatiently, tugging on his hair in frustration. "I have as little to do with her as possible. She means absolutely nothing to me and you already know how much I despise her."
"Does she still have feelings for you?" I ask him, biting on my lower lip. "I doubt her obsession with you has faded over the years."
"I don't know and I don't care." He retorts sharply, raising his voice at me.
"I care! The whole reason she came between us was so she could have you for herself. She was determined to destroy us and she suceeded!" I sob hysterically, struggling to reign in my own anger.
"She didn't." He growls fiercely. "Because I won't let her."
He stands up abruptly and holds out his hand for me, a look of defiance on his face.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Trust me." He says softly, coaxing me to take his hand.
I reach out and rest my hand in his. He squeezes it to reassure me and smiles weakly.
"Where are we going?" I ask timidly, following him as he leads me back into the hallway towards the stairs.
"To our bedroom." He answers simply, turning around to face me. "So I can make it up to you."
"Excuse me?!" I splutter, staring up at him in astonishment.
"I don't expect us to have sex, April. As much as I want that to happen, I know I don't deserve it."
"So why are we going upstairs?" I inquire fearfully.
"Because there's still something I can do for you." He whispers seductively, lowering his mouth towards my ear. "Something I know you haven't enjoyed for a very long time."
I'm utterly speechless as my mouth falls open in shock. He continues to lead me upstairs and I stupidly follow him, breathing erratically as my heart begins to pound rapidly.
"I'm not going to sleep with you." I blurt out hastily, surprising us both.
"I don't expect that." He assures me, stroking my face lightly. "You can say stop anytime you want."
He pushes the bedroom door open and gently pulls me inside, staring down at me intently.
"What now?" I demand breathlessly.
"On the bed." He instructs me, smirking mischievously.
It's like I've lost complete control of my own body as I do exactly what he says, taking a seat like he told me to.
"You have that look in your eye." I tell him, my whole body trembling.
"I'm trying my best to control myself." He growls possessively, cradling my face with one of his hands as he kneels down in front of me.
I know exactly what he's planning on doing  and know I can't allow it. As much as I'm yearning for him and aching for his touch, I can't allow myself to give into temptation and betray Finn like this. I just can't.
"Chase, stop." I command roughly, pushing him away as I stand up quickly. "We're not doing this."
"Why not?" He demands roughly, narrowing his eyes at me.
"Because of Finn!" I snap angrily, shoving him to the side so I can leave the bedroom.
"What about him?" Chase challenges me, chasing after me before grabbing me by the shoulders.
"I'm supposed to be with him! I'm in a relationship with someone else and I won't betray him. I know what that feels like and it hurts too much." I acknowledge truthfully, hating the fact that my own heart is still hurting.
"That sham you call a relationship isn't even real." Chase snarls bitterly. "He's just a poor substitute for me and he always has been. The difference is that I'm here now and I'm yours. I've always been yours and I'm not going anywhere."
"I have to leave." I insist weakly, knowing that my argument is futile. "I should never have come here!"
"Why not?" He challenges me harshly, "You came here because you wanted to. Christ, you've probably dreamt about coming back here since you walked out the front door."
I despise his arrogance and the fact that he knows me so well. I long to lash out at him and scream that he's wrong except I don't seem to have the energy anymore.
"What we nearly did is so wrong." I tell him, desperation permeating my voice as I cradle my head in my hands. "What about Miranda? She's my friend and you want me to lie to her as well as hurt her!"
"April, stop it." Chase comforts me, prising my hands away so I'm forced to look at him. "We are inevitable. We belong together and we always have done. No one can ever get in the way of that because it's just too powerful. You can always let Finn down gently and I'll break things off with Miranda but they're not the important ones in all of this. They don't even count."
"You sound so heartless." I tell him, glaring up at him in contempt.
"I'm just being honest." He replies calmly, unwavering and resolute.
"I have to go." I declare strongly, turning my back on him as I race down the stairs to the front door.
"I won't let anyone come between us, April!" He calls out after me, his voice forceful and commanding. "Not even you."