His Ruthless Revenge (A Dark Bully Romance)

Chapter Forty One

Present day...

I can't believe I forgot about my first encounter with Chase and can't believe I forgot that I gave him my locket and he's kept hold of it ever since.
I squeeze it in my hand as a single tear rolls down my cheek, overwhelmed by the flood of memories that just washed over me.
Chase has always been there. He's been there from the beginning and I never even realised.

I eventually prise myself away from the fire and go to bed, tossing and turning as I try to relax my mind and get some sleep.
I realise I have a big day tomorrow and a lot of decisions to make. I need to decide what I'm going to do about Chase and what I'm going to tell Finn.
I still hate myself for being tempted this afternoon and know I need to be honest with Finn about what happened. It's not going to be easy but I've got to face it.
The other person I can't stop worrying about is Miranda. She's head over heels with Chase and has no idea he's just using her to get back at me. I'm certain she's never going to forgive me when I tell her the truth and can't say that I blame her.
I'm about to lose two of the most important people in my life and I have no one to blame but myself. I'm accountable for my own actions and need to take responsibility for that.

It's now or never.

I wake up the following morning and already know what I need to do next. I have to speak to Chase and question why he gave me back my locket.
What does it mean and why has he waited until now? We lived together for years and he never even mentioned it to me. I find that incredibly odd and need to find out his intentions before I make any other decision.

My mum has an appointment later on this afternoon so I decide to wait until she goes out before leaving the house myself. I can't face anymore questions from her and plan on being home by the time she gets back.
I head out a few minutes after she leaves and make my way to his house. I keep rehearsing what I'm going to say to Chase in my head, stumbling over my words as I practise.
I'm still clutching my pink locket and try to conceal my excitement at the thought of seeing him again. I have no intention of repeating what took place between us the day before but I still have butterflies in my stomach. It feels like I'm going home and I haven't felt like this in a long time.

I walk around the final corner and smile as soon as I see his house. Knowing he's inside fills me with hope, nervous energy and anticipation. I have to see him.
I suddenly realise there's a car parked in the driveway and I don't recognise who it belongs to. It forces me to pause for a few moments, wanting to make sure.
His front door opens a couple of minutes later and I hear the sound of excited voices leaving the house.
"Watch how fast I can run, Daddy!" A little boy squeals with excitement, racing across the front lawn at full speed.
"Billy, be careful!" A female voice calls after him, scooping him up in her arms.
"Whoa! Watch where you're going there, Buddy." Chase adds, chastising the child gently. "What have we told you about cars?"
"They go really fast!" The little boy giggles, kicking his legs out so the woman holding him is forced to put him back down again.
"Exactly." Chase chuckles, ruffling the boy's hair playfully. "Which means you have to...?"
"Go really slowly." He replies dutifully, repeating what his parents have obviously taught him.
"How did you get to be so smart?" Chase jokes, grabbing hold of the boy and raising him up onto his shoulders. "How did we end up with such a smart kid?"
Of course I already know who she is by now but still don't want to admit it to myself. The horrifying truth is the little boy belongs to Chase. He's his son and the ridiculously attractive woman standing next to him is Louise.
"He takes after his mother of course." Louise teases him, tickling the little boy as he shrieks with laughter.
"I'm not too sure about that. Didn't you fail all your exams?" Chase replies mischievously.
"You liar!" She scolds him, slapping him on the arm as though she's mad at him.
She's wearing gym clothes but still looks incredible. She has her long hair tied up and the tightest pair of workout leggings I've ever seen. She's also wearing a matching crop top which shows off her gorgeous physique and just how toned she is. Having a baby obviously hasn't altered her figure and I can't help hating her even more because of it.
"Are we OK for the same time tomorrow then?" Chase asks, lowering his son to the ground carefully.
"Of course. You can see him whenever you like, you know that." She tells him, placing her hand on his arm.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"Billy, we've got to go now. Say bye to Daddy."
"Bye, Daddy." He says obediently, sulking a little as he climbs in the back of the car. "It's not fair."
"I know it isn't but I'll see you tomorrow and that's really soon." Chase assures him, leaning in the car to give him a hug.
"Yes!" Billy cries triumphantly, punching his small fist in the air.
"Be a good boy for Mummy."
"I will."
"Bye, Son. I love you."
"Love you to the sun and back!" Billy yells joyfully, his eyes sparkling with adoration for his dad.
"The sun? That's even further than the moon." Chase laughs, beaming with pride at his little boy.
"Bye!"
"Bye, Handsome." Louise says flirtatiously, winding down her window as she waves him goodbye. "See you tomorrow."
Chase waits a few moments after they leave before he reaches for his phone inside his back pocket. He raises it to his ear and I wonder who he's calling. My own phone starts to vibrate almost immediately and I don't even need to check who it is.
Rage surges throughout my entire body as I clench both my fists, tempted to hurl my phone at him and hit him in the face.
I'm shaking uncontrollably as I force myself to turn my back on him and walk away.  I'm still struggling to process what I just witnessed and continue to clench my fists in an attempt to pull myself together.
I cry out in pain when I realise the locket I've been holding onto all this time is digging into the palm of my hand.
I release it from my grasp and let it fall to the ground, turning my back on it as well as Chase for the final time.

At least that's what I tell myself.

I take a short walk before going back to my mum's house, hoping some fresh air will clear my head before I face her.
My eyes are swimming with unshed tears as I put one foot in front of the other and wander aimlessly. I really thought I was heading in the right direction this morning. I thought I'd made some sort of decision and was preparing myself to face the consequences.
The sight of Chase with Louise and their son has changed everything. Seeing them together felt like a dagger in the heart and I don't know how to make the pain go away. It was excruciating to watch and I know I'm not strong enough to deal with that on a daily basis.
I can't believe how close they seemed. They were laughing and joking like old friends and it makes me sick to my stomach. How can he be like that with her? How can he stand to be anywhere near her after what she did to us? After what she did to me?
I understand he has to be civil to her for his son's sake but does he really have to enjoy her company? Louise has been after Chase for years, ever since we were at school and she's finally got him. She played the long game and suceeded in the end as I just don't have the strength to fight her anymore.
She's the mother of his child and I can't compete with that. Even if Chase and I did manage to work things out and got back together, she'd never let us be happy. She'd make it her personal mission to split us up and destroy us all over again, using her own child to do it.
I can't be a part of it anymore. I can't keep on playing the same toxic games and hoping for a different outcome. It's madness and I refuse to take part in it or any of their games from now on.
I want the normal things in life and being with someone as passionate and tempestuous as Chase will never be normal. I long for the simple things in life such as breakfast in bed on a Sunday morning, cosy nights in on a Friday night. A stroll in the country or a walk on the beach to watch a beautiful sunset.
I know I'll never get to experience any of these things with Chase. Louise stole that from us.

She's won.

I hurry home and greet my mum, telling her I've spoke to Finn and decided to go home. She seems pleased with my decision but doesn't ask anymore questions. She seems to understand that I don't want to talk about it and I'm grateful for that.
She drives me to the train station and waves me off, making me promise I'll visit her again soon and I promise her I will.
I get on the train and choose a window seat, reaching for my phone so I can send Finn a message and let him know I'm coming home. I also notice I have a missed call as well as a voicemail and curiosity gets the better of me when I see who it's from.

Chase.

"Hey, its me." He mumbles awkwardly, his voice serious and intense. "Look, I really wanted to give you some space after what happened yesterday but I was hoping I would have heard from you by now. The truth is... I miss you, April. I miss you and I need you. I want you to come home and I need you to talk to me. We can't run away from this and we need to decide what we're going to do next. I love you and hoped you would realise how much I mean that when I  gave you your locket back. I realised it was time for you to have it again because as cheesy as it sounds... it's your heart I want. I want you more than anything in this world but it's ultimately not my choice who you give it to. As much as I want to call you mine and think of you in that way, I now realise that you're not. You're your own person and I can't make that choice for you. All I can do now is hope and pray that you choose me because I've already chosen you, April. I chose you all those years ago when you asked me to keep your heart safe and I know I failed in doing so. I swear I'll never fail you again and if you do give me a chance then I'll spend my entire life proving that to you. I love you and I don't know how else I can say it. I'm here. I'll always be here and I'm not going anywhere. Whether you decide to come back to me today, tomorrow, next year or not at all... I'll be here and I'll always be waiting."

Tears are streaming down my face by the time I finish listening to his voicemail and I have nothing to wipe them with. I try hiding it but know I've got several pairs of eyes staring at me as though I'm completely mad. I'm absolutely mortified and can feel my cheeks burning red with embarrassment.
"Are you ok, lovely?" An elderly lady asks, sitting down beside me.
She has a nice face and I know she's not being nosy. Her warm demeanour gives me the impression that she wants someone to talk to as well and I try my best to return her kind smile.
"Not really." I reply honestly, exhaling slowly.
"Have a tissue." She offers sweetly, handing me an unopened packet.
I take it from her and dab my eyes, grateful for random strangers like this who help remind me that the world isn't such a horrible place after all.
"Thank you."
"Do you want to talk about it?" She enquires gently.
"I wouldn't know where to start." I confess, raking my fingers through my hair.
"The beginning is always a good starting point and it's a long journey so we both have time." She encourages me, smiling pleasantly.
"OK then." I sigh, taking a deep breath. "I guess it all started with a boy called Chase."