He Wasn't a Jerk In The End (He Wasn't a Jerk #4)

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Silly me didn't re-read the previous chapter before Chapter "Nine". They had already met and drove to Louis house. If you didn't read that before reading CH9, you're good dawg. I deleted the chapter eight and now CH9 is CH8. Much thanks to the person who pointed out my foolishness!

Louis' fingers itched towards the necklace that was housing the petite promise ring that he had given to me when our relationship was progressing towards the more serious stage. He picked up the ring between his thumb and index finger, letting the chain hang loosely onto the island.

"You still have it," Louis said in awe, running his thumb over the engraving on the inside.

I smiled softly. "How could I not?"

He shrugged. "I thought you gave up on us - completely." He set the ring down and looked me straight in the eyes. "I was planning on finding this little gem wash up on the beach somewhere in the Bahamas when I retire."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "No. I didn't go to that much of an extreme." I picked the necklace back up and threw it on over my head quickly.

Louis' face turned pale. "You wouldn't go to an extreme of throwing it in the ocean, but you went to the extreme of making me believe you were dead? That I didn't get as much as a face-to-face goodbye? You ended us how we started Victoria! On a stupid chatroom!" Louis was beginning to grow angry, his voice raising in volume and deepening as he spoke.

My fingers started to tremble. When he said he wanted to talk, I knew it wasn't going to be over a cup of tea - but I didn't expect him to be so livid towards me. "Louis," I sighed, "You don't understand."

"You're right Vic - I don't. So help me understand."

I exhaled a breath that I hadn't realized that I'd been holding. I'm pretty sure Louis had the air conditioning running in his apartment, but I was starting to sweat. Quickly - and discretely - I rubbed my hand across my forehead to wipe off any excess sweat. Looking at my hand, I made sure my foundation was still in place before I started to explain why I had done what I did years ago.

"When I sent you that message saying goodbye, Louis, you have to understand the situation that my family was in. I had not only brought myself into danger but Henry, and at the same time Cheryl ended up in the mess even though she didn't intend too," I sighed, shaking my head before lifting my head to stare Louis straight in the eyes, "My father was a gang leader. He was prepared for all of us to die. For him. Every single one of us sinned in his eyes. As soon as the police received multiple tips and hints about his sex-trafficking business, they sent an undercover detective to be my buyer for the night." I closed my eyes, not wanting to remember that horrible night - and especially not to remember the look in Louis' eyes as I told him this, "Rhys was the sweetest guy that I could ask for. His father and him had helped me through everything. I spent a couple weeks at their house before we were admitted into a subsidy of a witness protection program."

"Did you and Rhys," Louis cleared his throat, "Do anything?"

I shook my head, expecting the question. "No, nothing like that. He was just an amazing support system to have at the time." I looked up at Louis, who was staring at the granite counter top as if he was trying to count every single sparkle in the design, "Louis. When I messaged you that night, it was from a crappy library computer that hardly had a WiFi signal. At this point, Richard was in jail and is still there to this day. He won't be getting out any time soon - for another thirty years to be exact.

Before I moved back to Doncaster, he had been sending threatening, and pedophilic letters to our residence in the States. You have to understand the seriousness of the situation. I know you would have stuck by my side - I have no doubt about that Lou," I winced as I said, "But I couldn't drag you into something while you were touring the world. No matter how much you say you would have dropped it all for me and my family - I would never, ever ask that of you."