His Ruthless Revenge (A Dark Bully Romance)

Chapter Twenty Two

Six years earlier...

I can't settle after leaving the football match. I keep thinking about Chase and the more I think about him, the more frustrated I feel.
He just won't leave my mind no matter what I do and in the end I give up trying.
I make an excuse to my mum about feeling tired and head to bed early, needing some time alone to gather my thoughts and reflect on how I'm feeling.
Every thought I have includes Chase and I don't know if it's because of what happened with my dad or something else but it's like we share something no one could ever understand. It keeps drawing me to him no matter how hard I try and hate myself for being so weak.
He's made such an effort with me since the truth came out and he's kept his promise when it comes to treating me better at school. I thought he was just trying to manipulate me at first. I thought it was just another grand scheme of his to humiliate me and make me look like a fool but I'm not so sure anymore.
When he smiles at me it seems sincere and when he tries talking to me he appears genuine. I can't forget the disappointment in his eyes when he tried to approach me after the match and I rejected him.
Of course there's still a large part of me which thinks he deserves everything he gets. He hurt me so much and deliberately made me his target. His bullying was relentless, vindictive and spiteful. Chase has already revealed to me what a cruel person he can be so how the hell can I feel sorry for him now?

I can't help wondering if he actually went to the party he invited me to and still can't believe he thought I'd want to go with him. He's either incredibly optimistic or severely delusional. Either way, I should just stop thinking about him already.
I switch my bedroom light off even though it's far too early for me to go to sleep, closing my eyes as I listen to the leaves rustling outside and the evening summer noises filtering through my bedroom window. It's pretty warm out tonight so I decide to leave it open, hoping the fresh air will help me relax and provide me with some sort of distraction from my conflicting thoughts.

I'm almost drifting off to sleep when I hear a strange noise beneath my window. It's enough to startle me and I sit up in bed, trying to catch my breath and figure out what it is. I hear it again and realise the tapping noise is much closer than I thought.
Leaving the light off, I peep through my curtains and give my eyes a few moments to adjust. I can’t hear anything and think I must have been dreaming when I hear it again.
"April?" Someone whispers, trying to get my attention from down below.
I jump back behind the curtains, one hand on my chest as I start to panic. Someone out there and just said my name. I consider calling out for my mum but hear the voice once more followed by the tapping sound again. I peer between the curtains once more and spot Chase beneath my window smiling up at me.
"What are you doing?" I hiss quietly, keeping my voice low. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you." Chase answers softly . "I thought you'd ignore me if I tried phoning you again."
"I would have!" I scold him harshly. "You can't just turn up here like this."
"I'm on my way to the party." Chase clarifies, as though that explains why he's here.
"So what did you throw at my window?" I demand brusquely.
"It was just a few pebbles." He says, shrugging his shoulders.
"What if you broke it?"
"Then I'd have fixed it for you." He responds quickly, providing me with a cheeky grin.
"You have an answer for everything, don't you?" I sigh, combing my fingers through my dishevelled hair.
"Not always."
"What do you want, Chase? It's getting late."
"I just wondered if you might have changed your mind about the party and want to come with me?"
"I already told you I'm not going... especially with you." I remind him, giving him a pointed look.
"I could always give it a miss and hang out with you instead?" He offers, sounding hopeful.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Why's that so ridiculous?" He challenges me, leaning his back against the wall. "I'm a guy... you're a girl."
"And?" I prompt him, failing to understand where he's going with this.
"And guys and girls hang out with each other. It's all perfectly innocent."
"Have you been drinking?" I ask, wondering if he's drunk and that's why he's making no sense whatsoever.
"I might have had a few beers to celebrate our win but I'm not drunk." He assures me, holding his hands up as though he's not guilty.
"Are you sure?"
"Cross my heart, April."
"I'm off to bed now." I tell him, shaking my head. "Goodnight, Chase."
"Wait!" He yells desperately, raising his voice. "Come down here for a second."
"My mum is in the next bedroom and you're going to wake her up if you're not careful." I warn him, placing a finger against my lips to keep him quiet.
"I'd like to meet your mum." He replies cheerfully. "You can introduce us."
"Goodbye, Chase."
"April, wait!" He pleads, his voice turning serious. "Just one more thing and I'll let you go. I promise."
"What is it?"
"I just wanted you to know how pretty you looked today. I mean, you look pretty every day but today especially. You're really beautiful." He mumbles, lowering his gaze as though he's embarrassed by his own statement.
"You're definitely drunk." I chuckle, rolling my eyes at him.
"I'm definitely not drunk and I can see everything clearly for once. I finally know what it is I want. I mean... I always knew what I wanted but thought I couldn't have it so tried to stop wanting it so I could cope with not having it, do you know what I mean?" He rambles, expecting me to understand what he's talking about.
"Not really."
"One day you'll understand me, April."
"Will you be able to get home ok?" I ask him. "Shall I call someone to come and pick you up?"
"I'll be fine but thanks for letting me talk to you."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, April. I'll be seeing you."
I watch him leave but stay by my window for quite some time after he's gone. I can't explain it but I feel an inexplicable sense of calm wash over me as well as an undeniable feeling of tranquility. I watch the sun go down and I can't help wondering why I suddenly feel so content and at peace with the world.
There's a fluttering of excitement inside me and as much as I hate to admit it... Chase is the reason for that. He's why I've felt so relaxed and at ease these last few days at school and the thought of seeing him again on Monday ignites something deep inside of me, something I've never experienced before.