Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Author’s POV

“How are you my boy, Chase?”

Chase was stunned. He didn’t know if he was dreaming or he really received a call from this person.

“Chase what’s wrong?” Cara asked him in concern. Chase came out of his shock after hearing her voice. He picked up his phone that he dropped earlier, putting it over his ear again.

“You seem to be very shocked. Did you forget all about your uncle, huh?” the person on other line said and it confirmed Chase’s doubt. It’s the same person he thinks it is.

His jaw clenched tight as his grip on his phone tightened. “How can I forget about you?” Chase gritted out in anger.

The guy on the other end laughed making Chase even more angrier than he already was and said, “Of course, you should never forget about me. I won’t let you forget about me”.

“Why the f**k have you called me?” Chase growled on the line.

“Because I missed you my boy. I still miss your crying face, you begging in front of me and most importantly those angry eyes of yours. I miss them a lot” he mocked Chase.

“Don’t call me ever again” Chase spat feeling suffocated while talking to that bastard.

He was about to remove the phone from his ear and disconnect the call when he said something which made Chase freeze.

“I want to see you in the same situation again and I have a very good idea for that” he said with the hint of evilness in his tone.

“You won’t see me like that ever again. That time I was young and naïve. I was all alone. But now I am capable of doing much more than what I did as a kid” Chase said with same venom.

“You bet, I can make you much more miserable this time” the guy said.

“Just come in front of my eyes and I will kill you with my own hands” Chase said.

“I am not interested in doing that. I want to play a game with you and this time you know who I want to use?” he asked.

An unfamiliar feeling settled in Chase’s gut upon hearing his words.

“Cara Anderson. Your girlfriend that you together live with” he said and started laughing.

Chase’s eyes widened as his breath got stuck in the back of his throat upon hearing her name from his mouth.

His eyes moved to Cara who was sitting beside him on the bed with concern written all over her face.

“Chase…” Cara was about to say something but Chase put his thumb over her lips, shushing her. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

He gritted in anger, “Say her name again and I will f**king hunt you down and destroy your bloody existence”.

“Let’s see if she is better than your sister Val” he again said in mocking tone.

“You motherf**king bastard…” Chase shouted but he started laughing even more loudly. He was laughing like a monster reminding Chase about his past.

Chase threw his phone, smashing it on the floor. It broke as Chase used his whole power to throw it.

Cara’s eyes widened upon seeing him losing his mind but she was worried because of the fear she was seeing in his eyes.

“Chase, what’s wrong? Whose call was it?” she asked him and her voice distracted him from that bastard’s evil laugh.

But at the same time as soon as his eyes fell on Cara, the fear in his heart increased.

His hand instantly reached to snake around her neck as he pulled her into himself, hugging her tightly. As if he was trying to hide her into himself.

“Chase, you are scaring me. Tell me, who was it” Cara asked again without pulling away from hug.

“No one. He is no one. Don’t think about him. He can’t do anything. I won’t let him do anything” he mumbled against her hairs.

It felt like he was not saying this to her but instead he was trying to convince himself with his own words.

Cara didn’t ask him anything further after seeing his condition. He sucked in a great amount of air along with her soothing fragrance, which helps him calm down.

He pulled away from hug and stared into Cara’s eyes which were looking at him expectantly, wanting to know what is bothering him. But he is so out of it to tell her anything.

“We should sleep” he said and she just nodded her head. He lied down on bed. He pulled her into himself, not even leaving the space for air to pass.

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and whispered good night to her. He knew she won’t sleep until he is up, that is why he pretended to be asleep.

After sometime he felt her body relaxing into his arms and he opened his eyes to come face to face with her beautiful sleeping face.

That bastard’s words and laughter are still repeating in his head. The fear is still gripping his heart in a tight hold.

He looked down at Cara’s face for a moment before pecking her lips gently. He got out of the bed and came into living room.

As soon as the door of the room closed, Cara opened her eyes. She didn’t sleep. How can she when Chase is looking so concerned and about something, she doesn’t even have any idea.

She wants to know what’s bugging him but she doesn’t want to pressure him into telling her something. She will wait until he is ready but right now she is really worried for him.

On the other hand Chase called John using the landline number of his apartment. He told him everything about the call.

John asked if he should come over but Chase told him that it’s not necessary.

“Just tell your brother to check from where that bastard called me” Chase said and John replied with okay.

Chase disconnected the call. He rubbed his face with his palms. He raked his hands through his hairs, interlocking them at the back of his neck.

His eyes are bloodshot red due to lack of sleep.

“I won’t let you do anything this time Albert even if I really have to kill you this time” Chase promised himself.

He got up from the couch and came back in his room to find Cara sitting on the bed. He sighed and walked towards her.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Chase asked her softly while settling down beside her on bed.

“I can ask you the same question” Cara said instead of replying. He smiled at her and pulled her closer by her waist.

“Yes I know. But right now I am really sleepy. So let’s talk about it tomorrow” Chase said. His hand went up to caress her face softly.

“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to, Chase. But one thing that I really want to know is that if you are okay. If you are not then you have to tell me” she said while caressing his face just like he is doing.

He leaned forward to take her lips into his mouth, kissing her with his whole heart.

He pulled away and stared into her eyes when he said, “As long as you are here with me, in front of my eyes, I am completely okay. So don’t go out of my sight, ever”.

“I won’t” she replied and he smashed his lips over hers for another kiss.

***

Chase woke up when he heard phone ringing. Without opening his eyes he reached to get his phone from nightstand and answered it.

He couldn’t say a word when he heard Albert’s voice on the other line, which woke him up completely.

“Finally you answered. I thought you broke your phone last night” Albert said. Chase sat up with a jerk.

He looked at the phone and it was not his phone. He looked around in the room and his broken phone was not where it was last night when he broke it.

“Are you on the line?” Albert asked and Chase again put the phone on his ear with clenched jaw.

“I don’t think you are in the mood to talk with me so let me do the talking. I was heading towards the café where your girlfriend works” he paused.

Chase’s eyes widened as again fear settled deep in his gut.

“Is coffee good there?” he asked.

“You bastard, if you even tried to touch her ever I will kill you. Stay the f**k away from her.” Chase shouted on the phone.

“How? Like you tried when you were kid, huh?” Albert mocked.

“Exactly like that but this time I won’t do it half way” Chase spat.

“We will see about that but where is your girlfriend right now. I don’t think you can see her in your house right now” Albert said.

Chase’s breath hitched as he looked towards the Cara’s side of bed, which was empty.

“I think you realized just now that she is not beside you” he said. Chase disconnected the call.

He quickly got out of the bed. He checked the bathroom which was empty. She was not in walk in closet.

He came out of his room to find that she was not in living room either. He raked his hands through his hairs in concern. His heart is starting to pound in his chest.

He strode towards her room at the same time dialing her number with the new phone he has in his hand.

She was not in her room either. She was nowhere in the house and it was taking his breath away. She was not even answering his calls.

He again came out in the living room. He was holding his head in between his palms. He was scared, dead scared. His forehead was covered with sweat beads.

He was about to make his way towards the main door so that he can go out to search for her. His other hand was dialing John’s number.

But before he could walk towards the door, he heard the voice of his house’s security code punching. And when door opened and his eyes fell on her beautiful figure, he released a sigh of relief.

“Chase what….” She couldn’t complete what she was saying when he strode towards her and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

The bags of ingredients she was holding in her hands fell on the floor but he didn’t care. He just wanted to keep her close to himself, making his own heart believe that she is here.

She also held him close as she asked, “What happened Chase? Why do you look so restless?”

“Where did you go so early in the morning without waking me up?” he asked her. A hint of accusation and anger lingering in his tone but still most dominating emotion was fear and concern.

“I just went out to buy some stuff to make breakfast for us. And I didn’t wake you up because you couldn’t sleep properly last night” she replied.

He sighed. He doesn’t know how he fell asleep last night even after having so much in his head. But the credit somehow goes to Cara’s peaceful presence which makes him relaxed.

He didn’t say anything and just closed his eyes, tightening his grip around her. She again felt his pain and fear.

“I am sorry Chase…” he again cut her off by pecking her lips. He rested his forehead against hers and whispered, “Don’t go anywhere if I am not with you”.

She nodded her head instantly. He kissed her cheek and then pulled away from her body.

“Let me go get ready” he said and left her completely making his way into his room. She was confused by his weird behaviour but she knew that he is worried for her, for some reason she doesn’t know about.

He entered inside bathroom and locked the door behind him. His heart is still going crazy in his chest because of how scared he got when he didn’t find her in house.

That bastard Albert’s words again started repeating in his head. He knew she was not at home.

‘Is he keeping eye on us? F**k’ he cursed in his head. He needs to move early. He needs to do something to keep Cara safe.

He got ready and came out of his room to find her sitting on the dining table. Concern was written all over her face.

He made his way towards her and sat down after placing a soft kiss on her forehead. He put his phone on the table.

He found out earlier when he called John that George sent this new mobile phone to him. He is thankful for that but he have to change his number, as Albert has this number of his.

And who knows he might be tracing his calls.

Cara wanted to ask many questions to him but seeing that he is really worried, she decided against her own heart.

She served breakfast for both of them and they ate in silence, completely unusual of how much they talk while having their meals.

After breakfast Cara got up from the chair and was about to pick up the dishes from table when Chase took her hand in his and made her sit again.

He moved his chair closer to her and said while holding both her hands in his, “Cara, I have a favour to ask from you”.

She gave him all of her attention and said, “What is it?”

“Starting today when you attend your lectures in college, I will be with you in your classrooms. Wherever you want to go, wherever, I will go with you. You can’t be alone at any moment” he said looking at her face expectantly.

“I don’t go alone anywhere….” She started but he cut her off.

“But now it’s going to become much more severe. I won’t leave your side even for second. And apart from this, you can’t go to your part time job either for a time being” he said with look of unsurity on his face.

Her eyes widened and even before she knew the words left her mouth, “But that job is important for me”.

He sighed and took her face between his palms pulling her face closer, leaving only an inch distance between them.

“Yes I know but I don’t have any choice Cara. Trust me I really hate doing it. I don’t like dictating your life the way I am doing right now”

“But I am bound. If this is the only way to protect you than I have to use it. Please try to understand me” he requested.

He is feeling pathetic deep inside. But he have to do it for her sake and for his scared heart’s sake.

Cara looked between both of his eyes and found only concern in those gray eyes of his. Concern for her.

“Yeah I trust you. Okay I will do just as you say” she said. He sighed but not in relief but in sadness.

“I am sorry Cara for doing this to you” he apologized after resting his forehead over hers.

“It’s okay. I know you are doing it for me. And now I know what that guy who called you last night said to you” she said and Chase’s eyes slightly widened.

“He threatened you using me, didn’t he?” Cara asked. Chase raked his one hand through his hairs and sighed out, “He did”.

Cara took his hands in hers and asked, “Who is he Chase? How does he know me? And what did he say to make you feel this restless, angry and scared at the same time?”

Chase waited for a moment letting her question sink deep in his mind. He have to tell her, if not for anything else but so that she can understand his concern for her properly.

“He is a psychopath Cara. He is the reason behind my nightmares. He is the one who turned me into this monster that I am today” Chase said making Cara confused.

Chase was saying all of this but he looked like he was not here beside Cara anymore. He was somewhere else.

“What did he do?” Cara asked him and his reply shook her. Her eyes widened in shock upon hearing his words.

“He took my sister away from me. My one and only family member who was always there for me was taken away from me by that monster and I couldn’t do anything” he said and tears started stinging the back of her eyes.

Cara’s hold on his hand tightened in order to give him some comfort. It caught his attention and he stared deep into her eyes when he completed and a lone tear slid down on his cheek.

“And now he wants to take you away from me”.