Page 77 of Chase

“Love you too, babe!”

He hangs up, so I get up to go and get my porridge that’s just pinged in the microwave. I need comfort food today and achance to clear my head and think more positively about everything, like going to America with the love of my life.

After breakfast, there is still no sign or word from Mel, so I decide to take Stella for a walk with Will, thus killing two birds with one stone: a catch up, as well as safety in numbers. Stella is chomping at the bit to go out and I’ve sunk into thinking about everything with Nonna, Frankie, and my now raging family, so it’s definitely time to go out.

It’s another glorious day outside, which is always a bit odd in April; it’s a month that can catch you out with showers and random gusts of wind. I’m in a summer dress and a comfy pair of flip flops, ready to rough it over wild terrain. As soon as Stella spies Will and Dave, she starts bouncing up and down, whining to get over to them as soon as she can. I giggle over her impatience while I park the car and get out to say hello. Letting Stella out is like releasing a whirlwind of blond fluff and uncontrollable limbs into the wild.

“Stella, you nutcase, come here,” I half chastise her as she leaps up at Will, covering him in slobbery drool. With anyone else, I would be deeply embarrassed over her forwardness, but Will loves my fur baby as much as I do.

“Hey, girl, how are you, babe?” He laughs at her before giving her lots of tummy rubs, which she encourages by sliding onto her back and baring all for him like a little hussy. “And how is my other girl?”

Will smiles at me, and I finally get to see how much better he looks, how much he is flourishing after all that happened to him.

“Well, full of scandal and gossip, of course!” I let him kiss me on the cheek, something I don’t let a lot of people do, but he is now firmly in my circle of trust.

“Do tell,” he says with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Let’s get going, it might take a while.”

I sigh because so far, I’ve given him nothing of my past, but after baring all to Theo and Nonna, I now feel able to tell him everything. And I do, including Ethan, Frankie, and Nonna.

I laugh nervously when he continues walking beside me with a perplexed set of eyes and a wide, gaping mouth. He tries to begin talking every now and then, but always shuts his mouth as soon as he opens it. I begin feeling uncomfortable, like I shouldn’t have told him about some of it because now he sees me differently, now he thinks I’m just as damaged as the rest of them. I’m about to make my excuses so I can run and hide from his shock, but before I get the chance to, he suddenly takes my arm and pulls me into a long embrace.

At first, I remain statue still, my arms staying firmly by my sides and unable to move, but after a few more moments of his warmth wrapping around me, I eventually lift my arms to hug him back.

“I’m so sorry, Iz,” he cries for me, “I can’t believe you went through that…that your own brother…shit!”

“Look, don’t be different around me, ok? I couldn’t stand it if you got weird around me or began treating me with kiddy gloves.”

“No, no, not at all, Izzy,” he says, pulling back to study me. “Damn it, Izzy Chase, you are a fighter, and I would never look at you like that.”

“Really? Cos I kind of feel like a freak most days,” I laugh through the painful lump now lodged in my throat. “I’ve not felt ‘normal’ ever since that first…well, you know.”

“Hey, you are special and not a freak at all! The only freaks are the people who did that to you, especially your fucked up brother!” he says to me so sternly, so vehemently, I release a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. I can’t help it, I find sincere, serious emotions hard to deal with.

“Thanks, Will, you really are a good friend.” I lean in to kiss him on the cheek, and he blushes. “I’m going to miss you when we go.”

“And I’ll miss you too, but I’m also incredibly happy for you, Iz,” he says as we fall into step again. “I think it’s going to be great for you; Stella and Theo too. I give you all my blessing!”

Chapter 26

Izzy

As soon as I pull up in front of the house, I know something isn’t right. For starters, Mel isn’t here, and I haven’t received any new messages on my phone. I call Theo to let him know she’s still not arrived, but he must be in a meeting or something because I just get his answerphone each time. I even try to text him, but nothing comes back. Stella begins to whimper, which probably means she needs to pee, so rolling my eyes over the fact we just had an hour long walk in the open woods, I get out and lift the boot so she can go and relieve herself.

While she rummages around in the garden, sniffing everything just so she can have a wee, I tap in the security code so I can open the door without all the bells and whistles sounding off. I then step inside and remove my flip flops. Stella bounds over with her usual silly grin, looking ready for me to give her some food.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m just your personal maid, puppy,” I say to her with only an ounce of seriousness behind my words.

I kick at the door behind me, watching my pup trot into thekitchen, but something causes it to bounce back. I whip my head around to see the stuff of nightmares standing right inside of the door frame, blocking the sun with his gigantic, imposing figure. Ethan smiles at me with a dark expression taking over his already sinister face, telling me he knows I’m alone.

“No!” I whisper, shaking my head with disbelief.

He begins to step toward me, and I slowly walk backward, but feel unable to move more than at a snail’s pace. Stella growls at the evil she can sense in him; she can no doubt feel my abject fear too. He looks at her, grabs her by the scruff of her neck, causing her to whimper before he throws her out the front door and slams it shut.

Alone, just like I was the day he had infected my body with his own, forever making me feel dirty from the inside out.

I wince when I hear her crying in pain but as soon as I hear her barking outside, knowing that she must be ok, I take the opportunity to try and run. I’m not quick enough. I was never quick enough. Ethan grabs hold of my ponytail and pulls me back against his body, igniting memories I’ll never be able to shed. His other arm wraps around my waist to hold me in place, all the while tugging painfully on my hair. He pushes his face next to mine and bares his teeth against my neck. His breath smells toxic, just as it did when he attacked me all those years ago. I couldn’t tell you what he drinks, what he takes, but I know what it does to him, and in turn, what it does to me.

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