Chapter 11 What I came for
VICTORIA
“What killer are you talking about?” I asked.
His head tilted to the side at my question, and I watched his brows raise.
“You didn't come back for it?" He asked, and the confusion bubbling in me increased.
“Came back for what? Can you make it make sense, James?" I probed further.
"Okay, okay,” he raised his hands in defense and parted his lips to speak.
His phone rang at that moment, and he paused and took out his phone, glancing at the screen.
He released a sigh before accepting the call and placing the phone to his ear.
“What?" He snapped. From his tone, I could tell he was speaking to his fiancée.
His brows pulled together, and a crinkle appeared at the corner of his eyes.
“Can't it wait?" He snapped impatiently.
"Fuck!” My eyes dimmed as I watched him ruffle his hair and curse loudly while pacing around the door.
“Fine, I'll be there," he mumbled and ended the call before looking up in my direction.
“Hey, sis, I gotta go. Margaret just got on her period and needs me to take her home right now," he muttered.
I chuckled and nodded, waving him off. I knew those tricks so well, I'd played them a lot of times whenever I wanted to escape the house of Simon's mother, and I would always know if someone tried to play them too.
“Bye and take care of yourself," he waved and spun around.
"You too,” I shouted as he exited the door.
After he was gone, I got up and ascended the stairs leading to my father's bedroom. I stopped at the door and raised my curled knuckles to knock, but paused.
Knowing Father so well, he would not be in his room at that hour.
I stepped away from the door and took the corridor that led to his study room, where he would be.
The last time I was in that study was the day I declared my severed ties with them. Going in there would definitely bring back old memories that I didn't want to remember.
But I couldn't run away from it forever. If I wanted to make Simon and Erica pay, I had to face it all and let the wounds reopen. For the anger and zeal to burn in me, I had to embrace the pain, no matter how much it would make me bleed.
With those thoughts in my mind, I placed a soft knock on the door to the study.
My father's hoarse voice ushered me in, and I pulled the door open and stepped into the study.
The scent of old books and wood hit me the moment my feet stepped into the small room.
The desk was still set close to the window, and the chair was right behind it, across two other chairs.
The bookshelves remained in the same spot they had been in years ago, and so did most of the books. The neatly arranged books looked untouched for years. I could tell Father barely read any of them. He would pick them up one by one, clean them, then place each one where it belonged. That was his weekly task back then, whenever he got bored, but now, it seemed to be a daily routine.
“You're still here?" His voice forced my eyes to stop wandering around the room and focus on him.
“Ah, yes, I haven't gotten the key to my house yet," I muttered.
He swung his head back, his eyes dimming in confusion.
“House?" He mumbled, throwing his head to the side.
His eyes lit up, and he snapped his head in my direction, a grin spreading over his face.
“Ah, the house," he laughed and walked over to the table after placing the book he was holding back into the shelf.
“I had the house decorated the way you always love it," he said as he pulled out a wrapped box.
I smiled and walked over to the table and sat down. My eyes were fixed on the gift box, but I didn't pick it up.
My father took a remote control from the desk and turned on a TV I never noticed when I walked in.
“You fixed a television in your study?" I asked, and he nodded.
“I spend more time here than I did in my bedroom, that's why I have everything I need in here,” he explained.
I forced a smile on my face and shrugged, then rubbed my hands together.
“No bad news today? Thank God," my father muttered, and my brows raised.
“What bad news…” Before I could complete my words, my father pushed the box towards me.
"You should get home and settle down into your place,” he muttered.
I nodded and picked up the box, then got up. I pulled the lid open and gasped in delight when I saw the key and flowers inside the box.
"I hope you'll live as happy as possible here…” he paused, and his countenance suddenly got serious.
"Also, meet me first thing in the morning, there is something important we need to discuss,” he said.
“Thank you so much, father," I muttered, but he waved it off.
"You should get going now, hmm,” he teased.
I smiled warmly and caressed his hand before taking a step back.
“Do well to take care of your health," I shouted out to him, and he nodded.
"Don't worry about my health, just make sure you're here early tomorrow before I go to work,” he muttered, and I nodded before trudging out of the house.
I took one of the cars, like my father requested, and drove off, heading to the address carefully scribbled down on a small card in the box.
When I got to the house, I parked my car in the driveway and pulled out my suitcase, then dragged it to the porch.
It was a small apartment in one of the finest yet smallest estates. The houses on the street were divided by terraces and gardens. The place seemed quiet, giving me the comfort that I needed.
I slid the key into the keyhole and slowly unlocked the door, then gripped the knob.
“Are you the new neighbor?" I jumped around, my heart clenching as a sharp voice pierced my ears.
My eyes locked with the sea green eyes of a woman standing a few distances away from the driveway entrance, with a child beside her.
The child's gaze was still on me, piercing and questioning, with a little glint of glare in it. They looked like the gazes of these little kids in horror movies.
“Yes, I moved in today," I chuckled, and she nodded.
"I saw someone come to work on the interiors a few days ago. I thought it was a family moving in,” the woman kept talking.
“No, it's just me," I said and added a chuckle at the end of my sentence to cover up the nervousness I felt.
The woman's stern gaze and that of her child were freaking me out!
Her lips suddenly stretched into a large smile, and she nodded her head.
“Alright, Miss, stay alert, a lot of things happened in there." My breath ceased as she laughed.
"A lot of things happened here?” I mumbled in a quivering voice.
“See you later, neighbor," she waved and began to trudge towards the house next to mine.
“It's Victoria," I called.
She stopped and swung her head around, " What?”
"My name is Victoria,” I corrected, and she forced the smile back onto her face, then nodded and walked off to her porch.
I sighed loudly in relief and pulled the door open, then trudged in with my suitcase.
The moment I entered, a wave of lavender scent welcomed me in.
I slammed the door shut and made my eyes wander and take in every detail as I shuffled around the cozy living room. It was just the perfect size for a single person.
I plopped down into the soft couch and released a breath before throwing my clothes off my body, leaving me in only my bra.
The events that took place in my father's house replayed in my mind, and my belly knotted.
I needed to clear my mind of everything. The things from the past and the ones that took place now.
And to do that, I needed to buzz off a bit in a club.
I couldn't remember the last time I visited one, but I know I needed it at the moment. Maybe after hooking up with someone tonight or drowning myself with alcohol, I'll be strong enough to forget everything I've felt in my past.
With the thought in my head, I picked up my phone and searched for the best club in Los Angeles.