He Wasn't A Jerk After All (He Wasn't A Jerk #3)

Chapter Seventeen

After dinner was over, I cleaned up my plate and helped Elsa with the leftovers before heading up to the spare bedroom Rhys had introduced me too last night. Over dinner Rhys kept shooting me concerned looks which I blatantly ignored. I knew that he knew something was up. Yesterday at this time I was cuddled up next to him watching reruns of some show I don't even remember.

I just wanted to go home - wherever home was.

~*~

An infant's wails awoke me from my sleep. I sat straight up in bed, letting the sheets that were once covering me pool around me at my waist. I ran a hand through my tangled blond hair and looked at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. 4:32am.

 

I pushed the sheets off, balling them up at the other side of the bed and got up out of bed. Even though I knew that Elsa and Walter did not have an infant child, I knew he belonged here. I made my way down the winding hallway and into the foyer where Walter and Henry were standing. Elsa was wiping tears off Henry's cheeks as he wailed loudly. Two police officers accompanied Walter, but were standing off to the side. Next to the officers, a blond woman who looked to be in her thirites, was staring down at the ground.

Walter looked up when he saw me enter, and gave me a small smile. "We found him." He mouthed to me, bouncing Henry in his arms.

I moved towards Walter, holding out my arms for Henry. Walter smiled at me as he handed Henry off to me and into the safe haven of my arms. Once there, Henry calmed down and the only sound in the room were the little hiccups Henry was emitting.

"Thank you." I said gratefully to Walter, and then turned to the police officers. "Thank you for bringing my brother home."

Minutes of silence passed as I gently rocked Henry in my arms. Soon enough, he was sleeping soundly with his fists curled up to his chest and his head turned into the crook of my elbow. I smiled down at him, tears pooling in eyes. He was so familiar, yet such a stranger to me.

"Victoria," a voice spoke effectively breaking the silence, "I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't know about what Richard was doing. I was at work most of the day and I-I," The woman standing next to the police officers paused for a minute, wiping a tear off her lip, "I did love him. He made me feel special. I knew he had a daughter and he let you and your mother for me. I encouraged him not too - to actually talk to you about it. He told me he didn't want to break your heart."

"You're his wife, Cheryl,  right?" I questioned, making sure I was understanding her.

She nodded, but then paused before saying, "But soon to be ex-wife."

I nodded. "I appreciate the apology - even though none of this was your fault. You shouldn't be apologizing for Richard's actions. I believe you had nothing to do with this and didn't have a clue about anything he was doing." I paused, watching her eyes fill with tears, "But - if it makes you feel better, I forgive you."

She let out a sigh of relief and took a step closer to me. She put her hands on my shoulders, seeing as she was a good three inches taller than me, and looked me straight in the eyes. "I know I'm practically no-one to you, but if ever need me," She held out a piece of paper and placed it in my hand that was around Henry, "Please call me."