All American Boy Next Door ✔️

41. Telling the Truth

Noah's POV

It took me a few days to muster up the courage to tell my parents about Chase. I ran several scenarios through my head, thinking of different ways to tell my mom and dad.

I invited Aaron over to help me when things got rough. I sat my mom and dad in front of me at the dinner table, with Aaron by my side.

"Mom. Dad. I need to tell you something important." I said softly.

"Son. You can tell us anything. We won't judge you." Dad said giving me a nod.

"It's- it's something that happened a few years ago." I left some room for them to remember. "Remember when I got into that car crash. And then after I became different." Mom and dad had a look in their eyes. I know that time since then has been hard for them.

"Yes. I remember that." Mom said softly.

"And remember how I became closed off?"

"Mhm." Mom's voice was a bit softer.

"Well, that's cause there's more to that story than I told." I said. I grabbed Aaron's hand under the table tightly.

"It started when I met this guy. He was older than me, he was 17 at the time and I was 13." I held back a sob. "He basically flirted with me. I worked at the Vacation Inn and he stayed there. He would buy me gifts and tell me how much he liked me."

"Oh, Noah..." Mom said.

"He told me he liked me and we first kissed. But then... he- he made me..." I broke out into a sob. Aaron rubbed my back.

"Did you two have sex?" Dad asked. I saw him clenching his fist. I wasn't sure if he was angry at me or Chase.

"N-no. But he made me give him oral sex. And everytime I refused, he would berate me. He called me horrible names and told me no one would love me except him. And everytime it worked." I cried.

"So how did the crash happen?" Mom asked. A few tears escaped her eyes.

"Well, one day, he asked me to meet him. This time, he wanted us to have sex. But I put up a fight. I left him there and drove away but I was crying. That's how I ended in a crash."

"Keep going, Noah. They'll understand." Aaron whispered in my ear.

"When I returned from the hospital and went to quit my job, I saw he left a note for me. It said that if I ever dared to tell anyone about us, he would come and destroy us. His family is rich and powerful, so I never told anyone out of fear of him doing something to you guys." I said. The spot was on me now as I recanted my story.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier? We would've still loved you." Mom asked.

"I didn't want you guys to judge me. I didn't want you guys to know that your son got into a car accident because he was fooled by a rich older guy. I was afraid of you guys blaming me."

"We would never blame you, son. It's that guy's fault for doing that to you. He's older. You couldn't have known better." Dad said.

"So why are you telling us now?" Mom asked.

I turned to look at Aaron. He gave me a nod.

"Well, that guy... he's back. And he's determined to silence me." I said.

"But why now?" Dad asked.

"Cause he's taking over his family's business. He doesn't want anyone to risk his future, so he's here to do something to me." I said.

"He's already tried doing something." Aaron said. "We went to a party. He teamed up with a classmate of ours. She roofied me, drugged me, and tried to make it look like I was cheating on Noah." Aaron said.

"She drugged you? That's a felony!" Dad raised his voice slightly.

"Yeah, we know. We have a recording of her confessing to it." Aaron said.

"Does this girl have a history of doing this?" Dad asked.

"A few months ago, she tried to hook up with me. I told her no but she didn't listen. She stopped when we got interrupted." Aaron said.

"What's her name?" Dad asked.

"Olivia Dean." I said.

"And what about the guy who's threatening you?" Dad asked.

"Chase Lexington." I said.

"Wait... Say that again..." Dad said more warily. Something clicked in his head.

"Chase Lexington. His family owns a huge company and he's taking over soon." I said recalling the basic information.

Dad's fist clenched harder. Anger flashed in his eyes. For a second, I thought he might lash out at me. Instead, he stood up abruptly.

"Excuse me," His voice sounded pissed off. "I have to make a phone call." He said.

"Don't worry, Noah. I'll make sure Chase doesn't hurt you or Aaron." Dad said. He exited the room and walked in the direction of his office.

"Mom. What's going on? What does dad mean?" I asked. Mom simply stood up, a shocked expression in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it, dear. Everything's under control. Just... stay safe. Okay?"

"Okay." I responded. Mom left and Aaron and I were left there wondering what was going on.

"Well, that went better than expected." I said. I turned to face Aaron and he hugged me.

"I'm so fucking proud of you!" He said as he pulled me in and kissed my forehead.

"I'm proud of me too." I said.

"My final game is coming soon. Will I see you there?" Aaron asked.

"You can bet on it." I said. We hugged longer.

I finally did it. I told my parents about Chase. All that fear I had dissipated into nothingness. A heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulder. I can now breathe easier and sleep better.

And judging by mom and dad's reaction, I have a feeling Chase won't be around longer to torment me.

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it's all coming to an end soon!

bye! i love you all!

<3