Page 25 of The Unbecoming

Everyone knows about the shit that went down with her father, but no one brings it up to her. It was all over the news when he was finally arrested for the vile shit he was doing to her. Apparently, he had been abusing her from the time she was a toddler until he was arrested on her sixteenth birthday.

I take my time getting dressed before grabbing a notebook on her small desk and writing her a note. I need her to know the truth of how I feel, but I don’t want to pressure her about it. Especially with the broken condom, I need to make sure she understands that I am truly here no matter what. A friend, a baby daddy, a partner, someone she calls once a year to get an update from. Something is better than nothing, and I can’t stand the thought of losing her. I intentionally leave my undershirt on her bathroom counter, so I have a reason to come back. Kinda low, but I’ll own it.

I go over and gently kiss her forehead before quietly stepping out of her apartment. I stay at the door for a moment, not wanting to give it up just yet. I have to, though. That’s how this works.

As I walk out of the building, I fight the urge to go back and get in bed with her. She looks so damn peaceful when she’s sleeping.

I could go back to the party, but I’m over it. My night with Nora is all I needed, honestly. Now, I just want to be alone to think. I’ll go back to the house, but just go up to my room.

I start walking across campus, taking the longer route back this time. It’s significantly darker over here, but it’s still peaceful.

When I hear movement behind me, I glance back to see that one of the psych professors is also walking this path. “Hey, Professor,” I say. “Late night, eh?”

His smile is downright sinister, and it has alarm bells screaming in my head. As he gets closer, I see he has a bat in his hand. Oh, fuck that bullshit.

I take a few steps back before turning to walk away. “You never should have touched her,” he growls before blinding pain slams down on the back of my head. I start to drop to my knees, and the world darkens before I ever hit the ground.

Chapter Sixteen

Nora

I groan and stretch as I wake, not wanting to open my eyes yet. I’ll see that Alex is gone, and then I’ll be sad. I don’t know why I do this to myself. Eventually, I do open my eyes, and he isn’t here.

I move to sit on the edge of the bed and rub my hands down my face. I’m so tired and actually a little sore from how hard he fucked me. It was still worth it, though.

I stare at my phone on the nightstand for a few seconds before sighing heavily and grabbing it. I should not do this, but I’m still going to.

Me

I had a good night. Thanks for everything.

…Maybe we can get lunch and hang out with our clothes on this time?

I watch the messages deliver, and stay that way. I guess I expected him to read them pretty quickly, but I won’t obsess over it.

I only let myself stare at the messages for a few minutes before I make myself get up and get dressed.

I put on sweats and a T-shirt before grabbing my phone and leaving the apartment. Part of me wants to walk over and see him. Part of me thinks I am insane.

Insanity wins, because I choose to walk over to get breakfast at a little coffee shop by where his frat house is.

As I am walking down the sidewalk, I notice right away that there are an insane amount of people out here for it being Sunday morning. What the fuck is going on?

I follow the crowd of people across campus until there is a massive group gathered around something off the walking path.

“What’s going on?” I ask someone.

“Dead guy strung up in the trees,” she says. “Baseball player.”

“B-Baseball?” I ask, my words coming out like acid.

I start pushing past people to get to the source of the chaos. As I clear the last few people, I come up to crime scene tape.

“I heard a cop say he got fucked by a knife or something. His intestines were hanging out of his ass,” one man says to someone next to me.

What the fuck?

Everything moves in slow motion as a few cops step out of the way and I see him.