Page 81 of Reaper's Rival

Reaper

I lit up a smoke and changed the channel of the television. I swear there was nothing on this time of night. There was a knock on my bedroom door, and I was thankful for anything to distract me.

“Come in.” I changed the channel again.

What time was it? Why wasn’t she back yet?

“Hey bro, it’s just me.” Drake closed the door after him.

“Abby back?” I got up. If he was back, she would be back. Right?

“Yeah, about that.” Drake looked at his feet and then back up, looking like a ghost. “Maybe you should give her some space for a bit. She’s not feeling very well tonight.”

“What? Did she get sick at the restaurant? Was it something she ate? Or morning sickness?” I didn’t understand why I wouldn’t go to her if she was sick. What was Drake on about? If she was sick, I wanted to be with her. Especially if it was morning sickness.

“I just think you should give her some space.”

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you. But just don’t expect much of her.”

I picked up my phone and threw on a t-shirt. “If she’s sick, that is more of a reason for me to go to her.”

I walked past Drake and he gripped my arm, stopping me. “She’s not that sort of sick.”

“You’re confusing me.”

“Just go to her then.” He sighed, giving up trying to get his point through. “You will see it for yourself.” Drake let go of my arm. “You coming back here tonight or not? If not, I’ll crash here.”

“The room is all yours. Nothing on TV though.”

“After the night I had, I’d be happy just to watch commercials,” Drake muttered. His words had another meaning behind them, but I didn’t know what. I just wanted to get to Abby.

“Night.” I closed the door after me and headed down the hall, down the stairs to the second floor, and headed up the hallway till I saw her door.

I knocked once and didn’t hear anything. I knocked again. Come on Abby, open up. I twisted the doorknob, it was unlocked. I told her she wasn’t sleeping by herself from now on. She should be expecting me.

At least that was the reason I gave myself for opening the door and letting myself in.

She wasn’t in her bedroom. And then I heard movement in her bathroom.

“Abby?”

“Kade?” Her bathroom door sprang open. Why did she sound so shocked? She stood there in her underwear, her hair dripping water down her arms. She looked like she hadn’t even dried it. “Why are you here?” She looked at me, stunned.

What was wrong with her? Why did she look so shell-shocked?

“I told you I wasn’t letting you sleep by yourself.” I walked toward her.

She just blinked at me.

“Remember?” I was in front of her now. She was shaking. Why was she shaking? Why was she cold? I put my hand on her shoulders, steadying her. “Abby, are you ok?”

Then I glanced up over her, into the bathroom, and my eyes widened. “Why the hell is there blood everywhere?” I moved past her and into the bathroom. The dress she was wearing earlier was on the floor soaked in blood. The tiles on her floor had blood on it, and there was still blood in the shower. I turned back to look at her.

“Are you ok, Abby? Are you hurt?” I turned her around to look at her. My hands and eyes ran over her. I couldn’t see any cuts or wounds. She was fine. But when I looked into her eyes, I knew she was so far away from fine. “What happened?”

Time for her to be honest with me. Time for her to tell me what the hell was going on.

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