Page 71 of Unbound
"I told them I wanted to pray with you, before they sent you away" she said quickly. "They believed me."
I stared at the device like it was a weapon.
"There are messages," Rebecca said softly. "From him. From Adrian."
My hands shook as I took it. The screen lit up with dozens of missed calls, texts, voicemails. All from Adrian.
Please answer.
I'm so sorry.
Please be okay.
Call me back. Please.
I'm going crazy not knowing if you're safe.
The final message was sent an hour ago:
Wherever you are, whatever you need, I'm here.
An address followed—the fraternity house.
I stared at the screen, then at Rebecca.
"Why are you doing this?"
Tears streamed down her face. "Because I love you. And I can't watch you die."
"If I run, I lose everything."
"You've already lost everything," she said gently. "The question is whether you survive it."
She looked at the ceiling fixture, understanding what she'd interrupted. "That's not surviving. That's giving up. And you didn't kiss him in front of everyone just to give up now."
"I don't know if I can do this."
"You already did. You already chose. Now you just have to follow through."
A knock on the door made us both jump. "Time's up," my father called.
Rebecca quickly pressed the phone into my hands. "I'm hidingthis under your mattress. What you do with it is up to you." She paused, looking into my eyes. "But Jesse—please don't do what you were about to do. Please. Promise me."
"I promise," I whispered, the words feeling hollow.
She kissed my forehead like a benediction. "Be brave. One more time. Just be brave."
The door locked behind her.
I didn't sleep all night. Couldn't sleep. Just sat on the bed with the phone in my hands, Adrian's message glowing on the screen. The belt was still accessible, the choice still available.
At 4:30 AM, my father's alarm went off. I heard footsteps downstairs, the sound of bags being loaded into the car. This was it. The moment.
Two choices lay before me: die in this room, or live a life I didn't know.
I remembered Rebecca's face: "Please don't give up."
I remembered Adrian's eyes when I kissed him.
