Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“Geez, girl, what’s wrong with you tonight?”
“I’m sorry,” I apologize, setting my laptop aside. I sit up, cross my legs, and look hard at her. “But did you know about Gunnar?”
“Know about him?”
“Come on, Riley. Don’t play around with me. His court case. The ag-assault case that’s keeping him from fighting.”
“What? No. What are you talking about?” Riley asks with a frown.
“Okay, well get this.”
I quickly go over what happened the other day on the way to class and everything Gunnar told me and how that random girl on the quad shouted at me and how Gunnar reacted, and the longer I speak, the wider Riley’s eyes become.
“And that’s why you haven’t been taking his calls?” she asks. “Because of this court case? And that girl?”
“Well at first I was kind of freaked out about all that,” I admit. “But I figured there had to be more to it, ya know? So I went online and did some digging.”
“And you found something…”
I nod. “Yep.”
“Oh God,” Riley groans. “Tell me I didn’t put you in touch with some psycho killer rapist like the ones we were trying to teach you to defend yourself from in the first place.”
“Well…” I say slowly. “From what I’ve found, Gunnar isn’t just on trial for aggravated assault like he said. He’s also being charged for sexual assault of a minor.”
“What!?” Riley almost screams. “You’re joking.”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “I can’t find the name, probably because she’s a minor, but that would go along with what that girl on the quad said to me, ya know?”
Riley nods. “Yup. That’s sketchy. Nina, I am so, so sorry. But why didn’t Jason mention this to me?”
“I don’t know,” I reply. “Maybe it’s one of those cases of guys sticking together, you know?”
My heart is really racing. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that moment on the quad three days ago. Just Gunnar admitting to me that he’s been suspended from fighting professionally because of an active court case going on against him was crazy enough, but then that girl coming up to us and accusing him of being a rapist took everything to a whole different level.
After what I experienced in that alley with Brian, Gunnar was supposed to be my protector, my bodyguard, the man who taught me how to take care of myself so that nothing else like that would ever happen to me again. But then it turns out he might actually be someone like Brian?
It felt like my entire world had shattered as I ran away from him to class–a class I was barely even able to sit through. I don’t even remember what was said or what we did. All I remember was thinking about getting back to my dorm so I could start my research on Gunnar.
And that’s when I fell down the rabbit hole.
“Do you really think this is fair though, Nina?” Riley asks.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean–you and Gunnar clearly hit it off. You slept with the guy and let him sleep over. I don’t mean to be blunt, but…you were a virgin before him, right?”
I cough. “Yes, I was.”
“So don’t you think you owe it to him to maybe get his side of the story instead of just ghosting him? Jason isn’t a bad guy. He would never knowingly stay friends with a guy being accused of sexual assault if there was any legitimacy to it.”
Riley makes a good point. I’ve met Jason many times, and he is one of the most decent guys I’ve ever known.
“You think I’m jumping to conclusions?” I ask.
Riley shrugs slowly. “I think maybe…just maybe, you owe him a chance to give you his side of the story.”
“Yeah but, Riley, I really like him!” I say, feeling my heartstrings jerk as my eyes begin to fill with tears. “I got all jealous like an idiot when I thought he was flirting with this girl at the gun range who turned out to be gay–”
Riley laughs. “Seriously?”
“I know, I know,” I groan, rising to my feet as the phone buzzes again with his name on the caller ID. “And then I slept with him! And it was incredible! It felt perfect. I felt like I completely belonged in his arms, wrapped up there at home beneath his huge, strong, manly body–”
“Jesus, stop it, would you? You’re turning me on.”
“And then all of a sudden it’s like–he’s a possible criminal facing aggravated assault charges and rape charges? It’s like my entire world just exploded!”
Riley nods in a way that makes me feel a lot better. “I know, it’s pretty bad. But did he say why or what happened? He is an MMA fighter. Maybe things got out of hand in a sparring match and some jerk decided to charge him.”
I take a second to ponder this and then nod. “Yes, maybe that could happen. But the sexual assault part?”