“I’d never do anything to hurt you, Lola,” he began, but she cut him off with a loud snort.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, right? You’re a fucking stalker! Oh, my God, I can’t believe this. I let you...we...Jesus, I’m going to be sick.” Spinning, she attempted to flee the room. Beckett caught her in his arms, trying to pull her close to him. She bucked and thrashed, a wildcat in his arms fighting for freedom. “Get off me! How could you do this to me? You claim to care about me, but you think it's okay to plaster photos of me all over the school? You’re psychotic, Beckett. You need help.”
“I took the photos, yes, I admit that, but as for putting them up everywhere...that wasn’t me. I mean, I have no memory at all of doing such a thing. Please, just think about it. You know I’d never hurt you like that,” he pleaded with her to understand.
“Wait...you have no memory? Are you trying to tell me you’ve done things and not remembered doing them afterwards?” Bewildered, her vision blurred. Everything felt like it was crashing down on her, threatening to destroy her.
“I don’t know, Lola. All I know is I would never intentionally hurt you. Don’t you see? I’m in love with you.” He raised a hand to touch her hair, but she jerked out of reach.
“Stay away from me. This was a mistake.” He ignored her, and again tried to restrain her. Shrieking, she lashed out, shocked when her open palm hand caught him in the face in a stunning slap. A twinge of shame shot through her at her actions, but she shoved it aside. “Get away from me! I don’t ever want to see you again!” Barkey joined in her efforts to get her point across, adding a few barks as he joined Lola’s side. He was like a lone soldier, ready to face any battle for her.
Fury pumped off Beckett in waves, and for a moment she was truly terrified at what he might do. He seemed to get himself under control before regarding her with a scathing look. “Fine. Fuck this,” he grabbed a sweatshirt that was hanging off one of the kitchen chairs and stormed toward the front door. The slam that accompanied him a few seconds later shook the walls as Lola let out a sigh of relief.
She fled to her room, desperate to seek solace in solitude and begin to figure out what the hell she was going to do. Hot tears raced down her cheeks as an ache settled in her chest. A sensation she was too naive to recognize was heartache. While Beckett’s actions were inexcusable to say the least, she still cared for him deeply.
Opening her bedroom door, she immediately knew something wasn’t right. Things were out of place, her school books piled in the middle of her bed instead of on her desk, her basket of dirty clothes to be washed upended, fabrics strewn about. A few drawers on her dresser were cracked open, instead of firmly latched. But it was her bunny’s cage that had her full attention. Her normally active furry friend was laying on his side, eerily still.
“Mr. Hoppykins?” She approached his cage with caution, dread in every step. Peering inside, she literally felt her heart crack in two. Her beloved bunny was staring glassy-eyed up at the ceiling, his neck bent at an odd angle. “No, no, no, no!” she wailed, opening the cage and gathering him into her arms. “God, I’m so sorry, buddy,” she gasped out between sobs. She nuzzled his fur with her nose, illogically hoping it might infuse some life back into him. Flashes of him as a baby, just learning to trust her enough to eat out of her hand, the way he loved the days he left the cage and was left to explore her room unattended, the caring way he would allow her to stroke him for hours all played across her mind. The memories crushing her even further.
“You didn’t deserve this.” Barkey nudged her leg and she gently replaced her bunny back in his cage before bending and throwing her arms around her dog’s neck. Loud, choking sobs tore through her, and she did little to hold them back, needing to let her grief free.
Marti appeared in the doorway, her brows knitted together in confusion. “Lola, what the hell is going on? I can hear you crying from the front porch!” She crossed the room in an instant, lowering herself to the floor in front of her.
“I-in, th-the c-cage,” she breathed out, squeezing her eyes shut as Marti went to investigate. When she heard her friend’s sharp intake of breath, she knew she’d found him.
“Oh no, not Mr. Hoppykins. I’m so sorry, Lo.” She helped her to her feet and threw her arms around her as her body shook with sobs. “We can take him to the backyard and give him a proper goodbye. What a shame, he was a great little guy.”
“I slept with Beckett.” Lola made the statement quietly, surprising both of them.
If Marti’s eyes had widened any further, they would have risked being permanently stuck in that position. “I’m sorry, you did what?!” she exclaimed.
“It was an accident. Well, it wasn’t but it just happened. And fuck, Marti, everything is so messed up. I think he killed Mr. Hoppykins,” her voice cracked on the last words, the tears streaming freely once more.
“Sex with your step-brother, a murdered bunny...it’s Sunday! It’s supposed to be a day of rest, dammit. Okay, I’m going to need you to take me through
