After several attempts to reach Klaus, all had failed. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air.
~Hey are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you~ She sent her seventh message to him.
Sighing, she stood up and decided to head to campus, hoping she might see him-or maybe one of his friends. The campus was nearly empty, with only a few students roaming around.
Morticia’s stomach growled, and she thought about getting something to eat first.
As she got her burger, she spotted Zara-the girl from the pool the other day-along with the guy she’d met there too.
“Hi,” Zara grinned, revealing braces on her teeth and her short, red-dyed hair. “You’re the girl I met at Klaus’s place, right?”
Morticia cleared her throat, trying to hide her discomfort. “Yeah, I am.”
“Nice to see you again, swi… what’s your name?” Zara asked.
“Morticia… uh… have you seen Klaus, or do you know where I can find him?” If he was going to keep ignoring her like this, she might go insane, and she wasn’t in the mood to chit-chat with Zara.
“Not right now, but I know where he’ll be tonight,” Zara replied.
—
Morticia stayed in her dorm until night drew near. Valerie wasn’t home, and she hadn’t even thanked her properly for saving her from Jamie.
She’d told her mom she was spending the night at her dorm so she could study with friends.
Morticia checked herself in the mirror after doing light makeup she’d learned from Nica. It had been a while since she’d even seen her.
Grabbing her keys, she drove to the frat house Zara had described. This was the first time she was going to a party alone; surprisingly, it didn’t scare her.
As usual, the house was packed with rogue students grinding against each other. The smell of alcohol and smoke filled the air, but Morticia wore her nose mask.
Klaus was easy to find, but the sight she met made her stomach churn.
Zara was straddling Klaus, who sat with his head tilted back. His friends sat around, all chatting, but Klaus didn’t bother pushing Zara off as she scooted closer.
For some reason, Klaus seemed to sense her presence-or perhaps one of his friends signaled him-because he opened his eyes and looked at her.
A bit shocked by her presence, he removed Zara’s arms from around him. “Bunnie,” he said, standing up.
“Hey, you shouldn’t be here!” he snapped, making Morticia’s heart nearly jump out of her chest.
“Why not? I was just looking for you! You suddenly disappeared into thin air!” she snapped back.
“How did you find me?” he asked, and Morticia glanced over at Zara behind him.
Klaus followed her gaze, meeting Zara’s eyes. If looks could kill, Zara would be ten feet underground.
“Come,” he said, taking Morticia’s hand and dragging her out of the crowded space to somewhere they could get fresh air.
“What exactly are you doing here?!” His voice sounded irritated, clearly not the Klaus she had spent time with yesterday.
“I was looking for you. You’re not returning texts or calls, and you’re nowhere to be found, so I was worried.”
“Why? I’m not a kid.”
Morticia took a deep breath, calming herself. This guy, who she thought needed help, clearly didn’t.
“It’s about the news this morning. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.”
Klaus ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t care about that bastard anymore. He can go fuck himself for all I care. Marry as many women as he wants, I don’t fucking care!” His voice rose.
Morticia could sense the hurt in his voice, but that didn’t justify what she had just seen.
“Then why are you here?” she asked, and he frowned a little.
“Just trying to chill. I needed a distraction,” he mumbled, averting his gaze.
“Then why here of all places?”
“What?”
“Then why here of all places, Klaus?” She repeated.
Klaus sucked in his breath. “Fuck, please don’t start, Bunnie.”
Morticia nodded. Yeah, she had expected this, and she was going to clear it up…
Now or never.
“You see, Klaus,” her voice grew cold, and she stared straight into his eyes.
“I don’t know what we are anymore. I don’t understand our relationship. Sometimes we’re friends, sometimes we’re more than friends… Sometimes I feel like a stranger. One minute, you talk to me like I mean something, and then the next…
… you talk to me like I mean absolutely nothing to you. For seven years, Klaus…” She stepped closer, her gaze locked on his, courage surging through her. She stopped just inches away from him.
“For seven years, I’ve been in love with you. Watching you break me over and over. Mending my heart, then crushing it beneath your feet all over again.” Her voice broke.
Klaus’s expression changed, clearly shocked by her confession. For a moment, guilt flashed in his eyes, but Morticia wasn’t here for that. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
She yelled, “Don’t play with my feelings just because you’re unsure of yours…
… it’s not fair!”