Everyone thinks my boyfriend is "freaky" in bed.
Class was already hurting my head.
Some girl I barely knew, Nora, leaned over my desk, whispering, “So, your bf is kinda freaky, huh?”
“What do you mean, “freaky?” I whispered back, keeping my gaze glued to the Professor’s presentation. I was already in a shitty mood. My boyfriend wasn't answering his phone, and the last time I talked to him just so happened to be an argument over his lack of “spice”.
I felt guilty. He declined my offer of trying bondage, and I was drunk and sexually frustrated, and yelled at him.
“You don't think it's working,” he'd said, hurt bleeding into his tone. “Because I don’t want to have wild sex with you every night?”
“No!” I kissed him, and he kissed back. He was a great kisser. Which made his lack of interest in intimacy that more frustrating. Alex was attractive. Kind. Everything I wanted in a man. I just wanted that little bit of more of him. “Well, yeah, it's annoying, but I want to be with you.”
He curled his lip, arms folded. “You know I'm not that kind of person.”
I shrugged. “Well, maybe lighten up a little!”
I regretted my words ten seconds after saying them.
I'd texted him an apology, which he'd ignored.
Nora leaned closer, her breath grazing my ear. “It was dark, so I couldn't see you, but don't think I didn't clock you two! The collar and leash? Babe, you were walking your man in the park and didn't think I'd see?”
I almost choked on my response. “What are you talking about?” I hissed.
My thoughts whirred, something inside me snapping in two.
I hadn't seen Alex for nearly a week.
Nora blinked, her eyes widening.
“Wait.” she said, “That wasn't you?” Nora leaned back, her cherry lips curving into a grin. “Huh! Maybe he found someone else to satisfy those filthy kinks.”
I texted Alex again, my hands clammy.
“Hey, where are you?”
To my surprise, the text appeared as delivered.
And in front of me, a girl’s bag vibrated.
I texted him again, feeling sick to my stomach.
“Alex???”
Another vibration.
The girl grabbed her bag quickly, shoving it under the table.
“Ew.” Nora hummed next to me. “That's kinda gross.”
“What?”
Nora frowned. “Hm?” She pointed to the girl with the vibrating bag— who had my boyfriend’s phone.
“Polly lost her golden retriever, Luna, like a week ago when the poor baby was hit by a car. If she’s replaced her precious pup with your boyfriend, that’s SO weird. You should slap her.” Nora cocked her head. “Also, dump the boyfriend. If he’s that freaky, the least he could’ve done is, like, tell his girlfriend. Not find a grieving woman to play walkies.”
“Where does she live?” I demanded, the words tumbling out before I could choke them back.
“Uhh, five minutes away?” Nora typed the address in my notes app. “Like I said! Dump his ass.”
Leaving classes early, my heart was lodged in my throat.
I texted Alex, just to throw her off.
“Okay, whatever. We’re done.”
If Alex wanted to “prove” he COULD be spicy, this was a funny fucking way of showing it.
I jumped in an uber to the address.
The gate was locked, so I vaulted over it. I knocked. “Alex?” I knocked again. “Alex, open the fucking door! I know you're here.”
To my shock, the response was a human-like bark.
“AROOF!”
Alex.
I knocked again, bile crawling up my throat.
“Are you serious, right now?” I yelled.
He barked again, louder, growling. I could hear him throwing his hand against the door. I gave up, and opened it myself.
The door swung open, and I found myself staring down at my boyfriend on his knees in front of me with wide, vacant eyes, lips stretched into a grin. He was filthy, his clothes glued to him, hair a floppy sweaty mess stuck to his forehead.
“Alex.” I dropped to my knees, my trembling hands finding the collar choking him. I fumbled for my phone to call the police, but he butted my head, licking my face.
Fuck.
I left it in the Uber.
“Alex, what did she…”
My words were suffocated, drowned, when my fingers traced dark red staining his temple.
Slowly, I pushed his hair out his eyes.
Not sweat, I thought, dizzily, my thoughts screeching. Alex’s head tilted, a low growl rumbling in his throat when my fingers traced the top of his head. Blood.
And then I was seeing it everywhere, and yet nowhere.
Traces of deep dark red stained the collar of his shirt.
His socks.
His jeans.
I swallowed when he curled up across my lap, whimpering.
I held up his hands, his fingernails, bloodied from scratching.
“Alex.” I whispered, bringing his face to mine. “What did she do?”
When he didn't respond, skulking away on his hands and knees, dragging himself across the floor, I ran upstairs to find a phone. There was blood all over the bathroom door. I pushed it open, finding myself face to face with red.
Something visceral sent me stumbling back.
The bathtub was soaked, seeping with red.
But as I got closer, as I saw what streaked pale porcelain, reality slammed into me like an icy wave. Sitting in a pool of blood that had long since dried into coagulated goo, a bulging mass of grey and pink.
I knew what it was straight away. I knew what I was staring at.
Taking slow steps back, I screamed.
Only for gentle hands to wrap around my waist.
“I didn’t want another dog, I was happy with just Luna. But I take in all breeds.” Polly stood behind me, Alex peeking behind her. He whined softly, eyes wide, butting her legs. The girl swung a bright pink collar back and forth with a smile as she stepped towards me, whistling.
“Now, who’s a good girl?”