Not Like Her

by H K Christie

  Selena turned to face her … future stepmother? “Is that true?”

  “My firm helped get the intel quickly, but Detective Gates is the real hero. He’s the one who broke down the door and shot Zeek, saving your life.”

  Moments ago, she thought she was going to die. She glanced up at the heroes who had saved her life. “I’m so sorry for causing so much trouble. I should’ve known better. I should’ve seen the signs. Growing up with Mom’s steady stream of jerks, I should’ve known. I was so stupid.” She looked away.

  Detective Gates said, “You are not stupid, Selena. He was a master manipulator. Did you know that his last girlfriend ended up missing, presumed dead, and that he was a suspect?”

  What? She shook her head.

  Detective Gates forced her to look at him. “There was no way for you to have known. This is not your fault. You have no reason to apologize.”

  Martina put her hand on Selena’s shoulder. “Detective Gates is right. You’re not stupid. From what I hear, not by a long shot. In my line of work, I see this happen so often—too often. It happens to smart, not-so-bright, young, old, rich, poor, white, black, and purple people. It’s not your fault. Zeek was a predator and he preyed on you. You can’t blame yourself. These predators know how to blend in and disguise themselves. It always starts out wonderful and loving and then something happens for them to show their true selves, whether it’s because they believe they can get away with it or because the abuser feels threatened, like I’m guessing Zeek did.”

  Selena didn’t respond. If that was all true, why did she feel like such a fool?

  In the distance sirens sang out. Selena glanced over her shoulder where Zeek’s body lay crumpled. A mixture of heartbreak and relief filled her. She thought she had loved him and that he loved her. She’d thought he was a good catch. Smart, funny, and cute. His true colors were revealed too late. A monster who thought women were his property. How could she ever trust another man, or her own judgement, again?

  20

  Christmas Eve

  Selena was folding laundry in her brand-new bedroom when she heard the doorbell ring. She set down the t-shirt she had in her hands and hurried down the hall to the front door. She climbed up on her tiptoes, looked through the peephole, and smiled.

  She opened the door. On her front porch stood Detective Gates holding a large cardboard box. “Merry Christmas Eve! C’mon in.” She stepped back making room for him to enter.

  He said, “Merry Christmas to you too, Selena. Where can I put this?”

  “You can bring it in the dining room, Dad and Martina are in there too.” She led him down the hall and veered left into the dining room where her father and Martina sat at a large oval table with a poinsettia in the center.

  Martina and Charlie stood up and shook the detective’s hand. Martina said, “It’s good to see you, Detective. Thank you for coming over tonight. You didn’t have to do that on Christmas Eve, but we’re definitely happy to see you.”

  Detective Gates turned a pale shade of pink. “Not a problem, it was on my way home. I thought Selena might like her things now that we’ve released Zeek’s apartment. Also, we have more information about Zeek I’d like to share. It’s a bit disturbing, but, Selena, I think it’s important for you to hear. I also have some good news to tell you. Why don’t you go ahead and sit down.”

  Selena took a chair and sat down apprehensively. She didn’t know what he was about to tell her. It had been nine days since she’d almost been killed. So much had happened since then. Martina and her Dad had welcomed her into their home with open arms. Martina had insisted that she move in right away and had even found her a counselor to talk to about her experience. She knew it would be a long time before she could trust another man, but it was okay. She had more important things to focus on.

  Selena had never met anybody quite like Martina before. A woman who was strong, independent, and had zero hesitation in fighting the bad guys. Selena had only known Martina for a short time, but she felt a strong connection to her, like they were destined to cross paths even if Martina wasn’t engaged to her father. It was the first time Selena ever had a real role model to look up to. She hadn’t told Martina this, but Selena had decided on a new career path because of her.

  A few days ago, Martina had even taken her shopping to pick out linens and decorations for her new room. She was so grateful that her dad and Martina had come into her life. Selena wondered if all the bad stuff hadn’t happened—her mother’s death or her own near death— would she be where she was now? Maybe she had to go through that horrible nightmare to have this beautiful family and home. It was more than she’d ever dreamed of, because she didn’t know what a loving home looked like. So yes, she did want to know more about Zeek, because if it wasn’t for him she wasn’t quite sure she’d be sitting at this table right now. And there was nowhere else she’d rather be. She nodded at Detective Gates. “I want to know.” She steadied herself, bracing for the worst.

  He said, “After searching the apartment and his parents’ cabin, we found evidence connected to two other missing girls. One was the girlfriend we knew was missing and connected to him. The second was another female student who had gone missing during his first year at UC Berkeley. The evidence uncovered led us to two grave sites near the cabin. They found both women.”

  Selena covered her mouth with her hand and looked down. She had fallen in love with and dated a murderer. A murderer. The monster hiding behind a killer smile and warm embrace. She moved her hand back to her lap and looked up at Detective Gates. “Have their families been told?”

  He gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes. Although devastated, they were relieved to finally have closure after so long. They can now bury their loved one and begin the healing process. Which in itself is a gift. We were able to give that gift to those families because of you. Because of your bravery. Because you fought Zeek. Because you came to me and gave me clues that something was wrong. Because of you, we found those girls. So please don’t think everything you went through was for nothing.”

  She thought about that. She didn’t think she really deserved the credit he was giving her. Sure, she’d hinted that she didn’t think that Zeek wanted to be around law enforcement, and if it weren’t for Detective Gates, she would be dead and the graves never would’ve been found. So maybe it was partly true. Because of her situation, two families received closure and could now bury their loved ones. There was something remarkable about that. That such horrible ugliness could bring a little bit of light to two other families.

  “Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m glad you were able to find them.”

  Detective Gates gave her a lopsided grin. “You are very welcome. I also have some good news that I wanted to share right away. Fox, actual name Fletcher Peterson, agreed to a plea deal this morning. With the physical evidence against him, your statements, and your identification of him, the district attorney had a lot to work with. They were going to charge him with capital murder, which meant he could have received the death penalty. The deal he accepted gives him life in prison without the possibility of parole, in lieu of the death penalty. He will be spending the rest of his life in prison.”

  Selena’s eyes widened. “So, he’ll never get out?”

  Detective Gates’s hazel eyes sparkled. “Never.”

  Tears streamed down Selena’s cheeks. “Thank you. Thank you so much for getting justice for my mom.”

  Martina wrapped her arm around Selena as she cried quietly. Her dad jumped up and dashed out of the room and returned with a box of tissues. Martina grabbed them from him and handed a single tissue to Selena. Selena calmed herself and wiped her eyes. Despite all her faults, Selena missed her mother and knew that she probably always would.

  Martina spoke up. “Detective, my daughter, Zoey, will be home soon, she’s been away at at school, but she’s coming home tonight to celebrate Christmas with us. We’d love for you to stay and join us for dinner.”

 
; Detective Gates popped up out of his chair. “I appreciate the offer, but my wife and mother-in-law are at home cooking up our own celebration. I should get going, but I’d like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.”

  Selena pushed back her chair and stood up. “I’ll walk you out.”

  The detective, Charlie, and Martina said their goodbyes and Merry Christmases.

  At the door, Selena said, “I want to thank you for everything you did for me. I know you went above and beyond, and I don’t think I’d be alive today if it wasn’t for you. You not only brought justice for my mother, but you also saved my life. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.” She sniffed away the tears that were coming. Why did she always cry in front of this person? It was super annoying.

  He smiled warmly. “I was just doing my job, Selena. But I’m glad I was able to help. I’m glad you’re safe and sound. I want to wish you the best in your studies, your future. I’m sure you’ll go far, I have no doubt. Merry Christmas.”

  Selena shook off some of her tears and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Merry Christmas, Detective Gates.” She shut the door and turned back toward her family. Warmth filled every particle inside her. Between her future stepmother who was a total badass, the detective who had watched her back, and her loving father, she had never felt more cared for.

  Later that night, they sat in the living room, admiring the seven-foot-tall Christmas tree lit up with sparkling lights and colorful ornaments. Selena sipped her hot cocoa while sitting next to her future stepsister. Across from them, her father and future stepmother held hands as they laughed at whatever inside joke they shared.

  “So, Selena, Mom says you’re hoping to get into San Francisco University. Have you thought about majors yet?” Zoey asked.

  “Well, I had planned on maybe going into nursing or medicine but after everything, I’m now leaning more towards criminal justice and think maybe I’ll go into law enforcement or private investigations or something like that. I want to help people.”

  Martina cocked her head. “I didn’t know that. That’s great. You know, if you’d like a part-time job, we could use you down at the office. You’d get a chance to see how things work in the world of security and private investigations.”

  Selena beamed at Martina. “I would love that! Oh my gosh, thank you.” She couldn’t believe she’d be a part of a real-life investigative team. She didn’t need a single wrapped gift, she already had everything she could possibly have asked for.

  Martina smiled. “Great. I’ll put together a plan when I get back in the office next week.”

  Selena grinned at her and then she dropped her gaze to the small round diamond on Martina’s finger. “When do you two plan on getting married?”

  Martina and her dad exchanged glances. “Well, we were thinking of the spring, maybe March, when Zoey will be home for spring break. Also, there is something we wanted to ask both of you. Zoey, would you be my maid of honor?”

  Zoey’s eyes widened. “Yes, of course!”

  Charlie sat up straight. “And Selena, I’d would like you to be my best woman. Will you?”

  “Best woman?” Selena asked.

  Charlie explained, “It’s kind of like a best man, but you’re a woman, so a best woman.”

  “Yes! I’d love to! Do I wear a tux or a dress?”

  Charlie smiled. “Anything you want.”

  Selena nodded. “Cool.”

  When she’d heard the story of how Martina and her father had met it made her wonder if his addiction was a lot like the nightmare she had just gone through. He had to go to a place of darkness to find his light. Martina and Charlie had met in rehab. Martina was a volunteer and ten years sober while Charlie was a patient. Apparently, they’d fallen in love, but rules said they couldn’t be in a relationship. After he’d passed his one year of being drug-free, he’d asked her on a date and the rest was history. Selena was proud of her dad for getting clean. On more than one occasion she had watched him flip his two-year chip between his fingers. She thought her dad was proud of himself too. As he should be.

  She looked across the room at the fireplace that displayed four stockings decorated with names written in red glitter. Martina. Charlie. Zoey. Selena. She was overwhelmed by the love in that room. For the first time in her life, she had a real home and a family. A future. Not only was she determined to become the strongest person, mentally and physically, that she could be, but she also vowed to never, ever be a victim again.

  A note from H.K. Christie

  When I started this project, I thought I knew a decent amount about domestic violence. I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and watch a lot of documentaries where domestic violence is usually a factor. But for Not Like Her, I wanted to learn more about the intricacies of domestic violence (intimate partner violence) to portray a more realistic story for Selena and her mother.

  What I found was that domestic violence is a much more complex topic than I had anticipated. It happens more than you’d think and to all demographics and socioeconomic statuses.

  As you recall, in the story of Selena and Zeek, the courtship was fast, Zeek never referred to Selena by her name, only ‘babe’, and lied about his background. He attempted to isolate her by insisting she quit her job and monopolized all of her time. These are all typical red flags of an abusive relationship. Zeek didn’t need to tie Selena to a bed to abuse her - it started before that. Abuse isn’t limited to physical bruises.

  Instead of writing a full manifesto on the topic (which would read more like me ranting and raving), I encourage you to read about the topic either on the website for the National Domestic Violence Hotline or other online resources or at your local library.

  Through awareness we can help prevent intimate partner violence.

  If you find yourself in a relationship similar to Selena and Zeek’s, or are in an abusive situation there are resources available:

  Link to the website for the National Domestic Violence Hotline

  Safety Alert: Computer use can be monitored and is impossible to completely clear. If you are afraid your internet usage might be monitored, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 instead of using your computer.

  Thank you!

  Thank you for reading Not Like Her! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. If you did, I would greatly appreciate if you could post a short review.

  Reviews are crucial for any author and can make a huge difference in visibility of current and future works. Reviews allow us to continue doing what we love, writing stories. Not to mention, I would be forever grateful!

  To leave a review, please click on Not Like Her and scroll down to the bottom of the Amazon page to the review section. It will read, “Share your thoughts with other customers,” with a button below that reads, “Write a customer review.” Click the “Write a customer review” button and write away!

  Thank you!

  Also by H.K. Christie

  The Selena Bailey Novella Series

  If you enjoyed, Not Like Her, pre-order the rest of the series today!

  One In Five, Book 2

  On The Rise, Book 3

  The Unbreakable Series

  The Unbreakable Series is a heart-warming women's fiction series, inspired by true events. If you like journeys of self-discovery, wounded heroines, and laugh-or-cry moments, you'll love the Unbreakable Series

  We Can’t Be Broken, Book 0

  Where I’m Supposed To Be, Book 1

  Change of Plans, Book 2

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  About the Author

  H.K. Christie is the author of compelling stories about unbreakable women.

 
When not working on her latest novel, she can be found eating, drinking, hiking, or playing with her new 9 year old rescue pup, Founders.

  She is a native and current resident of the San Francisco Bay Area and a two time graduate of Saint Mary’s College of California.

  Author H.K. Christie

  Acknowledgments

  I want to thank my bad-ass niece, Gianna Lazzarini, for working with me to better understand the mind and life of a high school senior. It was a tremendous help in ensuring that Selena didn’t sound like a middle-aged woman! My sincerest thank you!

  A special thank you to Police Officer Gabe Irving for letting me tag along for the evening (fighting crime!) and for the interesting and insightful discussions around violence against women. It was a truly fascinating evening and I learned so much. My most sincere thank you.

  I’d like to thank my Super Elite Level beta readers: Juliann Brown & Jennifer Jarrett. Thank you for the continued encouragement, support, and invaluable feedback.

  I’d like to thank my additional beta readers & critiquers: Barbara Carson, Anne Kasaba, and Robin Samuels. Your feedback is invaluable. Thank you!

  A big thank you to Nicole Nugent for the copy edit.

  I’d like to thank Suzana Stankovic who designed the cover. You did an amazing job with the cover - once again. Your unrelenting patience is appreciated. Thank you!

  Last, but certainly not least, a special thank you to my husband, Jon, for not only performing the proof read, but also for listening to me ranting and raving about the patriarchy every time I finished reading something new about intimate partner violence. At this point in our relationship, he’s basically a candidate for sainthood.