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  Not Like Her

  H.K. Christie

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 by H.K. Christie

  Cover design by Suzana Stankovic

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  If you would like to use material from this book, prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at:

  www.authorhkchristie.com

  First edition: November 2019

  Also by H.K. Christie

  The Selena Bailey Novella Series

  Not Like Her, Book 1 is the first novella in the suspenseful Selena Bailey Novella series. If you like thrilling twists, dark tension, and smart and driven women, then you’ll love this series.

  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

  For Gianna

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  A note from H.K. Christie

  Thank you!

  Also by H.K. Christie

  Join H.K. Christie’s Reader’s Club

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  1

  Selena turned up the volume on her iPod. It had become increasingly difficult to study with Mom’s latest boyfriend, Fox, around. Ick. The guy couldn’t be any less aptly named. He looked less like a fox and more like a gerbil. Fat and hairy with beady eyes. The couple’s nightly ritual of getting drunk and fighting was really starting to get on her nerves. Why would you want to date somebody when all you do is fight? What about flowers? Sweet nothings? Grand gestures? Where was the honeymoon phase people always talked about?

  Mom and Fox had been dating for an entire month and Selena didn’t think they ever had a day where they didn’t fight. But it wasn’t anything new. It was Mom’s MO. Modis Operandi. Fox was just the latest in a long list of asshole boyfriends she had brought home. It was the fate of an alcoholic, Selena supposed. Note to self. Don’t be an alcoholic.

  Her mother was one of the reasons Selena never touched the stuff. Even when her friends were partying, she was full-on abstinent. Selena did everything in her power to not to turn into her mother. Debbie Bailey was burned out at thirty-five, barely scraping by with a dead-end job at the grocery outlet and dating losers like Fox.

  Seven more months, Selena thought as she searched for a song loud enough to drown out the banging cupboards. In seven months she’d be eighteen years old and off to college, far away from the dump they were living in. It was times like these when she pondered what it would be like to have a “normal” family. She supposed she’d never know.

  A bump on the wall forced her to sit up straight on her bed. It was going to be a rough one tonight. Instead of turning up the volume further and blowing out her eardrums, Selena shut her book and shoveled her study notes and textbook into her backpack. She had an AP Chemistry test the next day and she needed to do well. College applications were looming, and she needed to secure her grades before she started writing her essays. She was already at risk of not being able to get into any of her first-choice schools. Not to mention her senior project. No, she certainly didn’t have time to deal with Debbie and Fox.

  Selena slipped on her shoes and made her way over to the window. She slid it open at a snail’s pace and dropped her bag outside before climbing over the sill in hopes of escaping unnoticed.

  She hadn’t felt the wrath of Fox. Not yet. Selena’s approach with the newest guy was to avoid at all possible costs.

  Once outside she gently slid the window shut, dual-strapped her backpack, and headed for the street. On the main strip, she hurried down the busy road, careful to avoid eye contact with any pedestrians or drivers, at least one of whom always seemed to think she was looking for a good time. She never was.

  By fate or chance, she reached the Starbucks safely and without any kind of harassment. No hoots or hollers. No “give us a smile, little lady.” It must be her lucky day.

  She pushed open the door and inhaled the aroma of fresh-ground coffee beans before she approached the barista at the counter, a middle-aged woman with wire rim glasses and a round middle, mostly hidden by her kelly-green apron. She asked, “What can I get you tonight, Selena?”

  Selena was a regular at the coffee shop, considering she often needed to escape from the apartment to focus on studying and/or her sanity. Both were her top priority at the moment.

  “Let’s see. I’ll have the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. ’Tis the season.”

  “It is. Don’t you love it?” The woman mouthed Pumpkin Spice Frapp as she keyed the order into the register.

  Selena passed a crumpled five-dollar bill to the barista and gave her best attempt at a friendly smile. She wasn’t sure how convincing she was. What did she have to smile about anyway?

  She had to pay nearly five dollars of her hard-earned money for a beverage. After taxes, that was nearly an hour’s worth of work at her hostess job. Sure, they were tasty, but she needed that five dollars. She didn’t work twenty hours a week for nothing. She needed money for things like clothes, make-up, fun, college, and who was she kidding, Frappucinos. It wasn’t like Mom and Dad were chipping in. She hadn’t even seen her dad in five years. She didn’t know where he was either. If she had to guess, it was somewhere shooting up.

  Sugar fix in hand, she found a table in the corner farthest away from any other patrons in the large coffee shop. In her direct line of sight, she eyed a group of boys, probably a little older than she was. Maybe in college. They were checking her out like she was a gazelle and they were the mighty lions. This isn’t Animal Planet, so mind your business. Okay? She was overly tired of boys who seemed to prioritize hooking up over all else. Get some goals already. She couldn’t wait to get out of this town.

  She refocused on her backpack and pulled out her book. It landed on the table with a thump. She shrugged and took a sip of her pumpkin spice goodness and decided it was worthy of her precious dollars. It was the one joy she had in this life other than window shopping and hanging out with her bestie, Alida.

  Before she could crack open the book, one of the boys appeared at her table. Great. Why does every man who sees a woman sitting by herself think she needs company? She doesn’t. Her attempt at putting out the “closed” sign by wearing baggy jeans and over-sized sweatshirt, hiding her petite and slightly curvy frame, with no make-up and a messy bun didn’t seem to compute. Did she really look like she wanted to chit chat? Uh, no.

  “Hi, is anyone sitting here?” He gri
nned and a row of perfectly straight teeth glared at her.

  She scowled. “No.”

  He ruffled his shaggy, blond hair to the side. “May I?”

  She smirked. “I prefer that you didn’t. I need to study.”

  “Okay, sorry to bother you. My name is Zeek, by the way. What’s yours?”

  She pursed her lips. “Not interested.” She diverted her gaze from the tall, and sort of hot, guy. She flipped open the cover of her AP Chemistry textbook and started skimming the page until he got the hint and removed himself from her vicinity. She wasn’t in the mood for some random guy to hit on her. Plus, she had a test the next morning and she needed an A to keep her GPA up. Goals, people, goals.

  It was nearly ten o’clock when Selena approached her first-floor apartment. She hiked through the bushes to her bedroom window and slid it open, careful not to make any noise or arouse any suspicion. The window cracked open and Selena took note of the silence inside. Not a sound. Score. They’re already passed out. Mom and Fox’s relationship basically consisted of the pattern of get drunk, fight, fuck, and then pass out. Romantic. Mom always pestered her as to why she never had a boyfriend. Hello, if that’s what a boyfriend was like, no, thanks.

  She lowered her backpack over the window seal and climbed over. She stood up straight and shut the window, glancing around her small, tidy room. Nothing was out of place, but her door was slightly ajar. That’s odd. Had her mom come looking for her? She slipped off her black-and-white checkered Vans and shuffled over to her door. She stepped back and scrunched up her face. What was that smell? Urine? Crap? A mix?

  Selena tiptoed into the hall. The smell appeared to be coming from the living room. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand as she continued on into the living room. She flicked on the light switch and gasped. Her heart thudded in her chest as she rushed over to the body lying motionless on the floor next to the sofa. The face was so badly beaten she could only recognize it was her mother because of the bleached blond hair and the sagging Betty Boop tattoo on her chest. She cried, “Mom?”

  No response.

  Selena’s hands shook as she pulled her cellphone from her back pocket and dialed 9-1-1.

  “9-1-1 what’s your emergency?”

  Selena stared at her mother. “It’s my mom. She’s been beaten. There are … There’s marks on her neck. I don’t know if she’s breathing. Please hurry. Please.” Tears streamed down Selena’s face as she searched for any sign of life.

  2

  Selena slumped into the brown cloth chair in the crowded hospital emergency room. She fidgeted in an attempt to get comfortable, but it was impossible. It had been hours and she’d received zero news about her mother. She had no idea if she was alive or dead. She stared at the floor to avoid stares from the dozen or so others waiting in the room. A tap on her shoulder forced her to swivel around. A nurse with wide eyes and a ruddy complexion said, “Selena?”

  She shifted upward. “Yes. Is it my mom? Is she okay?”

  “She’s awake. You can see her now. I’ll show you to her room.”

  Selena slipped out of her chair, grabbed her coat, and followed the woman through the double doors and down the hall. The air was frigid and smelled like antiseptic and sickness. They passed several open doors full of patients in blue and white gowns before the nurse stopped and pointed. “Second bed.”

  “Thanks.”

  Selena wrapped her arms around herself as she entered the room. She passed the first patient, currently yelling obscenities at another nurse, and then stopped at the foot of her mother’s bed. She looked small and fragile. Beaten and battered. “Hi, Mom. Are you okay?”

  Her mother rubbed at the gauze around her head and spoke slowly. “I’ll be fine. The doctor is supposed to be in soon to talk to me.”

  Selena forced back the tears as she scooted closer to the top of the bed. “What happened?”

  Her mother’s dull brown eyes were filled with sadness. Her voice shook as she spoke. “I don’t know. All I remember is waking up in here. They haven’t told me anything.”

  Selena studied her mother. It made her stomach turn to see the gifts Fox had given her. Bruises, a pair of black eyes, and a necklace of fingerprints.

  Selena was about to enquire further when a tall, lanky man wearing blue scrubs and a white coat entered. He tipped his head to Selena before focusing on her mother. “Deborah, my name is Dr. Fransia, I was the one to take care of you when you arrived. Do you remember anything about your attack?”

  Debbie shook her head.

  He spoke with an authoritative tone. “That’s not terribly uncommon. Due to your high blood alcohol content, memory loss is typical. It appears you were struck several times in the face and head and were strangled, but we don’t see anything to be too worried about. You likely passed out due to the alcohol and not the injuries you sustained. Most of your wounds appear superficial and should heal up in no time.”

  Nothing to be too worried about? Selena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Selena tried to accept the doctor’s explanation, but something was different about her mother’s supposed drunken black out. Her mother had passed out plenty of times in the past, but she always seemed to remember the day before, or at least most of it. Her sober descriptions of events were hazy, but they were still descriptions. No, this was most definitely different. Why couldn’t the doctor see that?

  Selena’s pulse raced. She stared at the doctor. “Are you sure? She’s never had complete memory loss before. She always remembers something.”

  The wrinkled old man gave her a patronizing smile. “Bits and pieces may come back over time. I assure you, this is normal for the amount of alcohol she consumed. And you’re her daughter, I presume?”

  Selena stared at him in disbelief. “Yes.”

  “Do the two of you live alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “ Your mom is going to need to rest up, but she’ll be okay. I promise. A police officer will be in shortly to take her statement. Did you see what happened?”

  “No, I just found her, like that.”

  He nodded. “Hmm. We’ll discharge her shortly. She’ll need plenty of rest. Now, both of you take care.”

  Before Selena or her mother could say another word, he rushed out of the room. Bedside manner, much? She gazed back at her mom and arched her tweezed brows. “You really don’t remember anything?”

  “No.”

  “Do you remember what time Fox left?”

  Debbie’s eyes widened. “Fox was over?”

  Selena’s mouth dropped open. She didn’t remember Fox had been there? How much of her mother’s memory had she lost? “Yes.”

  Panic spread across Debbie’s battered face. “Don’t tell the police, okay?”

  Don’t tell the police that Fox had savagely attacked her? Selena couldn’t believe her mother wouldn’t press charges. She had to have known Fox did this. Who else would have or could have done this? If she didn’t report him, he could come back and finish what he’d started. Maybe next time he’d come after Selena too. Had he come into her room looking for her after he’d attacked her mother? Terror seeped into her bones. What if he came back?

  When the police officers came to question her mother, Debbie gave them the same nonstory she’d told Selena. Selena sat quietly until it was her turn to explain how she had found her. Neither of the women mentioned Fox’s name.

  3

  The barista chirped, “Your regular?”

  Selena nodded. The barista asked, “Is everything okay, hon?”

  Everything was just super. She attempted to sound cheerful. “Just a rough night, that’s all. I’m fine.” Rough like I thought my mom was dead. Rough like she was rushed to the hospital and I had to wait to find out if she was going to die. Despite the doctor’s assurances, they hadn’t left the hospital until nearly nine in the morning, and Selena had managed only a short nap before her restlessness drove her to leave the apartment. Just another day in the life of Selena Ba
iley. Shitty parents. Shitty life. Nobody ever said life was fair. She suspected that was the one true thing her mother had ever said to her. It was a common phrase out of her mother’s lips. “Grow up, kid. Nobody ever said life was fair.”

  She supposed she should be grateful that her mother didn’t die yesterday. Despite the fact Debbie had insisted that she didn’t know who had attacked her, she had to know it was likely her jerk boyfriend, Fox. He had pushed her around since they’d met, but never anything like this. This was vicious and savage. How could her mother be so stupid as to keep dating someone who physically abused her? What if she didn’t survive the next beating?

  Selena wondered if she’d even miss her. Her mother was hardly ever at home and when she was, she was preoccupied with the latest loser or harassing Selena about not giving her any of her money or complaining about having to raise her. Raise me. Now there’s a joke.

  But if she was gone, what would happen to Selena? She wouldn’t be eighteen for another seven months. Would she become a ward of the state and have to go into foster care or a group home? She wasn’t trying to gain admission to either institution. No, she needed her mom to stay alive for at least seven more months. Was it terrible that she thought that way about her own mother? Was she a bad person or just practical?

  As it was with Debbie’s new look, we’ll call it Battered Woman, would she even be able to go to work? How would they make rent this month if not? Selena had a good idea of how. Her mother would “borrow” money from Selena again. From her college fund. It wasn’t much, but it was something and it was hers.