Crimes and Punishments [N.H.] (AU) #Wattys2022

XXVII

'What...what do you want, Conor?' She whimpered at his touch. 'I-I'm not going to have sex with you, so please leave.' His eyes went back to her.

'I don't want that, Rosy. I have to tell you that someone is attending your party tonight and I want you to stay away from him.' All the sudden, Roisin had the tenacity to laugh for a bit before asking him,

'Why should I listen to you?'

'You don't have to and you can choose to believe what you want to believe, but that night when I came home drunk...' He started to soften a bit as if someone had hit his dog. 'I...I didn't rape you. When you quivered from me the next morning and how you acted around me the next few days, I legitimately thought I did it.

'But then,' Conor tensed and balled his fists as he gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw. 'Derek got drunk one night and the boys wanted me to take him home.' Roisin gulped. 'He told me...Ha! Practically flaunted in my face that he'd had you. I thought for a moment that you might've cheated on me.

'Then, he told me that I was drunk as hell and he thought since we weren't doing anything, that I wouldn't mind. Like you were fucking property! I may've killed your baby and beat you...and even did horrible things, but I would never rape a woman.

'He told me how he forced you down after you woke up from your sleep. I wasn't even fucking aware, because I was drunk and most likely passed out. When you came home that day to tell me you were pregnant, I knew it wasn't mine. I used protection the only time we had sex. That's why I had to get rid of it...because it came from evil, Rosy.

'I didn't want something evil growing inside my wife! He raped you and gave you his evil seed.' His rough, calloused hand caressed her tear streaked cheeks as her lips quivered. It made sense to her thinking back to that night of the rape, it didn't feel or smell like Conor. But then again, she was half asleep and all she could smell was beer.

'Please leave, I don't want to hear anymore. Why are you telling me this?' He smiled sadly.

'Because I'm not a rapist and I wanted you to know that I killed the baby for a reason. It wasn't mine. It was Derek's and he wants you. He's been looking for you recently and I needed to warn you.' He stood up and headed to the window.

'So, wait, you didn't send those baby shoes that Christmas, six years ago?' He turned before he was about to climb out.

'No, that was all Derek. He was trying to make it look like it was me who sent you those, but the cameras from the date it was delivered showed I wasn't at the post office. Also, the note is not my handwriting. Goodbye, Rosy.' He climbed out the window and out of her life forever.

—

Roisin sat at her vanity. It was the night of her party and she was to see everybody. Her mother always liked to throw parties for her on her birthday, but Roisin still wondered who all she invited.

She had put on her makeup herself, despite her bestie's insistence to do it. She was dressed and ready to go in a dress that her mam bought her. Her mother also insisted that she wear the dress. The blush pink, silk dress she'd received, made her blue one inferior.

While her navy blue, silk dress was nearly see though and had a boatneck line with a column silhouette; the blush pink, silk dress had off shoulder sleeves, a sweetheart neckline with a mermaid silhouette. It wasn't as see through as the navy blue dress though.

But despite being ready, Roisin was just sad and after the run in with her ex-husband, she really wasn't in the party mood with what he had told her. She was startled by a knock on the door.