“Nan, please don’t think I’m keeping secrets from you. It’s only... I hate thinking about it, let alone speaking about it. My sisters know everything because they were there.”
“What?” She turned to look at the other two.
Grimly, River explained that they’d been enjoying a family dinner at the O’Faolains. “Raven, if you want me to explain, I will. You can go on inside and get ready for dinner.”
Raven saw her grandma’s look of bewilderment. She needed to just say what happened and be done with it. Nan would never doubt she was innocent, and Raven would like Nan’s advice.
She explained how the evening had been one of the best they’d ever shared. Bran had asked her to move in with him, and she’d accepted. How she’d planned on moving a lot of her things that next week.
“It all went so... wrong, Nan.” Raven winced at the memories flashing before her eyes. Him whispering I love you. A gentle hand tucking hair behind her ear. His hand settled possessively at the base of her spine. Sharing a private look. Teasing.
“We finished dinner. I suggested playing games in Hugh’s study.”
“They’d never heard of Slapjack, so we explained the rules,” Rowan added solemnly.
“Pat and James were setting up a table. Hugh was going to be the dealer. We were all excited.” River looked at her and asked again. “Can you finish?”
Raven nodded. “I was speaking with Hugh, about to get Bran and me drinks at the bar. Bran had told me he got some texts and emails at dinner he wanted to look at in case it was something he needed to deal with immediately.
“Hugh noticed first. Bran was visibly upset. Staring at his phone. I asked him if something was wrong. He... he didn’t answer... right away.” Tears started to roll down her cheeks. “Damn it, you’d think I’d be over this by now.”
Nan took her by the shoulders and pulled her into a gentle hug, rocking slightly back and forth, the lounger creaking.
“Stop now. Stop, Raven. Don’t say another word. I... shouldn’t have asked. I don’t need to bloody know a damn thing except that you were hurt.”
Raven cried harder. It took several minutes to gulp down the tears and emotions clogging her nose and throat. “I shouldn’t still be this upset.” She looked to her sisters, begging them to give her some reason she was still this gutted over Bran’s accusations. It’s not like they were true, for Heaven’s sake.
“Rave, he was your first boyfriend, your first sexual experience, and the love of your life. Youbelievedit was forever. It was fucking forever foryou.”
“River Aster Byrne! This is no time for your... blasted language!” Nan exclaimed.
Raven finally breathed, a small smile tugging her lips. She would finish this story if it killed her. “The short of it, Nan, is this. Someone Bran didn’t even know sent him pictures of me with another man. He wouldn’t show them to me. I know they weren’t me.”
“Of course, they weren’t you! Bran was acting a fool to believe any such bullshite about you.”
No one mentioned the curse word.
“Did you tell him it wasn’t you?”
“I did,” Raven said quietly.
Rowan pushed. “Tell Nan the rest, sister. She needs to know it all.”
So, she did. Every horrible, hurtful, scarring word that the man she loved, still loved, accused her of. As Nan became more agitated, throwing questions at her sisters as well, Raven’s stomach became more and more nauseated.
“Sorry... I’m... oh, God... sick.” Raven got up and started to rush indoors to her room. She barely rounded the door into the bathroom before she was dry heaving over the toilet. She felt cool hands scraping her hair back and putting it in a bun to keep it from dipping into the vomity toilet water.
Finally, Raven just laid her head on the arm resting across the toilet seat. Breathing slowly, testing to see if she dared move.
Rowan tilted a glass of water by her mouth. “If you think you’re done vomiting, open your mouth a bit, and I’ll pour some water in. Just swish it around and spit.”
Doing as she was told, Raven was pleased to find her stomach much improved. It had to be a short-lived bug. She’d felt even more off the last couple of days. Hopefully, this was the end of it.
“Let River help you up, my love. We’ll get you tucked in bed. I’ve got a cool, wet cloth for your face.”
“I feel much better now. I’ve been off for a couple of days. I hope it’s over now.”
“Well, baby girl, it might be longer than a couple of days.”
