“Listen, I know your granddaughters know everything that’s been going on here in Oklahoma. James O’Connor’s sister, Josephine, promised to tell them everything. And I assume they would tell you.” He hesitated, probably not sure how much Raven would have told her grandma.
“Did Raven tell you about... the pictures... and... all of that?”
“She did.”
“I know now that they were faked.”
Nan didn’t speak.
“Bébhinn, did you hear me?”
“I did, Mr. O’Faolain. Miss O’Connor let Raven know that the reports were confirmed. We, of course, didn’t need the reportsto know. Is there anything else? I’m quite busy.” Cool. As. A. Cucumber.
River whispered. “Nan is a badass.”
She could tell by his pause that Bran was thrown by her grandma’s attitude. She was giving him none of her usual warmth.
“Please, Bébhinn, hear what I’m saying. There is someone, still walking free, that followed first James’ girlfriend and then mine and took pictures of them. The pictures were altered, yes, but they were real pictures of Jane and Raven. I’ve been trying to call you for two weeks!”
“I broke my phone screen and had to get it repaired.”
She wasn’t lying. Before they boarded the Funicular last week, she’d dropped it face down, and it shattered the screen. Thankfully, Lugano had a repair shop that carried iPhone screens. She had just gotten it back yesterday.
“Jo said you were fine but wouldn’t tell me anything else. I thought... I assumed you didn’t want to speak to me. And I wouldn’t blame you after what I did,” he rushed to add.
“Had I had my phone, I would have taken your call. I am not known for being purposefully cruel.”
Raven and both her sisters flinched. Nan had been holding back on her anger, it seemed.
“I deserve that... Mrs. Byrne. I hurt Raven. On purpose. I thought she had lied about her feelings. I have done nothing in my life as wrong, as brutal, and grievously spiteful as what I did that night. I will never be that man again. I threw the best thing in my life away, and I have suffered every moment of every day for the past two months.”
Nan finally spoke. “I appreciate your remorse, Bran, I do, but I don’t think you have even an inkling of the pain and suffering my granddaughter endured because of your words.”
They could all hear that Bran was crying. Oh, God. She pictured him scrubbing his hands through his hair, making it stand up at weird angles.
“Steady,” Rowan whispered.
“No rash decisions. It isn’t just about you anymore.”
The baby.
Voice hoarse and croaking, Bran tried to respond.
“I would give anything to change that night,” he whispered.
Even Nan’s stoic face showed some cracks of sympathy.
“Can you please, Mrs. Byrne, I’m begging, ask Raven if I might be able to see her? Or talk on the phone? Or text even? Or... even tell me where she is. I give you my word. I won’t follow her. I... need to know... Not knowing even where she is sleeping at night is killing me.”
Nan sighed. “She’s been out of your country these past two months, and no, not Ireland. Her sisters are with her. She is loved.”
“Would you ask her to let me speak to her? Please.”
“And I am asking you to give her a couple of months. She has a lot of healing left to do. She is also aware that it took James coming forward only two weeks ago to make you consider she might not have been capable of what you accused her of.
“She’s glad, we’re all glad, that her name was exonerated, but the truth is, if James hadn’t sent the photos off, would you be asking to see her now? These are the thoughts that Raven needs to consider and how they make her feel. How she feels about you.
“Give her two more months. She has told me that she’ll let you know one way or another. I am asking you to respect her wishes, Bran. And don’t think I don’t understand that there is a person out there wanting to hurt your family and the O’Connors, that he was the catalyst of this mess, butyouare the one who didn’t allow her any defense.”
