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She's quiet for what feels like an eternity. I don't move away from her. It feels like I want her to trust me more than I've wanted anything in my life.
"Okay," she finally says.
"Okay?" I ask, not sure I believe what she's saying.
"Okay," she repeats.
She turns around and walks to the car. She stands at the door and looks at me.
I grab the trash and throw it into the bin next to us. I run to the car and unlock the door. Butterflies like I've never felt before are flapping around in my stomach.
I have absolutely no clue what is going on as I start up the engine. I just know that this girl has a secret and she's about to share it with me.
She could have chosen any other schmuck to help her. Hell, she was looking for Consty when I ran into her. Instead, she's choosing me.
"Where are we going?" I ask her as I pull away from the soccer field.
"I'll direct you," she says. Her voice is firmer and more confident now. In some ways she feels like a different person than the meek little girl at the gate from just a few hours ago.
We both stay quiet for the rest of the drive. She has me weave in and out of neighborhoods until we finally end up on a back road behind what appears to be a gated community.
"Park here," she says, pointing to the side of the road.
"What exactly are we doing?" I ask her. It's not that I'm nervous. Far from it. I'm more excited than I've ever been in my life. I'm just interested in what I'm about to walk into.
"You're about to see who I really am," she says.
"Are we breaking into someone's house?" I ask as I park the car.
She opens the door and looks up at the hill in front of us. I do the same, curious as to what we're about to do.
"Not really," she says. She starts climbing the dusty hill in front of us, holding onto tree branches as she goes. I watch her for about a minute before I start to follow. Now I understand why her feet are so cut up and her clothes are so filthy.
After about ten minutes we're scaling a fence and are in someone's backyard.
"Shouldn't we be doing this after dark?" I ask her, starting to wonder whether we might get caught.
"No need," she replies. "No one's home." She pauses. "Well, sort of."
At this point I'm completely consumed by this girl. She's got me on edge in a way I've never been before. And I've edged myself for a full blown hour before.
Raven approaches the back door and opens it. I'm standing next to her, but she doesn't take a step inside.
"What's the matter?" I ask her.
That's when I look down and see that she's trembling. I reach out for her hand and thread my fingers through hers.
"Is this your house?" I ask her.
"Yes," she says.
"Did something bad happen here?" I ask her.
"Yes," she says.
I squeeze her hand.
"I told you I would help you. I told you I wanted to know you. To understand you. I still mean that."
