Raven had known all this?And she never said a word?My eyes locked on her, but I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know how.Abortion?Was that what she meant? That he forced them to…?End pregnancies?Multiple?I pressed my hand to my mouth, bile rising to the surface. My vision blurred. My stomach twisted.And Raven… had just been walking around with that kind of horror inside her?How many had there been? How many girls? How many dreams torn apart, how many bodies trembling in silence? How many sat alone, bleeding and terrified, while Noah walked free like nothing ever happened?I thought I knew the worst of him.I didn’t.This—this was something darker.Something rotten at the core. This wasn’t just reckless. It was vile. Cruel. Unforgivable.I turned to Noah, my throat dry, my voice hoarse. But the words came, loaded with fury.“You’re a demon.”His head lifted slightly. Just a twitch.That was all I got.No remorse. No shock. No denial.Just silence.I stepped forward, heat rushing up m
“No, it’s not!” I spun toward her. “I know he’s your brother, Raven. Your blood. Your family. You’re used to fixing his messes. But I’m not. I have a sibling too. Bella and I—we protect each other. We’ve never been burdens to one another. So why am I stuck being one for a complete stranger?”Raven’s voice cracked. “Enough, Mia. This isn’t helping anyone. And for the record—Noah isn’t a stranger. You know him.”I laughed. But there was no humor in it.I turned to Noah, fire dancing in my chest.“No, I don’t,” I whispered. “Not really. Not where it counts.”I stepped forward until we were almost face to face.“He’s a stranger to me. And he always will be.”The silence that followed wasn’t peaceful.It was loaded.Heavy with things unsaid.And a storm that hadn’t even begun yet...Began.The silence between us cracked—split wide open by Raven’s voice. It wasn’t loud, but every word struck like a slap.“Maybe you’re right, Mia.”I blinked. My anger had been volcanic, but her tone? It was
Noah looked up sharply. “Raven, wait—”“There’s no point hiding,” she cut in. “If we’re innocent, then let them see it.”Her voice cracked on the last word.She moved toward the door, each step slow, like she was walking through mud. The closer she got, the heavier the room felt.The knock didn’t come again.Whoever it was… they were waiting.She reached for the knob.My breath caught.Her hand hovered over it for a heartbeat. Then another.And then—she turned it.The door opened with a groan.And all I could think was—Please. Let it not be the end of everything.My breath hitched as the door creaked open.A faint scent of cigarette smoke drifted in—brief, sharp—before the figure stepped into view.We both leaned forward—Noah and I—our bodies instinctively drawn toward whatever was about to shatter our fragile calm, hearts thrumming like war drums.It wasn’t a uniformed officer or some grim-faced investigator.It was a young man.About twenty-eight. Dark skin with warm undertones. Ne
"What do you think people will say happened?”That was the last thing Noah said.And we were still trying. Still piecing together what he already seemed to know. The silence between us wasn’t just silence anymore—it was weight. A pressure. Like sitting underwater and realizing you’re running out of breath.Raven, Noah, and I sat frozen in the living room. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Our thoughts spiraled in all directions, tangling up in anxiety, fear, and every ugly emotion that refused to be named.It was about 2:45 p.m.The sky outside was overcast, but it wasn’t raining. The kind of weather that matched the stillness of death—clouds pressed down like a blanket of cement, and even the birds seemed to have lost their voices. Inside, the air was stale. Thick with silence. It felt like the entire house was holding its breath, waiting for something to snap.This was not how I envisioned my Saturday.I had plans. Normal ones. Grocery runs. Maybe laundry. Some reading. A moment to breath
I turned fully to him, pulse thudding in my neck, words scrambling to come out with meaning.“Have you even checked properly? Like—really checked? Gone back to her apartment again? What if she just… needed space? Maybe visited someone—family, a friend, anywhere outside town?” My voice cracked. “She’s probably around somewhere. Just... lying low.”But Noah just stared.Stared like he was watching someone try to hold water in their bare hands.“I wish that was the case,” he said, quieter now. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes your bones ache.Then his tone shifted. Heavy. Flat. Like something dragging through gravel.“After I saw the video, I went back to her apartment to check. Thought maybe she’d returned or… I don’t know… left a clue behind. I waited outside. Just waited.”His voice dropped a little more.“I stayed outside her door. All night. Till 4 a.m.”The silence that followed was suffocating.Not a single sound dared to interrupt it.“No sign of her,” he added, voice roug
“Mia.”Raven’s voice cut through the tension like a blade—firm, urgent, unmissable.I blinked, my breath catching. The air between Noah and me shifted instantly, like the spell had cracked.Raya.The video. The questions.I’d almost forgotten why we were standing here in the first place.I stuttered, trying to gather my thoughts, to claw my way back to reason. I stepped away from him, heart in my throat, fingers curling by my sides like they could steady me.“Y-Yes. Raya,” I mumbled, blinking hard, throat tight, heart pounding like it was begging me to run. “She was here. Like I said. Nothing happened after that. She just… left.” I stammered, reaching for composure.But the words sounded weak—like tissue against wind.Noah stepped forward again.I moved back instantly.He didn’t stop. He kept coming—slow, sure, lethal.“You think I’m stupid?” His voice had sharpened to glass. “You expect me to believe she walked in here, and you said nothing that made her disappear?”I shook my head,