Chapter Seven: What Just happened? 

 

I slowly turned to Raven. Her eyes were on the ground now, shoulders curled, face unreadable. This was not the woman who had just told me everything was fine. This was not someone safe.

And standing in front of me was a man who'd shown up like a storm. Something wasn't adding up. Not even close.

I didn't blink. My eyes stayed locked on Raven, silently begging her to give me something. A sign. A nod. A subtle reach for my hand. Anything that would tell me she wasn't okay and needed help.

The man claimed to be her husband, but that didn't explain her panic. That didn't explain the trembling hands and the way she shrunk behind me.

I held my breath. Waiting.

Then, like a switch being flipped, she moved. Before I could process it, Raven darted from behind me and rushed into the man's arms.

My mouth parted in shock. She melted into him as though she had just found air after drowning. He welcomed her with open arms, pulled her close, and kissed her. Not just a quick peck. A real, intentional kiss. One that had passion laced into it.

My eyes widened. Wait... what? This had to be a joke. An act. A cover-up. Maybe he threatened her somehow. Maybe she was pretending.

But then she let out a soft giggle. Not forced. Not strained. It was real. It came from somewhere deep.

I stood there, frozen. Watching them.

He whispered something into her ear and kissed her forehead gently. Then, slowly, he bent down and pressed a kiss to her belly. Raven giggled again and playfully tapped his shoulder.

They looked like a couple from a greeting card.

What in the actual—

She suddenly remembered I existed.

"Oh! Mia," she said, her voice high and flustered. "This is Kevin. My husband."

Kevin turned toward me, smiling. He extended his hand for a handshake.

"I've heard so much about you," he said. "Raven won't stop telling me stories about your childhood together. You're practically family."

I forced a smile and took his hand. His grip was firm. Too firm.

"That's sweet," I said, keeping my voice level. "Nice to meet you."

"We should do lunch sometime," Kevin added. "If you'll still be around. Raven's missed you terribly."

I gave a small nod, unsure how else to respond. The way his eyes lingered on me for a second longer than necessary unsettled me. Not enough to scream. Just enough to feel the chill down my spine.

Kevin helped Raven into the front seat. She was still smiling, brushing invisible crumbs off her dress and fixing her hair in the side mirror. She looked relaxed. Content. Like the past ten minutes hadn't just been drenched in tension.

Then Kevin turned to me again. Same smile. But his eyes looked different this time. Narrower.

"See you some other time," he said, like it was some inside joke only he understood.

I didn't respond. I just stood there as he rounded the car and got into the driver's seat.

I started walking toward the side where Raven sat. Maybe I could whisper something. Ask if she was sure.

But I barely made it two steps. The car zoomed off. I stared after it, speechless.

What the hell just happened? One minute she was scared, and the next, she was snuggled in his arms like he hung the stars. It didn't add up. None of it did.

I looked down at my hands, unsure what to do with them. Then it hit me.

"Her number!" I screamed out loud, startling a woman who passed by with a stroller. "I didn't take her number!"

A few heads turned. Some giggled. One man shook his head like I was just another student having a public meltdown.

I inhaled sharply and ran my fingers through my hair. Calm down, Mia. Tomorrow's another day. She said she was enrolling for her master's. She'll definitely be in school again. I'll see her.

And when I do, it's going to be the first thing on my list.

I turned back toward the direction of the campus, still stuck in my thoughts. Nothing about Raven's sudden shift made sense. And Kevin... there was something in his eyes. A strange coldness hidden behind the warm smile.

I wrapped my arms around myself as a breeze swept past. The sun was almost gone now, slipping behind the clouds in burnt orange streaks.

The road ahead looked quieter than before, like it knew something I didn't.

I started walking again, one foot after the other. But my mind wasn't moving forward. It was replaying everything.

Her fear. Her switch. His touch. That handshake. And the look in his eyes.

Something wasn't right. And I was going to find out what.