Chapter Thirty-Two
Hades
“You can’t avoid me forever.” Falcon stood with his arms crossed over his chest, brows dipped in a dark scowl and his whole stance screamed, don’t fuck with me.
It was too fucking bad for my best friend that he was the least of my worries.
I took my time tearing my gaze from the grassy field where colorful flowers had popped up, and met his gaze.
“Not avoiding you,” I told him honestly before turning back to the field that eventually met the highway.
The truth was that I hadn’t thought much about Falcon since I watched Raven walk away from me without a backwards glance.
She wasn’t just pissed off, which was a damn shame because I could deal with her anger.
But hurt? I couldn’t deal with that. It gutted me completely.
“Bullshit.” He took a few steps forward and dropped down on the bench beside me with a heavy sigh, fixing his gaze on the cars zooming by in the distance. “I haven’t seen you since shit went down two fucking days ago, man.”
I nodded just to acknowledge his words. “I know, but I’m not avoiding you.
” I’d been camped out at the clubhouse for days just to catch a glimpse of Raven, but I haven’t spotted her once.
She hasn’t left her room, at least not as far as I could tell.
She was actively avoiding me, and I couldn’t fucking blame her.
“I have bigger things on my mind, I’m afraid. ”
He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Raven.” It wasn’t a question, but he wanted answers. He wasn’t owed answers, but he was my best friend, and I was involved with his sister. Sort of.
Hopefully still involved.
“Yeah,” I sighed after a long, tense pause. “Raven.”
Falcon turned his head to face me, but I kept watching the cars on the highway. “So what the fuck is going on between you and my baby sister?”
I could’ve lied, could have told him it was none of his goddamn business, but that would cause even more tension, and I had enough to deal with.
I decided to just give it to him the way we always did for each other, straight up.
“I love her.” I didn’t have to look to know those three words took all the steam out of his anger.
Several long ass minutes passed in silence.
Neither of us said anything because what was there to say in that moment?
This was the exact conversation I didn’t want to have, what I’d been avoiding and what had, ultimately, cost me a future with Raven.
“Fuck,” he finally settled on, blowing out a long breath and he shook his head as if that was the last thing he expected to hear. “You love her?”
I smiled. “Yeah.”
Falcon whistled low and shook his head again. “You sure? She’s a fucking handful.”
Another smile spread across my face, bigger than the last and eventually it turned into a grin. “I’m sure. Trust me, I thought long and hard about it, and the only conclusion left is that I fucking love her.”
“I want to be pissed at you, man. She’s my fucking sister.”
“I get it. I really do, but she’s also a grown ass woman.” A gorgeous, wounded, smart, feisty woman with a big heart.
“Don’t talk about my sister’s ass.” His brows furrowed almost comically, like she was a teenager who needed his protection.
I laughed, elbowing him in the side. “I’m serious, Falcon.
She’s been through a lot of shit, and she deserves to feel happy and loved.
” And I wanted to be the man who gave her all that and more.
“I always had a thing for her,” I admitted because it was time to come completely clean.
“I never acted on it because she was your sister. A pain in the ass. And plenty of other reasons.”
“And then she was convenient?”
I turned, glaring at my best friend like he’d lost his fucking mind.
“First off, nothing at all is fucking convenient about Raven. She’s not an easy woman to get to know, but she let me get to know her.
She showed me the vulnerable parts she doesn’t let anybody see.
” I found my smile as I met his gaze. “She’s all sharp wit and sarcasm on the top, but underneath?
She’s got layers and emotions and she’s more than just a smart mouth. ”
“Holy fuck.” He scrubbed both hands down his face and sighed. Then he scraped his hands up his face and sighed again. It was a lot to process, and I gave him time to do that. He raked both hands through his hair and shook his head. “You’re in love with my sister. Holy shit.”
“Yeah, I am. And I’m pretty sure I fucked it all up.” So badly that she hadn’t come out of her room for days.
His brows dipped and his anger returned. “What did you do?”
“I fucked up. I should’ve chosen her and I didn’t.
” It was so fucking stupid in hindsight.
“I told her I needed to talk to you first, to let you know what was happening before you found out another way. It was a matter of respect for our friendship, but she didn’t care.
It pissed her off, and she accused me of choosing you over her.
” My chest ached and a heavy sigh escaped.
“The last time I talked to her was the night I killed Viktor. She’s been avoiding me since then. Have you spoken to her?”
He shrugged. “She’s not responding to my calls or texts, and I’ve been too chickenshit to approach her.”
“Asshole,” I murmured. “She’s your sister, she has to forgive you.”
“Eventually, yeah. But that could be tomorrow or three years from now.”
I laughed. “Possibly even ten years.”
He punched my shoulder. “Don’t be a dick.”
“Hey boys, sorry to interrupt.” Macy didn’t sound sorry at all, in fact she sounded worried.
“What’s up, Mace?”
“I’m looking for Raven.” She wrung her hands and nibbled her bottom lip.
“Did you check her room?” Falcon asked, his tone dripped with annoyance.
“Obviously,” she said. “I checked in on her after breakfast. She needed some time alone after everything that happened, so I’ve been giving her space.
I went back just now to see if she wanted me to bring up some lunch and her room is empty.
Well, her belongings are gone. She didn’t have much, but what was there is now gone. ”
“She’s running away.” The words left my mouth before my brain fully processed them. I knew she was. I just fucking knew it.
Macy and Falcon stared at me like I’d lost my shit.
“She’s running. I knew this was a possibility, but I didn’t think she’d really do it, especially not now that Viktor’s dead.” And not without talking to me first.
Macy nodded. “She was talking weird the other day so…maybe?” There was more in her expression that she wasn’t saying, but whatever it was she kept it to herself. “Good luck, Hades. Just bring her home. Please.”
I damn well would bring her home.
No matter what it took.