Chapter 17
Everly
The hum of the engine is the only sound in the oppressive stillness of the car. Xavier’s stoic profile is illuminated faintly by the passing city lights, his face tight with anger. My fingers twist in my lap, anxiety gnawing at my stomach like a relentless creature.
Where is he taking me?
The night stretches endlessly outside, a vast black canvas dotted with occasional streetlights that flicker by like fireflies in the darkness.
As the car turns a corner, the Ravenwood bursts into view, its grandeur and lights a beacon in the gloomy night. The casino’s exterior gleams with opulence, inviting and intimidating all at once. My breath hitches as I sit up straight, confusion and trepidation swirling in my chest.
“Why are we here?” I ask.
Xavier’s gaze remains fixed out the window, his jaw set in a hard line. “Talon’s been gambling again,” he states, his voice devoid of emotion.
My heart thuds, each beat a heavy drum in my ears. I feel a chill run down my spine, as if the air itself has grown colder.
“But he promised... he said he’d stop,” I murmur, disbelief clawing at my words.
Xavier finally turns his head, his eyes meeting mine for just a moment before he returns his attention to the casino. In that fleeting glance, I see a flicker of understanding—or maybe just a reflection of my own turmoil.
“Did he?” Xavier asks. “It seems your brother has a hard time keeping his word.”
The car pulls up to the casino’s entrance, and Xavier’s chauffeur opens the door for us. As we step out, my thoughts collide in a chaotic storm. Why would Talon gamble again? Does he not understand the stakes? And what does this mean for me, for us?
Xavier’s hand rests on the small of my back, guiding me forward. His touch is firm, like he thinks I might run. The casino’s entrance looms before us, bright and inviting, yet I feel no allure. Instead, a dread settles in the pit of my stomach, heavy and unshakeable. Whatever lies ahead, I know it won’t be easy.
Xavier guides me through the cacophony of the Ravenwood. Conversation surrounds us, the occasional burst of laughter, and the rhythmic clink of glasses. Neon lights flash, casting a kaleidoscope of colors on the polished floor. The smell of champagne and cigar smoke makes me sick.
As we weave through the crowd, I notice how people turn to look at Xavier—some with admiration, others with fear. But he moves with purpose, his gaze fixed ahead, as though the murmurs and calls of his name are just background noise. My thoughts are a jumble, anxiety tightening my chest. I wanted to believe Talon had changed, that he’d finally found the strength to walk away from his vices. But here we are, back in the same nightmare.
The room seems to narrow as Xavier leads me to a familiar figure. My breath catches as I see Talon giving all his attention to a poker table. His eyes gleam with the same dangerous excitement I’ve seen too many times before. He’s laughing, throwing a chip onto the table with a confidence that makes my blood boil.
I pull away from Xavier, my feet moving on their own. Talon looks up, his smile faltering when he sees me. He just stares, the laughter dying on his lips. Then, like a switch has been flipped, his charm kicks in. He stands, his movements fluid, and saunters toward me with a smirk.
“Everly, what a surprise,” Talon says, his voice smooth, too smooth. He reaches for me, but I step back, my hands clenched into fists.
“You promised,” I say, my voice shaking. “You said you’d stop, that you’d get your life together.”
Talon shrugs, the gesture careless. “I did. I just... I needed a little extra cash, you know how it is.”
“A little extra?” I echo, disbelief sharpening my tone. “You’re gambling again, Talon. After everything, after all those times—”
“It’s just a game,” he interrupts, his tone light, dismissive. “Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”
“A game?” My laugh is harsh, tears stinging at the corners of my eyes. “You know what’s not a game? Xavier. The contract I signed. His rules, his world—they’re real. And you’re pushing me deeper into this mess with your lies.”
Talon’s smirk fades, his eyes narrowing. “You’re really that mad at me? After everything I’ve done for you?”
What is he even talking about? My confusion mixes with anger. “For me? You call this for me?”
He sighs, rolling his eyes. “You’re being dramatic. It’s just one game, Everly. I’ll pay it off, I swear.”
I shake my head, feeling a wave of despair wash over me. “There’s always just one more, isn’t there? One more game, one more bet, one more lie.”
Talon steps closer, his voice dropping. “You don’t understand. I’m on a streak. I can feel it. This is the one that’ll turn everything around.”
I look into his eyes and see the same boy I’ve always seen—charming, manipulative, and utterly under the influence of his own bullshit. My heart aches with the worry and frustration that I’ve carried for years.
“You’re going to destroy us, Talon,” I whisper, the words barely escaping.
He scoffs, turning away. “You’re overreacting, as always.”
I feel like I’m drowning in a sea of betrayal. Before I can respond, a low, commanding voice slices through the chaos.
“I think that’s enough, don’t you, Talon?” Xavier says, his tone smooth but laced with an undercurrent of menace that makes even the people nearby pause. He steps into the circle of tension, his green eyes locking onto Talon.
Talon’s smirk falters, and he takes a step back, though he tries to play it cool. “Ravenwood. Just having a little chat with my sister.”
“Save it,” Xavier cuts him off, his voice cold. “You see, Everly, your brother and I have had discussions before. Discussions you weren’t privy to.”
My stomach twists at the way he says it. I feel like a stone is dropping into my stomach. I turn to him, my eyes searching his face for answers.
“What are you talking about?” I demand, though my voice feels small compared to the casino’s noise.
“He knew,” Xavier says simply. “He knew when he ran up that debt, when he came to me for help, that you’d be the one to bail him out. He counted on it. Because he knows you, Everly. He knows how to play you.”
I feel the room tilt around me, the bright lights blurring at the edges of my vision. I look at Talon, really look at him, and for the first time, I see him—not the brother I’ve always tried to protect, but the boy who’s been using me all along.
“You knew,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “You knew I’d come for you, and you... you let me.”
Talon’s eyes dart between Xavier and me, his expression shifting from defiance to guilt and back again. But he doesn’t deny it. He can’t.
Because it’s true.
Xavier’s hand rests on the small of my back, a fleeting touch that grounds me in the storm of emotions tearing through me.
“This is the kind of person you've been fighting for,” he continues, his voice steady. “Someone who would willingly use you as a shield without thinking twice.”
I feel my heart shattering, so painful that I clutch my chest. It’s the truth that hurts the most. I see it now, plainly, the way Talon’s always played on my guilt, my love, my desire to save him. And I let him. I always let him.
But standing here, something inside me shifts. I see Talon not as my brother, but as a stranger. A stranger who’s been lying to me, using me, betraying me in the worst possible way.
And in that moment, I hate him.
Talon’s voice spikes, defensive and sharp, forming words I've heard before. But I don’t let him finish.
“No more, Talon. Just... no more.”
I turn on my heel, the world blurring as tears burn my eyes. I hear him call out, his voice piercing through the crowded room, but I don’t look back. If I do, I’ll see the same excuses, the same charm, the same lies. My heart clenches, a sharp, painful ache that threatens to double me over.
I weave through the swarm of people, my legs trembling beneath me. The noise of the casino fades into a distant roar. All I can hear is Talon’s voice, chasing after me.
“Everly, wait! I swear I’ll stop! I’ll fix this, I promise!”
I don’t believe him. I can’t afford to.
I push through the heavy doors of the casino, the cool night air slapping me in the face like a wake-up call. Tears stream down my cheeks, hot and relentless, and I angrily wipe them away with the back of my hand. My breath catches, a jagged sound that feels like it’s tearing my throat raw.
I start walking toward Xavier's car. The city is alive around me, but I feel disconnected from it all, like I’m living in a nightmare I can’t wake up from.
Talon’s footsteps echo behind me, closing in. “Everly, please! You’re being unreasonable! I said I’d stop!”
I spin around, blinking tears away. “Unreasonable? You think I’m the one being unreasonable? You’ve lied to me, Talon. Over and over and over. You’ve used me, manipulated me, and I’ve let you. But not anymore. This is it. This is the last time I clean up your mess. The last time I let you hurt me.”
His face twists. “You’re really going to walk away? Just like that?”
“Yes,” I say. “Just like that.”
I turn and keep walking, leaving him standing there. This is the last time Talon Fields breaks my heart. The last time I let him make me cry. The last time I clean up his mess.
Whatever happens next, I won’t be there to fix it.
* * *
I slam my bedroom door behind me and let my room swallow me whole. I collapse onto the bed, the plush pillows muffling my sobs. Tears gutter down my cheeks, soaking the silk pillowcase beneath me. My body shakes, each convulsion wringing out another wave of pain. The betrayal cuts so deep, it feels like I’m bleeding from the inside out.
The door creaks open. I don’t turn, don’t care who it is. I don’t want to be seen like this—broken, shattered, a mess. But the footsteps are light, and they don’t leave. Instead, they stop beside the bed.
I hear the soft rustle of fabric as someone sits down. A cool, steady presence, like the stillness after a storm. The mattress shifts under their weight but doesn’t dip much. Winter. Her scent is faint, crisp and clean.
“You don’t have to talk,” she says. “But I’m here if you need me.”
I don’t say anything. Can’t say anything. The words burn in my throat, tangled with tears and anger and sorrow. I bury my face deeper, hoping to disappear.
Winter shifts slightly. “I knew someone once,” she begins, her tone steady, like she’s recounting a story she’s told a thousand times before. “She was smart, ambitious, the kind of woman who believed in control, in order. She built an empire, piece by piece, brick by brick. She thought she was above it all, untouchable.”
I listen, barely breathing, as her words paint a picture in the dark of my mind.
“She lost it all. Not just the empire, not just the money—everything. Her pride, her confidence, her sense of self. She thought she was a warrior, but in the end, she was just broken. And she didn’t know how to be broken. She didn’t know how to ask for help, how to let go.”
Winter’s voice is calm, but there’s something beneath it, a quiet understanding, a shared pain.
“She learned, though. She had to. She learned that sometimes, the only way to survive is to let someone else hold you, even when it feels like you’re drowning. Even when it feels like you’re losing. I used to know her. I used to be her.”
She pauses, the silence stretching between us. I’m aware of her body, warm and steady, a quiet anchor in the storm.
“I know how it feels,” she says softly. “To be used, to be lied to, to have someone you love break you. I know what it’s like to think you’re alone in it, to think there’s no way out.”
I feel a sob well up, but it catches in my throat, heavy and aching. I don’t know what to say. I don’t have the words. So I just lay there, silent and shaking, while Winter sits beside me.
She doesn’t push me. Doesn’t try to fix it. She just sits. Like she understands that sometimes, the only thing you can do is be there. And for the first time in a long, long time, I feel a flicker of comfort in the darkness.
Winter’s hand settles on my back, her touch light but firm. She strokes me slowly, rhythmically, like she’s trying to tug the pain out of me with each pass. I cry until I’m raw, until my lungs ache and my body feels heavy, like it’s sinking into the mattress. Slowly, the sobs taper off, leaving behind a hollow, echoing silence.
When I finally quiet, Winter stops, her hand resting between my shoulder blades. I lay still, my head pressing into the pillow, the tears cooling on my cheeks.
“Xavier didn’t take you because he wanted to own you,” Winter says after taking a deep breath, her voice smooth, unemotional. “He took you because he wanted to free you.”
I frown, too exhausted to figure out what she's trying to say. “What are you talking about?” I mumble.
She hesitates. “Xavier knew about you before you ever set foot in this house.”
I twist onto my side, wiping my face with the heel of my hand. “What do you mean?”
Winter continues calmly. “He told us—in the beginning, before you came—he told us about Talon. About the debt. About the way he used you.”
My breath catches. “How did he know?”
“Because Xavier looks into everyone who comes into his world,” she says matter-of-factly. “He knew Talon was reckless, that he gambled beyond his means. He knew Talon would use you to save himself.”
I sit up slowly, my heart pounding in my chest. “So Xavier... he knew all along?”
“Yes.” Her voice is steady. “And he knew you didn’t have the money to cover the debt. But he also knew you’d try to pay it anyway.”
I feel a wave of nausea rise, the room spinning around me. “Why would he do that? Why would he set this up?”
“Because he wanted you to see the truth,” Winter says, her tone still calm, still measured. “He wanted you to realize what Talon is. He wanted you to be free of him.”
I laugh, the sound brittle and empty. “Free? You call this free?”
Winter’s gaze doesn’t waver. “You were never free, Everly. You were chained to Talon long before Xavier ever stepped into your life. Xavier just gave you a different kind of chain—one that could break the first.”
I sit in stunned silence. I think of all the times I’d bailed Talon out, all the times I’d lied for him, covered for him, sacrificed for him. I think of the way Xavier looked at me, the way he touched me, the way he pushed me. And I wonder—if everything Winter is saying is true, what does that mean? For Xavier? For me?
Winter stands. “He didn’t do it to hurt you,” she says before she turns to leave. “He did it to save you.”
The door closes behind her, and I’m left alone in the dark again.
Well, no, that's not true.
I'm here with too many thoughts to even keep track of.