I pulled up the chair beside him, hesitant to get too close. The idea of touching him made me feel… unworthy, like I'd failed him somehow by not being around to protect him. After a moment, though, I reached out and gently ruffled his hair, careful not to disturb him. "Hey, little buddy," I whispered, my voice barely a breath.
He didn't stir, and I sat back in the chair, feeling a strange mix of warmth and sadness. Part of me wanted to know more about his condition, but I knew asking Mom was pointless—she'd probably just dismiss me or give me a half-answer. And I hadn't seen the doctor yet, either, which left me with no real idea of what James had gone through.
I stood up, deciding to find a nurse who might be able to help. Just as I was about to step out of the room, I froze. Standing just outside the doorway, leaning casually against the wall, was my stepfather.
A shiver ran down my spine, and I tensed up instantly. He hadn't noticed me yet, but his presence was enough to make me want to turn around and hide.
"Raven," he drawled, finally catching sight of me. His voice was low, almost too friendly, and it made my skin crawl. "Didn't expect to see you here so early. Aren't you supposed to be at… school?"
I forced myself to keep my face neutral, swallowing back the tension and clawing at my throat. "It's Saturday," I replied curtly, crossing my arms in an attempt to shield myself. "And James is my brother. I had to see him."
"Right. So devoted," he said, a mocking smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'm sure your mother will be thrilled to know you're here."
"Is she?" I asked, looking past him, hoping he'd take the hint and leave.
"She's around." He shrugged, his gaze never leaving my face. "You know how she is—always busy with… things." He stepped a little closer, and I instinctively stepped back.
I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice steady. "I was actually going to look for a nurse. I want to talk to James's doctor."
He raised an eyebrow, looking almost amused. "Why? Are you a doctor now, Raven?"
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my cool. "I'm his sister. I just want to know how he's doing."
"Well, if you'd been around more, maybe you wouldn't have to ask." He tilted his head, his voice oozing with fake concern. "But you're here now, so that's something, I suppose."
The insinuation hit like a slap, and I felt the familiar burn of anger rising in my chest. "Don't pretend you care," I shot back, my voice low and sharp.
His grip tightened around my wrist, his dark brown eyes gleaming with that familiar, unnerving glint. "Oh, Raven," he murmured, the smirk tugging at his lips. "So hostile. Just like your mother."
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself not to react. He wanted to see me crack. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go find someone who actually cares about my brother's well-being," I said, trying to pull away.
But his hand tightened, yanking me back with a force that sent a chill through me. The gleam in his eyes shifted from amused to something darker. "Why are you grabbing my hand?" I managed, my voice barely steady.
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low whisper that felt like poison in my ear.
"Because you keep forgetting your place. I keep you nice and quiet, but you're always stepping out of line." His tone was slick, oozing control. "You know, I could have your mother drag you back to the house at any moment."
A sick wave of nausea rolled through me as his words sank in. "We're in a hospital, and my brother is in that room. For all I know, you're the reason he's lying there." My voice cracked, but I held his gaze. "If you try anything, I'll scream. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
He chuckled, an almost pitying sound. "Scream?" He glanced around, his face painted with feigned innocence. "Who would believe you, Raven? I'm just scolding my daughter, after all."
He leaned in even closer, and I felt his breath against my cheek.
"You'll never escape me, Raven. I'll keep you close, no matter what. You wouldn't want to hurt this family, would you?"
A shiver of dread ran through me as his words sunk deeper, the weight of his grip on my wrist suffocating. I didn't know how much longer I could keep my composure when every instinct told me to run, to scream. Just as I felt his hand start to pull me closer, a sudden grip yanked me backward, away from him.
"Well, if she's really your daughter, that kind of touching and those words are disturbing—and could land you in jail, mister."
The voice was steady, clear, and laced with controlled anger. I froze, my heart hammering as I turned, expecting to see Aiden, but the voice was unfamiliar.
Standing behind me, hand still protectively on my arm, was Elias. His light blue eyes flashed with a cold fury I hadn't seen before.
"Young man," William sneered. "Did no one ever teach you to mind your own business? This is a family matter."
Elias didn't flinch, his expression as hard as steel. "And did no one teach you not to touch a woman inappropriately—especially your own daughter?"
William's face twisted in a mixture of anger and indignation. "I can handle my so-called daughter however I see fit."
"Your 'so-called' daughter?" Elias's voice dropped, deadly calm.
"Whether she is or isn't, no decent man should let his… feelings… waver around her like that, you sick bastard."
Rage flared in William's eyes, and he lunged forward, his hand swinging toward Elias, but Elias sidestepped effortlessly. William stumbled, losing his balance, and fell hard onto the linoleum floor with a grunt.
Before William could even attempt to rise, Elias took my hand, his grip warm and steady, and guided me swiftly away. My heart pounded as I tried to process what had just happened. How much had Elias heard? Judging by his words, he'd understood a lot more than I'd realized. My thoughts were tangled, reeling with shock and confusion. I barely noticed that we'd moved to the stairwell—an emergency exit, the closest thing to privacy we could find.
Elias turned to face me, his hands still gently holding my arms.
"Raven. Hey," he said softly, his tone cutting through the haze in my mind. "Are you okay?"
I blinked, struggling to ground myself. "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," I said, trying to brush it off. "I… sorry about that. It was just… a dumb little exchange. I shouldn't have caused a stir. It's not that serious."
Elias's brows furrowed in concern. "Raven," he said, his voice firm but gentle, "nothing about what I just saw was 'stupid' or 'not serious.' What he said to you, the way he grabbed you—it was wrong. Has he… done things like this before?"
I swallowed hard, my gaze slipping to the floor. I didn't want to answer that. The memories were jagged, like shards of glass lodged in my chest, too painful to pull out but too deep to ignore.
Without a word, Elias took a step closer and wrapped his arms around me. It wasn't the kind of embrace that made me want to shrink away; instead, it felt safe, and warm—like a shield against the world. The strength in his arms, the steady beat of his heart, it broke something inside me.
I hadn't even realized I was crying until the tears started soaking into his shirt. The floodgates opened, and all the feelings I'd buried so deeply—the fear, the helplessness, the shame—came pouring out.
Elias murmured softly, stroking my hair as I cried, his hand moving gently in soothing circles. "It's okay, Raven. You don't have to say anything. I'm here. Just… let it out."
And so, I did.
I let myself sink into the warmth of Elias' arms, the weight of everything hitting me like a tidal wave. My body shook with the intensity of emotions I'd held back for so long—fear, shame, anger, and a twisted kind of relief.
He didn't say a word at first, just held me as if he knew that anything more might shatter me completely. And maybe he did. The silence between us wasn't empty; it was heavy, loaded with all the words I couldn't say.
After a while, I pulled back slightly, swiping at my face with trembling hands, embarrassed by my outburst. "I'm… sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "You shouldn't have had to see that."
Elias shook his head, his expression soft but fierce. "Don't apologize, Raven."
I tried to smile, but it came out brittle, breaking under the weight of everything I couldn't tell him. "It's… complicated," I murmured, my gaze dropping to the floor.
He tilted my chin up gently, forcing me to meet his eyes. "You don't have to explain anything to me, but just know… if you ever need someone, I'm here."
For a moment, I almost told him. But then the fear crept back—what if no one believed me? That my truth would only bring more pain. So I swallowed it down, offering a nod instead.
"Thanks, Elias. Really."
We stood there in silence for a moment longer, the sounds of the hospital distant, muffled by the walls around us. Finally, he broke the silence with a gentle nudge.
"You ready to get out of here for a bit? Maybe clear your head?"
I nodded, grateful for the escape. "Yeah. That sounds… perfect."
He led me down the stairs, careful to match my pace, his presence a quiet, steady reassurance. We slipped out of the hospital through a side exit, finding ourselves in the small, secluded courtyard from yesterday. The air was cool and crisp, a welcome relief from the stifling tension of the hospital.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the fresh scent of earth and greenery.
Elias leaned against a nearby bench, watching me with a thoughtful expression. "So… you good now?" he asked, his tone light but his eyes serious.
I shrugged, wrapping my arms around myself. "I don't know," I admitted. "I just… I feel like I'm trapped, like no matter what I do, I can't escape."
Elias' face tightened, his brows furrowing with concern. He stepped a little closer, his voice soft but insistent. "Raven, if he's hurting you… you need to report it. Put him in jail. He's assaulting you, right?"
I froze, the question hanging in the air like a weight I couldn't lift. I didn't know how to answer. I didn't even know if I could. My mind spun in confusion, the words felt like they were a thousand miles away from me.
"I… I don't…" I stammered, shaking my head, trying to push the thoughts away, to shut it all down. "It… it's not like that… I mean... I don't know... It wasn't... it wasn't really anything… not like… you're thinking."
Elias' expression softened, his voice dropping to a calm, reassuring tone. "I know it's hard to talk about. But I really can help you, Raven. You're not alone in this."
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "Why would you want to help me?" I whispered, a bitter laugh slipping past my lips. "I'm a stranger to you. We barely know each other."
His eyes didn't leave mine. "Yes, I'm a stranger. You don't owe me anything. But are you really going to live like this for the rest of your life? This... this exhaustion?" His words hit me like a cold wave. "It's draining, right? I can see it. I can feel it. I just want to help."
I shook my head again, more forcefully this time. "I won't live like this forever," I muttered, more to convince myself than him.
Elias took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with concern. "And how are you going to stop it, Raven? Are you just gonna keep going on like this, stuck in this nightmare forever?" His tone softened. "Don't tell me you're thinking of—" He trailed off, his voice thick with fear.
I didn't say anything. The words, "contemplating suicide," were too close to the surface. Too real. I couldn't bring myself to speak them aloud.
"Raven…" Elias said, his voice now almost a whisper. "At least let me try to help you before you make any decisions you can't take back. If my method doesn't work, if you still feel like this, then… you can do whatever you like. But at least let me help you."
The air between us was thick, my heart pounding in my chest, my breath shallow. I didn't know how to respond.
Before I could find the words, my phone buzzed in my pocket, cutting through the silence. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen. The name that popped up made my stomach twist.
"Aiden?" Elias said, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like your boyfriend is here."
I rolled my eyes at him, even though the words didn't come out as playful as I intended. "He's not," I muttered.
Elias chuckled, but his eyes softened with understanding.
"Excuse me," I said to him, already swiping to answer.
"Hi, Aiden," I said, my voice a little shakier than I wanted it to be.
The phone pressed against my ear, I listened as Aiden's voice filtered through, his tone soft with concern. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," I replied, taking a steadying breath. "It's just… seeing my brother like that… it's hard."
"I understand," he said gently. "I'm just around the corner. Want me to come get you?"
"Sure," I murmured. "Just text me when you're in the parking lot."
"Will do," he replied, and the call ended with a soft click.
I lowered the phone, letting the moment settle around me. Elias was sitting nearby, watching me with an intensity that made me feel seen in a way I wasn't used to. Gathering my thoughts, I walked over to him.
"I'll take your offer," I said finally, my voice quieter than I intended.
"I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing… but let's see where this goes, I guess."
A slow grin spread across his face, and he nodded, almost like he'd expected this. "Great. Hand over your phone."
I blinked, surprised. "Why?"
He chuckled, holding out his hand. "Don't you remember? We're strangers. I have no way to actually reach you, you know that, right?"
"Oh," I said, feeling a little foolish. "Right. My bad." I handed him my phone, and he quickly tapped in his number, sending himself a text before passing it back to me.
"There you go. Now you've got my number," he said, waving his phone. "And look, I even sent a text. Now we're officially acquaintances."
I looked down at the text notification and noticed the name he'd saved for me. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Why did you save my name as 'Pouty Princess'?"
He shrugged, grinning. "Because that's what I nicknamed you yesterday. Now it's sticking, for sure."
I found myself smiling, something I hadn't expected after everything that had happened. Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from Aiden, saying he was in the parking lot. I looked back up at Elias, who was watching me with a warm expression.
"Glad I could make you smile," he said, a playful gleam in his eyes.
"But too bad your chauffeur's here."
I rolled my eyes, tucking my phone away. "Elias, he's my friend, not my chauffeur."
He just shrugged, smirking as he stepped back. "Bye, princess. See you around."
"Bye," I replied, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and uncertainty as I turned to head toward the parking lot.