Her reflection looked back at her, skeptical.
"Oh, sod it," Annabelle muttered, and marched out the door before she could talk herself out of it.
RAVEN'S COTTAGE LOOKED exactly as it always did: warm light glowing through the windows, the faint sound of guitar drifting through the walls. Annabelle knocked firmly, her heart hammering in her chest.
A long pause.
Then footsteps.
The door opened, and there was Raven, looking guilty and scared and achingly beautiful in the soft evening light.
"Annabelle," Raven said, her voice carefully neutral. "Hey."
"Are we going to talk about it," Annabelle asked, her voice steadier than she felt, "or are you going to hide?" She’d been practicing that one sentence for the last hour. It was all she could get out. She couldn’t even smile, she was so focused on saying her one line.
Raven flinched. For a moment, Annabelle thought she might close the door. But then Raven stepped back, gesturing her inside.
"Come in."
Annabelle walked into the cottage, and Raven shut the door behind her.
The silence stretched between them, heavy and awkward. Raven shoved her hands into her pockets, looking anywhere but at Annabelle.
"I wasn't hiding," Raven said finally.
"You weren't?" Annabelle raised an eyebrow. "Because it's been two days, and I haven’t seen you."
"I needed time to think."
"About?"
"About this!" Raven's voice cracked slightly. "About us. About what the hell I'm doing."
Annabelle's chest tightened. "And what conclusion did you reach?"
Raven dragged a hand through her hair, her expression pained. "I don't know how to do this, Annabelle. I don't know how to do… this."
"Do what?"
"Whatever this might be. Is. Could be." Raven let out a frustrated breath. "I'm not good at this. I ruin things. I…"
"Stop," Annabelle said firmly. She stepped closer, close enough to see the exhaustion in Raven's eyes, the fear beneath the walls. "Stop talking about yourself like that."
"It's true."
"It's not." Annabelle reached out and took Raven's hand. "You're scared. That's okay. I'm scared too."
Raven looked down at their joined hands, her jaw tight. "What if I hurt you?"
"What if you don't?"
Raven's eyes snapped up to meet hers.
"We can take it slow," Annabelle said softly. "We can figure this out as we go. But I need you to actuallyshow up, Raven. I need you not to disappear every time things get complicated."
Raven swallowed hard. "I can try."
"That's all I'm asking."
