Page 101 of The Grief We Hold

RAVEN

It’s still dark outside, and I’m half asleep, safely wrapped in Wraith’s arms when the phone rings.

“Who’s that?” Wraith mumbles, his breath warm against my neck.

I fumble around in the dark and turn the ringer off.

“Ignore it. It’s early,” I say sleepily. The sun isn’t even up yet, the apartment still cast in darkness. And I really don’t feel like talking to anyone. Fen is safe in his bedroom, which is all I need to know.

We ate here last night, enjoying Fen’s excitement with the new bedroom setup. Wraith told me that he’d thought about buying him a proper bed set, but that he figured he won’t need it for long.

Because he sees a path to where we might live with him before the fall because he felt the apartment would probably be freezing cold in winter. When he told me his plans to sell his home and buy somewhere we could have a fresh start, I tried to tell him he didn’t need to, but he reassured me he was ready to let go and move on.

I almost died of shock when he admitted I’d been right to insist he bring Fen and I back here. Marco would never have admitted that. Wraith explained how he didn’t want us to move too fast, given we both had a lot of adjusting to do and feelings to process. That what we have is too precious to rush. But he couldn’t stand the thought of me cramped up in this space without furniture to make it feel like a home, in between.

And when he was done explaining, he also shared that it was also a mercenary decision. He intends to stay over here.

A lot.

And that he isn’t spending the next however many months fucking in the bathroom.

So, we did that. We worked hard to make the place feel more like a home. Sectioning off the back corner of the space to make a separate room for me was such a good idea.

Wraith had also bought us some additional supplies. Extra towels, for one. A rug for where Fen sits and colors. An extra set of bedding covered in animals for Fen’s air mattress. And a curtain rail and drapes to help partition off where we are sleeping.

And while we worked, I told him about the visit I’d had from Margie. Apologizing and making sure I knew I was still very much wanted at the diner.

I wiggle even tighter back against him. “Sorry it woke you up.”

Wraith kisses the side of my neck. “Not a problem. Probably a spam call. Let’s go back to sleep.”

I’ve just closed my eyes when the phone rings again. The screen illuminating and casting a light into the dark.

“Urgh. One second.” I reach for it and see that it’s my husband.

Ex-husband.

“It’s Marco,” I whisper.

“Get it if you feel like you have to,” Wraith says.

“Marco, why are you still calling me?” I ask when I answer. “What do you want?”

“I’m desperate,” he says. But this time, the tone in his voice matches the words. “Please, Raven. Ineedthose things from the house. I’m begging you. It’s the only way I can get out of the mess I’m in. And I…”

Wraith sits up and switches on the small lamp he loaned me to put next to the bed.

“I can’t. And I wouldn’t even if I could.”

“You don’t owe that fucker shit,” Wraith says, rubbing circles on my back with his palm.

“Is there someone with you?” Marco practically barks.

“Obviously,” I say. There is no point pretending there isn’t. I’ll worry about what this revelation may do to my divorce proceedings in the morning. But my travel plans show I couldn’t have met Wraith until after I travelled here.

Which is well after Marco left me.

“You’ll go down with me, Raven.” His volume increases. “You owe me. I gave you and Fen everything. I?—”

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