Page 25 of Roses and Skulls

It’s fucking Draven.

Draven: Lanie left early for New York. I’m sorry about all that.

Raffe gets up to explore again, leaving me to work.

I decide to text him back.

Me: I don’t think you are.

I hit send, angrily.

Not waiting for him to respond, I put my phone away and finish the chime.

When I take the old one down by the playhouse and replace it with the one I just made, Raffe watches me with a curious expression on his handsome face. “Why do you hang them up here before selling them? Are you listening to make sure they sound right?” he asks, genuinely interested in my craft.

I flick one of the skeleton keys, sending it into another.None of them sound right,my phone tells him.

He looks at me even more confused. “It sounds fine to me.”

I shake my head. He wouldn’t understand. I start to walk away, and he jogs up beside me. “I guess artists don’t see the beauty of their own work sometimes,” he says, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. “Are you excited about the party Saturday?” he proceeds to ask as the warehouse comes into view.

I can hardly contain myself,I answer dryly, cringing at the thought of yet another party without grandpa. It’s not the same without him.Anyway, thanks for telling me the truth for once.

He winces. “Billie Rose, we just wanted to protect you. We weren’t trying to hurt you by keeping these kinds of things from you.”

I plop down on the wooden bench on the patio.I understand you not telling me when I was a child but I’m a grown ass adult, Raffe.

He runs his hand down his face. “I guess we forget how old you’re getting.

My uncle looks up at the stars as they start to blink on. He shakes his leg nervously. “What about you?”

What about me?

“Do you have any truths you need to share?” His gaze leaves the Heavens to focus on me.

The patio door slides open and my dad steps out.

I turn my head to face Raffe. Maybe I’m being hypocritical but honestly, it pisses me off that he’s calling me out.It’s been a long day. Goodnight, Uncle Raffe.I lean over and offer him a kiss on the cheek, his whiskers tickling my nose.

He sighs, placing his hand over his cheek. “I love you, Billie Rose.”

I dip my head and then make my escape. My dad’s eyes are like a hawk on me the whole time. He stops me as I slide past him.

“You good?” he asks.

While I might understand them better, I’m still angry. Right or wrong.Why wouldn’t I be? I mean, Dan and Raffe have both given me the best of news this week, yeah?I cross my arms across my chest, glaring at him.

He tries that scary expression to scold me for speaking to him like I just did, but it’s not going to work tonight.

“Well, I’d tell you these things myself if you ever spent more than two seconds of your time with me.”

Are you kidding me? You’re always up in my space. Just admit that you didn’t tell me about the bar, about this Crow asshole because you didn’t think I could handle it and you didn’t want to see your little princess cry.

He narrows his eyes. “Did you cry?”

I stomp my foot.Not the point.

“You’re right. I don’t like to see you cry. I didn’t want to tell you about the bar, and I sure as fuck never wanted you to hear the name Crow. But the real reason I asked them to talk to you is that you never seem to listen to your mom or I.”

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