Page 47 of Claimed
“I love it,” I cut him off. And I do. It’s probably the most thoughtful gift he’s ever given me, but somehow this feeling of emptiness overpowers my every emotion. I hug him, wrap my arms around him tightly, not just in thanks but to hide my joy-free face from him. His fingers dig into my back from how close he’s holding me. I stare at the wall, unaffected, uncaring, and unwilling to be any different.
“I’m not letting you go, Raven. We’re gonna fill up a hell of a lot more bracelets with all the memories we’re going to make.”
Memories. That’s the problem. I don’t know if I want to remember or forget. How can I make new ones when I’m stuck in limbo? How is it fair to Gage to keep him there with me? It’s not. I won’t do it anymore.
I need to set him free.
***Gage***
It’s Christmas Day. Everyone around me is enjoying themselves. There’s good food, liquor, friends, family, music, gifts…everything you could ask for on a day like this. My woman is snuggled under my arm. I have all I need, yet I’m not happy. I can’t be, not when Raven isn’t. She barely ate and hasn’t spoken much to anyone, except for Mikey when she played with him for a while. She’s sitting here fiddling with the charms on her bracelet. I thought it would have made her happy. Women like that kind of shit, don’t they? I have one more gift for her and if that doesn’t even get a smile out of her, I don’t know what else to do. I catch Motor’s attention and give him the signal to get ready.
“Raven.”
“Hmm?”
“I have something to show you.”
Sitting up, she observes me, biting into her bottom lip. She slips her hand into mine and we make our way toward the exit. I stop just long enough to get her into a jacket, then take her outside.
“Where are we going?” she inquires.
“Just out here. Close your eyes.”
She throws me a cautious glance then obeys. I move behind her, covering her eyes with my hand until Motor brings her gift to the front. When everything is in place, I remove my hand.
“Okay. You can open them.”
She doesn’t speak or move. I step to the side to make sure her eyes are open, and she’s staring at her gift the same way she’s looked at everything the last few weeks – as if she’s looking right through it.
“Do you like it?” I ask.
“It’s…it’s a car.”
“It’syourcar.” I take her hand and pull her closer to it. “Come on.”
I’ve had the guys working on it for a while now. She’s always loved the Mustang so I got her one identical to mine, customized for her. Of course, it’s blue. On the hood, there’s a decal of a Raven perched on a skull. Okay, so there’s a piece of me in that. She’smywoman, after all. It’s also fitted with blue neon underbody and wheel lights. I left the interior intact because I figured she’d want to set that up her way.
“Well? What do you think?”
“It’s pretty.”
“Pretty? No, baby doll. It’s badass, just like you.” She still makes no move toward it, so I grab the key from Motor and hand it to her. “Let’s take it for a ride.”
I open her door and she climbs in slowly. It takes her a while, but she finally gets the car moving. She’s driving like a Driver’s Ed student, but I keep my thoughts to myself. The streets are deserted, so at least we don’t have to deal with impatient assholes. The car accelerates and I think she’s finally getting into enjoying it, but she just keeps speeding up. The road’s a little icy, so I’m getting concerned.
“Raven?”
She doesn’t answer. She’s staring straight ahead, and I watch as the needle on the speedometer climbs until it passes one-twenty.
“Raven!”
***Raven***
I hear Gage calling my name. Vaguely. All I can think is that I can’t do this anymore. I need it to end. I unbuckle my seatbelt and press down on the accelerator, watching as the vehicle eats up the road. Gage’s voice comes to me as if in a dream, asking what I’m doing. It has to be a dream because he’s not here. Once I do this, he’ll be free to move on, to be with someone who doesn’t have the emotional baggage I do. Yes, this is what I need to do. We’ll both be free. I close my eyes and release the steering wheel, embracing my fate.Yes. This is it.
I feel a weight on my chest and get ready for the pain I know is coming. Instead, the tires screech and the car swerves then slides to a stop. All the time, the weight on my chest is unwavering. I open my eyes and see it’s a hand. A hand keeping me pinned to my seat. I turn my head to the right and Gage is sitting there, breathing like a dragon.
“What the fuck was that?” he demands. “Get out!”
