Page 41

CHAPTER 41

R aven was cautious as she listened to the rest of Jake’s story.

He was right; the explanation did sound crazy and dramatic.

If she didn’t know Jake better, she might think he was lying.

But he’d never shown himself to be a liar.

“Danielle asked if she could call me later, and I said yes. I wasn’t going to tell a dying woman she couldn’t. When I got back to Norfolk, she called. She had the craziest request.” Jake’s voice remained edged with an unreadable emotion. Regret? Tension? Grief?

She wasn’t sure.

Raven’s heart pounded in her ears as she waited with anticipation of where he was going with this.

“She said I was the only man she’d ever loved and all she’d wanted to do was to get married. She wanted to know what that was like and she didn’t want to die single.” Jake paused. “Then she asked me if I’d marry her.”

Raven’s eyes grew wider. “Really?”

“Really. I know how it sounds. I was going to tell her no. In fact, I didn’t answer her right away. I told her I needed to think. Then I ended the call. You were all I could think about. I didn’t want to be with Danielle. I wanted to be with you .”

She shifted on the floor. “So what happened?”

“Her best friend called me not long afterward and talked to me about what Danielle had said. She mentioned that Danielle always talked about me, always said how I was the one who got away. Talked about how she regretted our breakup and how different her life would be now if we’d stayed together.”

Her eyes widened. “So you did it? You married her?”

“I did. I couldn’t seem to say no. We actually got married the following week at her parents’ house.” He swallowed hard. “She died four months later.”

Raven shook her head, trying to comprehend what he’d just told her. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“I know it’s a lot, and I know it seems unbelievable.” He pulled his necklace from beneath his shirt and looked at the attached ring. “I regret hurting you. I knew I was blowing my chances with the most wonderful woman I’d ever met. But I didn’t want Danielle to die alone.”

“It sounds like she had friends and family, that she wouldn’t have died alone.”

“I . . . I owed her father one,” he said after a moment of hesitation. “When my dad kicked me out of the house at sixteen, Danielle’s dad took me in. He helped me find my way in the world. I wouldn’t be where I am if it hadn’t been for him.”

Raven didn’t say anything. But she remembered Jake talking about the man. Jake had felt a real sense of gratitude toward him.

“I promised if I could ever repay him, I would. So I did.” His voice cracked.

She continued to review what he said, reality trying to sink in. Of all the stories she’d conjured in her mind, this wasn’t one of them.

“After she died, why didn’t you come find me?”

“I didn’t think you’d ever forgive me.”

Would she have forgiven him back then? Raven wasn’t sure.

But more importantly, Raven knew she should forgive him now. That it was her duty, an act that would be beneficial to not just him but for herself as well.

Unfortunately, what she should do and what she did weren’t always the same.

Jake stared at Raven, waiting for however she would respond.

Finally, she cleared her throat. “Jake . . . I know you well enough to know you always want to do the noble thing. While I can’t say I approve of what you did, I guess I do understand it.”

Relief wanted to wash through him, but he didn’t let it. Not yet.

She had more to say.

“I just . . .” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I was so hurt when you ghosted me. It made me doubt every man I met afterward. I mean, if you’d let me down like that and you seemed like such a good guy, then all these other guys I met . . . who was to say they wouldn’t do the same?”

A pang ached in his heart, and he grabbed her hand. “I’m so sorry, Raven. Maybe it was cowardly of me not to call you. Honestly, I’d never expected to be in that position. I didn’t know what to do.”

“I guess you didn’t.” Raven’s eyebrows flickered up as if she was still trying to comprehend everything. Her mouth opened then closed as she contemplated her response.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he murmured.

“No, I want to.” She licked her lips. “I want to be mad. But the truth? I talk about having faith, but faith is only words until it’s put into action.”

“What are you getting at?” He really had no idea.

“It says in the Bible that all things work for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose,” she continued, her voice low with thought. “And I suppose if I truly do trust God, I have to believe that even moments like these will ultimately work for my good.”

A burst of joy spread in Jake—but then he drew it back, trying not to read too much into her words.

They still had more to talk about before they made any big decisions.

“Can I ask you a question?” Jake ventured.

“Okay.” Raven blinked up at him.

“Who is Kingston?”

“Kingston?” She paused then chuckled. “He’s someone I met on a dating app. I’ve been out with him a few times at my friend’s insistence.”

“Is he someone you care about?”

She shook her head. “No. Not really. I mean, out of all the possible dates I met online, he seemed like the best option. But I still didn’t feel that connection with him I was looking for. The connection I felt with you.”

Jake tried to hold back his hope. “So when he’s been texting you . . .”

“It’s simply because he’s persistent, not because I’m also interested.”

“You don’t know how happy that makes me.”

Their gazes met.

More than anything, he wanted to kiss her. To make up for lost time. To see if he still had a chance.

He started to lean toward Raven again. All he could hear was his heart pounding in his ears. His skin even felt electrified.

Especially when he saw the look in Raven’s eyes.

She wanted this just as much as he did.

He reached for her. Pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

Licked his lips.

Just as he closed his eyes, movement sounded outside the door.

Someone was here, he realized.

He straightened, his senses going on alert.

But was it someone here to help? Or to harm them?