Page 60 of Never Let Go (Forbidden #1)

RAVEN

I’ve spent my whole life in the shadows, watching but never seen.

God, that makes me sound like a stalker but I swear I’m not.

I’m the quiet one, the bookworm, the girl with the red hair that got picked on all through high school.

And that’s okay, I never minded. I’ve always been at my happiest surrounded by books.

My best friend, Mia, would always laugh at me whenever she saw me with a book in my hand, wanting to know about the latest damsel in distress that was being saved by a knight in shiny armor.

As I got older, the knight I always pictured took on the face of James Smith, my dads' best friend. I’ve been in love with him for as long as I can remember.

What started out as an innocent child’s love for her ‘uncle,’ turned into a teenage crush which turned into a first love, except he never stopped being my first love.

“Can I grab a black coffee to go,” someone says, distracting me from my wayward thoughts.

Blinking, I shake my head and smile. “Sure, coming right up. ”

Busying myself with making a black coffee for the obviously rushed off their feet student, I shove all thoughts of James to the back of my mind.

Handing over the coffee, I say, “Have a great day,” but all I get in reply is a grunt. Fabulous.

Swiping a cloth from the back, I head over to the tables and start clearing them away, wiping away sticky fingers and spilt coffee.

I’ve worked at the Honey Pot since it opened on campus a couple weeks ago, after desperately needing something to get me out of my dorm room.

Felicity, my roommate, loves men, which means my dorm has a constant flow of people in and out seeing to, uh, Felicity’s… needs. If I could afford to be anywhere else, I would, but I can’t. So, instead I bust my ass waiting on people, study in the library, and sleep when I’m dead.

The door opens and the bell chimes, alerting me to a customer. I glance round and notice Mia stomping through.

“Hey, lovely,” I greet with a beaming smile.

Mia and I decided to go to the same university together, not being able to bear being away from one another. Mia and I met, like so many other kids, in kindergarten. We were lucky that our friendship withstood the drama of high school.

Mia gives me a hug as she says, “Hey, yourself.”

“Usual?” I ask, walking back to the counter and grabbing her a cup.

“You need to stop memorizing people’s orders, they’ll start thinking you’re stalking them,” she says with a wink.

“Some people are into that sort of thing,” I retort, passing Mia her drink. “I’m just going on my break, you wanna sit outside?”

Mia nods her head as she takes a sip of her coffee. “Yeah, I’d like to get the last of the rays before autumn really kicks in. ”

I hum in agreement, and we wander outside, placing our coffees down and getting comfortable on the white patio chairs.

The Honey Pot sits in an outbuilding on campus, having been freshly renovated over the summer, college kids having sent numerous complaints that they either had to get terrible coffee from the main cafeteria or they had to walk miles for the nearest Starbucks.

I sip on my coffee as I take in my surroundings, the warm sun beating down on my face, and the cool gentle breeze running through my hair.

Abingdon University is one of the top universities in the country and I was lucky to get a place here. As soon as I saw pictures of the old buildings covered with ivy, when I was ten, I knew I had to study here. That feeling hasn’t lessened in the two years that I’ve been here.

“Have you heard from your dad,” Mia asks, biting into a bagel that she snagged from behind the counter when I wasn’t looking—I’ll put the money back later.

I shake my head. “No, he’s been busy with work. Something about him and James ‘acquiring a new company,’ I glazed over when he started talking,” I chuckle. “I have my weekly phone call with him on Sunday though.”

Mia smirks around the rim of her cup as she asks, “How is the lovely James?”

I roll my eyes at her. “Stop it. You know I don’t see him much now.” I glance down at my lap before adding, “Not since that night anyway.”

“Hmm.”

I shift my eyes to look at my best friend. “What?”

“Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

Mia’s always found my… fascination with James to be of interest. I’m not sure how or why but she’s taken great delight in it .

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I joke, trying to change the subject as I gather the rubbish on the table and stand up, break time over.

“Unfortunately, I do. I have class. I’ll speak to you later though?”

I smile at her. “Of course.”

Mia heads to class and I get back to work, thoughts of James—as always—on my mind.