Raven's voice had that same smooth, confident tone it always had, when she showed up at Lycia's door that night. The moonlight outlined her figure, making her look as sharp and as imposing as ever.
"Still living in this dump I see?" she sneered, her lips twisting into that smug, self-satisfied grin that made Lycia's blood boil every time she saw it.
Lycia's breath caught in her throat, and her chest tightened as a wave of resentment started to build up inside of her. It was like a sharp, jagged pain, and it felt impossible for her to ignore. The anger and frustration that had built up, lingered just beneath the surface, threatening to break free. There she was, Raven. The woman who had once held her heart with such tender ease, only to crush it as if it had never mattered. Raven had always been like that; elegant, untouchable, and effortlessly in control, as if she moved in a world above Lycia's understanding.
Lycia had spent years trying to claw her way out of Raven's dark and shadowy life, out of the gravity of someone who had shattered her yet still held the power to leave her unraveled. And now, just when Lycia thought she'd escaped, just when she was on the verge of building something new for herself, Raven appeared again, pulling her back into a life that she refused to be part of.
Raven's eyes wandered around the room, glancing at different corners of the room; the dim lighting, the worn-out curtains, and the shelves crowded with dusty books and trinkets from God knows where.
"Some things never change, do they?" she said, her tone laced with a mix of teasing and self-satisfied humor.
Lycia's hands balled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. She hated the way she felt right now, very small and powerless; but Raven had always been able to make her feel that way. She always had that kind of power over her, and Lycia feared she always would.
But just as the bitterness started to bubble over, it faded just as quickly, sinking beneath a heavy weight of guilt. It was sharp and painful, cutting into her like a wound she couldn't ignore, no matter how much she wanted to.
Jack's harsh and painful ragged cough echoed from the back room, cutting through her anger like a sudden crack in a wall holding back a flood. The sound shook her, snapping her back to reality. It hit her all at once; Jack was sick, growing weaker by the day, and no matter how much she wanted to, she still couldn't do anything to help him. She didn't have the money for a cure, and every day felt like another cruel reminder of her inability to save him. The weight of her helplessness crushed her, knowing that even if she could find a way, it was beyond her reach. The weight of it crushed her, leaving her feeling helpless and small.
Raven's smirk slipped for a second, replaced by a look that could have been sympathetic, or just maybe the satisfaction of knowing Lycia was trapped.
"I heard about your little problem with Jack," she said, her voice lower now, but still sharp, like a blade wrapped in velvet. "I could help you fix it. All you have to do is just trust me."
Lycia's stomach twisted at the words. Lycia couldn't trust Raven because of all the times Raven had betrayed her. She couldn't,not after everything Raven had done to her. She remembered all too clearly the nights Raven had slipped away, leaving her alone, picking up the pieces of promises that never meant anything. Raven had always promised her the world, just enough to keep her interested, just enough to make her hope for something better, something more. Raven would make promises, promising Lycia a better life, but then disappear without a word, leaving Lycia alone and hurt. She'd abandoned her when she needed her most, and those broken promises were always just enough to keep Lycia hopeful, but never enough to actually help. Lycia had learned the painful lesson that Raven couldn't be relied on, and every time she tried, she ended up hurt and left behind.
But Lycia had learned, the hard way, that it was all just lies.
"I'm not interested in your help," Lycia shunned Raven, the words sharp but shaky, as if she was trying to convince herself as much as Raven. She wanted to sound strong, like she had control, but the truth weighed heavily on her chest.
The pain of Jack's condition was like a heavy anchor pulling her down, making it hard to stand tall. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, and despite her best efforts, the tightness in her throat betrayed her.
"I don't need anything from you," she said, her voice breaking, the rawness of her feelings slipping through. It was a lie, a desperate lie she told herself to keep from falling apart. Because deep down, she knew she was alone, and no matter how much she pretended, she couldn't fix any of it.
Raven stepped closer, uninvited, her presence overwhelming as always. She was the kind of person who filled up a room just by existing in it, and Lycia couldn't escape that gravity.
"You do not have a choice," Raven said, her voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "You need me, Lycia. Just like old times."
Lycia stiffened, the words like a slap to her face.
Old times?
Those words, those memories, betrayals had been their constant companion. Raven hadn't just left her behind; she had used her, discarded her when it was convenient, and then appeared again, always with that same sweet smile, as though nothing had changed.
Lycia felt the bitterness rise in her chest, but Jack's harsh breath rattled through the air, and her anger crumbled beneath the weight of reality. She couldn't afford to hate Raven right now. She couldn't afford the luxury of pride.
"I'm not that person anymore," Lycia finally said. "You think you can just come back and pull me back into your world whenever you want, but I won't fall for it again." Her voice trembling with the weight of everything she had been through. She had changed, been broken and rebuilt, and now she wasn't the same. She was stronger in some ways, but weaker in others. It was hard to accept, but she could not deny it. That person was gone.
Raven's lips curved upward into that knowing, dangerous smile, and Lycia could see the play unfolding in her eyes.
"You think you have a choice," Raven snapped. "I am sorry but you don't. Not right now, not anymore. Jack is getting worse every day, and you being stubborn to accept help will definitely not do him any good"
Every instinct screamed at Lycia to push her away, to slam the door and pretend like Raven wasn't there, that she didn't still hold some kind of power over her. But the reality of their situation, the pain in Jack's lungs, the desperation clawing at her insides, was just too much for her to handle.
"Fine," Lycia said, her voice barely a whisper, eyes glistened with unshed tears, the weight of her emotions threatening to break through.
"But if you hurt me again, Raven," Lycia's voice shook, the words coming out like a desperate promise.
"I will never forgive you. I swear, I won't." Her chest tightened, and the weight of those words felt too heavy to carry. The anger was there, but it was mixed with so much hurt, hurt from everything Raven had done to her. She tried to sound strong, but deep down, she was terrified. Terrified of being hurt again, of trusting someone who had left her broken not just once, it was over and over, time and time again.
Raven's chuckle was soft, but it chilled Lycia to her core.
"You'll thank me when this is over," she said, her voice sweet, but there was an edge to it, something sinister.
"Just like old times." The words hung in the air, thick with the weight of memories Lycia tried to bury. She could almost hear the echo of those words from the past, feel the sting of the promises Raven had made, promises that always ended in betrayal. But this time, something inside her shifted. Something deep within her whispered that it would be different now. This wasn't just about her anymore, it was about Jack. And for him, Lycia would do whatever it took, even if it meant confronting the nightmare of trusting Raven again.
Lycia didn't want to admit it, but she knew Raven was right. She was already trapped.
Again.