Raven flipped on her sunglasses and hugged herself as she walked out of the station. Why was this upsetting her? It was done. It was in the past. She hadn’t been raped. She had defended herself successfully against her attacker. And Bill was doing his job, ridding the streets of that scum.
So why did she feel so cold?
Coffee. That had to be it. She jogged across the street to the only Starbuck’s in town and sighed inside that there wasn’t a Dunkin Donuts around. “Grande pumpkin latte,” she rattled off as she dug in her pocket for her debit card.
“Raven?” the soft feminine voice behind her made her stiffen. She’d heard that voice last night.
“Hey Jessica,” she smiled as she turned. Her smile faded as she saw Jessica’s expression. “What?”
The ex’s eyes were heavy with concern. “Are you okay? Your whole aura… I mean you just feel… off. I’m sorry, I know that sounds weird. But… you’re giving off pain.”
Oh great. Not only was his ex still in town, she was a new ager. “Oh I’m fine,” Raven faked, grabbing her coffee. “Just haven’t had my coffee.”
She wasn’t buying it. “Can we sit?”
Well, in a public coffee house, she could at least walk out. “Sure.” Raven waited while Jessica ordered her Chai tea and they sat in the plush armchairs in a corner.
“I know Bill probably doesn’t like to talk about me much so I don’t know if he told you, but I’m a witch. Not a wart on the nose, fly on the broom. I’m a wiccan priestess.” She took a deep breath. “I can feel things. And right now, I feel like you had something happen that is scaring you more and more. Like… an attack.”
Raven froze. Mostly. Her hand holding her coffee began to shake. “Did he tell you?”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Heavens no! Bill and I don’t talk anymore.” She leaned forward, touching Raven’s knee and a flood of warmth spread over her. “If you need someone to talk, I know that it’s sometimes easier to talk to another woman.”
Her eyes welled up with tears. “I’m the strong one. I don’t let things get to me.”
Jessica set aside her tea and wrapped her in a hug, not speaking, just hugging her, letting this warm feeling spread, melting at the walls that Raven was trying so hard to keep up. After a few moments, Jessica pulled back. “Let’s go talk somewhere private.”
Raven nodded and wiped her eyes. “We can go to my place.”
~*~*~
Bill’s car was still there, but she knew he was at work and assured Jessica the same. The first course of action was agreeing that they wouldn’t talk about him. This helped put Raven at ease some. “Please have a seat,” she offered.
Jessica set her large purse down. “Actually, can we put on a kettle of water? I have something that will help you.”
Raven raised an eyebrow. “Pot?”
Jessica laughed. “No, I can assure you, you will pass a drug screening.”
Water on and comfortable seating found, Raven laid out the whole story of the attack, much like she had for Bill not so long ago. “But that was all. I move forward. I don’t need to get all girly. So I… well I almost got laid last night. Then this morning, when Bill said he caught the guy I… felt shock at first. Then I guess I actually felt scared.”
Jessica nodded. “It’s normal. It makes it more real when there’s a name attached to the face.”
She closed her eyes. “I ran it over in my head. What had I done to trigger him? So then I figured it was my costume. It was being revealing. So then when I went to the station, I made sure to look as unattractive as possible. Just in case I would have to see him again. In case I’d have to see those eyes.” She hugged herself again. “They made me feel like a thing, not a person.”
Jessica reached out and took Raven’s hand. “You need to tell Bill this. He’s a very caring man. And he will understand. I think that would be better than just blocking him out with everything else.”
Raven wiped at her eyes with her other hand. “I don’t want him to see me weak.”
“He’ll see you as a woman. Strong and sensitive at the same time. He has weak moments too, I’m sure. We all do. That’s what makes us human rather than some rock on the side of the road.”
“I think I pissed him off this morning.”
“Then apologize if you feel the need. But don’t turn away because of what that creep did last night. If you want Bill, let that be your focus.”
Raven chuckled. “I can’t believe you’re telling me to get with your ex.”
Jessica smiled. “He’s my ex. I have a soul mate and if I hadn’t have met Bill, I never would have met him. I’m fine with Bill moving on as I’m sure he’s fine with me moving on.” She kissed Raven’s forehead. “Let me make you that tea.”
So why did she feel so cold?
Coffee. That had to be it. She jogged across the street to the only Starbuck’s in town and sighed inside that there wasn’t a Dunkin Donuts around. “Grande pumpkin latte,” she rattled off as she dug in her pocket for her debit card.
“Raven?” the soft feminine voice behind her made her stiffen. She’d heard that voice last night.
“Hey Jessica,” she smiled as she turned. Her smile faded as she saw Jessica’s expression. “What?”
The ex’s eyes were heavy with concern. “Are you okay? Your whole aura… I mean you just feel… off. I’m sorry, I know that sounds weird. But… you’re giving off pain.”
Oh great. Not only was his ex still in town, she was a new ager. “Oh I’m fine,” Raven faked, grabbing her coffee. “Just haven’t had my coffee.”
She wasn’t buying it. “Can we sit?”
Well, in a public coffee house, she could at least walk out. “Sure.” Raven waited while Jessica ordered her Chai tea and they sat in the plush armchairs in a corner.
“I know Bill probably doesn’t like to talk about me much so I don’t know if he told you, but I’m a witch. Not a wart on the nose, fly on the broom. I’m a wiccan priestess.” She took a deep breath. “I can feel things. And right now, I feel like you had something happen that is scaring you more and more. Like… an attack.”
Raven froze. Mostly. Her hand holding her coffee began to shake. “Did he tell you?”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Heavens no! Bill and I don’t talk anymore.” She leaned forward, touching Raven’s knee and a flood of warmth spread over her. “If you need someone to talk, I know that it’s sometimes easier to talk to another woman.”
Her eyes welled up with tears. “I’m the strong one. I don’t let things get to me.”
Jessica set aside her tea and wrapped her in a hug, not speaking, just hugging her, letting this warm feeling spread, melting at the walls that Raven was trying so hard to keep up. After a few moments, Jessica pulled back. “Let’s go talk somewhere private.”
Raven nodded and wiped her eyes. “We can go to my place.”
~*~*~
Bill’s car was still there, but she knew he was at work and assured Jessica the same. The first course of action was agreeing that they wouldn’t talk about him. This helped put Raven at ease some. “Please have a seat,” she offered.
Jessica set her large purse down. “Actually, can we put on a kettle of water? I have something that will help you.”
Raven raised an eyebrow. “Pot?”
Jessica laughed. “No, I can assure you, you will pass a drug screening.”
Water on and comfortable seating found, Raven laid out the whole story of the attack, much like she had for Bill not so long ago. “But that was all. I move forward. I don’t need to get all girly. So I… well I almost got laid last night. Then this morning, when Bill said he caught the guy I… felt shock at first. Then I guess I actually felt scared.”
Jessica nodded. “It’s normal. It makes it more real when there’s a name attached to the face.”
She closed her eyes. “I ran it over in my head. What had I done to trigger him? So then I figured it was my costume. It was being revealing. So then when I went to the station, I made sure to look as unattractive as possible. Just in case I would have to see him again. In case I’d have to see those eyes.” She hugged herself again. “They made me feel like a thing, not a person.”
Jessica reached out and took Raven’s hand. “You need to tell Bill this. He’s a very caring man. And he will understand. I think that would be better than just blocking him out with everything else.”
Raven wiped at her eyes with her other hand. “I don’t want him to see me weak.”
“He’ll see you as a woman. Strong and sensitive at the same time. He has weak moments too, I’m sure. We all do. That’s what makes us human rather than some rock on the side of the road.”
“I think I pissed him off this morning.”
“Then apologize if you feel the need. But don’t turn away because of what that creep did last night. If you want Bill, let that be your focus.”
Raven chuckled. “I can’t believe you’re telling me to get with your ex.”
Jessica smiled. “He’s my ex. I have a soul mate and if I hadn’t have met Bill, I never would have met him. I’m fine with Bill moving on as I’m sure he’s fine with me moving on.” She kissed Raven’s forehead. “Let me make you that tea.”