A Second Glance

16

When Raven made it home, Lorelei was still in tears, and sitting on her bed. She hadn't eaten dinner, and refused to.

"Lorelei, what's bothering you?" Papa Colt had told him to give her some space, but he thought that he'd given her enough by the time it hit one in the morning and she still wasn't sleeping.

Raven switched on the lamp, and looked as those sad, brown eyes fluttered towards him, "it's nothing," she rubbed the palms of her hands over her face.

"It's something. What can I do to help?" Raven sat down beside her, and placed his hand on her shoulder blade.

"Nothing's the matter, Raven. I'm just not feeling well."

Raven pressed his hand against her forehead, then looked at the spot on her neck where that bruise was. Everything seemed fine. She didn't have a fever, her skin seemed unharmed, and her body wasn't shaking. Something had to be bothering her mentally to make her seem so down.

"Would you like me to hold you?" She turned to him, wondering why he seemed so sincere. Weren't all men after only one thing—to bed a woman?

"Yes, please," Raven slid his arm across her shoulder and positioned her head against his chest. He'd already taken a bath for the night, and resided in his pajamas.

"No matter what it is, I'm here," he assured, and placed a kiss on top of her head.

Lorelei sighed, "you're like the big brother I never had," she felt that flutter again. But it wasn't attraction. It was something else—comfort maybe. She'd never felt drawn to a man, not even Raven, but he did make her feel safe, and wanted.

Raven heard the front door opening, and wondered if it was his father. Getting up to check, he noticed Savannah sneaking in.

"You're out late," her eyes widened as she saw him. Placing her hand against her chest, she dropped her shoes to the floor.

"I know. Can I sleep over?" Raven shrugged, as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Leaning her forehead against his shoulder, a tear escaped her eye.

"You okay?" He asked, realizing how tense she was. He soothed her by rubbing his hand up and down her back.

"I think I need a long bath," Savannah pulled away, and headed into the bathroom. Stripping off her clothes, she didn't even bother to close the door.

"Everything okay?" Lorelei walked out of her bedroom, rubbing her eyes with her thumbs.

"Savannah's here," he headed into the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the shelf.

"I'll head to bed," Lorelei realized that they might have wanted some privacy.

"No worries. She's just having one of those days again," Raven grabbed three glasses and placed everything onto the dining table.

"What do you mean?" Raven shrugged and took a seat, resting his elbows on the surface of the table.

"Boy trouble, I assume," Lorelei blinked a few times, knowing that her eyes were still red from all the crying.

"Raven!" Savannah called for him, and he got up.

"You beckoned?" He popped his head into the bathroom to find her soaking in the tub.

"Where's Lory?" Raven sighed and called Lorelei over with the gesture of his index finger, "there you are, can you two keep me company?"

Raven leaned against the doorframe, and Lorelei stood beside the sink uncomfortably.

"It's late, you know," Raven crossed his arms over his chest.

"You two were up anyway," Savannah placed her hand against her lips, "daddy thinks that it's time for me to marry."

"He's been thinking that for the past five years—"

"He's really serious now."

Savannah had been engaged once before, to a man named Davis Holland. He was handsome, intelligent, and excruciatingly rich. But regardless of all of those things, Savannah couldn't stand the thought of spending the rest of her life with him. As for Victor, he made her feel everything that she wanted in a man, except she wouldn't let him touch her. And that's where the issues between them arose.

Savannah would say that she loved him, but like any other girl in town, she wanted to save herself for marriage. But Victor was already married, and had two small kids to prove that he wasn't as innocent as he perceived himself to be.

"And Victor?" The redhead sighed. She looked at Lorelei's neatly combed blonde hair, and admired how it draped over her slender shoulders. I wish I had hair like that.

"He wants to unpluck me, and I'm considering it," they'd been seeing each other for the past two months. And even though everyone in town thought that she'd already been deflowered long ago, it was quite untrue. She'd barely even let a man touch her upper thigh, much less anything else.

"Unpluck?" Raven placed his hand over his mouth to hold in a giggle.

"Yes, Raven. He wants to have sex with me," Savannah slid her hand from her face onto her chest, and inhaled a breath. She glanced between Raven and Lorelei, wondering what they'd been up to.

"What are you going to do?" Lorelei pressed her lips together, and looked down at her feet. She always did that when she felt either intimidated or uncomfortable.

"I don't know. It's something I'm considering, but—" a tear managed to escape her right eye, "maybe I just can't."

Savannah closed her eyes. I'm too chicken shit for love.

"Why don't you try dating someone who is available?" Raven suggested. He was in no place to be critical, since he'd bedded a few married women in the past. It wasn't something that he was proud of, and the only soul that knew all of his dirty, little secrets, was the redhead in front of him.

"Why don't you?" Savannah quirked a brow, making Raven's cheeks heat up.

"Touché," he sighed and leaned his head back. Lorelei's brows furrowed, and she just wanted to go to bed.

"Mama wants you at Sunday dinner. You haven't come in a while."

"You know why I don't anymore," Savannah laughed.

"Is it so repulsing to deal with my little sister? I mean, she loves you alot more than most of the girls your heart flutters for," Raven almost cringed.

"She's not even sixteen!" Raven placed his hand against his chest and huffed. Savannah's twelve year old sister was more forthcoming than anyone else when it came to her feelings for him. And it made him feel sick to his stomach most times.

"Like that really matters. I've had cousins married younger than her," Savannah lifted her leg up, the smoothness of her thighs catching Lorelei's attention.

Lorelei gulped and placed her right palm over her eyes.

"And that's gross."

"You're last relationship was gross," Savannah scoffed and twisted her lips, "she has the worst hair that I've ever seen in town."

"She doesn't!" Raven defended. He didn't know why he was defending Jasmine, especially after she broke his heart.

"That whore," Savannah shook her head, "she and whatever his name is got engaged or something, right?"

Raven sulked. Jasmine's wedding was due within two weeks, and she had the audacity to send an invitation to Papa Colt.

"Didn't take him long to get down on one knee, did it?" Savannah looked at her best friend with worry in her eyes. She knew that Raven loved that girl, more than he'd loved anyone else.

"I guess not. They're the biggest gossip through town right now. Not even the new guests at the Pensions house can beat the blabber about those too," Lorelei's cheeks heated up.

"I don't want to talk about it, Savannah," Raven placed his hands on top of his head and began to pace back and forth. He became unnecessarily stressed, and all for the sake of a woman who didn't deserve him.

"You'll find better," Savannah assured as she looked at Lorelei, "who knows, miss right might be standing right next to you," she grinned, as Lorelei's eyes widened. Raven looked at his friend with narrowed eyes, wondering why she always had to make Lorelei uncomfortable.

"I'm off to bed," Lorelei darted out of the bathroom, and headed straight for the kitchen. She needed some water before she attempted to get some shut eye.

"See what you did," Raven felt embarrassed. The last thing that he wanted was for Lorelei to know that he liked her. Even though his admiration wasn't confirmed, it still struck the thought inside of her mind that everything that he was doing was with a motive.

"She likes you too, I'd assume. Did you see that blush on her face?" Lorelei sighed and sat on her bed. Lifting her legs up onto the mattress, she leaned back and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. The dimness of the lamp was still on, and she could see the faint shadow of her toes wiggling.

"No," Raven rubbed his temples, "you've just made her uncomfortable. Can't you keep your mouth shut for once in your life?"

Savannah lifted her body out of the tub, and stretched for the towel. Raven huffed out a breath and retrieved it for her. Handing the towel to the woman, Raven tried to ignore the nudity as much as possible. Savannah never found it odd to be naked in front of her male best friend. They'd seen each other in such moments since they were toddlers. It didn't matter back then, and it certainly didn't at that moment.

But Raven was indeed a man. And he couldn't deny that Savannah was as beautiful as the women came in the town and anywhere else that he'd known of.

"Pervert," she teased, as she wrapped the towel around her body. Poking his shoulder, she headed out of the bathroom, and towards Lorelei's bedroom. Raven took a moment to get his thoughts in order, before he headed onto the balcony for a late night smoke, "can't sleep?"

Savannah looked at Lorelei's body stretched out on the bed. She twisted her lips, before getting on all fours on the floor, to take a peek underneath the bed. Lorelei looked up, wondering what the redhead was doing.

"Is everything okay?" Savannah pulled out a box, which was filled with a few of her belongings. Lorelei had come across those things while tidying up the room, but never indulged herself in what might be inside.

"Yeah, just looking for some pajamas. I haven't stayed over in ages."

Savannah lifted the box onto the bed and opened it. Taking out a few garments, she dropped her towel to the floor without any hesitation.

"I'll let you get dressed," Lorelei decided to get up to give Savannah some privacy.

"Don't tell me you've never seen a naked woman before," Savannah chuckled, "you can stay, it's your room after all."

Lorelei chewed on the inside of her cheek, becoming uncomfortable. Her eyes moved over those slender shoulders and towards the firmness of breasts. When her eyes landed on hard nipples, she immediately closed her eyes and pressed her lips together.

"I'll just turn then."

"Fine by me," the redhead slipped on panties and a long night gown, while watching Lorelei's back and grinning to herself, "I'm all done, sweetheart."

Lorelei inhaled a deep breath, and crawled back onto her bed. Savannah placed the box back underneath the bed, and looked at Lorelei straight in the eyes.

"I'll sleep next to Raven. Try to get some rest," she ran her fingers through her redlocks, "goodnight, sweetheart," smiling softly, she took one last glance at the blonde's face, as she made her way out of the room.