Lovers Have Fallen (Editing In Process)

Chapter four: Willow returns

It had been a week since the accident. Raven was still recovering, but Jake hadn't left her side for a moment. It helped that it was summer break; otherwise, they might have had to repeat the year. One quiet afternoon, when Jake had dozed off in the hospital chair, Raven stirred, reaching for his hand.

"Raven, you're awake!" Jake exclaimed, his voice thick with relief as he hugged her gently.

Raven winced, the pain sharp and immediate. "Ahh, Jake, easy!" she gasped, managing a weak smile despite the discomfort.

"Sorry!" Jake's eyes were wide with concern. "It's just... you were out for a week. You broke some ribs, a leg, and your wrist. I was so worried."

Raven couldn't help but smile at his earnestness. "You're amazing, you know that? You didn't have to stay with me the whole time."

Jake shook his head firmly. "I wanted to. You're mine, Raven, and you'll always be mine," he said, pulling her closer with careful tenderness.

Her heart soared at his words, feeling something, she hadn't before. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Jake asked playfully, wiping imaginary crumbs from his face.

"Because I love you," Raven replied, her smile widening.

But then she doubled over, coughing violently, blood splattering on the sheets. Jake's face went pale as he leapt to call for help. A doctor rushed in, assessing her quickly before whisking her away for x-rays.

Ten tense minutes later, the doctor returned with a reassuring nod. "She's fine. Her body is still healing, so some bleeding is normal. She just needs rest."

Raven was soon asleep again, the pain medication easing her into dreams.

Weeks passed, and Raven was finally discharged, moving in with Jake to recover fully. One night, a noise from the kitchen jolted her awake. She crept downstairs, heart pounding, only to find herself alone—almost. A chill swept through the room.

"You should stop seeing that hunter," a voice whispered, cold and familiar. "Or he'll end up like his parents."

Raven's heart clenched. "Mom? Why did you kill those people? Was she really worth it? Was I nothing to you?" she cried into the emptiness.

But there was no answer, only the echo of her own voice. Suddenly, she was hit with a spell, collapsing to the floor, blood trickling from her lips.

"I'm not your mother anymore," Willow's voice hissed. "I died the day Sara did."

Raven lay there, struggling to breathe, as footsteps retreated into silence. Moments later, Jake was at her side, panic in his eyes as he called for an ambulance.

"She's bleeding internally," a paramedic noted, quickly moving her onto a stretcher.

Raven awoke in the ambulance, pain radiating through her body. "Jake," she murmured, her voice a weak whisper. "Everything hurts."

"Just rest, Raven," Jake soothed, brushing her hair back tenderly. "I'm here. You're going to be okay."

The ambulance sped through the night, sirens wailing—a promise of urgent care and, hopefully, healing.