Spellbound

Original Edition: Forty-One

The last forty-eight hours have been hell.

Between packing up all my belongings from Hazel's suite, telling Larry and Lloyd goodbye, accepting that my run as the owner of the Reynard was over, and signing the papers that put Raven officially in charge, I had enough to give me nightmares.

But the worst part was how Soren and I had left things. I hadn't seen him since our discussion in the forest the day before yesterday. He was probably staying away for what he felt was my benefit, but all I wanted was to see him one more time before I left. We'd wasted almost two whole days together, and I regretted ever voicing my desire to hear his true feelings. I should've just let it go, but as I usually do, I pushed too hard and fucked everything up.

I was packing my last box when I heard a tap-tapping at my door. I jumped up, hoping against hope it was him, but when I swung the door open, my heart sank and my guard went up at the same time.

Raven stood in the hallway in her navy-blue pinstripe business suit, her black hair slicked into a bun on top of her head. "Gemma," she said with that tone of superiority she had so long ago mastered. "Good evening. I thought I'd check and see if there's anything I can do to help you." Her fake, sickly sweet tone made me nauseous.

Get out faster, I completed her sentence in my head. "No. I'm fine." I stepped aside, my manners winning over my bitterness. "Would you like to come in anyway? How about a glass of wine? Oh, wait, sorry, that's only a drink for us sinners."

"Well, at least you acknowledge it. I'll take a glass of water," she said, glaring at Hazel's belongings with a curled lip. "I can't believe you chose to stay in here. This place is," she lifted the hand crocheted blanket from the back of the couch with two fingers, "lacking."

I didn't even bother to suppress my eye roll as I filled a glass with tap water, no ice. "Do you have to be so snobby? I mean, I realize who our mothers are, but Hunter and I managed to not follow in the rest of the family's footsteps. Why couldn't you?" I knew I was being a bitch, but to see her come in what I had considered my home and do nothing but spout insults burned me up. "You never liked Aunt Hazel or anything about the Reynard. So, it isn't surprising that you'd not approve of her suite. Why comment on it at all?" I set the glass on the table in front of her and added, "I'm out of bottled water; maybe you can bless this glass and it won't taste like shit," I spat.

Raven scowled. "Keep mocking me, that's fine; see who comes out on top. And as far as Hazel goes, she liked you best. All your little shared secrets and her calling you here early so you could have time alone. She didn't care for me, so I didn't care for her."

I wanted to call her out for the juvenile way she was acting, but another side of me basked in this one thing that made her jealous of me. It was petty, and I should have told her that Hazel loved her just as much as me, but I didn't. Instead, I took a sip of my wine.

"What do you want, Raven? Why are you in my room? You got what you wanted: control of the hotel. You and our families successfully pushed me out. What more can I give you? You're taking everything I have. Do you understand that?"

She stood and placed the glass on the coffee table. "I guess I just wanted to gloat one last time. Thank God I'm washed in the blood and forgiven of my spite."

We both walked toward the door as I said, "You know, for the daughter of a pastor, you sure have a backwards way of thinking. I hope that one day you figure out who you really want to be, Raven. Because this," I pointed at her and moved my finger up and down, "cannot be it."

Raven laughed, the sound of it grating on my every nerve. "Oh, that's rich. You, Gemma the Indecisive, telling me to figure out who I am? Classic." She shook her head and opened the door. "Have a safe trip back to Boston. I'll take good care of the place for you."