Chapter 11
Dad woke up on day three.]
I was in class when Mom texted: [Dad’s awake. He wants to see you.]]]
I didn’t reply.[]
After class, Mason was waiting outside the building.[]
“He really wants to see you.“[]
“Okay.”
“RAVEN!” He was getting mad. “You saved his life–he wants to thank you in person.“[]
“He doesn’t need to.” I walked around him.[]
“What do you WANT from us?“[]
don’t want anything.” I pulled away from him.[]
747
“Mason, can you guys please stop messing with my life? I saved him because I have RH–negative blood, not because he’s my dad. Get it?“]
“How can you SAY that!“]]
I looked at him with zero expression: “If some random stranger on the street needed RH–negative blood, I’d donate too. It’s called basic human decency, not father–daughter bonding.“]
Mason’s face looked like I’d slapped him.[]
Just then my phone rang.
Seeing Dad’s calling. Mason grabbed it: “Dad, it’s Mason. I’m with Raven right now.”
Don’t know what was said, but he handed the phone back.[]
I answered: “Yeah?“]
“Raven…” Dad’s voice was weak. “Thank you.“]
“You’re welcome.“]]
“I owe you an apology.”
I paused.
“Before this, we definitely favored Savannah and ignored you.“[]
He coughed a few times. “Dad was wrong.”
“Raven, can you forgive Dad?“]
w.“0
Long silence from me: “Mr. Whitmore, some things can’t be undone once they’re broken.“[]
“Take care of yourself. Then I hung up
Mason stared at me like I’d grown two heads: “He APOLOGIZED and you still-“]
“Apologizing doesn’t magically fix everything.“[]
1 handed him back his phone.[]
“If sorry worked, we wouldn’t need time machines.“]
Time flew by
When finals week wrapped up, that mystery person who sent me Savannah’s recording hit me up again:[]
Savannah’s in the hospital.]]
Chapter 11
[Don’t care.]]
[She actually had a heart attack this time.]]]
I froze for a second]
They continued: [Her real mom’s crying her eyes out at the hospital. Says her daughter’s cursed.]]
Her real mom? Right–Savannah’s biological mother.[
[Her birth parents are broke. Can’t afford treatment.] They were fishing.[]
[Maybe you should tell the Whitmores?]
[Nope.]]
[She might die.]]
[That’s her problem.]]]
I’m not some saint. Wasn’t gonna feel sorry for someone who spent months screwing me over.
15.0
Even if she was dying, not my circus.
1 packed my stuff, getting ready to head back to my hometown for winter break.[]
Dragging my suitcase out of the dorm, I spotted Mason by his car, smoking.
Girls were sneaking photos of him.[]
I walked right past him: “Smoking in public? Trying to look cool or something?”
r.[
The guy in the expensive suit went red, stubbed out his cigarette, and started waving away the smoke.[]
“Raven, where are you going?“]
“Millbrook. For the holidays.“[]
“Millbrook?” He looked confused. “Isn’t that where your foster family lives?“]
I didn’t turn around: “Going to see Ms. Johnson, the neighbor lady who raised me till I was ten. She’s my real family.“[]
That old lady was the only person who ever genuinely cared about me.
For my first ten years, I spent most of my time at her place.[]
She taught me to read, taught me right from wrong, taught me to be strong.[]
Without her, those foster parents would’ve destroyed me completely.[]
My Uber was already waiting.]
Mason’s car wouldn t start–he wanted to follow me but couldn’t.]
After eight hour train ride, I finally got there after midnight.[]
Chapter 12
