Their Mate Between

CHAPTER 8.

Ravyn’s afternoon was going worse than the night before. Although, it had started beautiful, it was no secret that her storm off had reversed the effect of everything before it.

It was eating her alive. The way she’d left him standing there, confused and concerned, kept replaying in her mind like a cruel loop she couldn’t escape.

Every time her phone buzzed, her heart leapt, and she’d instinctively grab it—only to see his name lighting up the screen. Sebby. Her chest would tighten, thumb hovering over the screen before she flipped the phone face down again, pretending she hadn’t seen it.

By the fifth text, she stopped counting. By the eighth, she powered off her phone completely. Not that it stayed off for long.

But in the few seconds, she was able to breathe.

Still, the silence was suffocating. The longer she ignored him, the heavier the guilt felt pressing on her chest. She knew she owed him an explanation, but what could she say? Sorry, I panicked because you asked about my life? Sorry, I ran away because I can’t even tell my brother I went on a date?

No. There were no words that would make sense. Not even to herself.

“Rae?”

Her brother’s voice broke through her thoughts. She quickly looked up from the sketchbook she’d been pretending to draw in. Rion was standing by the doorway of her room, one brow raised, his shirt half-buttoned.

“You’ve been quiet all day.” His tone wasn’t suspicious—yet. Just worried.

“Been feeling tired,” she said with a small shrug, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

He nodded slowly but didn’t look convinced. “Tired? You didn’t do anything today. You’ve been sitting there since morning.”

Her fingers tightened on the pencil. “I’m fine, Rion. Really.”

“Mhmm,” he murmured, crossing his arms. “This doesn’t have anything to do with… the rejection thing, does it?”

Her throat constricted. He was watching her closely, with soft probing eyes. He shifted from one foot to the other, quietly assessing her.

“You said you rejected them both, right?”

“I did,” she lied again, her voice too sharp. “It’s done.”

He held her gaze for a long moment, as if deciding whether to believe her. Then his expression softened and he sighed. “Good. I just don’t want you overthinking it, okay? You deserve better than this life, and one day, you’ll have everything you ever wanted.”

That made her heart twist painfully. If only he knew what she’d done. Or rather, hadn’t.

Before she could say anything, a loud, cheerful knock echoed from the front door.

“Saved by the bell,” Rion muttered, grinning as he went to open it. “Calvin!” Ravyn heard her brother greet warmly the moment the door swung open.

Ravyn sluggishly walked out of her room, recognizing Calvin’s voice—a little too loud, always carrying that endless sunshine energy that made him instantly likable.

“Hey, man! Missed you, buddy,” Calvin said, pulling Rion into a half-hug, half-shoulder bump. “We keep missing each other. You’re never around anymore. I was beginning to think you’d ditched me for good.”

“I’ve been working nights,” Rion said, laughing. “What’s your excuse?”

“Same old. Chasing jobs, adventure, and occasionally women,” Calvin said with a wink that earned him a playful eye roll from Rion.

“Typical,” Rion said, shaking his head.

Then Calvin’s gaze landed on Ravyn. “And there’s my favorite person.”

She couldn’t help but smile a little. “Hi, Cal.”

“Hi? Just hi? I brought good news and all I get is a hi?” he teased, walking toward her, feigning offense.

“What good news?”

“Your job,” he announced proudly, puffing out his chest. “Finally found one that’s perfect for you. Pays decent, flexible hours, and it’s in town. You start on Monday—if you want it.”

Ravyn blinked, caught off guard. “You’re serious?”

“f*****g serious. I told you I’d find something. You can thank me later with cookies.”

“Or a pizza,” Rion added with a grin.

“Or both,” Calvin said quickly. “I don’t discriminate.”

Their laughter filled the room, and for the first time that day, Ravyn felt herself genuinely smiling. The lightness Calvin brought was contagious—like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

Still, even as she joined their small banter, her phone buzzed again from the corner of the table. She didn’t need to look to know who it was. Sebastian. Again.

Her pulse quickened, but she forced herself to ignore it, turning her phone screen down once more.

Calvin didn’t notice, but Rion did. His eyes flicked toward the phone before returning to her, curiosity flickering in his gaze.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked softly when Calvin turned away to grab water. “Who’s texting you?”

Ravyn met his eyes, forcing another smile, and ignoring the second question asked. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

But deep down, she knew she wasn’t. Not when her heart still ached every time his name appeared.

Not when the image of Sebastian’s disappointed face haunted her every time she closed her eyes.

And not when she couldn’t stop wondering if he’d ever give up on trying to reach her.

Her brother was about to follow up on her response, when Calvin returned, along with his occasional half-witted jokes. Soon, Rion forgot all about how incredibly moody she’d been since she was now laughing and partaking in the fun.

***

The evening came slow, dragging itself through the stillness of a quiet house. Rion had left for work an hour ago, Calvin after him—promising to come back the next day with details about her new job. The moment the door clicked shut behind them, Ravyn exhaled the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her glum expression descending in full force.

The silence settled heavy, pressing against her heart.

She sank onto the couch, curling her legs beneath her, and stared at the faint reflection of herself in the darkened TV screen. She looked tired. Her curls hung loose and wild, her eyes rimmed red from lack of sleep. She’d spent most of the night replaying her date—every smile, every intense gaze, every word that had turned her world on its head.

And then that final moment.

The way Sebastian had looked at her when she’d stood up to leave, confusion and worry over if he’d done something wrong. When it was her secrets that had f****d everything up.

Shit! Why can’t I be a normal young woman with normal people problem?

She’d run like a coward. Away from the one person who was supposed to accept her for who she was. She didn’t want to live with her brother all her life. She didn’t want to deny Rion of the joys the world had to offer.

She wasn’t just stuck with him, he was stuck with her. Even worse, he didn’t have to be. He could leave, but he chose to stay. Instead of being grateful, she was lying to him. She was indeed a p***y.

Now, sitting in the stillness of her living room, she felt that cowardice burn through her like acid.

Her phone buzzed again on the coffee table. The familiar vibration made her stomach twist. She didn’t need to look anymore, she already knew it would be him. Her pulse stuttered, hands trembling slightly as she reached for it.

‘Please talk to me.’

He was still begging her, desperate to understand where he’d gone wrong.

‘I don’t know what I said wrong, but if I did, I’m sorry.’

How she wanted to run to him and let him know it wasn’t about him. This was her problem to solve, her baggage to dump. She was only trying to protect him.

‘I just need to know you’re okay.’

Ravyn’s vision blurred for a moment. She set the phone down, face first, pressing her hands over her eyes.

“I can’t,” she whispered to herself with shaky voice. “I can’t.”

She wasn’t even sure why she’d really run. She could have said anything, made up a story. He wouldn’t have known. But a part of her did not want to start out on a lie.

Or maybe she had run because of the way he looked at her—with too much gentleness, too much adoration, like he wanted to see every piece of her. Maybe it was the way he’d asked about her past—the questions she wasn’t ready to answer. Or maybe it was because she’d started to like him more than she should.

And that terrified her.

The sound of rain began to patter softly outside, tapping against the glass, mirroring her rapid heartbeat. She got up and walked to the window, watching the world blur under the drizzle. The town looked small and hazy from up here, lights flickering in the distance like fading embers.

Her phone buzzed again.

‘You don’t have to tell me anything. Just… let me know you’re alright.’

Her throat tightened. She turned away from the window, pacing the small space between the couch and the table.

Don’t answer, she told herself. Don’t open that door again, it’ll only hurt more later. If only her heart would listen.

Her fingers brushed the phone, hovering for a long, trembling second—before she gave in and opened the message thread.

The screen glowed bright in the dim room. Dozens of unread texts flooded the chat, all from him.

‘You looked beautiful last night, by the way.’ ‘I’ve never met anyone like you.’ ‘I swear I’d drive across the whole town if it meant I could see you again.’ ‘Please, Ravyn. Just talk to me.’

Her chest ached. He didn’t deserve silence. He didn’t deserve the state of confusion she’d left him in.

A new message popped up right as she stared.

‘I keep replaying last night. I don’t know what happened. One minute we were laughing, and the next… you were gone.

A tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, as if embarrassed even though no one was watching.

Her mind flashed back to the night—how he’d looked at her when she joked about her friend Calvin, the way his playful jealousy had softened into laughter when she brought up lacrosse. The sound of his voice when he said her name.

God, she missed that. Wished she could have the best of both worlds. But she couldn’t let herself get close. Not when everything about her life was tangled in secrets.

Her thumb hovered over the keyboard. ‘I’m okay. I’m sorry for running off.’ She typed the words but didn’t send them. Instead, she deleted them one letter at a time until the screen went blank again.

Then she locked the phone, placed it back on the table, and sank onto the couch with her knees to her chest.

Her thoughts drifted back to Calvin’s visit earlier.

“You start on Monday,” he’d said with that sunny grin of his. “Fresh start, new chapter.”

Maybe that was what she needed—a distraction. Something to bury herself in, something that wasn’t Sebastian’s texts or Rion’s worried stares or the gnawing ache in her chest.

She forced herself to breathe, slow and deep, until the pounding in her heart subsided. She reached for her sketchbook again, flipping through pages of half-drawn figures, faded pencil lines, unfinished smiles.

On an impulse, she began to sketch—his eyes, his jawline, the small crease between his brows when he got nervous. Her hand moved on its own, tracing his features like a memory she couldn’t erase.

When she finally looked down at the finished drawing, she smiled sadly.

It was him. Sebby.

Her phone buzzed one last time. This time, the message was short.

‘I’ll stop texting after this. I just hope you know… I meant every word.’

Ravyn closed her eyes, pressing the phone to her chest. The sound of the rain grew heavier, drowning out everything else.

She whispered to the empty room, “So did I.”

Then, quietly, she broke.

Tears she’d been holding back since the night before spilled freely down her cheeks. The storm outside echoed the one inside her chest. Thunder masked the loud, ugly sobs escaping her lips.

But through the tears, she made herself a silent promise.

On Monday, she’d start her new job. She’d focus all her energy on it and allow herself a chance to move forward. If fate was kind enough, she’d be able to put all this behind her.

But fate was one tricky b***h, and Ravyn of all people knew that.