"I'll be fine, Charles," Raven promised as she began stepping away. She wasn't planning on going to the wrong side of town. She wasn't even planning on seeing anybody. She meant what she'd said. She needed a walk. The farther away she got, though, the more her chest hurt. It was like some kind of tether between the two of them was being pulled to the snapping point. She kept looking back at him until she was forced to turn out of sight and, when she did, she pressed her back against the wall and let out a shaky breath.

She couldn't believe what she'd just done. She'd told Charles about her feelings. She'd told him that she was in love with him and he'd...what had he done? She stlil wasn't sure whether he was postponing the inevitable or really meant that he was interested. She rubbed at her chest to try to ease the ache and began walking again. No. Surely he was just trying to keep her safe.

She was out like that for two or three hours. Each time she began heading back to her flat with Charles, doubt and panic crept in and she headed in the other direction. She wasn't sure she was ready for a confrontation with him. Once had been enough for one night and even then, nothing had really been resolved. She didn't feel any better. If anything, she felt a little worse for wear. And now he knew and even if she'd wanted to, things would never be the same again.

Finally, she decided to just go inside. He was probably well asleep and she couldn't stop herself from yawning every other minute. She needed some sleep, too. And in the morning...in the morning maybe she could pretend this had just been a bad dream.

She slipped her key into the lock and turned the door handle quietly. If he was asleep, she wasn't going to wake him up for anything.