Raven's jaw just drops open at his words. "The...the back of you?" It feels like she's been both stabbed in the chest and throttled simultaneously. "How can you even think I'd want that?" Tears well up in her eyes and she stares at the ground. "I wasn't saying anything about leaving. All I said was that you should find someone who'll make you happy. A real relationship, not just your kid sister. I didn't think that if you found one, it would mean that I'd have to go."

She hadn't thought about it like that, but she is now. Would he make her leave? Because he's right. She doesn't have anywhere else to go. Those words make her flinch.

"I'm not some duty you have to bear, Charles. I managed fine on my own when I was younger." Maybe he really doesn't want her. Maybe he feels like he only has to put up with her.