She Is Home To You, But Everything To Me

Chapter 27

*Craig's POV*

I quickly drove down the road Raven said she'd be near.

How did she end up all the way over here anyway?

Paul's grave is in the opposite direction.

And also, why would she call me?

I thought she didn't want to talk to me.

After a while, I found her.

But she wasn't awake.

She was laying on one of the park benches, shivering.

"Oh my God." I breathed stepping out of the car.

"Raven!" I ran over to her and picked her up.

She was so cold. She was violently shivering against me as she gripped the fabric of my shirt.
"C-c-Craig?" She whispered. Her purple lips quivered while she spoke.

"Don't worry Raven, I'm gonna get you home okay?" I said as I hugged her tighter against me.

Raven nodded softly as her eyelids slowly fell shut.

I got her in the car as fast as possible. Not wanting her to be out in the freezing cold any longer.

Once I was in the car, I quickly turned the heat on.

Raven weakly pointed back outside. "G-g-guitar." She whispered.

So I went back outside to grab that too.

Then I started driving.

"Are you alright Raven?" I asked her once she opened her eyes.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm just a little cold."

After a while, I decided to talk to her.

"Why did you call me? I mean, why not call Corey or something?" I asked.

Raven clenched her fists and laughed once. "Oh, I called Corey all right. But he didn't answer."

"He didn't?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, three times I tried calling." She muttered angrily.

"I might need to have a talk with him." I growled under my breath.

For a while, the car carried on with an awkward silence until Raven cleared her throat.

"Uhm...is it okay that you picked me up?" She finally asked.

I looked at her. "It's completely fine Raven. I don't mind at all." I replied slowly.

Silence again.

"Then why'd you ask?"

I sighed and looked back towards the road, not wanting to meet her gaze.

"I thought...I thought you hated me." I mumbled, still not looking up.

I saw her eyes widen in the corner of my eye.

"Hate you?" She whispered.

I nodded.

She sat up and looked at me with sad eyes. "Why would I hate you?"

I scoffed. "It's obvious Raven."

She didn't say anything.

I exhaled and ran a hand over my face.

"It's all my fault Raven." I whispered.

"What is?" She asked.

"That he's gone." I replied, holding back my tears.

Silence again.

"It's not." She finally said after a while.

"It is." I argued. "I couldn't save him. It's my fault."

"So it's your fault because you couldn't save him?" She asked.

I nodded. "Paul and I were like brothers. I should've been there for him."

She didn't answer.

"He's still her you know." She whispered.

I glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"He was with me on his funeral when I was looking for you." She replied, looking out at the pouring rain outside.

That made my heart clench thinking if that day. Not only did we mourn over Paul's death, but we also found out that Joey quit the band and somehow moved out of the house that night. We haven't seen him since.

"How?" I finally asked.

She shrugged. "He just seemed to appear after I screamed up at the sky saying it was my fault."

"Did he say anything?" I asked.

Raven nodded. "He said it wasn't my fault, and then said he loved me."

I didn't answer. I was too bewildered knowing that he was with Raven.

"You probably don't beleive me, but I'm telling the truth." Raven said when I didn't say anything.

I shook my head. "It's not that. I believe you one hundred percent. I'm just kind of amazed that he was actually talking to you."

After a while, Raven fell asleep again, which gave me time to think about what I was gonna say to Corey.

Honestly, I thought he was a terrible father. And I wouldn't have thought that when Corey first brought Raven into all our lives. But now, I know that he was never capable of taking care of kids. Ever. Sure, he may have a kid with Stephanie. But what about Raven. Is she just automatically unimportant to him now because he has a new kid who actually has a mother?

I sighed as I looked over at Raven's sleeping form.

God I wish she was my daughter.

I would take care of her, love her, give her attention.

Unlike Corey, he doesn't deserve her.

If Corey truly doesn't care for her anymore, then I'll take Raven off his hands and actually care for her.

She can't stay at that house anymore. I need to take her away from all the pain.

And if Corey had a problem with it...

Then so be it.