Page 63 of Twisted Love

CHAPTER38

EARL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxk7aSCLj4g

-don’t leave me this way-

I try to focus on construction plans that all seem meaningless and cannot hold my attention. The numbers blur, replaced by flashes of Raven’s white face filled with hate as she lay in her bed. She hates me now. I killed any feeling she might have had for me. The thought causes an agonizing hurt in my chest. Why? Why did I do it?

I pick up my pen again. I’ve called the doctor and he made some noises about not doing house calls on Sundays, but I gave him such a tongue bruising he promised to come in about an hour. Until then I will force myself to do some work.

The knock on the door startles me. “Come in,” I call, standing up. Maybe it’s Raven. Maybe she’s come to, after all.

Nora steps in hesitantly, her hands wringing together. The moment I see her face, I know something is wrong. “Mr. Jackson, Mrs. Jackson has left the house.”

My pen clatters onto the desk. “What do you mean, left?” My voice is low, dangerous.

“She rushed out,” Nora stammers. “Barely dressed, Mr. Jackson. In her slippers. Not even proper shoes. I—I tried to stop her, but she said she needed to see her father. She said he’s not well. She wouldn’t listen.”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. “No shoes?” I repeat, rising to my feet. “It’s freezing outside, and she’s already sick. What were you thinking, letting her go like that?”

“I tried,” she says, her voice trembling. “But she wouldn’t stop.”

Panic rises in my chest, but I shove it down, burying it beneath a thin veneer of control. My mind races, trying to piece together her actions. She’s gone to see her father? What’s happened to him?

For a fleeting, bitter moment, a thought claws its way to the surface: maybe she’s left me. Maybe this is her way out, but I shake it off. No. She wouldn’t leave like this—frantic, unprepared. This isn’t about me.

“Thanks, Nora. I’ll take care of it now.”

She nods and retreats quickly. The door clicks shut, leaving me alone with my spiraling thoughts.

I grab my phone and call her, but she doesn’t answer. I have her parents’s old number, but not since they moved. I try to think of what other numbers I could reach her on and I recall Sunny, her best friend. It’s easy to find her; I know the location of her bakery and their website. A quick search and I’m able to extract Sunny’s number. Instantly, I place a call, my fingers tap the screen agitatedly. It rings twice before she answers. “Muffin House, can I help you?”

“Hey, it’s Earl,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady despite the knot tightening in my chest.

Surprise and panic is immediately evident in her tone. “Oh, Earl! What’s going on? Is something wrong with Raven?”

“She just left the house without her shoes to see her father. Has she called you? Do you know what’s going on with her father?”

There’s a pause on the line, the faint rustle of movement before her suspicious and accusing reply. “No, she hasn’t called and as far as I know her father is supposed to be getting treatment. But why would she leave like that? Did something happen? Did you do something to her?”

“Look, Sunny, she’s been lying in bed quite ill and now she’s rushed out in the cold to see her father,” I grit out, pacing the room. “Can you help me find out what is going on? Or at least give me her parents number.”

“Let me try calling her first. Just hold the line.”

She puts me on hold, the seconds stretching into an eternity. My free hand curls into a fist at my side. When Sunny comes back on the line, her voice is somber. “I couldn’t reach her, but here’s her mom’s number.”

“Thank you, that will be incredibly helpful.”

She gives me the number, and I thank her before quickly hanging up and dialing Raven's mother. The phone rings several times before her soft voice answers.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Moore, it’s Earl,” I say, the words tumbling out in a rush. “Raven just left the house to go over to you, but she said something about her father not being well to the housekeeper. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Oh, dear,” she breathes, her voice laced with worry. “Yes, her father experienced a severe drop in calcium levels due to the treatment. The doctors believe it’s manageable with supplements and monitoring, but it caused muscle spasms and a brief loss of consciousness earlier today. I told Raven, and I think it really upset her.”

"Oh, I see,” I say slowly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” I understand now why Raven was so panicked.

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