Fake Dating Blake

Chapter Seven

Everyone, including Clarke, had gone up to bed a couple of hours earlier. They were all full from dinner, which had been a gorgeous Bolognese that Jake had outdone himself with. Raven was absolutely stuffed, practically splitting at the sides and while she was in a little pain, it was the good kind of pain. She was lazing on the couch, legs up and eyes closed, relishing the evening. The door creaked and she peered up, one eye open; Bellamy was in the doorway, waiting to be invited in. Raven gestured for him to join her, and he slipped silently into the room. She scrunched up on the couch, legs crossed underneath her, and waited for him to speak.

He sat down beside her.

'We need to talk about it.'

Raven pursed her lips. 'I thought we said we'd never talk about it.'

He was bent over where he sat, leaning on his knees, wringing his hands. 'Things are different now.'

Raven smirked. 'You mean Clarke.'

She scooted a little closer and touched his shoulder. He responded to it, turning his head to her, but he didn't smile. He simply nodded and Raven withdrew her hand, folding it into the other between her crossed legs. She shrugged, because really she wasn't too sure where he was going with all this. Raven hadn't told Clarke yet, or Octavia – God, Octavia would be a nightmare if she found out. But Clarke... Raven had always suspected that Clarke would be fine about it, that she'd be cool. Although now she was doubting herself, and Raven wondered if it meant more than it should; that the idea of telling Clarke what happened with Bellamy all those months ago was suddenly so important, she'd risk Clarke's disappointment. Raven bristled at the thought.

'It's not her business,' Raven said, keeping her voice low. Bellamy frowned.

'Of course it is.'

'Why? Because you're her boyfriend now? You weren't at the time, obviously. You didn't even like her then, and she hated you.'

Bellamy sat back with a sigh. 'I'm not her boyfriend.'

'And don't you just loathe it?' Raven said, biting her lip to hide a grin. Bellamy looked at her. It was rough, at first, but his eyes softened first and he nodded. Raven chuckled. 'You're as good as.'

'It's not real.'

'Then make it real,' Raven said simply. Her phone buzzed in her pocked. 'Just leave me out of it. Hello?'

'Raven, are you okay?'

Raven froze as she always did whenever she heard his voice on the other end of the line. More than ten years they'd been friends, and so much had happened between them and around them and to them and yet, here they were; awkward, still half in love and hundreds of miles apart. Raven cleared her throat and shook her head at Bellamy, who had perked up upon seeing her so uncomfortable.

'Finn,' Raven said simply, and she watched Bellamy's shoulders tense at the name. 'What's up?'

'I've been trying to call you. Are you alright?'

'I'm fine, why?' Her mind went immediately to the last time he'd called her this way. 'What's happened?'

He took a minute to reply, and Raven could just see him twiddling his thumbs on the other side of the phone, all the way back in freezing Chicago. He sighed. 'Raven...'

'Not again.' She closed her eyes and bent over, leaning against the back of the couch.

'My uncle brought your mother in again last night. She was wasted and with a couple of men in the park and now she's in Chicago med –'

'Stop.'

'They're talking about rehab and jail, Raven, but everything's under your name-'

'Stop, please.'