Chapter 12: Truths

Rating: T

Date: Sunday, February 3, 2019

A/N: I don't think you guys are going to like this one too much... But I didn't want to sugarcoat their fight, so without further to do, here's the moment you've been waiting for.

*DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains implications of rape. Read at your own discretion.*

Truths

"I believe Garfield told me he had to check in with his mother soon or else she'd be worried," Raven asserted as they walked alongside each other towards the door. She sent Garfield a glare, "Didn't you, Garfield?"

He knew what she was playing at. She was trying to prevent him from finding out more about her, but now that he was so close to potentially figuring her out, he wasn't about to give up that chance.

"I can actually text Rita right now and tell her I'm at your place," he grinned as he took out his phone from his pocket and typed up a quick text.

Raven scowled and clenched her fists, "Great," she muttered. "But don't you think it's a little late?"

"Raven, I'm starting to believe you don't want Garfield to come in," Malchior intervened. "It's almost like you're scared he'll find out something you haven't disclosed. Is that it?"

Raven gritted her teeth, "Don't be ludicrous, Malchior. Garfield can come if he likes. I was just worried about his mother's well-being," she glanced at Gar, hoping he'd get the hint.

Garfield, as predicted, was completely oblivious to her pointers, and he simply chuckled, "Rita will be fine. Don't worry about her, Rae."

"If you don't mind me asking, your mother's name is Rita… Could that possibly be Rita Dayton? Wife of Steve Dayton, the CEO of Dayton Industries? Famous actress during the 90s?" Malchior questioned.

"Yeah! How did you know?" Garfield raised an eyebrow.

Malchior gazed at Raven, who narrowed her eyes at him, "Just a hunch." The statement didn't seem to be directed towards Garfield, not that he noticed.

One of the guards opened the front door for them and let them in. Malchior made sure to stand close to Raven, his hand ever-so-lightly grazing her arm to assume his dominant position over her.

"Malchior, Raven," Trenton exited the living room. His eyes landed on Garfield. "Who is this?"

Before Raven could reply, Malchior spoke up, "This is Garfield. One of Raven's classmates and friends."

"Friends?" Trenton approached them. "I've never heard Raven speak about any friends of hers."

Garfield politely smiled and offered a hand which Trenton shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. My family and I absolutely love your company. We enjoy a lot of the productions that came from it."

Trenton raised both eyebrows and glanced at Raven, who was standing between Garfield and Malchior scanning her father with blank eyes, "I see my daughter has told you about her family. That must mean she really trusts you."

Garfield grinned and nudged Raven's shoulder, "I would hope so. I consider Rae one of my closest friends."

Raven didn't look at him. She kept her eyes locked with her fathers, "We're not that close," she replied, though it wasn't directed to Garfield. The words were a bit harsh, but Garfield wasn't exactly making the case easy for her to defend. She was certain that her father was already planning all sorts of blackmail for her, and the fact that Malchior knew Garfield's family didn't make things any better.

Garfield chuckled, though it didn't sound so amused, "Don't be so modest Rae. I know you think of me as your best friend," he teased while lightly pushing against her arm.

God, he was not making this easy.

"I see," Trenton muttered. "Why don't we head into the living room and talk there? It's the first time Raven's brought a friend, and I would really like to know the kind of influence Raven has in her high school. She's not very fond of sharing details."

Garfield nodded and followed Trenton into the living room. Raven was about to step inside when Malchior caught her wrist and pulled her back.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

"Now, now, Raven, you have to behave," Malchior scolded, a nefarious grin plastered on his expression. "One of your dearest friends is here. We wouldn't want him to get into any trouble, would we?"

"Garfield's in no trouble," Raven glanced inside the living room, where Garfield was sitting back on one of the couches striking up an animated conversation with her father, who was an exceptionally good actor. "I'll make sure of it."

"It seems you care a lot about your friend," Malchior noted. He clutched her hand and plastered a light kiss on it. "If only you'd care the same about your fiance." He glanced at her hand, "I'm a bit offended that you don't bother wearing our engagement ring, dear." Then, like the asshole he was, he reached into her pocket and took out the ring, gently slipping it into her finger. "That's better."

Raven glared daggers at him before snatching her hand from his grasp and heading into the living room.

"Rae's a great friend. She's crazy smart, and she always helps me with homework," Garfield was explaining to Trenton when she walked in. "I honestly don't know what I'd do without her."

"You seem to have very high thoughts of my daughter," Trenton smirked.

"Of course I do!" Garfield exclaimed. "I think we've grown really close over the last few months. We're definitely really different, but we get along well."

"I'm glad to hear that," Trenton stated. He directed his eyesight towards Malchior and Raven. "It's a pleasure having you here, Garfield. You should come more often. As I said before, Raven doesn't bring many friends along, even though I constantly insist on it. I'd really like to be more involved in my daughter's life even if she doesn't want my attention." Then, he looked back at Garfield, and Raven's stomach fell when she noticed his wicked expression. "In fact, why don't I invite you to the wedding this fall?"

"Wedding?" Garfield furrowed his eyebrows. "Sorry, sir, I wasn't aware of any weddings. I didn't realize you were engaged."

Trenton let out a chilling laugh, "It's not me who's engaged. On the contrary, my daughter and Malchior here are set to be married by December this year."

Garfield felt a wave of nausea overwhelm his stomach, and he gulped down a sensation of dread, "Sorry, what was that?"

Trenton pretended to act puzzled, and Raven's glare was practically cutting through him. "Did Raven not inform you?" he turned to her. "I would've thought she would've told her closest friends the important news. Malchior and Raven have been together for the past few years, after all."

Garfield's eyes locked with Raven's, and as usual, he was unable to read her expression. His eyes traced down and caught the sight of the ring on her finger. Raven could tell exactly what he was feeling—hurt. Unadulterated hurt. Why he was emitting such an intense emotion? She wasn't sure, but she didn't like it. And currently, she was unable to explain herself. It seemed like her convincing lie all those months ago was falling apart with the pull of a single thread, by her father nonetheless.

"You have?" Garfield's voice was small. Then, as if he raised a sudden shield, he grinned, though Raven could see right through it. "That's great news! I'll definitely like to attend the wedding! I'm sure all of our friends would too… If Raven wants to invite them, of course."

"Well, they're all invited too. I would love to meet them, as well," Trenton added.

"If you don't mind me asking, where's your restroom?" Garfield asked, his tone holding the slightest tremble.

"I can send one of the servants with you," Malchior abruptly added. "Maria," he turned towards a young woman dusting the furniture behind him. "Would you care to show Garfield where the bathroom is located?"

Garfield got up and followed her to the restroom, his eyes purposefully avoiding Raven's. Once Garfield was out of the room, Raven approached Malchior with an intent glare, "What the hell are you playing at?"

"He's not playing at anything Raven," Trenton commented. "In fact, as I'm aware, you seem to be the one forming intimate relationships at school."

"They're not intimate," Raven spat. "They're acquaintances."

"By the way Garfield was speaking of you, it didn't seem he thought so," Malchior added.

Raven snarled at him before storming towards the door. "Raven," her father called. She froze in her spot, but she didn't direct him a glance. "I've warned you before. If you don't follow through with our plans, your little friends could be in certain dangers. And considering I know the most about him, Garfield would be the first one in jeopardy."

She gritted her teeth but otherwise didn't say anything. She walked out of the living room and past Maria as she exited, with only one goal in mind. Raven knocked on the bathroom door, "Gar?"

There was fumbling inside before it opened, and an oddly serious-looking Garfield stared back at her, "What do you need, Raven?"

"We need to talk," Raven muttered before leading him towards one of the sitting rooms in the hallway. He hesitantly followed her.

"About what, Rae?" Garfield grumbled. "I think your father said enough back there."

"I don't understand why you're so angry," she muttered as she closed the door and turned on her heel. "You're the one intruding into my home and family life. I tried to give you an out, but you were so insistent on coming in."

"What? You didn't want me to find out about your engagement?" Garfield barked, his fists clenched and his eyes adopting a new kind of fire she hadn't yet noticed from him.

Raven crossed her arms and kept a straight face, "You had no right to intrude into my place."

"I thought you said Malchior was a dick? That you wouldn't even think about marrying him?" he continued.

Raven sighed and pressed a finger to her temple, "My decisions are none of your concern."

"What the hell does that mean?" Garfield spat. "What? Are you going back to your ice queen act? To the whole I-don't-care-about-what-you-think role? Because guess what, Rae? It doesn't fit you," Garfield let out a cold snicker. "You know? I realize now that all you ever wanted was attention. You just love it when guys swoon over you, don't you?"

"I didn't fucking ask for this, Garfield!" Raven exclaimed, her patience expiring. "I don't understand why the hell you're so upset about it!"

"Because I liked you, Rae!" He abruptly confessed. There was a pregnant pause between them. No sound. Just their intense staring. "I liked you," he spoke quietly as he stepped closer to her. "Why do you think I insisted on you going to the library with me? Or the fact that I tricked you into practically going on a date with me? How I'm always finding excuses to put my arm around you or just touch you no matter how many times you snap at me. How I'm constantly telling you jokes or funny stories in hopes that you smile or laugh. How I'm always the one insisting that you join us when we go out…" he grasped her hands—his touch a hundred times gentler than Malchior's. "I fell for you Rae. Real badly…" His eyes searched her own intently before tracing down to the outline of her lips. "And don't deny that you don't share even a bit of my feelings for you…"

Raven didn't say anything. She simply held her breath. His face was so close she could practically feel the moisture of his breath on her skin. "Because, otherwise, why would you have accepted my invitation to go out..." their noses were touching now and his tone was extremely low and somewhat husky. "Or to eat dinner…" His lips faintly grazed her own. "Or why wouldn't you be backing away from me now?" he whispered a second before he captured her lips with his own.

For a moment, sparks flew, and it felt like the world burned over, yet they didn't care. Garfield clutched the sides of her waist, and Raven slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her. She hadn't ever experienced such a level of physical and emotional intimacy with someone. Sure, she had had plenty of make-out sessions with Malchior but none had ever been this intense despite the fact that it was a simple kiss. Yet, to both of them, it was a gesture long-overdue. One with an emotion that had been piling up ever since the first day they locked eyes. It was both heaven and hell—kissing him. Despite the fact that electric tingles were spreading throughout her body, there was a deafening screech at the back of her head, attempting to pull her back from his embrace. Because though it felt so perfect, it felt so wrong at the same time.

It didn't seem to work, and Garfield deepened the kiss, his tongue trailing the outline of her lips before slipping inside, exploring the caverns of her mouth. But before they could go any further, Raven snapped into her senses, and she jerked away from him, her lips abruptly pulling away from his. Garfield felt himself pout, and he lightly grazed his lips with his fingers, already longing for her lips. She turned away, her eyes shut tightly and her hands trembling, attempting to get ahold of her emotions.

"So, I guess that confirms it," Garfield chuckled, his voice suddenly losing all of its hostility.

Raven took a few deep breaths before finally glancing back at him. "This isn't possible, Gar," she stated, her tone cold and assertive.

Garfield furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean..? Isn't it clear enough that we like each other? You can't keep denying it forever, Rae."

"I won't deny it," she told him. "But it can't happen."

Garfield gaped at her as if she'd just kicked a puppy, "Why not?"

"Gar…" she sighed before crossing her arms, a sign that she was closing herself off (Garfield had been learning how to read her for the past few months). "I'm engaged to Malchior. Our marriage has already been arranged."

"But… Can't you back out? You don't really love him?" he watched her with wide and alarmed eyes. "Do you?"

"No, but I don't have a say in the matter," Raven explained. "It's something I can't quite explain to you fully, but it has to do with me taking over my father's company in the future."

"But… But," he stuttered. "We can run away together! Move to a place where he can't find you, either of them. Start a life together, study for our degrees in a college together, travel the world, find lowkey jobs we enjoy that won't drag too much attention. It might not be the expensive lifestyle you're used to, but we can make it work!"

Raven sighed and shook her head, "Gar… You've always been an idealist, a dreamer. And I admire that about you. You don't give in to pessimism, and you do anything it takes to get what you want, whether it's realistic or not. I'm much the opposite. I don't believe in faith or idealistic ideas like the ones you always seem to come up with. That's exactly why we're not compatible with each other. And one way or another, we're going to end up hurt. Both of us. Not to mention escaping from my father's grasp is difficult. He'd find me within days."

"We can try! Or I can try to convince him I'm a good guy," Garfield insisted. "That Malchior is no good for you, that-"

"Gar," she interrupted, her voice stern. "You have to let it go. I can't run away from my destiny. I'm stuck here, and there's nothing I can do about it. If you stay with me, or if you try to defy my father, you'd just be wasting your time. I'd just keep you from achieving your dreams, getting your degree, meeting a woman you love and having kids."

"But…" Garfield's murmured, his voice barely audible. "What if you are her?"

Raven let out a humorless chuckle, and Garfield would've thought he'd be happier about hearing her laugh yet right now it only seemed to drill a trench deeper into his heart, "Gar, I'm not her. You're blowing things out of proportion. I'm just a simple crush."

Garfield was suddenly overrun by uncontrollable rage, and he glared daggers at her, "Don't you dare tell me what I feel about you," he growled as he took a step forwards. "I know what it is, and it's not just a crush."

"Even if it isn't just a crush to you Garfield, how do you know it isn't that for me?" she pointed out, and Garfield visibly deflated. "Gar, you're a great guy, and I'll admit that I do feel some type of attraction to you, but the sad truth is that we're simply not compatible enough to last. All these ideas you've been making in your head, they're fake. They're all just a product of your idealistic imagination. They're not going to happen, whether we like it or not. I'm sorry Gar, but I can't give you what you want, what you deserve."

Garfield's gaze hit the ground and his blonde locks obstructed her view of his eyes, so she couldn't tell if he was crying or trembling in anger. "So that's it? You're just going to push me away, Rae? Like you always do?" he spat.

Raven knew the words she would utter next would inevitably break his heart. But it was the only way to finally end the conversation. To break away from that dangerous bond they had formed. To go back to her days alone, when the only person in danger had been her. It was the only way, and though she could feel the knot forming inside her throat, dangerously close to inducing tears, she managed to keep her voice steady, "We were never that close to begin with."

If Garfield had looked at her like she'd kicked a puppy before, he was now staring at her like she'd murdered his whole family. His mouth opened, but he found that it was too dry to speak. Instead, he turned on his heel and exited the room, slamming the door behind him. He rushed down the hallway towards the main door.

"Oh, Garfield, there you are. Have you perhaps seen Raven?" Malchior questioned as he passed him.

"She's back there," he pointed at the hallway, but he didn't make eye contact. He simply darted towards the front door. "Are you leaving now?"

"Yeah," Garfield informed him. "Tell Mr. Roth I had an emergency, so I couldn't say goodbye. Also, thank him for me," he told him before rushing out without waiting for a reply.

He drove home, his hands gripping the steering wheel as if it would somehow sprout wings and fly away. His eyes were momentarily distracted by a raven almost crashing into his front window, and he had to stop at the side of the street to calm down.

When he got home, Rita greeted him cheerfully, excited to hear the news. However, when she saw his face, she rapidly took him into her arms and embraced him tightly. And he cried for what seemed like hours. Even Tara's betrayals hadn't brought about as many tears as Raven's rejection did.

And that's when he realized just how hard he'd fallen for her.

Meanwhile, Raven still sat frozen on the sofa in the same room she'd just had her argument with Garfield, her eyes decidedly fixated on the empty wall in front of her. There was no tears, no anger, nothing. Only numbness overwhelmed her body, and even when Malchior walked in, she didn't direct him a glare.

"I found you," Malchior closed the door behind him. "What's wrong, my dear?" he feigned an expression of concern as he sat next to her and grasped her hand. His palm traveled up the sides of her wrist, but instead of soothing her, it only induced uncomfortable chills down her spine. His touch felt repulsive, so different from Garfield's.

Raven didn't answer him and instead tried to take back her hand, but Malchior kept a tight grip around her wrist, and spasms of pain erupted across her skin from her previous bruising. He didn't seem to care that she wasn't listening, and he instead focused on grazing his lips across the skin of her neck. His hands coarsely roamed across her body, every touch making her feel like a vile chunk of rotten meat.

And even as he unclothed her, all she felt was dire numbness.

A/N: It's a bit short, but I thought it was important enough to stand alone as its own chapter. The story is past its half-way point by now, so it's probably going to end in a few more chapters. Haven't decided what to make of the ending, but I don't know if it'll be a typical "happily ever after." Stay tuned, and please share your thoughts! They always make me happy and encourage me to update this story more frequently, even if it means staying up late during a school night. Stay tuned!

YourDemonicAssassin - Thank you! Though don't know if you enjoyed this one as much. It's a little on the dark side.

mmm6818 - Heh, I love cliffhangers! Well, when I write them anyway. I don't like reading or watching them myself. Thanks!

WeasleyIsMyKing540 - I find that it feels more natural to say Vic and Gar, but I think that's because I've read a lot of AUs, the comics, and watched the show. I agree on the Kory bit! She's so naive and innocent, yet she's also got hidden wisdom. And yes, I love, as Kory once called them, "the plots hanging from the cliffs." They're fun to write! Thanks for reviewing! You gave me a few laughs.

Guest - Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it! You reviewed just as I posted a new chapter, haha!