The Debt 5 by Kelly Favor

to
be with Raven.   I can’t go on.”
    Raven couldn’t believe her ears.   “Jake, what are you doing?”
    He looked at her.   “Getting my fucking priorities straight
for the first time in a long time.”
    “You can’t cancel this show,” Raven
said.   “Kurt’s right about that.”
    “I’m not going to go out there and do a
show knowing you might be in trouble, you might still be hurt. I wouldn’t be
able to live with myself if I let anything else happen to you.”
    “I’m fine,” she said.   It was partially a lie, but it was true
enough.   “I swear to you that I’ll
be okay while you perform.”
    Kurt just stood and watched them, his
expression inscrutable.
    “I can tell that something’s wrong,” Jake
said, watching her closely.   “Tell
me what it is.   Are you hurt and
you’re just not admitting it?”
    She tried to laugh.   “I’m shaken up, of course.   But physically, I’m more than okay.   I swear.”
    He stared at her a long time.   “But if you feel weird.   If anything feels off, or you start to
have a bad headache, anything—then you need to tell the doctor.”
    “I will,” she promised.
    Kurt started to leave the room and as he
passed by Raven, he gave her a sidelong glance that seethed with hatred.
    If
looks could kill, I’d be dead right now , she thought.
    Kurt left the room, closing the door
quietly, and then Jake and Raven were alone together.
    “Jake, I’m sorry I disrupted your show,”
she said.
    “Fuck the show,” he replied, and then he
was closing the distance between them, and his lips were on hers, and he was
holding her around the waist.   His
arms wrapped protectively around her, his body heat enveloped her like a
cocoon.
    Jake’s soft but firm lips pressed against
her lips and then he was sucking her top lip slightly, before his tongue finally
slid into her mouth.   She could feel
his hunger as his body hardened in response to her body.
    She melted into his arms, relaxing,
swimming in his desire, soaking up his strong, masculine energy.   She could smell him, taste him, and in
that place she was truly safe, no matter what else was happening.
    But
you’re not really safe ,
a little voice said, disturbing the safety of what Jake had created.
    You’re
lying to Jake again.   And you’re
both in danger .
    Raven broke off the kiss.   “I’m sorry,” she whispered.   “I just—it’s all a lot to take in
right now.”
    Jake ran his hand through her hair,
giving her chills.   “I want you to
watch the show from backstage,” he said.   “You’ll be able to stand right next to the stage and see me perform, and
more importantly, I’ll be able to keep an eye on you too.”
    “Are you sure I won’t be a distraction?”
    “No, you will be a distraction,” he
said.   “A welcome distraction.”   And then he smiled at her, and his eyes
told her that what Zeke had implied was very true.
    Jake hadn’t stopped caring about
her.   Not one bit.

 
    ***

 
    It was late by the time they got back to
Jake’s hotel suite.
    Raven was completely wiped out, despite
the excitement of being together with him again.   The events of the last couple of days
had taken their toll, and she was practically a walking zombie.
    “I need a shower,” she said, “and then I
think I might just fall asleep.   Is
that okay?”
    Jake laughed, as he grabbed a bottle of
wine and poured himself a glass.   He
was still full of energy, as the show had been a huge success and the fans had
gone wild, giving him standing ovation after standing ovation.
    “Of course it’s okay,” he said.   “Go right ahead.”   He gestured to the bedroom.   “You can grab a t-shirt and a pair of my
shorts if you want, to change into after.”
    “Thanks,” Raven told him.   She went to the bedroom and found a pair
of shorts and a plain white t-shirt.   As she closed the bathroom door behind her, she couldn’t help but bring
the shirt to her face and smelling his