Page 4 of Devoted Enough

I closed my eyes and dropped my head back. “Haven, every ounce of me says I need to tell my parents. The police need to know.”

“I’m already the laughingstock at school, Nate. This will only make everything worse.”

“But you have friends who will help you through this.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “Do you think the small handful of friends I have will help? It doesn’t matter that he never forced me to…” Her body shivered. “Rumors will start, and I can’t do that. My mother just got this job at a dentist’s office, and I can’t ruin that for her. Please. I’m begging you, Nate.”

I rubbed at the instant pain in my neck. Everything inside of me screamed this was wrong. But when I looked at Haven, tears in her eyes and a broken look, I found myself saying, “I promise you, I won’t ever tell anyone.”

A look of relief crossed her tear-stained face, and she closed her eyes. “Thank you, Nate. Thank you for everything.”

She threw herself into my body, and I wrapped my arms around her and held her. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt Haven Larson. And if keeping her secret meant she would be spared from any more hurt, then that was what I would do.

Senior Year of High School

Haven Marie Larson.

She was going to be the death of me one of these days.

“Hey, Nate, what’s with the frown?” Lizzy Hathaway asked as she flashed me a bright smile. Her blue eyes lit up with that familiar glint of desire.

“No reason,” I said as I focused back on Haven riding the horse around the arena.

“Haven is so weird.”

Turning to look at Lizzy, I fought to keep the anger out of my voice when I asked, “Why do you say that?”

Motioning out to Haven, who was attempting to get the horse she was on to settle down, Lizzy sneered, “She is obsessed with animals. I mean, she walks people’s dogs. That’s her job.Dog walking. She spends more time with them than she does humans.”

“What is your job?”

Lizzy laughed. “I’m in high school, Nate. I don’t work.”

“That’s not a reason. I’m in high school, and I work.”

“On your family ranch. That doesn’t count.” She waved her hand in the air again. “That’s like chores.”

I wanted to laugh. It was hardly like chores. It was hard work.

“What are you doing here, Lizzy?” I asked as I focused back on Haven in the arena with my father next to her.

“My mother is here to talk to your mom about training a horse we bought. I want to do barrel racing.”

I nearly laughed. “Do you even know how to ride?”

She scoffed. “Of course, I know how to ride.”

Raising a brow, she folded her arms over her chest. “I can ride a horse, Nate. If you want to go to a private spot, I can show you how good I can ride.”

“I’ll pass.”

She huffed before turning on her heels and marching away from me. Turning my focus back on Haven and my father, I watched as she expertly handled the horse. It had taken me months to stop having nightmares about Haven and her father. I had almost broken down a few times and told my parents. Two years later, the urge to hurt someone was still there, but not as strong. And her good-for-nothing father had kept his word. He hadn’t stepped foot in Hamilton. Not even for the divorce. I had a feeling Haven had told her mother what had happened because for the last two years she’s been glued to Haven’s side, and had only recently started letting her come to the ranch alone.

I was so enthralled in my thoughts and watching her that I didn’t hear my mother walk up and stand beside me.

“She’s the only one who can ride that mare.”

All I did was nod.

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