Page 186 of Redeemed

“Yes, now! The things I said—” He scrubs a hand over his face. “I can’t let that sit.”

“You’re going to.”

“No! Colton, I was an absolute ass. She’d just turned eighteen when she showed up here. Her being married… I should’ve seen it for what it was immediately.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t, because you’re a fucking mess.” I hold out my keys. “Take my bike, go for a ride, and clear your head.Thentalk to her.”

“What about—”

“I’ll take your car home.”

He opens his mouth to protest, but at the look on my face, he shuts it. If I have to physically keep him from Haven, I will, and he knows it. And with the shit he said to her? He knows Xander will probably be on my side, too.

“Fine,” he grumbles, and we trade keys.

“Don’t come back to the house until you’re ready to apologize.”

“I know.”

“Good.” I squeeze his shoulder. “Be safe, all right?”

“Will be,” he mumbles.

We start to head our separate ways, but I stop. “Oh, and Lucas?”

“Yeah?”

“This is far from over. Isaiah said he wanted to bring Haven home, but I don’t think that’s the truth. He wants to kill her.”

“What?”

“Haven will explain it to you later, but she’s not leaving our sight for the foreseeable future. Isaiah will be back, and we know how far he’ll go to get to her.”

Lucas’s nostrils flare. “I’ll kill him before I let him near her again. I don’t care that she wants him alive.”

“I’m right there with you.”

We don’t have to question Xander’s stance. We know when it comes to Haven’s safety, he’ll kill for her in a heartbeat, too.

Xander

Oncewe’rebackatColton’s, I get Haven situated in the living room with a blanket. Colton will probably scold me for not taking her phone, but I’m not denying her access to Athelia. Haven knows what she can’t talk about, and she needs her best friend’s support right now.

I head into the kitchen and get busy pulling ingredients out of Colton’s pantry. He always keeps it well-stocked for when he’s in the mood to experiment.

Not many people know that Colton likes to bake—or that he’s damn good at it. Honestly, all three of us are pretty good in the kitchen.

For me, Dad had to work a lot, and Mom was always busy with church events and “evangelizing.” Lucas was in a similar situation with his mom juggling multiple entry-level jobs at any given time to make ends meet. It meant we both had to fend for ourselves—and our little sisters—most nights. We got a lot of practice cooking.

For Colton, I think he started working in the kitchen to feel close to his mom after she died. He once told me that she refused to let Mark hire a cook because she loved cooking and baking so much. Sometimes, I wish I could’ve met her. It sounds like she was a lovely woman.

I add milk, brown sugar, and a touch of vanilla extract to a saucepan and light the stove. Once it’s warmed up a little, I add the cocoa powder and whisk it into the liquid. The smell reminds me of my dad making this for me while talking me through a bad day at school, or for Rachel when she was struggling with her homework.

He wasn’t always around thanks to Mom abandoning us when I was twelve, but when he was, he made the time count. It didn’t matter how exhausted he was from working day and night. He was there for us when he needed to be, and we always understood when he couldn’t.

Once the hot chocolate is done, I pour it into a mug and bring it to Haven. She has a messaging app open, so I’m assuming she’s talking to Athelia, which is good.

“Thanks.” Smiling up at me, Haven takes the mug. “You didn’t have to.”

---