Page 21 of Haven Bound
I don’t have any objections to putting on dress slacks, a long-sleeved button-down shirt, and a tie. In fact, my sister and I were raised knowing that someday, as we got older, we’d be expected to maintain a certainimage around the hotel business. When our father, Will Anders, is ready to step down I suppose we’ll even take over operations ourselves.
For now, Hailey enjoys working as the Event Coordinator, and I deal with… whatever my title actually is. To be honest, I’ve been away for so long that I haven’t really done much as far as the hotel goes, but my father has assured me that my position is waiting for me whenever I’m ready. I just don't know if I can simultaneously handle guns, torture knives, and hotel operations.
“How’d it go?” Ethan asks from his place on the couch when I walk through the front door, his attention focused on the sketchpad in his lap, an assortment of high-quality markers laid out beside him. He’s known all about myrealjob since I first found out after graduation. I couldn’t stand the idea that I was expected to leave and start training without anybody knowing the reason that I left. It was bad enough that I couldn’t tell Chelsea, but I couldn’t imagine leaving Ethan in the dark too.
My father wasn’t exactly pleased with me when I let him know that I told Ethan the reason why I was leaving town, but Ethan’s been like a brother to me since we met. It brought me a sense of comfort to know that he was here in Haven Beach, and would be keeping an eye on my sister and Chelsea while I was gone. Seeing their comfort around each other at Club Obsidian made me realize exactly how much I’ve missed while being away, but I never had a problem accepting the assignments that took me away from home.
Now that I’m back, I’m starting to wish I never left.
I drop down into the corner of the sectional couch and release a sigh. “He got into a pretty heated conversation with some guy, but they seemed to know each other. Pretty sure it was the same guy from theother night at the club.” I haven’t told Ethan yetwhomy target is, but he knows that I’m back in town because of this assignment. I could easily be renting out my own place while I’m home, but he insisted that I crash with him. Being roommates throughout college was always the plan, but that was before I learned about what was expected of me.
“Jason? Man, fuck that guy. I never liked him. Why does it matter if he was there, though?” Ethan asks, his focus locked onto the brightly colored piece of art he’s creating. “Don’t you usually just—" He swipes a hand still holding one of his markers quickly across his throat, and I can’t help but chuckle at the gesture.
He’s not wrong. I’ve never hesitated with an assignment before, but I know that once I kill Dan Witters, my time in Haven Beach will be up. I’ll be given a new target that will more than likely take me far away again, and I’m not ready to say goodbye. Not to Ethan, not to my sister Hailey, and not to Chelsea.
I lean forward, bracing my forearms on my thighs as I nod. “Usually, yeah. But this one is… different.” He finally looks up from his sketchpad to take in the stress that I’m sure is painted across my face.
“What makes it different? Just take the fucker out and call it done.”
Well, here goes nothing.
I release a heavy sigh and say, “He’s Chelsea’s stepfather.”
17
Chelsea
The few days thathave passed since I last saw Austin have flown by in a blur. The bakery has thankfully had a steady flow of customers, which Quinn and I have been working hard to keep up with. I haven’t seen Austin since the morning he was here with Zack, though I can’t help but look up every time the bakery door opens, hoping that it’ll be him.
When I asked Hailey about his absence, she said he was busy with work, which makes sense. He’s been away from Haven Beach for so long that I imagine he has quite a bit to catch up on. I have no idea what exactly goes into the inner workings of hotel operations, but I’m surprised Austin’s been able to handle any of it through the years that he’s been gone. I can’t imagine that running a hotel is something that can be done well from a distance. It seems like something that would require a physical presence, but what do I know?
Thinking about all of the years he spent away reminds me of the way he left without warning, and a sick feeling of dread fills my stomach. I have no idea why he left, why he’s back, or even how long he’s staying. And I’ve already started to let him back in without question.
Is it any wonder how I’ve ended up with such terrible relationships in my life? I’m always so quick to trust and always, always, always end up getting stabbed in the back or having my heart shattered as a result.Of course, I can step back to look at a past situation and realize just how much I was being manipulated at the time. But not while I’m in the midst of it all.
That’s when my people-pleaser tendencies take over and I just want to make sure that everyone’s happy. Even if it means my boundaries are obliterated in the process.
My relationship with Jason wasn’t any different. Things between us started out great. He was kind, thoughtful, and attentive. Looking back, he did always seem quick to anger, but the kindness he would show me when the anger wasn’t present somehow made me believe that it was okay, that it wasn’t that bad. It was a whirlwind romance, and I found myself getting completely lost in him.
I didn’t hesitate to say yes when he asked me to move in with him. In my head, we were ready for that step. I figured we were headed there anyway, so why not do it sooner rather than later?
I’ve spent far too much of my life taking care of other people and feeling alone. Just once, I wanted someone to take care of me and put me first. For a while, I imagined Jason being that person. Things between us changed drastically once I moved in with him.
He’d come home from work and complain if the apartment wasn’t perfectly clean or if dinner wasn’t ready as soon as he walked through the door. I was spending all of my time getting Buttersweet Bakery off the ground, had just brought on Quinn to help with daily operations, and like him, I was exhausted.
He didn’t care about any of that, though. He didn’t care about my business, my friends, my family, or even really about me. All he caredabout was what I could do for him. But in those dark moments, I would remember how sweet hecouldbe, and that was enough for me to stay.
Because the alternative was that I’d be alone.
Austin was gone.
The dreams I had for us, the dreams that I thought we shared, vanished right alongside him.
Now, with the threat of Jason constantly hanging over my head, I don’t dare let myself imagine a future where I get to be happy. I’ve accepted that my life will forever be veiled in darkness and disappointment. A life spent taking care of others but never being taken care of.
As easy as it is to dwell on the past and everything that could have been, I need to keep my head out of the dark. I’m supposed to be meeting Hailey for a “girl’s night in” at the Elysian tonight, but Buttersweet has been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to text her and make sure we’re still on.
She said she was going to schedule massages for us at their spa, and then we’ll probably take over a vacant suite and take full advantage of room service while we lay around and watch some trashy TV shows. It sounds like the perfect way to drown out my troubles.
