Page 59 of Haven Bound
“He’s just washing away any traces of blood from his skin so that you don’t have to see it,” Zack says, answering a question I didn’t even voice. He moves to grab a throw blanket off of the back of one of the worn-down beige couches and uses it to cover Jason’s lifeless form. Austin’s back was facing me when he fired the gun, and I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of Jason’s blood being sprayed across his body.
Hailey steps in front of me, her hands resting on my shoulders. “Are you okay?” Her blue eyes search mine, so similar and yet so different from her brother's.
Why is she asking if I’m okay?
It takes me a moment to realize that I haven’t moved or spoken. I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from the covered body on the floor or the dark red splatter decorating the window. Goosebumps have erupted along my skin, my breaths coming in rapid heaving gasps, my mind spinning while my head feels like it’s buried among the clouds. Their voices are starting to sound muffled. Like I’m drowning in the waves while they’re all safe on shore.
“Chelsea?”Hailey.
“I’ve got her.”Austin.
His hands rest on either side of my face just like before, his ocean blue eyes searching mine. His gaze trails over my body, examining me as though he’s looking for some kind of wound that I don’t have. “Sunflower, you’re okay. We’re okay. I’ve got you. He’s never going to hurt you ever again. Nobody will ever fucking hurt you again.”
My eyes sink closed as I fight to even out my breaths. I can feel Austin’s arms wrapping around my body, my chest pressed against his,and his lips against my temple. I can hear his heart thumping in his chest, the sound of footsteps moving around the cabin, and the sound of a liquid being poured. I can smell kerosene, Austin’s citrus and sandalwood cologne, and a hint of decay from the old cabin.
Pressing my face into his chest, my arms circle around Austin’s waist as I inhale deeply, focusing only on the comforting smell of his cologne. Ofhim.The erratic beating of my heart starts to calm, my labored breaths coming easier as their voices suddenly become clearer.
“Ready when you are. As soon as we’re out, we’ll burn this place to the ground. Our contact at the Sutton Ridge Fire Department is on standby, ready to head this way and make sure the fire doesn’t spread. The local PD is all set to write this one off as another accidental house fire.” Zack sounds like he’s checking items off of a list. Like he’s completely unaffected by all of this. Which I guess he would be. Even before joining the Phoenix Legion, he saw stuff like this every day.
“Sunflower,” Austin says softly, his hand wrapping around the base of my neck and tangling in my hair.
“I’m okay,” I tell him, leaning back so that my eyes can meet his. A hesitant smile tugs at the corner of his lips.
“Let’s get out of here.” He takes my hand in his, leading me out of the cabin. Hailey follows us out first with Zack behind her, leaving a trail of kerosene as they step outside. Zack reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pack of matches, lighting one after another and tossing them into the flammable liquid.
We all stand and watch as the cabin burns, black smoke billowing out and up into the sky. The sound of sirens reaches us as we climb into theblacked-out SUV, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I can finally breathe.
49
Chelsea
Three Months Later
“So, Chelsea, at ourlast appointment you said that you were working on repairing your relationship with your mom. How’s that been going?” Dr. Harper leans back in her chair, a notepad resting in her lap as her eyes meet mine.
The past few months have flown by in a blissful haze. I never could have imagined that my life would take the course that it has. Thanks to Austin and his family, I no longer have shadows hanging over my shoulder. It took my mom some time to come to terms with Dan being gone, but she’s finally accepted that her life is better without him. Knowing that neither Dan nor Jason could ever harm me again gave me the courage that I needed to have the severely overdue conversation with my mom about the things that happened when I was a child.
I haven’t necessarily forgiven her, but as an adult, it’s a little bit easier to understand the mental challenges she was facing at the time. She opened up about the abuse that she dealt with during her time with Dan and the way he’d forced her to sink into herself. I know all too well whatit’s like to have someone snuff out your light, and the shared experience has allowed us the chance to begin to heal together.
“Things are alright between us. I don’t know that we’ll ever have a close relationship, but I’m trying to move forward and take each day as it comes. It feels…" I pause to gather my thoughts, thinking about the few times that I’ve met my mom for lunch or when she’s stopped into the bakery lately. “It feels easier. The tension between us is slowly going away.”
Dr. Harper gives me a gentle smile and writes down a few notes. We spend the rest of my session discussing the changes that I’ve been planning for the bakery and going over a few ideas for how I can manage the stress that the uptick in business has brought on. I leave the appointment with a smile on my face, feeling lighter than I have in who knows how long.
The soothing smell of vanilla and brown sugar teases my senses as I stand in front of Buttersweet Bakery. The windows are decorated with new chalk artwork, courtesy of Ethan. The holidays are just around the corner, and he’s incorporated the seasonal flavors into the design with cinnamon sticks and mugs of hot chocolate.
Business at Buttersweet has been busier than ever, and I was finally able to hire two new employees. I offered to give Quinn more hours at the bakery and finally teach her the recipes, but I want to give her the time she needs to make a decision. I get the impression that she has a lot on her plate as it is.
It wasn’t long ago that I’d return to the bakery after a session to find Quinn alone or helping the occasional customer. Today, as I step inside, I’m greeted by a small line of customers waiting for their orders while others sit at a few of the tables, enjoying various treats and specialty drinks.
I never saw myself offering coffee or tea options for customers, being that I don’t drink either myself, but Quinn was pretty insistent that I add them to the menu. She also had the idea to create a list of drink and dessert pairings that we can change depending on the season and so far, the customers have loved it. But the small line of customers isn’t what catches my eye when I step inside.
It’s the devastatingly handsome man who’s currently sitting with a trio of sunflowers resting on the table in front of him, tied together with a dark blue ribbon.
His brown hair is neatly styled, looking very much like the Chief of Human Resources Officer that he is now. Today he’s wearing a darkgreen long-sleeved button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, displaying his forearms. His shirt is tucked into a pair of black dress pants and paired with a leather belt that I can’t wait to unbuckle later.
Austin’s blue eyes lift to mine, a smile brightening his entire face. He closes the distance between us and pulls my body against his chest, his arms wrapping around my waist as his lips meet mine. Kissing Austin Anders feels like finally coming up for air. Like the first taste of sunlight after a thunderstorm.
“Hey there, beautiful. I know you’re swamped today, but I couldn’t resist seeing you,” he says, brushing his nose against mine before pressing another soft kiss to my lips.
