Page 44 of Finding Haven
“The blue. The dark blue you have now looks good, I bet that bright blue would look freaking amazing,” I tell her.
“Cotton Candy Dreams it is!”
I watch as she gathers a few things and begins separating her hair into sections, pulling a majority of it up with a claw clip while leaving down the strands already dyed a darker blue.
“You should go snoop through his shit,” she says, her eyes on the mirror as she watches herself.
“I’m not gonna do that, Bex. He asked me to stay here because…”He wants to know that I’m safe while he’s out doing something potentially life-threatening.“He trusts me,” I finish.
“Yeah, yeah,” she says in a dry tone. “But what if there are skeletons in his closet? You can find out now and get the fuck outta there before he gets home.”
“Byyeee, Bex,” I say, dragging out the first word with a laugh.
She laughs, waving a hand at the camera before I disconnect the call. A heavy sigh escapes my lungs as I lean back against the couch, my gaze roaming over the open living space.
Zack’s home is stunning. My mind and body were too occupied the other times I’ve been in this room, but now that I have the time to truly take it in, I’m in awe. Large windows framed by dark curtains span one entire wall, letting in sunlight and making it feel as though the beach is practically in the room. Large sliding glass doors open up to a wooden deck and a path that leads down to the beach. It’s no wonder he enjoys going for runs down on the beach. I bet the view is absolutely incredible at sunrise.
Rising from the couch, I make my way into the kitchen. I learned to cook for myself at a young age, and it’s become a comfort habit over the years. The idea of cooking a homemade meal for Zack to come home to has butterflies swarming my stomach and a smile returning to my face. Imagining him enjoying a meal that I made just for him slightly eases the tension from my body.
After rummaging through the refrigerator and pantry and running through a mental ingredients list in my mind, I manage to find everything I need to whip up a decent dinner. It won’t be anything fancy,but maybe he’ll still appreciate the gesture. Given how well his fridge is stocked, he seems like the kind of guy who rarely eats out.
With my favorite Spotify playlist pulled up on my phone, it doesn’t take me long to get the chicken prepped, seasoned, and into the oven along with a sheet pan of vegetables that I drizzled with olive oil. Everything will only take about an hour to cook, aside from the alfredo sauce that I’ll make last. It gives me plenty of time to hyperfixate on all the things that could possibly go wrong while he’s gone. I refuse to allow myself to dive down that rabbit hole. Instead, I grab my phone from the counter and head down the hall to the guest room where I left my bag from the night before.
It’s hard to believeit’s only been a few days since I discovered Zack is NoMerZ, my top subscriber. If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve felt tethered to him since the night we met at the Elysian bar. It feels like fate has played a part in bringing him back into my life. I’d like to think that even without him subscribing to my Frisk account, we still would’ve somehow found our way back into each other’s orbit. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so in my head the day he came to update Buttersweet’s security system, and I would’ve realized he was standing right in front of me.
Reaching the guest room, I throw my duffle bag onto the bed and begin emptying it, searching through my options for lingerie. I had wanted to take advantage of a new location and create some content for my account while I’m here anyway. It just so happens to also be the perfect way to distract myself until Zack returns. Of course, I’m not even sure why I’m bothering to sort through the different sets when I already know what I’ll be wearing.
Grabbing the other pink set I bought from the boutique—one Zack hasn’t seen yet—and a coordinating lace mask from my bag, I quickly get changed before moving into the bathroom to curl my hair. It’s always a bit awkward to pull half of my hair up, slip the mask on, and then take my hair back down, but I’d rather have the elastic band that secures the mask covered. Slipping into lingerie feels a bit like putting on armor, and my mindset immediately shifts.
Dressed like this, I’m not Quinn Mitchell, the twenty-three year old with a chronic illness. I’m not the girl who has to work harder than anyone else I know just to keep my body functioning the way it should.
I’m SugarQueen, and I’ve got more people willing to pay to see what I’ve got to offer than I could’ve ever imagined.
34
Zack
Aceisfinallygettingwhat he wants. I never thought I’d be stepping out of the confines of my office and joining him for a mission, but here we are. Technically, this isn’t an assignment sanctioned by the Legion, but I have no doubt that Will Anders would approve of our methods.
Ace ignores the speed limits and almost causes a few accidents due to his reckless driving, but I’ve never seen him this focused. His grip on the steering wheel has his knuckles turning white, his jaw clenched tight as he pushes the vehicle to its limits. Hailey insisted on tagging along, refusing to sit back and wait while we “rush off to rescue her best friend,” as she put it. She’s sitting in the back seat, wholly unaffected by her brother’s driving.
He manages to get us to Sutton Ridge in nearly half the time it would typically take, and he’s barely holding it together when we arrive. To the untrained eye, the stillness of his body would seem terrifying. Every minor movement he makes is calculated, his shoulders set with intense rigidity as he swings the Legion-issued SUV down a dirt path, just off the side of the road where it will be hidden from passing traffic.
A torrent of emotions floods my senses, nausea rolling through my stomach as a small cabin surrounded by overgrown greenery comes intoview. A thin layer of sweat begins to bead along the back of my neck. Being strapped with black tactical gear, a bulletproof vest, and an assortment of weapons doesn’t feel as strange as I’d imagined it would. It’s a welcome comfort that settles the frantic energy coursing through my veins and sharpens my focus. The adrenaline pumping through my system is accompanied by one heavy realization.
We. Can’t. Fail.
Ace isn’t the only one here who wouldn’t survive losing Chelsea. He would lose the love of his life, Hailey would lose her childhood best friend, and I would lose myself.
“We’ve got this,” I murmur under my breath, attempting to breathe truth into the words.
There was a time when walking into a situation like this wouldn’t have made me falter. When I would’ve rolled in with confidence in myself and my team. And while I have every confidence in Ace and Hailey, I’m doubting myself.
What if I freeze? What if panic overtakes my body and my feet become cemented to the ground, the way they were that night on Willowbend Bridge? That can’t happen. I won’tletthat happen. Chelsea’s life is hanging in the balance, wholly reliant on us saving her and finally putting an end to this nightmare. I know I’m in a different headspace now than I was back then, and I know when the day is over, I’ll be returning home to a woman who is kind and loving. A woman who has given me the space to heal from wounds she didn’t inflict. A woman who has gone out of her way to show me how much she cares for me. Still, I find myself hesitating.
Am I ready for this?
“What’s the plan?” Hailey asks, leaning forward from her place in the backseat. I’ve worked with her for a few years now, and I’m fairly certain this is her first time stepping up in this capacity. She’s more behind-the-scenes like I am. Despite her being the event coordinator for the hotel, she also has a background in nursing for the sake of the Legion and primarily handles treating stab and bullet wounds for members when shit doesn’t go as planned.
