Page 28 of Who I Crave To Be

The driveway is empty and there's a boy's blue push bike with a black wicker basket with Spiderman’s face plastered on the front of it, sitting at the end of it.

I'm guessing from one of the neighbor’s boys.

It's so normal, understated and homely.

Crossing the street, I walk down the path and right up to the front door, raising my fist to pound the doorknocker, and stepping back waiting for it to open.

I hear a small commotion from the inside followed by small laughter and the door swings inward, revealing a woman so different from how I remember her from a night ago.

I'm left bewildered at the brown locks tossed into a careless bun atop her head, brown eyes silken with light humor and mirth as she stares at something over her shoulder before those wild eyes, full of secrets, swing to mine and widen.

She's wearing gray lounge pants and a green tank.So casual and at ease with herself, make-up free and fucking stunning.

I can see the rise of her chest as she trips over her breathing and hiccups in startled shock."What are you doing here?"she asks, a small whisper slipping past her lips.

She jolts forward and right into my arms when somebody knocks into her, and a riot of low giggles follows closely behind."Who is it, Mommy?"

"Mommy?"I ask with wide eyes of my own, glancing down and the little boy hugging her leg and bouncing up and down.

She turns to him, running her hands through his dark wavy strands and ushers him inside the house."Go on in, honey.I'll be in soon," she orders gently and the little boy takes off down the hallway screaming'Look!I'm spiderman.'Shooting the wall with his fingers.

"Haven?Who is it?"a short-haired brunette asks, rounding the corner from what looks like a kitchen, and stopping short when she sees me."Stab a cunt," she blurts on a whistle."Who is this fine beast?"

"Haven?"I parrot.Utterly confused.

Guess I should have got more information than just an address on the woman I thought I knew.

"Anna, fuck off.Go back to the kitchen."Vienna,Haven, fuck if I know, orders on an irritated huff and Anna lifts her hands in defence before retreating back down the hallway.

Taking my hand, she leads me inside and into the lounge before shutting the door behind her with a resounding click that has me running a rough hand over my face.

"Fuck," she hisses, gathering herself before turning to face me with embarrassment staining her cheeks red.

I narrow my eyes on her, not liking the look she wears."Haven?"I ask again, waiting for an answer as I lean against the back of an armchair with my large arms folded across my broad chest.

"Vienna is my middle name," she admits lowly, staring at the buttons on my shirt."Haven Vienna Bradstone."

It makes sense, her not trusting a stranger with her real name.I'm not mad at it because now everything finally fits.

The feeling she's engulfed me within, that I couldn't quite explain.I guess she's always been my safe haven, I just hadn't truly realized it until now.

"The name’s fitting, Sin.My safe haven," I utter thickly, righting myself and taking a step closer."The hair?"

"Becoming someone else.This is my natural color."She stares at me in disbelief before biting her lower lip, driving me insane.I have to focus on her pretty eyes."Why are you here, Deano?"

“You thought I wouldn't find you?I told you, you're mine.Haven, Vienna, Sin.All of you, everyversionof you is mine.You just left, walked out without even saying goodbye," I explained with a little more heat in my voice than I intended, but it hurt.It actually fucking hurt waking up alone and her beauty was no longer beside me.

She balks, head drawing back as if I slapped her while she searches my eyes for deceit."You wanted me to stay?All those pretty words, they weren't just words of the moment?"

"Do I look like a man who makes a habit of saying what he doesn't mean?"

She shakes her head, scratching her cheek with tears filling her eyes."Well, it doesn't matter now does it?You know, now don't you?That I'm a mother.That I lied and don't live the high life.That I don't belong with you."

"I found you in a strip club, Haven," I remind her, quirking a brow.

"A high-end strip club!"she corrects in exasperation."I mean for fuck’s sake, I don't even belong in a place calledPussy Liquor."

I chuckle, taking another step closer until I back her against a wall.Her lips part, eyes wide as her breasts brush against my chest with her erratic breathing."With me is exactly where you belong, Darling.Do you want me, baby?"I whisper against her lips, slowly kissing away the tears."Because I want you,allof you.Every possible version of you.You're my adventure, Haven.You're my tomorrow."I kiss her again and she shudders, each sob I soothe away."What's your son called?"

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