My heart jumps, and he gives himself a little shake as though annoyed he caught himself doing that.
I open my mouth. Close it. Gesture at the door between us.
Connor takes a sip from his mug. “You shouldn’t be up and about. You need rest. You need to eat. I was going to bring you breakfast upstairs.”
I shake my head. There’s only one thing I need.
Home, I mouth. I want to gohome.
Connor furrows his brow. For a second, he attempts to decipher what my lips are trying to say. And then, when he does, something shifts behind his eyes. Something dark… something quintessentiallyConnor.
“Home?” he asks.
I nod, grateful he understands.
Then again, maybe he doesn’t. Because, as he lowers his mug, there’s a hint of an upward curve to his lips as he says, “What do you mean, home? Oh, Haven. Youarehome.”
EIGHT
WHAT
HAVEN
This isn’t my home. This ishishome. Not mine.
He has to know that… right? He brought me here because he couldn’t go to the hospital or the Fortress, and he has no idea where I live. This was his only choice, but it’s notmyhome.
I shake my head.
He nods. “Yup. This is where you live now.”
What happened to my apartment? Did they evict me? I’m on automatic payment from a basically endless bank account. I have a home, and even if I didn’t, it wouldn’t be with a member of the Owed who has spent way too many years working my last nerve even if he did help bring me home again.
To Harmony Heights, though, not the Heyward family home.
I inch toward the door. His grin slides off of his face, his expression becoming determined as he holds up his free hand.
He folds his fingers back toward him. “Come to me, Haven. Breakfast is done. Let’s eat, and then we can talk about it.”
Talkagain. Doesn’t he understand? Ican’ttalk!
I press my lips together, taking another step toward the front door.
He notices.
“Haven. Be reasonable. You need to eat. You need more sleep. Look at you… you’re in my shirt. You can’t go out like that.”
Try me.
I mouth his name, followed by one word:no.
The gleam in his eyes saysyes.
“Listen to me, honey. You passed out because your body is exhausted. You’ve gotta be dehydrated. You’ve lost too much weight. And I know I’m not supposed to comment on a woman’s weight. Sue me. You can hate me all you want after I see you eat something.”
Another shake of my head. Anotherno.
Connor purses his lips.
