After all, they were there for me when it counted, and I will never, ever forget that.
Even so, I head down the hall and wait until I hear her footsteps on the stairs, followed by the bedroom clicking shut before I pull open the front to let Bas in.
The second he steps inside, I know this isn’t a social visit. Not that Bas comes by often without a reason. He has his own life, his own problems, and though he’s still my best friend, helearned quickly that I don’t leave Haven unless I have no other choice.
Today, judging by the tension in his jaw, he thinks this counts.
“We need to talk.”
I shut the door behind him. “Usually, people lead with hello.”
“Hello, Connor. We need to talk.”
“Better.”
Bas doesn’t smile.
Shit. It’s Dallas who always has a grumpy scowl on his face these days. Bas is the real charming one; he doesn’t fake it like I do. For him to look at me like that… yup. This isn’t good.
I turn, heading back toward the kitchen because, if he’s going to ruin my morning, I might as well have coffee while he does it. He follows, glancing toward the staircase once before dropping his voice.
“Haven okay?”
“She’s upstairs.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
My shoulders loosen a little despite myself. That’s Bas. He can be a vain, cocky, troublemaking bastard with a face that got him both in and out of more trouble than most men deserve, but when it comes to Haven and my relationship with her, he’s never careless.
“She’s… better,” I say eventually. “Not fixed. Don’t think either of us believe in that shit anymore.” To be honest, I don’t think we ever did. “But she’s better.”
Bas nods thoughtfully, leaving it at that.
I feel a pang when I see Haven’s in-progress breakfast. Just so I can say I did, I scarf down the rubbery, undercooked eggs, then toss the plate into the sink. I offer Bas a slice of burnt toast. He declines like I figured he would.
Those niceties done, I pour coffee into two mugs. A splash of milk in mine. Sugar in both. Offering Bas his mug, I say, “Now talk.”
He accepts his mug, but doesn’t drink it right away. Instead, keeping his voice low, he blurts out: “Loni’s back in town.”
The mug stops halfway to my mouth.
For a second, I don’t react. Then I set it down very carefully before my hand shakes and I slosh the scalding hot liquid all over the place.
Holy fucking shit.
Loni?
Avalon Dougherty walked away from Harmony Heights when we were all eighteen. That was ten years ago this month. I say walked… that poor girl ran out of here, and because Adrian is the King’s nephew, he couldn’t chase after her.
Oh, he wanted to. If he wasn’t a Heller, he would have. But, like me, he knew that he might have to wait for what he wanted. He would have to work for it, too. I always wanted Haven. For Adrian, Loni was his endgame.
There’s no way that Adrian would have gone after her now. Not when he has two years left until he believes he can finally make a move…
“Why?”
Bas blows out a breath. “You’re not gonna believe it. I heard it from the ass’s mouth himself, and I still don’t want to believe it.”
Uh-oh. “Probably not, but you can tell me anyway.”
