Page 45 of Vow

She was all out.

“You’re right,” she murmured, “I didn’t.”

“Then, again, why did you come?”

“Because I wanted to look at you.” Haven stood up from the bench, and Snaps was quick to get up on all fours, and move next to Andino again. She stared right at Andino, and refused to drop his gaze even when his face barely cracked with an expression or emotion. “Because I wanted to see your face when I asked you why you keep doing this to me. Why?”

Andino blinked. “What do I do to you, Haven?”

How could he not know? How did he act so blind?

She let out a bitter laugh, and waved a hand between them. “This. This right here, Andino! I thought I made it clear more than once that this was done—we’re finished. And yet, you keep inserting yourself into my life time and time again. Flowers on my doorstep, and notes on my door when I get home.”

Andino’s gaze drifted over her face in that slow way of his that made her feel like he was taking all of her in, and appreciating her at the same time. It served no purpose, really, other than to heat up her body and make her insane.

“Yet, you don’t actually tell me to stop doing those things,” he murmured.

Haven stiffened. “I have—”

“You have not. Like this, you rant and rave. But I think that’s more for yourself, than it is for me. It makes you feel better and not so fucking confused about why you smile every time you do find flowers, or a note. But you don’t call—you don’t send the flowers back.”

Haven gave him a look she hoped burned. “I shouldn’t have to do those things. My feelings should be clear.”

“They’re not. They’re far from clear.”

“A lot like yours, then, I guess.”

Andino nodded, and glanced down the trail. “Walk with us?”

Haven thought to refuse, but two things stopped her from doing exactly that. One, the way Snaps was looking at her in his expectant, happy way. And two, the way she felt inside. Exactly as Andino had said. He was good for that … calling her out when she didn’t want to face something.

Despite wanting to be done … they weren’t.

They were so far from fucking done.

“Walk with us?” he asked again.

Haven sighed. “Fine.”

• • •

“Your house hasn’t sold yet?”

Andino’s quiet question drew Haven’s attention away from Snaps who had found a spot along the side of the trail to dig. “How did you know—”

“My man mentioned seeing the sign.”

Oh.

“No, it hasn’t sold yet,” she replied. “The club is in the process of a sale, though.”

Andino raised a brow high. “The club, too?”

“I can’t run it from Florida, can I?” Haven shrugged. “At least, not hands-on like I would if I was here. That’s a problem for me, so I would rather just liquidate what I can, and use that money to help my mother pay for her cancer treatments and whatever other bills might come up. They don’t have a very big safety net.”

Andino cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she was sick again.”

No, she supposed he wouldn’t. She hadn’t told him.