Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
She closed her eyes. “He got fired from his job today, and that was why he was so angry and wanted someone to take it out on.”
Taking her hands in mine, I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked the one thing I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. “Has he ever done…that before?”
Haven looked down at the bed. “He’s hit me before.”
“It didn’t look like he was trying to hit you when I walked in.”
More tears slid down her face as she closed her eyes. “He’s made me watch him do…that to himself and he’s touched me once. He said he would kill me and Mother if I ever said anything to anyone.”
“Touched you how?”
She shook her head. “Please, Nate. Please. I can’t tell you.”
“Did he rape you? Have intercourse with you?” I needed to hear it from her mouth because I didn’t believe a damn thing that he told before he drove away.
With a shake of her head, a sob slipped free. “But I think he would have had you not been here.”
I wanted to destroy something. No, I wanted to get in the truck and go hunt that motherfucker down and kill him, just like I threatened to do before he left.
But I had to be strong in this moment for Haven, had to be the calm in her storm. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay now.”
Haven buried her face in her hands and cried. I put my arm around her as she dropped her head to my shoulder, and it felt like she sobbed for hours. In truth, it had only been about thirty minutes.
“What if he comes back?” she softly asked.
“He won’t.”
“How do you know?” she asked, lifting her head and staring up at me with those eyes of hers. They looked blue today, most likely because she was wearing a blue top.
“Because I told him if he ever sets foot in Hamilton or tries to contact you, I’ll be digging his grave.”
She didn’t say anything, only stared at me.
“I’m so sorry, Haven. I’m so…so fucking sorry.”
“It’s over, and I won’t ever have to see him again.”
Wiping her face, she moved away from me, and I took that as a sign to stand up. She did the same.
“Promise me, Nate, right now, that you won’t tell a soul.”
I closed my eyes and dropped my head back. “Haven, every ounce of me says I need to tell my parents. The police need to know.”
“I’m already the laughingstock at school, Nate. This will only make everything worse.”
“But you have friends who will help you through this.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “Do you think the small handful of friends I have will help? It doesn’t matter that he never forced me to…” Her body shivered. “Rumors will start, and I can’t do that. My mother just got this job at a dentist’s office, and I can’t ruin that for her. Please. I’m begging you, Nate.”
I rubbed at the instant pain in my neck. Everything inside of me screamed this was wrong. But when I looked at Haven, tears in her eyes and a broken look, I found myself saying, “I promise you, I won’t ever tell anyone.”
A look of relief crossed her tear-stained face, and she closed her eyes. “Thank you, Nate. Thank you for everything.”
She threw herself into my body, and I wrapped my arms around her and held her. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt Haven Larson. And if keeping her secret meant she would be spared from any more hurt, then that was what I would do.
Senior Year of High School
Haven Marie Larson.
She was going to be the death of me one of these days.
“Hey, Nate, what’s with the frown?” Lizzy Hathaway asked as she flashed me a bright smile. Her blue eyes lit up with that familiar glint of desire.
“No reason,” I said as I focused back on Haven riding the horse around the arena.
“Haven is so weird.”
Turning to look at Lizzy, I fought to keep the anger out of my voice when I asked, “Why do you say that?”
Motioning out to Haven, who was attempting to get the horse she was on to settle down, Lizzy sneered, “She is obsessed with animals. I mean, she walks people’s dogs. That’s her job. Dog walking. She spends more time with them than she does humans.”
“What is your job?”
Lizzy laughed. “I’m in high school, Nate. I don’t work.”
“That’s not a reason. I’m in high school, and I work.”
“On your family ranch. That doesn’t count.” She waved her hand in the air again. “That’s like chores.”
I wanted to laugh. It was hardly like chores. It was hard work.
“What are you doing here, Lizzy?” I asked as I focused back on Haven in the arena with my father next to her.
“My mother is here to talk to your mom about training a horse we bought. I want to do barrel racing.”