Chaos (Havoc Series Book Two) (16 page)

My chuckle is small. I actually love when she
mothers me. Gives me a warm feeling that I know I would miss if it
wasn't there.

“And don't worry about Haven having something
to wear tonight. She does.”

“How do--”

“I took her to a few charity events with me
while you were gone. To say the least, Doug was relieved he was out
of that duty. You know those kinds of things were never his scene.
Well, not after all that happened. Anyway, she's got a fair share
of dresses now.”

I look at the garments once more and smile
again. “Thanks, Mindy.”

“You're welcome, Slugger...” She glances to
the side and then sighs, “You should get going. Haven will probably
be home any minute.”

Nodding, I let her walk me to the door, where
I cross the street just as Mandy's car is pulling into the
driveway. Haven slips out as Mandy rolls down her window,
sunglasses covering most of her face.

Politely, I wave. “Hey, Mandy.”

“Hey, lover boy,” the terminology makes me
stand proudly. It means Haven's been praising me again. Good. Maybe
Michele was around to hear it. Get the picture. Finally.

“Hey you.” Haven wraps her arms around my
neck and plants a chaste kiss on my lips.

“Hey Angel.” I stare into her brown eyes for
a brief bit. Turning back to Mandy I nod. “Thanks for bringing her
home.”

“My pleasure. How else can I hear about all
the neat tricks you know in the sack?”

My eyes pop out of my head as my jaw hits the
ground. In disbelief, I look at Haven who is covering her mouth to
hide her giggles. I can't believe this. She knows? She knows!
I--

“Chill out, Clint,” Mandy giggles. “From what
Haven says, sounds like you should be teaching a class...”

I choke on the embarrassment. I should
probably be honored. I should probably be thankful Haven is
boasting about me. Hell, I should probably be relieved she has a
friend to share that kind of information with yet instead I'm
completely dumbfounded.

“Enjoy your evening you two. Text me,” she
calls out to Haven and backs out of the driveway.

The way her grin is cocked to the side she
reminds me of someone. Between her attitude and her sexual comments
at inappropriate times, I can't shake the feeling she is a female
Glove.

Turning to look at Haven, my mouth manages to
say, “You talk about our...sex life?”

She shrugs innocently. “That's what girls
do.”

A kiss lands on my cheek as she heads in the
house, me on her heels, still in shock.

Once inside, Haven glances over her shoulder.
“Those look awfully fancy. Do they have anything to do with my
surprise tonight?”

I had almost completely forgotten I was
carrying suits in my hand. Quickly I nod, “Yeah. Please put on one
of your evening dresses.”

Excited she turns around swiftly, “Wow. Okay.
Should I start getting dressed now?”

“We both should.”

Enthusiasm pops on her face and she hurries
along up the stairs leaving me at the bottom trying to sort the
mush my brain has become. She talks to Mandy about our sex life
huh? I've never talked to Glove or Lordy about it. What if she's
talked to Michele about it? Do we have boundaries? Are there things
aside from the obvious that maybe we shouldn't talk about with
other people? Not to say I'm a prude about the situation, none
whatsoever, I'm just curious. Where does it stop? What happens when
we have a disagreement? When she thinks I'm wrong? When I've made a
wrong decision? Or what about when she's lonely? Or scared? Does
she turn to her friends then? What if Michele got the impression
she needed him? My phone vibrates in my pocket. An alarm I set is
going off so I would have plenty of time to get ready. And that's
exactly what I'm going to go do; leaving all those questions I'm
not sure I want the answer to, behind.

After handing our invitations to the man at
the door, I escort Haven into the busy function. The place is lined
with tables and cooking stations, the entire room filled with men
dressed like me, and women who wished they were as beautiful as
Haven in their dresses. She's got on a black floor length gown,
form fitted to the top, a looser fit on the bottom, showing off
every curve she's got nonetheless. Making me wish we would've
stayed home instead for sure.

“This is amazing,” she whispers in my ear as
we approach a table filled with funny looking dishes I wouldn't
even be anywhere near if it weren't for her.

The entire thing is designed as a tour around
the world of famous dishes, by even more famous chefs. Tiny
expensive dishes. Tiny expensive desserts. A food festival for the
snobby. By the end, I know I'm going to need to stop to grab a
greasy cheeseburger, but it's worth it. To see that look right
there on Haven's face. To see her grinning like I brought her
Christmas in July. To see her in her element, in her natural state
of being is worth any food faking I will have to endure for the
next three hours.

Hour one isn't so bad. Haven's going on and
on about various spices and seasonings while I am nibbling on food
from Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, and Chile. All of it delicious. And
the fact she has numerous facts about what I'm eating causes me to
grin wider. From the way she's spewing information, it looks like
I'm not the only one who’s a fast learner.

Hour two is different. We taste dishes from
Ireland. Scotland. England. Wales. My taste buds are beginning to
feel abused. Haven, on the other hand, is still in Heaven which is
good. This night was supposed to be about her. Showing her I still
love her and am trying to fit into her world. That I want to make
this work. That she doesn't have to replace me because I'm right
here for her like I always have been.

I look over at Haven as she wipes her lips
softly with a napkin. I wanna tell her there's nothing I wouldn't
do to make her happy. That my days begin and end with thoughts of
her. I wanna tell her I'm prepared to drop down on one knee and ask
her to spend the rest of her life with me. I want her to know she's
what matters most to me.

She sees me staring and smirks, “What?” When
I smile widely she lowers her voice to a whisper, “Do I have food
in my teeth?”

“No,” I touch her cheek in hopes to help ease
her quick woes. “You look...perfect.”

Her face expands into a wide smirk. “Thank
you.”

“No. Thank you.” I lower my forehead to hers
completely forgetting we are in a room full of people. “For
everything. I'm not sure who I would be if you would've never fell
in my yard that day. And I honestly I don't wanna know what a life
without you in it is. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not ever.”

Haven's eyes close and her lips tilt up
towards mine when the worst thing I can think of happens.
“Haven?”

The voice of the Antichrist pulls her away
from me. Her attention that was just floating in my eyes now docked
on my stand in. Michele's dressed in a black suit as well, his hair
filled with gel or hairspray or something to keep it matted down to
his head in a dapper fashion, and a check mate smirk on his smug
face proving once again in his head, he wins this round.

“Oh my god! Michele!” she squeals pleased and
tosses him a brief hug.

He enjoys it too much if you ask me causing
my fist to clench. Get it together, Marine. You can't take him down
here. Not now. You'd get us kicked out. Make Mindy the laughing
stock. Do. Not. Do. It. Deep breaths.

“What are you doing here?” he asks a glass of
champagne finding its way into his grasp as a waiter passes by with
a tray full.

“Clint brought me.” my name acts as a cue for
me to place my arm around her waist. Pull her into me. She smiles
at gesture.

“Oh? So this is the magical date you had
planned?” his attention now turns to me. “And just how exactly did
you
get an invitation? I doubt you know the difference
between a pop tart and an actual tart?”

The jab at me clenches my fist again, but
Haven moves in closer to keep me still. I guess she can still feel
my tension whenever it rises. “Be nice, Michele.”

“Sorry,” he apologizes to her sincerely.
After she looks forgiving by the soft smile I know all too well, he
snaps his head back at me, “These things are by invite only. Can't
just buy tickets at the box office. You'd have to know the right
people.”

With an arrogant smirk, I reply, “Then I
guess I do.”

“I guess as a navy boy--”

“Marine.”

“That you probably saved somebody's life that
matters enough to have these tickets.” He takes a long draw of his
champagne. I wish he'd choke. I wish I could fucking choke him.
Looking sweetly down at Haven he asks, “No champagne for you?” She
shakes her head quickly trying not to blush. In a faint voice he
says, “They don't card you.”

“You do know the legal drinking age in the
states is 21 right?”

“And in France, it's 18. Guess that's one
more thing they do better than you.” the disgust for the country he
was raised in baffles me. He was born here. Raised here. But he
hates it? I'm out fighting for his right to hate it and he can't
even get which division I'm in correct. Explain to me how that's
fucking fair.

“Who are you here with?” she changes the
subject before I can react.

“Just my mother. You know how my father isn't
as civilized.”

She giggles and tosses a hand at him. “Stop.
He's not that bad...”

She's met the frog prince's father?

“Well he adored you. Almost as much as
mother.”

And his mother? She's met his family. Like
they're dating. Like they are a couple. His mother. Who is living.
Who is breathing. Who can welcome her with open arms and open
heart. Something no matter how hard I wish can never be true for
me. Suddenly I can't breathe. My lungs feel like they are filling
up with fire. Burning. Slow. Steady. The room feels like it's a
little hazy. Sounds are distant. Smells filling the air too intense
to bear.

I slide my body away from Haven's and clear
my throat. “If you'll excuse me.”

Confused she turns her attention back on me.
But it's too late. The panic and anxiety is settling in my veins
like cement. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” She looks at me weary. Oh now I
matter? “Just gonna use the restroom.”

Haven sighs and nods folding her arms across
her chest, a mild look of concern still on it. I make an immediate
bee line for the private bathrooms and lock myself in the first
one. My head hits the back of it once it's closed and I force my
eyes shut.

I can give her almost anything. Almost
anything. The inability to give her the chance to meet the woman
who birthed me never seemed to matter until now. Until I met
someone who could. Sure, she can meet Mindy. She has met her. And
Mindy is the best fucking second mom a guy could ever dream of, but
she'll never get to meet the woman who’ DNA I share. Whose smile I
miss. Who used to read me bed time stories and give me advice about
girls long before they were ever a blimp on the radar. And before
now it never seemed to be an issue. But that look on Haven's face.
That glow of meeting someone who is from albeit a stuck up, but
mildly normal family. A place easier to fit in than our
neighborhood. A place where not everyone is keeping secrets and
lies. A place where a family is just a family and not a secret
gathering. A place where her attacker couldn't find her. A place
where she didn't have to watch him die in front of her. There's
nothing like that look of happiness on Haven's face. I'll do
anything to be the one to put it there. I'll do anything to be the
reason it's there. But I'm beginning to wonder if I can.

Sinking towards the bottom of the pool feels
impeccable. I know hitting the bottom is going to be sooner rather
than later, but the stress it places on my body, the strain on my
lungs to do as I command all feels like a breath of fresh air. It's
nice to be able to control a situation, even if it is only
momentary. The minute my feet hit the ground, I shoot up like a
rocket for the top.

I take a deep breath of fresh air, letting
the buzz of replacing the air in my body turn into a new kind of
high. My hands push through my hair and I look up to see Felix
exiting out onto his patio.

“How's the task of trying to drown yourself
going?”

With a chuckle I shrug and lift myself on the
edge, leaving my feet in but allowing the rest of my body to drain.
“Still alive.”

Felix strolls towards me shoving his hands in
dark jeans. Noticing him approaching I observe his white shirt.
Black long tie. Nice shoes. Looks like someone went to the official
office.

Nodding towards him I ask, “Cooperate America
today?”

“Ugh. Don't remind me.” One of his hands tugs
at his tie. “Not that I care, but what are you doing in my pool,
Slugger?”

“Didn't feel like going to the gym.”

“No. I meant
what
are you doing in my
pool? Free swim? Laps? Lounging? Though it feels a little cool just
to be enjoying the water.”

I let a small smirk come on my face. “Just
working on some of my water skills.”

“I thought your requirements were already
fulfilled. That you already qualify for school since you're
enrolled and all.” My eyebrows rise. He knows too? How many people
did dad tell? Mindy's not that big of a surprise. Felix a little
more so.

“I do. Just trying to make sure I'm at the
top of my game.”

“I admire your hard work, Slugger. We're all
real proud of you.” The smile on his face is genuine. It feels like
a speech he wishes he could give to his own son, but can't. There's
a surge of guilt that rips through me. I know what it's like to be
the son who wishes his father was proud of him. Never thought I'd
relate to Howard. However, I've done things worth being proud of
unlike him. He's nothing more than a stain in his family tree.
“What's Haven think?”