kitchen counter with a drive that made it shake. Alexis felt a surge of outrage bubble up inside her. Of all the times to see Vanessa, this was not the minute she had trusted for. Vanessa, Haven’s ex, but her nearness in his house—looking as comfortable as if she still had a place there—ignited a modern wave of frailty in Alexis. “I seem to ask you the same thing,” Alexis shot back, her voice edged with severity. “Why are you here, Vanessa?” “What the hell is she doing here?” Vanessa spat, her voice sharp and cutting. She put the glass down on the Vanessa collapsed her arms, her pose insubordinate. “I’m here since Haven needs someone who really gets it, somebody who doesn’t run away the moment things get tough.” Haven ventured between the two ladies, his hands raised as in the event to diffuse a bomb. “Hold on, hold on. This isn’t how I needed this to go down.” Alexis felt her chest fix, her eyes narrowing at Haven. “You didn’t inform me that Vanessa was here.” “I didn’t think it
Haven gestured, his grasp on her hand tightening marginally. “I’ll make sure of it. No more shackles. No more blended signals.” Alexis gave him a little, conditional grin. “Okay. But it’s going to take a little time.” “I’m not going anywhere,” Haven assured her, his voice softening. “We can take all the time we need.” They stood there for a minute, holding onto each other within the calm of the living room. It wasn’t idealized, and the harmed from their prior battle still waited, but for the first time in what felt like until the end of time, Alexis felt like possibly, just possibly, they had a shot at getting through this. Haven looked towards the window where Vanessa had vanished. “I should’ve set boundaries sooner. I see that now. I’m sorry, Alexis.” Alexis murmured, leaning her head on his bear. “I’m sorry as well. I shouldn’t have let my uncertainties get the better of me.” Haven kissed the top of her head tenderly. “We’ll figure it out. One step at a time.” Alexis gesture
Vanessa constrained a grin as she was welcomed by Havenat the door, his commonplace face pulling at her heartstrings. “Haven,” she welcomed, her voice sweet, veiling the sharpness she genuinely felt. “Vanessa, it’s great to see you. Come in,” Haven said, his arm directing her inside. As they walked through the hall, Vanessa looked at the décor—modern, smooth, with sprinkles of colour that shouted Alexis’s impact. The exceptional air within the house appeared to have a place to her, and Vanessa’s stomach turned with envy. “Alexis is in the kitchen,” Haven said, his voice impassive. “She’s getting everything prepared for the dinner.” Vanessa grinned, in spite of the fact that her jaw fixed. “I can’t wait to see her,” she said, in spite of the fact that her genuine considerations were far darker. The evening unfurled smoothly—to begin with. Vanessa made little conversation with the other visitors, charmed them with her chuckling and mind, in spite of the fact that her eyes always sho
Alexis’s face was pale, her hands trembling as she clutched a container of tea that she hadn’t indeed touched. “I don’t understand,” Alexis whispered. “How could this happen?” Haven Shook his head, his face drawn in distress. “I don’t know. It makes no sense. He just... drank the wine and—” Vanessa, sitting over from them, gazed at her hands. She had never meant for Reggie to die, but presently, there was no going back. She felt no regret for her activities, as it was a cold, empty realisation that her plan had spiralled out of control. The harm had worked. But in the end, it took an innocent life. And whereas Haven and Alexis lamented, Vanessa’s mind dashed with the information that her scorn had unleashed something far darker than she had ever expected. In her journey for exact retribution, she had lost far more than she might have envisioned. She took a look at Alexis once more, and a new wave of rage took her of which she couldn’t place the source but it satisfied her undoubte
He spun around just in time to see Vanessa tumbling down the first few steps of the staircase, her body twitching clumsily as she hit the floor with a loud thud. “Oh my God! Ow! Ow, Haven!” Vanessa cried, clutching her lower leg significantly as she writhed on the floor. Haven solidified, wide-eyed. “What the hell, Vanessa? Are you okay?” Vanessa groaned, her face bent in overstated torment. “I… I don’t know. I think I twisted my ankle.” He rushed over, bowing adjacent to her as she groaned miserably, clutching her leg. It was nearly convincing—if it wasn’t for the reality that Haven had known Vanessa long enough to suspect this was another one of her stunts. “Let me see,” Haven said, coming to her lower leg. She yanked it away from him rapidly, jumping as if the insignificant touch caused her colossal pain. “No! Don’t! It hurts too much.” Haven scowled, his doubt developing. He had seen her act before. But the drop had looked pretty real, hadn’t it? He wasn’t sure. She was conti
Haven stood up suddenly, running a hand over his face. He couldn’t do this once more. Not with her. “Vanessa, we’ve been through this. We broke up for a reason.” “I know, but—” “There’s no ‘but,’ Vanessa,” he cut her off. “I can’t go back to that. To the manipulation, the steady show. I need peace in my life, and you… you don’t bring that.” Her face fell, and for a minute, he thought he saw veritable harm in her eyes. But he couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe anything she did any longer. “Haven, I’ve changed,” she whispered, her voice breaking marginally. “I swear, I’m different now.” He shook his head, his resolve firm. “You fell down the stairs to urge my attention, Vanessa. You’re still playing games.” Vanessa’s eyes broadened in stun, but she rapidly concealed it with a mournful expression. “I didn’t mean to fall! It was an accident!” Haven crossed his arms. “Was it?”She opened her mouth to dissent, but no words came out. The silence between them.Vanessa moaned soft
Haven was holding Vanessa’s hand, his face near to hers, and it looked far as well. She felt a knot shape in her throat, her stomach bending with outrage and harmed. Haven detected her nearness and turned to see Alexis standing within the door, her arms crossed, a storm brewing behind her eyes. “Alexis,” he said, his voice delicate, almost apologetic. “You didn’t have to come. I’ve got things handled.” “Clearly,” Alexis answered, her tone sharp. She ventured into the room, her heels clicking boisterously against the tiled floor. “What’s the diagnosis , Doctor Haven?” Vanessa let out a soft laugh, in spite of the fact that it was scarcely more than a whisper. “Alexis, there’s no need to be unfriendly. Haven was just being kind. I fell, remember?” Alexis clenched her clench hands, feeling her persistence wear lean. She didn’t accept for a moment that Vanessa’s drop had been a mischance. Vanessa had been playing this game for months—trying to get her way back into Haven’s life with e
Alexis walked next to him, her hands pushed into her coat pockets, her lips squeezed into a tight line. She hadn’t said a word since they left the clinic room. Haven knew that she was waiting for him to clarify, but he didn’t know where to begin. They came to the car, and Alexis stopped suddenly. Haven could feel her look burning into him, but he couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes just however. He opened the car doors with a beep, but not one or the other of them moved to step inside. “Haven,” Alexis’s voice cut through the quiet. It was soft, but it carried a weight that sent a chill down his spine. “Tell me what’s going on.” Haven at last looked up, assembling her eyes. She was hurt, that much was self-evident, but there was something else there as well. Instability. Fear, perhaps. She had a right to be. The hospital visit had as it were complicated things, bringing up old wounds that he thought had been buried. “I don’t care about her,” Haven said unobtrusively, his voice
"I actually believed that we would eventually have to take sides.” Marcus could vividly recall the memories. He had been friends with Haven since high school, witnessing his journey through a painful breakup with his college girlfriend, who had betrayed him by getting involved with his roommate. Smoothly flowing friendship marked by shared experiences and challenges. The betrayal had caused Haven to build walls so high that they appeared insurmountable. His innate warmth and optimism were buried beneath layers of protective cynicism. When Fiona first re-introduced Alexis to their friend group few months ago, Marcus noticed the same wounded walls in her. Fresh from calling off her engagement to a man who had gradually tried to suppress her sparkle, in an effort to control her better, Alexis was portraying a demeanor characterized by sharp edges and cautious aloofness. Haven and Alexis moved around each other cautiously, like two wary cats, drawn to each other yet filled with insecurit
The park seemed hushed, only the little giggles from the children playing and the jogging steps from around the park seemed to be the only sound apart from the heartbeat of both Haven and Alexis. Haven and Alexis sat across from each other, their gazes locked. Time seemed to stand still as they simply were, their presence filling the space with a quiet intensity. Haven's heart pounded in his chest. He’d never felt this way about anyone before. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time, every detail, every nuance, striking him with a fresh sense of wonder. Her eyes, a deep, captivating brown, held a universe of emotions. He could get lost in them for hours, exploring the depths of her soul. Alexis, too, was lost in the moment. She felt a warmth spreading through her, a comforting familiarity that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Haven’s gaze was steady and kind, a stark contrast to the chaos that often surrounded her. In his eyes, she saw acceptance, understanding, and
Haven's throat was fixed. He knew precisely what she meant—how they had both lost themselves in the splits and cleft of their fizzled marriage, getting to be individuals they didn’t recognize. "Do you ever think," he said, his voice scarcely capable of being heard, "about what us?" Alexis gave him a sidelong look, her expression softening. "All the time." They fell into a pensive quiet, the kind that comes as it were when two individuals share a history as well complicated for words. "I think," Alexis began gradually, "we were trying so hard to be what we thought the other needed that we overlooked to be ourselves." Haven gestured, her words resounding deeply. "No doubt. I thought I had to be this culminating supplier, continuously solid, continuously in control. But I wasn't truly letting you in. I see that now." "And I kept trying to be this perfect spouse," Alexis included with a little, self-deprecating snicker. "I needed to demonstrate that I was enough, that I coul
Alexis let out a little, severe giggle. “I never stopped caring, Haven. That’s the problem.” The genuineness in her voice cut through him like a knife, more sharp than any offended she may have tossed his way. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “If you never stopped caring, why did you leave?” She hesitated, her expression tormented. “Because I was tired of waiting for you to choose me.” Haven felt the air leaving his lungs as if she had punched him. “What are you talking about? I was continuously there.” “You were physically there,” Alexis whispered, “but your heart was someplace else. Continuously working, continuously building. I needed more than that.” He closed his eyes, blaming wrapping around him like chains. He had worked himself to the bone to donate them both a great life, believing it would be enough. But in the process, he had missed the foremost vital thing—her. “I thought I was doing it for us,” he said, his voice overwhelming with lament.
A minute, the walls around her heart trembling but not very falling. Perhaps, just perhaps, she might take another step. “Yeah,” she said unobtrusively. “I think I do.” Haven leaned back in his leather chair, checking the numbers on his laptop screen with a tired but fulfilled smile. Business was good, better than ever, in reality. Growing his firm had been one of the most risky choices of his life, but the payoff had surpassed his expectations. However, even in the midst of his proficient victory, a gloomy hurt remained underneath the surface, one that wasn’t so effortlessly relieved by benefits and development charts. He tapped a number of keys to distract himself and ran a hand down his face. He had a whole lot to do on his plate for the upcoming investors meeting that could serve as a major boost for the future of his company. His company that suffered a downgrade after the divorce with Alexis was slowly getting recognized and becoming a better version of itself.Outside the wide
She moved awkwardly in her seat, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s easier that way. In case you don’t expect anything, you can’t get hurt.” Dr. Patel inclined forward marginally, her hands resting on the armrests of her chair. “It sounds like you’ve built walls around yourself to secure against dissatisfaction. But those walls also make it difficult for people to associate with you, don't they?” Alexis collapsed her arms firmly over her chest. “Yeah, well. it’s not like anyone’s trying that hard, anyway.” “Do you think that’s true?” Dr. Patel inquired tenderly. “Or is that something you tell yourself since it feels safer?” Alexis looked absent, jaw fixing. “What difference does it make? They give up inevitably. Friends, boyfriends. everybody. It continuously happens.” Dr. Patel let a minute of hush hang between them before she spoke. “Tell me about your last relationship.” Alexis moaned, rubbing her sanctuaries. “Do we have to?” “I think it could help us learn mor
Alexis giggled, the sound light and free. For the first time in a long time, she felt confident. “Maybe,” she said, looking at him, “but possibly it’s worth the risk.” Haven’s grin mollified, and in that minute, something moved between them—something inconspicuous but irrefutable. As the night wore on and the wine vanished, they found themselves closer than ever before, their chuckling blending within the warm glow of the room. And for the first time since her engagement ended, Alexis allowed herself to accept the plausibility of love again—not the perfect, fairy-tale kind, but the chaotic, complicated, genuine kind. And sitting there with Haven, she realized that perhaps, just perhaps, she was precisely where she was meant to be.The cool night air brushed against Alexis’s skin as she strolled down the quiet street. She’d left Haven’s place a little later than she’d planned, but the lingering warmth of the evening was a welcome change from the usual rush.A sense of peace washed
Alexis didn’t drag her hand away, but she looked down at the ring once more, her lips squeezing into a lean line. “Why does it feel like I’ve been left with nothing?” “Because shock could be a thief,” Haven said delicately. “It takes more than just the person, it takes your sense of worth with it. But that’s a lie. You still have all of you, Alexis.” For a long minute, neither of them talked. The hum of discussion and clinking glasses filled the hush between them, a foundation clamour to the turmoil whirling in Alexis’s mind. Haven gave her hand a soft touch. “Let’s get out of here. This place isn’t precisely built for healing.” Alexis wavered but at that point nodded, thankful for the life saver he was proposed to. They ended up at Haven’s flat, the air thick with the comforting fragrance of coffee and cinnamon candles. Alexis twisted up on the couch, holding a warm mug between her hands while Haven sat over from her, his expression open and understanding. “It’s not just Mat
Alexis yanked her arm free, dazzling at him. “No, Matthew. You had your chance, and you blew it. I deserve way better than this.” Matthew’s shoulders dropped back. For a moment, the sound between them was the murmur of the TV. “Where did you indeed meet Deborah?” Alexis inquired intensely, incapable of stopping herself. Matthew moaned intensely. “She’s an old friend from college. She got into a few financial inconveniences, and I thought I might help.” His voice trailed off, as if indeed he realized how lamentable the pardon sounded. Alexis shook her head in disbelief. “Unbelievable. You bet with our future for some lady from your past.” She turned and walked toward the door, her heart overwhelming but unfaltering. She had gone through for so long disregarding the signs, trusting Matthew would be the man he imagined to be. But presently, she saw the truth clearly, he had never been that man. “Alexis, please!” Matthew called after her, his voice splitting with edginess. “Don’t le