BEN I debated calling Alex again, my manager, or my lawyer first. They all needed to know about this before it went public, even though Alex seemed to already know about Haven, at the very least. I wasn't sure if he knew about her daughter. Even if he did know, I wanted to yell at him for forci
HAVEN Pulling my bag onto my shoulder, I made my way to the elevator, ready to leave for the day. I felt confident about my start with Ben today. If things continued like this, Suzie would be very pleased with me, and I could keep my job. I just needed things to remain civil over the next two m
HAVEN I had never driven so fast or recklessly in my life. My vision was blurred with tears, and I couldn’t seem to slow my heart or breathing down no matter how much I tried to do so. It wasn’t safe for me to be driving like this, and I was grateful that I made it home in one piece and hadn’t
BEN I knew I was being rash, and when I got off the phone with Rob, I couldn’t find it in me to call my lawyer. Something wasn’t sitting right with me, and how Rob spoke about her was disturbing. He loathed her on a level that I hadn’t seen before, and I knew something else was going on that I di
HAVEN “Good Morning, Mrs. Nile,” I greeted Suzie and watched as she nodded in return. It was missing her usual warmth, and I swallowed hard as I passed her to the locker room to put my bag away for the day. After Cynthia had talked me down and convinced me running wasn’t the answer and that it
BEN Today was supposed to be an easy day. Low weight followed by a massage… I don’t think I've had such a light-lifting day in years. Haven had me using ten pounds for most of the exercises, which made me laugh when she first told me I would be using them. But I would never doubt her again, not
HAVEN Somehow, the massage today was worse than yesterday. It might have been the anticipation, but after Ben said that there were things he and I needed to work out, he went silent. I didn’t want to dive into it, so I stayed silent, too, wanting to avoid the conversation for as long as possible
BEN The tablet in my hand almost connected with the floor as I stared between the closing elevator doors and the little girl in Haven’s arms. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that she was Siri. The protective way Haven was holding her and how the little girl had her face in Haven’s neck was a si
BEN There was a bullshit rule I’ve heard since I was little that I had lived by after every check, slam, or hit on the ice. Real men don’t cry. No one really believed the nonsense rule, but it was undeniable that people’s opinions and perceptions always changed once they saw a person vulnerable.
HAVEN “Let me get this straight because I’m having difficulty understanding,” Suzie said, standing behind her desk with both hands palm down on it as she glared at me in the visitor’s chair. “One of our biggest clients of all time, the owner’s best friend, just left my gym on the verge of tears, an
HAVEN I watched as the blood left his face, his cheeks turning a chalky white. The sight was too much. He was wearing his heart on his sleeve, and I was ripping it off and stomping on it. His hands shook as he lifted them and shoved his fingers into his hair. My eyes closed, unable to continue
HAVEN Ben went through the motions of each exercise, counting each set, not arguing that he could do more than I asked him to, and had yet to make any sarcastic or inappropriate remarks. It was oddly uncomfortable to see him like this. Ben was the kind of man who would drop everything at a momen
BEN My fingers tapped against the machine I was leaning on as I waited for Haven. I didn’t like how she left, but I was eager about the conversation she promised me. The serious tone and her obvious anxiety had me excited. There were only two things that I could think of that would make her so an
HAVEN “Rob,” I breathed, gasping in shock as he grabbed my elbow and pulled me to the corner of the lobby behind the decorative pillar. He had always hated when I called him by his first name. He felt that someone as lowly as an assistant should show him the respect he believed he had earned by n
HAVEN I had barely made it to work on time and was panting by the time I ran inside, went down to the lounge to drop off my things in my locker, grabbed my tablet, and got back upstairs to the gym, where Ben was supposed to be waiting. Thankfully, he was there and didn't look angry that I was lat
HAVEN I had been ecstatic that Ben hadn’t been in the lobby when I left with Siri. Bonnie had gone up before us to check, and when she said he had left, I almost felt like I should thank him the next time I saw him. He had every opportunity to corner me with her and try to push the matter, but
BEN “You’re going back up?” Mason said, and I let out a deep breath and nodded. “It would be too hard to see her and not say anything. Plus, if I’m just staring at her, it might scare her.” I said, regretting the decision as soon as I made it, but I also knew that if I stayed down here, I would