Haven Bound

37. Austin

37

Austin

I wish I could have kept Chelsea in bed with me all day, hidden away from the rest of the world while we settle into a comfortable rhythm. But I knew how much she was looking forward to her appointment with her therapist, and I wasn’t going to keep her from that. Even if I was desperate to spend the day with her.

Now that Dan has been taken care of, there’s nothing else holding me back from being able to relax and enjoy my time with everyone that I care about. Chelsea’s ex, Jason, has been radio silent since the incident with the car, which feels like forever ago. He’s either gotten the hint and decided to leave her alone, or he’s planning something more significant. I’m hoping for the former.

The Phoenix Legion barbecue is tomorrow, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t torn between feeling excited to finally introduce Chelsea to my Legion family as more than just a friend and feeling a bit nervous. She’s going to be meeting some of the people who have seen me through my darkest times. When the absence of her presence meant that her rays of light couldn’t obliterate the darkness of my world.

Every member of the Legion is incredibly talented, but they all have their own demons to battle, their own reasons why they joined the organization. For some, their reasons are personal and tied to the people they love. For others, it gives them a sense of purpose. Knowing they are helping rid the world of some of the most evil and corrupt people allows them to sleep at night.

I know Chelsea is planning to spend the afternoon at Buttersweet after her appointment, which gives me the time to plan a little something fun, something different for us to do together. And I’ll be dragging all of our friends along for the ride. Everything has been so tense lately, I’m sure we could all use the break.

I pull the black SUV to the front of Zack’s house and shoot him a text to let him know that I’m here, he’s climbing in the back within a few minutes. As much as I love my Wrangler, there’s no way that all of us would fit in such a small vehicle.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this shit,” Zack grumbles as he buckles his seatbelt, his voice laced with its usual ice that I’ve become accustomed to.

“Just shut up and go along for the ride,” I say, smiling as I shake my head and pull away from the curb. He spends so much time at the Elysian for work, I’m surprised he hasn’t taken up permanent residence in one of the reserved suites yet.

He doesn’t typically travel since most of his work can be done remotely, so it makes sense that he’d want to set down permanent roots. Yet I somehow get the sense that his house is just another set of walls that he’s thrown up around himself in defense .

“You really think they’re gonna be up for it?” he asks, the ice of his voice melting away to reveal a tinge of… was that hope?

“I’m not gonna tell them what we’re doing until we get there,” I say, heading towards Ethan’s tattoo studio to pick him up next. I’d texted him earlier to make sure his schedule was clear for the rest of the day, knowing that even one client could hold him up for hours depending on the design they choose and their ability to sit through the pain.

As we pull up outside of Stolen Hearts Ink, Ethan and Hailey walk out of the studio together. There's a bright smile on Hailey’s face as she looks at something on her phone while they walk toward us. Ethan’s watching her as she speaks, his focus solely on her as she points to something on the screen and then waves her hands in the air. I can’t help but smile. Hailey’s always been such an animated person, so full of energy and wearing her emotions on her sleeve, whereas Ethan has always been more level-headed and intentional with his actions.

My best friend is watching my sister as though he’s completely enamored with her. My stomach twists at the idea, and I make a mental note to bring it up with him at some point.

“Hey yo!” Hailey chimes as she swings the driver-side back door open, lifting the first bench seat as Zack moves out of the way. She climbs into the far back, Ethan climbing in behind her as she says, “I’m so freaking excited, Auz! This is gonna be so fun.”

I wait until they’re both buckled before we pull onto the road and make the quick drive to Buttersweet. “I haven’t told Chelsea what we’re doing yet, so everybody hush,” I tell them, turning into the parking lot behind the bakery. The shop is closed to the public today, so I’ll have to go in through the back entrance.

“We’ll just chill here while you go get your girl,” Ethan quips, and I notice Zack stiffen in his seat. I raise a brow at him, but he looks away to avoid my gaze, pulling his phone from his pocket and scrolling through a series of texts on the screen instead.

After a few loud knocks on the door and a text letting her know it’s me, the door swings open, and I’m blown away by the stunning image of Chelsea standing before me. She’s wearing black jeans and a teal tank top that highlights her beautifully freckled shoulders. Her hair is pulled into a messy ponytail on top of her head and I’m itching to run my fingers through her golden-copper hair and pull her to me.

“Hey, beautiful,” I say, leaning in to place a hand on her hip as I press my lips to her cheek in a gentle kiss. “You guys just about done here?” I glance back into the large commercial kitchen space where Quinn is hanging up her apron.

“Were you watching us?” Chelsea teases, stepping forward to wrap her arms around my neck.

I grip her hips and smile, leaning in to brush my nose along hers as I say, “Hmm. Tempting, baby. But no, I wasn’t. I was just hoping you’d be finished and ready for a break.”

“We could definitely use a break,” Chelsea says, dropping her arms and turning to face Quinn. “What do you say?”

Quinn plants her hands on her hips and shrugs a shoulder as she says, “Sounds good to me.”

Once everyone is in the car and we’re headed toward our destination, I reach over and rest my hand on Chelsea’s thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. I love the way her body shifts toward me as I gently trail my fingers up and down her thigh, a light blush rising to her cheeks as she turns her head to look out her window.

“Where are we going?” she asks, looking around for anything that might give it away.

“Just wait and see, Chels. You’re gonna love it,” Ethan says from the back. Chelsea spins in her seat to look over her shoulder at him, her brows scrunched as her gaze flicks from him to me.

“That’s not fair! Why does he know where we’re going and I don’t?” She pouts playfully shifting in her seat, her arms crossing over her chest.

I can’t help but chuckle at her reaction. Ever since our very first date, I’ve always kept it a surprise anytime I’ve ever taken her somewhere. There’s just something about the way her emerald eyes light up and her smile brightens her entire face that gets me feeling high.

It’s a feeling I know I’ll be chasing for the rest of my life.