Haven Bound

49. Chelsea

49

Chelsea

Three Months Later

“So, Chelsea, at our last appointment you said that you were working on repairing your relationship with your mom. How’s that been going?” Dr. Harper leans back in her chair, a notepad resting in her lap as her eyes meet mine.

The past few months have flown by in a blissful haze. I never could have imagined that my life would take the course that it has. Thanks to Austin and his family, I no longer have shadows hanging over my shoulder. It took my mom some time to come to terms with Dan being gone, but she’s finally accepted that her life is better without him. Knowing that neither Dan nor Jason could ever harm me again gave me the courage that I needed to have the severely overdue conversation with my mom about the things that happened when I was a child.

I haven’t necessarily forgiven her, but as an adult, it’s a little bit easier to understand the mental challenges she was facing at the time. She opened up about the abuse that she dealt with during her time with Dan and the way he’d forced her to sink into herself. I know all too well what it’s like to have someone snuff out your light, and the shared experience has allowed us the chance to begin to heal together.

“Things are alright between us. I don’t know that we’ll ever have a close relationship, but I’m trying to move forward and take each day as it comes. It feels…" I pause to gather my thoughts, thinking about the few times that I’ve met my mom for lunch or when she’s stopped into the bakery lately. “It feels easier. The tension between us is slowly going away.”

Dr. Harper gives me a gentle smile and writes down a few notes. We spend the rest of my session discussing the changes that I’ve been planning for the bakery and going over a few ideas for how I can manage the stress that the uptick in business has brought on. I leave the appointment with a smile on my face, feeling lighter than I have in who knows how long.

The soothing smell of vanilla and brown sugar teases my senses as I stand in front of Buttersweet Bakery. The windows are decorated with new chalk artwork, courtesy of Ethan. The holidays are just around the corner, and he’s incorporated the seasonal flavors into the design with cinnamon sticks and mugs of hot chocolate.

Business at Buttersweet has been busier than ever, and I was finally able to hire two new employees. I offered to give Quinn more hours at the bakery and finally teach her the recipes, but I want to give her the time she needs to make a decision. I get the impression that she has a lot on her plate as it is .

It wasn’t long ago that I’d return to the bakery after a session to find Quinn alone or helping the occasional customer. Today, as I step inside, I’m greeted by a small line of customers waiting for their orders while others sit at a few of the tables, enjoying various treats and specialty drinks.

I never saw myself offering coffee or tea options for customers, being that I don’t drink either myself, but Quinn was pretty insistent that I add them to the menu. She also had the idea to create a list of drink and dessert pairings that we can change depending on the season and so far, the customers have loved it. But the small line of customers isn’t what catches my eye when I step inside.

It’s the devastatingly handsome man who’s currently sitting with a trio of sunflowers resting on the table in front of him, tied together with a dark blue ribbon.

His brown hair is neatly styled, looking very much like the Chief of Human Resources Officer that he is now. Today he’s wearing a dark green long-sleeved button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, displaying his forearms. His shirt is tucked into a pair of black dress pants and paired with a leather belt that I can’t wait to unbuckle later.

Austin’s blue eyes lift to mine, a smile brightening his entire face. He closes the distance between us and pulls my body against his chest, his arms wrapping around my waist as his lips meet mine. Kissing Austin Anders feels like finally coming up for air. Like the first taste of sunlight after a thunderstorm.

“Hey there, beautiful. I know you’re swamped today, but I couldn’t resist seeing you,” he says, brushing his nose against mine before pressing another soft kiss to my lips.

“You’re insatiable,” I tease.

"Only when it comes to you," he says with a lust-filled grin, his hands slipping down to my ass.

I swipe my tongue over my bottom lip, wetting it before tugging it between my teeth as my eyes dart around my customer-filled bakery. Placing a hand on his chest, I push him away from me with a smile and ask, “We’re still going tonight, right?”

We’ve been trying to plan a night out for a few weeks now. It was more difficult than I’d anticipated to coordinate everyone’s different schedules. Ethan and Quinn were the hardest to work around, with Ethan sometimes taking tattoo clients late into the evening and Quinn being as busy as she is, but we were finally able to settle on a night that worked for everyone.

Austin's hands lock around my waist, pulling me back against him as he buries his face in my neck and inhales deeply. His entire body relaxes against mine. When he pulls away to meet my gaze, nothing but love and adoration shine back at me.

“Of course we are. Last time we were at Obsidian, our night was ruined by some fucker who thought he had a claim over you.” He reaches over to the table and grabs the trio of sunflowers, handing them to me. “Tonight, you’re all mine.” He presses a quick kiss to my cheek before he heads out the door to go back to work at the Elysian.

He's been busier than ever lately with taking his place among the official family business. Now that he's permanently residing in Haven Beach, his father allowed him to take on a more prestigious title. A title that also comes with heavier responsibility and longer work days.He hasn't taken a new assignment for The Phoenix Legion since dealing with Jason, but I know the time will come when his talents are once again needed.

Austin and I moved out of the penthouse suite about two months ago and though he’s protested relentlessly against it, I moved back in with Hailey while he got his own place not too far from the hotel.

We went from having a secret relationship when we were younger to being thrust together under extenuating circumstances as adults. I wanted the chance to date without any of the insanity that had been plaguing our lives. I miss waking up with him every morning and spending every evening in bed together, but the day will come when we’re ready to take that step again.

For now, we’re still figuring out our different work schedules and learning how to date, even though what we’re doing feels like so much more than that. Austin Anders is it for me. He quite literally saved me from the darkness that I’d let consume my life and soul for far too long. He chased away every shadow and helped me rekindle my own light. I’ve never truly understood what it meant to feel loved unconditionally, but I’m learning because of him.

The whirlwind of everything I’ve been through recently has helped me to see how resilient I am. I’ve battled so much in my life, much more than anyone should ever have to, and I’ve managed to come out the other side.

Not unscathed, but stronger because of it all.