Page 140 of Duty

She knew that.

Except it was more, too.

“I just don’t want to be used, Andino.”

“When do I use you?”

It was starting to feel like it.

More often than she cared to admit.

“Be quiet when you leave, okay?” she asked, rolling over to put her back to him.

Andino’s sigh echoed in the quiet room. “You’re not my secret, Haven.”

He kept saying that.

She didn’t know if she believed it.

• • •

“You look rough. Bad night?”

Haven almost choked on the coffee when she took too big of a drink at the same time Valeria strolled into the kitchen. She coughed out half of a lung, and checked the clock at the same time.

“What are you doing up at five-thirty in the morning?”

Valeria raised a single brow, and shrugged before coming to stand next to the island. “Woke up when you tripped over the toy in the hallway, and didn’t even try to be quiet about it.”

So, maybe it wasn’t Andino who needed to be quiet.

She shot her friend an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

Valeria peered out the window where it was still dark. “A bit early for you to be going out to run or anything, isn’t it?”

“A little.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Haven sighed. “Not really.”

“You know, I saw his shoes and jacket when I got up to check on Maria last night. And while you were quiet … have to give you that,” her friend said, “I couldn’t help but hear something else, too.”

Haven’s cheeks pinked instantly.

Valeria laughed, and she leaned over the island a bit. Her hand came up to rhythmically smack the countertop with a fast, hard pace before she added, “The boy can sure keep a beat, though, can’t he? A long beat.”

“Oh, my God.” Haven was sure her face was going to permanently turn red. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t hear much else, and I just turned the television on in my room. Maria’s room is on the other side of the house, so …”

“That’s the first time I’ve brought him home.”

Valeria nodded. “I know. Don’t worry about it. And besides, I mean, after a night like that, you shouldn’t be standing here nursing a cup of coffee, and looking like someone kicked your puppy. What’s up?”

A lot of things.

She could have just as easily brushed her friend’s concerns off. It wasn’t like her to share her personal problems because frankly, Haven wasn’t the type to have that kind of issue to begin with. And yet, she’d had more in the time she’d been messing around with Andino than she’d had in her entire life before him.