Page 22 of Vow

Except she didn’t.

“I see you’re still a good liar,” Haven said.

Andino glanced away with a hard-set jaw, and unfeeling eyes. “You should go.”

Yeah, she definitely should.

Haven made quick work of pulling on the rest of her clothes, and avoided Andino’s stare all the while. She made sure to keep her promise to Snaps, and get him a treat from the fridge where she knew Andino kept them stored. She didn’t even look over her shoulder as she slipped out of the house. Looking back would have only caused her more pain, and she was trying her very best to let that go.

She needed to let him go.

“Hello,” came a voice a few feet away.

Haven almost ran head-first into the chest of Andino’s father.

Jesus Christ.

This morning couldn’t get any worse!

Had Andino knew his father was coming over this morning? Because she really would have appreciated that heads up. She would have left far sooner than she had, actually, just to avoid this whole nonsense.

She met the man’s gaze, and he quirked a brow high as his stare traveled from her, to the door she’d just closed. He said nothing for a long while, simply took in her appearance for long enough that a sense of awkwardness started to color up her cheeks with pink.

“Uh, hi,” Haven said.

Way to go.

Giovanni smiled faintly. “You look like you had a long night.”

Oh, God.

No, it could certainly get worse.

“Could we not?” she asked. “Because that would be great.”

The man cleared his throat, and chuckled. “Sure.”

“Thanks. Now, excuse me.”

Haven stepped forward to pass the man on the steps, but Giovanni didn’t move an inch. He stayed right where he was until she met his gaze again, and there was no way for her to hide the embarrassment on her cheeks.

The shame she felt …

“I should give you a warning,” the man said quietly, “about my son.”

“I don’t need one of those. Trust me.”

Andino had shown her more than enough; she had all the warnings she needed about him to last her a goddamn lifetime.

Giovanni shook his head subtly. “Mmm, no. I mean, for a while, Haven … you should be very careful about being seen with my son, and what you do with him. For yourself, but also for him. I know you don’t understand or know about our life, and maybe that’s for the better, but these are dangerous times for us. I worry that Andino doesn’t see clearly enough where you are concerned to consider that. That maybe he’s willing to allow … well, that doesn’t matter. This is about you, and not him. If you care for him, you’ll listen to me. You’ll be mindful, and careful.”

Well, fuck.

That was the problem, wasn’t it?

She did care.

Too much.