Page 40 (1/2)

"To try to break us apart"

The answer irritated Vincent, and he dropped his fork "Have you not been listening? You think I get off on toying with others? Do you honestly think your mother would’ve married me had I been that horrible?"

"I don’t know I have no idea as going on in Mom’s head, but I’ with Haven"

"You were young when she died, and frankly, your view is skewed I’ve done a lot over the years that would disappoint yourher? You think my mom would be okay with that? You’re sick!"

Vincent slaainst the table "Who are you to talk to me like that? Look how you treat everyone!"

"And whose fucking fault is that, huh?" Carmine pushed his chair back as he stood "Whose fault is it I’m fucked up? Whose fault is it I had to watch her die?"

Vincent glared at hier approached Others stared, disturbed by the co it down on the table before walking out

Not a as spoken during the drive When they reached the house, Caret out, but Vincent stopped hi into She’s been cut off fro, Carreat, but that’s not the real world On the off chance you get to be together, I figured it was better if you had experience dealing with that part of her It’s going to be there every step of the way, because when you’re raised like she was, you don’t have the kno to live any other way I tried to help you, not hurt you"

Carmine opened his mouth to speak, but his father continued before he could "You think your ht her into this house? I think you’re wrong Would she like it? No I don’t even like it But I think your mother would’ve been disappointed had I thrown the child into the world blindly Society would’ve eaten her alive Probably still will"

Car and never considered whatHaven

"She needs a semblance of her normal before she can be introduced to ours," Vincent continued "You love her? Fine, love her But don’t contradictthis, but I’h to earn your respect You have to stop acting like you’re powerful and wise, because you’re neither You need to grasp that, son, or I’ot out, sla the door so hard the s vibrated

Haven lay in the middle of Carmine’s bed, sprawled out on her back when he entered He took off his coat and shoes before lying down beside her Haven’s eyes fluttered open She blinked a few tiazza," he said "Napping in the afternoon?"

"I ran out of stuff to do," she said "Everything’s clean"

He sighed "A nap actually sounds good right now"

She eyed hi, but I wouldn’t call it bad," he said "Any day that includes lying in bed with you, tesoro, can’t be bad"

She ran her fingertips across his lips "I missed you"

"Mi sei mancata," he said "That’s ‘I missed you’ in Italian"

"Well, uy, so you say, mancato You knoith an o and not an a"

"Mi sei o! Watch out, look at ual"

Haven sat back on her knees, hu kitchen floor She’d been scrubbing it forthe black scuff marks from theThe rare occasions she forgot to do so, he overlooked it So in another universe with how drastically her life had changed She never i an existence where she could thron the brooram in the middle of the afternoon

A lot of it happened without her realizing it Before she had come to the DeMarco house, she was constantly focused on tasks to stay out of trouble, but now she thought about herselfshe had never been allowed to do before

She stood, catching a gli when she turned around Dr DeMarco stood in the dooratching her silently It was noon, and she hadn’t realized sory, sir?"

He nodded "You can make some lunch, dolcezza We’ll watch TV while we eat"

She blinked a few ti soether two cherry Cokes, Haven headed into the fas stretched out in front of hi when he took his lunch

She sat down on the couch and picked at her sandwich as he took a sip of his drink "Can I ask you so, child?"

"Yes, sir"

He pulled a cherry out of his soda "Did you make these on your own, or did my son ask you to?"

"I "

"Is so with that?" she asked

"No, I was just curious," he said "I’m curious about a lot, actually"

"Like?"

"Like, how did you know to use the special cleaner on my s?"

Her brow furrowed "It ritten on the bottle"

"So you’re ad you could read back then?"

Her blatant mistake stunned her She nodded, afraid to speak

"I already knew it at the time, but I was surprised you’d slip up on your first day You aren’t as slick as you think you are"