3. Haven
3
Haven
T he suitcase is still empty. Which, according to Cassie, is a personal offense.
“Havie.” She plants her hands on her hips, staring at my bed like it’s a crime scene. “How long have you known about this trip?”
I sigh. “About… twenty-four hours?”
She squints.
I sigh harder. “Okay, fine. A week. But in my defense, I was still deciding.”
Cassie groans and flops onto my bed, burying her face in a pillow. “Haven. You are literally meeting the man you’ve been crushing on for months.”
I roll my eyes. “I do not have a crush.”
She lifts her head just enough to send me a flat look. “The man drops money on you every stream and calls you ‘sweetheart’ in a voice that makes you short-circuit.”
I cross my arms. “That doesn’t mean I’m head over heels.”
“Then what does it mean?”
I open my mouth. Close it.
Cassie smirks. “Exactly.”
Thirty minutes later, some controlled chaos and lots of coffee. Somehow, we manage to get my suitcase half-packed, which, in Cassie’s world, means I sit on the floor while she ruthlessly critiques my fashion choices.
“Why do you own so many hoodies?” she asks, holding up a gray one like it offends her.
I snatch it back. “Because they’re comfortable?”
“Uh-huh. And what about this?” She lifts a shamelessly oversized gaming T-shirt.
I grab that too. “Also perfectly comfortable.”
Cassie sighs, rubbing her temples. “Haven. You’re going to meet the man you’ve been flirting with for almost a year . Can we try a little?”
I huff, but she’s right, so I let her shove a few normal outfits into my bag before she starts threatening me with fashion interventions.
“Okay,” she says finally, zipping my suitcase with a victorious flourish. “Now that we’ve solved that problem, let’s discuss the actual trip.”
I frown. “What about it?”
She gives me a knowing look. “You’re nervous.”
I scoff. “No, I’m not.”
“You’re spiraling.”
“I am not— ” She raises an eyebrow.
I hesitate. Okay, maybe I am spiraling a little because this is real now. It’s one thing to joke about meeting Carter. Another thing entirely to pack a bag and actually drive to him, which I had offered to do instead of him driving here. Felt more controlled in an out of control sort of way.
Cassie watches me, waiting, and eventually I sigh. “Fine. Maybe I’m a little nervous.”
She softens. “You don’t have to go, you know. It’s not like he’s expecting anything.”
I know that, but I also know that if I don’t go I’ll regret it. Still, It’d be a lot less terrifying if I wasn’t going alone. I straighten, turning to Cassie with my most convincing expression that I know she can never say no to.
She immediately groans. “Oh no, don’t you dare give me that look.”
“Oh yes.” I grab her hands. “Please, come with me.”
Cassie laughs, shaking her head. “Babe. I have a life.”
“Liar. You told me yesterday you had zero weekend plans.”
“That was before you tried to drag me into a road trip.”
I bat my lashes. “Come on. Be my emotional support extrovert.”
She gives me a look. “I thought this was, like, an actual thing with Carter?”
“It is.” I chew my lip. “I just—I’ll feel better if you’re there.”
Cassie sighs, dramatically flopping backward onto my bed. “I so dislike you.”
I grin. “So you’ll come?”
She groans into my pillow. “Yes.”
Success.
Three hours later and more than enough energy drinks than I can count. I grip the wheel a little too tight as we hit the open road, my playlist shuffling through a mix of trap and reverb remixes. Cassie’s in the passenger seat, fully stretched out, sipping an iced coffee like she isn’t about to witness my potential downfall.
“You know,” she says, scrolling through her phone, “if this goes well, you might have to admit I was right.”
“Right about what ? ”
She smiles. “About Carter, how he’s probably already in love with you.”
I make a face. “Cass.”
“I mean it! The man’s been blowing up your phone like he’s your personal tour guide.”
She’s not wrong. Carter’s been rapid-firing me messages all morning, random ideas for where he might take me. Nothing’s planned, but that’s Carter. He doesn’t need a schedule to be excited.
He just… wants me there. Wants to share his space with me. The way that makes my stomach twist, I’m trying really hard to play it cool as I change lanes, but it’s not working.
“I just don’t want to get my hopes up.”
Cassie hums, like she’s not trying to stir up every nerve in my body. “And what if he is everything you think he is?”
I don’t answer, because honestly that’s the scariest part.
The silence stretches while the road becomes a blur and eventually the town sign comes up faster than I’m ready for.
Cassie whistles low as we slow to a stop at the intersection, eyeing the row of shops, old brick buildings, and the tiny café with a chalkboard sign out front. “Damn. This place is cute as hell.”
It shouldn’t make my chest feel tight, but it does. I’m about to find out if all those late nights behind a screen still feel like this when it’s face to face.
The main street looks like something out of a mood board labeled ‘small-town aesthetic.’ People actually walking places instead of aggressively speed-walking through crowds with earbuds in. I make a face at my own thoughts and turn down a quieter side street, scanning for our Airbnb.
Cassie’s scrolling through the listing. “Okay, so, this place is ‘minimalist and cozy’ which is just code for small as hell, but not murdery.’”
“That’s the best we can ask for at this price.”
We turn onto a tree-lined street, and there it is. A single-story rental tucked between two larger homes, with a chipped picket fence and an overgrown garden out front.
Cassie squints at it. “Haven.”
“Cassie.”
“This looks like the start of a horror movie.”
I snort and throw the car into park. “You picked it.”
She sighs dramatically. “I know. I was trying to manifest rustic charm.”
“Manifest harder.”
I step out of the car, stretching my arms over my head as I take in our new home for the next few days. The air smells cleaner here. A little crisp, a little earthy. It’s early evening, and the street is insanely quiet, except for the distant sound of a dog barking.
Cassie immediately heads for the front door, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder. “If we get serial-killer vibes from the inside, we’re sleeping in the car.”
I grin. “Deal.”
As we step inside I can instantly tell it’s not that bad. A little dated, maybe, with scuffed wooden floors and mismatched furniture that probably came from a yard sale, but it’s clean. Lived-in, but not creepy. Cassie drops her bag on the couch and turns in a slow circle, inspecting. “Okay. This is actually kind of cute.”
I toss my keys on the counter. “Told you.”
She gives me a pointed look. “You did not tell me. You let me spiral for a solid ten minutes in the car.”
“That was for my entertainment.”
Cassie rolls her eyes and flops onto the couch, stretching out like she’s claiming the whole thing. “So. Now that we’re here, what’s the actual plan?”
I hesitate, glancing at my phone. Because the plan kind of depends on Carter. Which means I’m waiting. Cassie sees the look on my face and immediately grins. “Oh my God, you’re so nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.”
She raises an eyebrow. “You’re literally checking your phone every ten seconds.”
I sigh and drop onto the armchair across from her. “I’m just… waiting for him to text me. I don’t wanna be the one to make the first move.” Funny considering I kind of already did.
Cassie hums, tapping her nails against her knee. “Interesting strategy. I’ll allow it.”
I roll my eyes, but she’s right. I don’t want to seem too eager. Even though my stomach flipped when I drove past the café he told me about. Even though he’s somewhere in this town right now. Maybe, no, definitely thinking about me. I shake the thought off and force myself to focus on something else.
Cassie pulls up the town’s map on her phone. “Okay, what’s around here?
“Besides the café that Carter says has the best coffee we’ll ever have ?”
She smirks. “I don’t know, Havie. Maybe we should ‘accidentally’ run into him instead of waiting around.”
I shove a pillow at her. “No stalking.”
She cackles. “You are no fun.”
I sigh, unlocking my phone again, fingers hovering over Carter’s name. Cassie and I step out onto the uneven sidewalk in, the air crisp and I swear I can already smell fresh bread and coffee on the wind. “This town is aggressively cute,” I say, shoving my hands into the pocket of my hoodie as we start walking.
Cassie tilts her head, considering. “Like a Hallmark movie, but with more potential for small-town drama.”
Every storefront we pass looks like it was plucked straight off a small-business Instagram page, the kind with hand-painted signs and quirky little details, like the antique shop with a fluffy looking black cat curled up in the window, or the bookstore. Cassie slows when she sees it. “Oh, we’re absolutely going in there later.”
I don’t argue, I let myself absorb it all. The way the town feels slower but not boring. The way people actually smile at each other in passing instead of pretending they don’t exist. The way it already feels like I’m in Carter’s world. And, okay maybe I’m romanticizing too much. Maybe I’m hyping this up in my head, building him up too much. But there’s something weirdly grounding about knowing he’s somewhere here.
Cassie nudges me. “Penny for your dirty thoughts?” I shake my head. “Just… taking it all in.”
She hums like she doesn’t quite believe me, but lets it go. We pass a tiny corner bakery, the door propped open, the smell of cinnamon and coffee practically luring me inside.
Cassie grabs my sleeve, pulling me to a stop. “Wait. You need pre-game fuel before you meet your future husband.”
I swat at her hand. “Cass—”
“You can fight me all you want, but we’re getting snacks.”
She’s right. So I let her drag me inside, the bell over the door chiming softly as we step into the warmth of the bakery.
The display case is stocked with pastries that look way too good to be real, and the girl behind the counter greets us with a friendly, “Hey y’all, what can I get you?” like we’ve lived here for years instead of just pulling in an hour ago.
I scan the menu, wondering what Carter would order if he were here. Then, before I can stop myself, I grab my phone and shoot him a text.
Me : Hey, quick question. If I were to buy you something from a bakery right now, what would you pick?
I don’t think about it. I don’t wait for the overthinking spiral to kick in. And when my phone vibrates seconds later, I don’t hesitate before checking his reply.
Carter : I’d say a cinnamon roll, but only if you promise to steal a bite first. That way it already tastes like you :)
Oh. Oh, I’m in trouble. Cassie looks over my shoulder and screams.
Carter : Can’t wait to see you babe.
I shove my phone in my pocket. “Do not start.” I bite my lip. Cassie watches me, smirking. I ignore her, and I wait. Because soon enough, he’s going to text me saying he’s meeting me at the Airbnb.