Chapter 30

Faye steps out of the elevator, passing Dean without another glance. That’s something else I love about her. Where some men give her a second or third glance, she never reciprocates. Her focus is on me, and that is exactly how I want it to stay.

Chapter Thirteen Faye “You had fun?” I ask.

My sister shrugs. “It was okay. Kind of boring. We had to take a book and to read during times of reflection. Building stuff was cool. I didn’t like the circle of truth.”

“What’s that?”

“Where you tell people about your life and why you’re there.”

“Did you tell them?”

“I got in the circle. You have to, and I just said that some bad things happened to me and I was having a hard time dealing.”

I nod.

Chase is in the car, and as I roll Kerry’s bag behind me, I don’t know what to say.

“So, there’s something I have to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“My boss is taking us home.”

Kerry stops, and I do the same. This is not a conversation I want to have.

“Your boss?”

“Yes.”

She glances toward the parked cars, and when she spots Chase she tenses up. “Do I need to know something?”

“No.”

“Are you being careful?”

“Wow, seriously. I’m five years older than you. I know what to do, and you don’t need to worry about that.”

I go to walk off, but Kerry grabs my arm. It’s the first time she’s touched me in a long time. She asked me to never hug her again. The request broke my heart, but I wasn’t going to give her a reason to hate me.

“You like him.”

“Kerry, let’s get you home.”

“Be honest with me. You like him?”

Licking my suddenly dry lips, I push some hair out of my face, and try to distract myself with doing everything but answering her question.

“Come on, Faye, you don’t have to lie to me. I’m not going to break because you suddenly like a guy. I love that you’ve got a man in your life.”

I stop and turn to Kerry. “He can leave if he makes you uncomfortable.” I don’t want her to pull away from me.

She sighs. “Seriously!” Kerry shakes her head. “I don’t care, okay.”

“But…”

“No buts. Stop using me as a fucking excuse not to do something because it makes you nervous. I get it, okay. I’ve been messed up and I’ve struggled, but I’m doing okay now. I know what is right and what is wrong. Don’t put your life on hold and use me as a reason to do it. I’ve got no problem hanging around guys, believe me. Just stop and think about yourself for a change.”

With that, Kerry brushes past me and walks right over to the parked car waiting for us. I’m not using her as an excuse. I don’t think so, anyway.

I don’t stall, and rush to the parked car.

When I climb in Kerry is chatting animatedly with Chase, and she sounds genuinely interested in him.

Sitting back, I buckle my seat belt and listen. All the way back to the apartment she talks about camping, hiking, the truth circle. She doesn’t talk about anyone’s story, just what it was like and her own thoughts about it.

She sounds happy.

Every now and then I keep glancing in the back to make sure she’s okay and sure enough, she has this radiant smile on her face. If I’d known all along that camping would have worked, I’d have taken her myself.

The moment Chase parks, she’s out of the car and gone, leaving me and my boss to gather her bags.

“You’re too soft on her.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“Are you going to be like this forever with her? Carrying her bags when she’s married and gone?”

“There’s a long time for that.”

“Really?”

It’s what I’m hoping. “She’s fifteen.”

“Okay.”

Shooting a glare in his direction, I don’t like how sure he sounds. Fifteen is not a good age to date or do anything else as far as I’m concerned.

“What’s that mean, okay?”

“It means that you don’t know what the future holds or what she’s going to want.”

I stare at him, knowing he’s hiding something. I just don’t know what. “Out with it.” I don’t care if we’re in the middle of the street. He clearly has something to say, and I want to hear it.

He sighs.

“She asked me while we were waiting for you if I’d keep you off her back and help you see that she’s a grownup.”

“Wow, I struggle to get two sentences out of her on a good day, and she talks to you. Words and stuff.”

I’m hurt. No doubt about it. It really hurts to know that she prefers my boss’s company to mine. How she’s happy to talk to him but not to me.

“Faye…” He takes a step toward me, but I can’t. Not right now.

I feel like an utter bitch, but it really does fill me with despair to know that she trusted him and she won’t give me the time of day. I don’t blame Chase, not really.