My Way to You: A Second Chance Romance (Love in Everton Book 7)

by Fabiola Francisco

  I sit up, reaching for him, and replacing his hand with mine. I move up and down his length, reveling in the feel of his body’s reaction to my touch.

  “I need you,” he whispers huskily. “If you keep squeezing me like that, I’m going to come.”

  I lie back, opening my legs. “I’m all yours.” I surrender to him on my bed. Somehow tonight feels different than the night we slept together at his house. This feels as if our souls are tangling along with our limbs.

  Sheathing himself, he moves over me and kisses me deeply, his tongue sweeping against mine. Holding his body up with his arm, Easton positions himself and ever so slowly slides into me.

  When he reaches the hilt, he pauses and stares into my eyes. Unspoken words travel between us. He doesn’t need to say anything for me to know that what he’s feeling at this moment is beyond lust.

  His mouth drops onto mine, kissing me lazily, imitating the same movements his body is doing. Slow, languid thrusts meet my hips as we get lost in each other’s bodies. I could stay like this forever if it meant it’d erase all the past hurt I felt for losing him in the first place.

  Easton

  I blink my eyes open, stretching my arms and back. Soft breathing draws me in, and I turn to my left, seeing Faith still sleeping. Last night was fucking phenomenal. Having her strip more than her clothes for me, I saw deep into her soul.

  As much as I believed my relationship with Faith was amazing when we were in high school, nothing compares to this—waking up with her, holding her through the night. We couldn’t do that back then. Hell, she was my first. It’s not like I exactly knew what I was doing. I was no pro, but we navigated it together.

  Things are different now, and I never could’ve imagined anything would be better than it was back then, but this beats it.

  I drape my arm around her waist and kiss her forehead before quietly heading into the bathroom. I take care of business and wash my hands and face. When I hear the slight squeaking of the bed, I smirk and walk out.

  Faith is lying on her back, rubbing her eyes. She looks up at me with swollen lips and messy hair.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” I walk over to her and bend to kiss her lips.

  “Morning,” her voice is hoarse. Clearing her throat, she asks, “What time is it?”

  “I have no idea. I just woke up.” I search for one of our phones in the room and say, “It’s six.”

  Faith groans and covers her face with the blanket. “I still have time to sleep.” I chuckle and get back in bed, holding her body close to mine.

  “You should’ve slept naked,” I say, sneaking a hand under her cotton top.

  “Hmmm… We wouldn’t have slept at all,” she murmurs, keeping her eyes closed.

  I laugh. “Probably.” I trail my fingers up and down her spine, feeling her soft skin and hiding my smile when she shivers.

  “I have to work,” she says humorlessly.

  “Me too, but do you know what we have time for?” I say against the skin of her shoulder before kissing it.

  “Hmmm?”

  “Shower sex.” When her eyes pop open, I bounce my eyebrows on my forehead.

  “Shower sex will equal to more sleepiness, and I’ll want to call in sick and stay with you. Living in a small town, everyone will know I lied about being sick, and I’ll get fired,” she rambles.

  I let out a deep laugh and shake my head. “I was kidding about shower sex…today. Let’s have breakfast. What time does Beehive open in the mornings?”

  “I think eight. Cup-O-Joe is the only thing open early, at seven.”

  I nod and slap her ass. “Take a shower, and I’m going to head home to get ready for the day and let Cali out. Want to meet at Cup-O-Joe?”

  “Yeah.” She sits up, leaning forward to kiss me. I smile against her.

  “What’s so funny?” she asks.

  “Nothing, come on.” I tap her hip.

  “Are you laughing at me?” She stands, stretching her arms over her head, giving me a peek of her lower stomach when her shirt rises.

  “I just love how you aren’t shy to kiss me with ‘morning breath,’” I use air quotes, remembering that first night she fell asleep at my house.

  Pink tints her cheeks. “Don’t be embarrassed now,” I walk over to her. “I’m gonna go. Shower quickly. I want to see you again before work starts.” I kiss her again, my tongue piercing through her lips in search of hers. When she moans, my dick begins to harden. I take a step back, knowing we have things to do that don’t include staying in bed all day, unfortunately.

  “Okay,” she agrees.

  I check my phone once I’m sitting inside my truck and notice a message from Allyson.

  Ally: Hey, have you talked to mom lately? I’ve called her twice this week and she hasn’t picked up

  I read her message over again, recalling the last time I spoke to her. It was a few days ago. Crap, I haven’t been great about calling her daily to make sure she’s okay. Checking the time difference on my phone, I call my sister while I drive home.

  “Hey,” she picks up after a couple rings.

  “Hey, I just saw your message, so I figured I’d call since I’m driving.”

  “Oh, driving at what… Six a.m.?”

  “Yes, what’s going on with Mom?” I focus on the topic before she goes celebrating my relationship with Faith and planning a wedding when we’re still early in our relationship. Not that I haven’t imagined myself marrying Faith before.

  “I have no idea. I’ve called her a few times, but I can’t get a hold of her. I’m starting to get worried.”

  “I’m sure she’s okay. I spoke to her on Monday. She sounded good,” I try to ease her mind. “I’ll give her a call and see if I can get a hold of her. I’ll let you know and tell her to call you.”

  “Thanks, Easton. What if…”

  “She’s okay,” I say before Allyson can finish that sentence.

  “I know, I know. It’s just that…” Her voice trails off as she lets the words linger between us. I know what she’s thinking. We thought Dad was okay, too, and all of a sudden, he was sick and then dead. No matter how old you are, you’re never prepared to lose a parent.

  “Don’t worry, Ally.”

  “Thanks, bro. You’ll let me know?”

  “Yes,” I promise.

  Hanging up with Allyson, I scrub a hand down my face and pull into my long driveway. I park the car and hop off, dialing my mom’s number. It goes to voicemail after two rings, and I stare at the screen with confusion. I dial again as I let Cali out, watching her run around and sniff the ground, but the same thing happens.

  I shoot Allyson a quick message letting her know she didn’t answer and must have a morning class, and I jump in the shower. Every possible reason for my mom not picking up the phone runs through my mind, and they aren’t exactly good thoughts. I focus instead on the possibility of her teaching this morning and will call her once I’m at work to give her time.

  As I get dressed, I see the picture of my dad and me on my dresser and hold it. I miss him every day, and I’m sure my mom must miss him even more. I should make it a point to catch up with her daily, check in and see how she’s doing. I can fly out for Easter, so she doesn’t spend the holiday alone.

  I get ready for work, pushing away the guilt and worry, and head toward Cup-O-Joe to meet Faith. When I walk in, she’s sitting at a table, looking down at her phone. I take a moment to watch her as she’s oblivious to the world. When she lifts her head and sees me, the smile that spreads across those pretty lips makes my heart stop.

  I drop a kiss on her lips before taking a seat, not giving a crap if the few people in here are watching us. Let them tell the rest of Everton that Faith McGraw is mine again. Finally.

  “Did you order?” I ask her.

  Faith shakes her head. “I was waiting for you.”

  “What do you want?” I ask as I stand. Faith gives me her order—latte and croissant—and I head to the counter to place ou
r order.

  “How was Cali?” Faith asks when I sit back down, waiting for our drink order.

  “Good, she’s kennel trained, so that helps. I do feel bad for leaving her alone all night.”

  Faith reaches for my hand. “We’ll stay at your place next time.” The way she looks at me, smiling as if we’ve been doing this our entire lives, hits me in the chest.

  “I like the sound of that, having you in my home. Sharing it with you.” She nods, her eyes bright. She’s a contrast to the Faith I first saw when I moved back, who looked at me as if I were a ghost.

  “I like it, too,” she says just as they call my name for our order. I stand and grab our coffees and food, sitting back down across from Faith.

  “I have a few meetings today, but why don’t you come over for dinner?” I lean in and lower my voice. “Bring an overnight bag, and we can have shower sex in the morning.” I wink.

  Faith laughs loudly and covers her mouth, opening her eyes wide. When she moves her hands, I see a huge smile. Then her teeth take in her bottom lip, and she frowns.

  “What?” I look at her.

  “I have book club today. We get together every Thursday.”

  “That’s okay. Come by after.” I hold one of her hands in the middle of the table. “I still want to see you.”

  She nods, her eyes locking with mine. The intensity in her stare takes my breath away. Everything about Faith does.

  “I’m glad you moved back,” she says low enough for only my ears.

  “I am, too. I didn’t want to miss out on this anymore.” I squeeze her hand. “I needed to know if there was still a chance, still something between us, or if I should move on.”

  “I always wondered what it’d be like to see you again. If every feeling I had would burst and drown me, or if I’d see you, smile at the memories, and move on. For some reason, I never believed it’d be as simple as a quick hello and indifferent goodbye.”

  “I know what you mean. I used to wonder the same thing,” I tell her. “But this,” I lift our locked hands. “This is real. It was back then, and it still is now.”

  Faith nods and opens her mouth to speak, but someone interrupts us.

  “Ohhh… Everton’s newest hot couple,” Poppy says way too cheery for this time in the morning. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She grimaces. “Getting coffee. Going now.” She points to the line awkwardly, and I chuckle.

  “She hasn’t changed one bit,” I comment.

  “Thank God for that,” Faith says, looking over at Poppy in amusement.

  …

  I pace around my living room, squeezing my phone in my hand, my head inundated with thoughts. I’ve been calling my mom all day, and she hasn’t answered. Now, I’m getting a message saying the number has been disconnected. It’s too late to call Allyson and ask if she was able to talk to her, but I’m sure she would’ve let me know if so.

  I jolt when my phone rings, hoping it’s my mom. I see Faith’s name on the screen and sigh. Hopefully, her book club is over, and she’s on her way. Being with her calms my mind, and I can think clearly. Right now, every terrible situation is crossing my mind.

  “Hello?” I answer.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Faith’s voice sounds worried.

  I release a deep breath. “Nothing… Are you coming over?”

  “Yeah, I was thinking of grabbing a pizza. Did you eat dinner already?”

  I smile, my heart slowing down. This woman, it’s like she knows what I need without being aware of what’s going on.

  “Pizza sounds great. You’re heading over now?”

  “Yeah, as soon as I pick up the pizza. Walking over to Howdy’s now from Poppy and Harris’s apartment.”

  “Perfect, I’ll call it in, so you just need to pick it up.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you soon,” I hear the smile in her voice.

  “Faith?” I say before she hangs up.

  “Yeah?” she pauses, and I hear her breathing as she walks.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she responds nonchalantly, totally unaware that having her here with me means more than she’ll ever know.

  Faith

  I smile as I knock on Easton’s door, holding the box of pizza in one hand like a delivery girl. When he opens, my smile widens.

  “Special delivery for a Mr. Hard Locke,” I wink. Easton’s face is etched with amusement, lines crinkling in the corners of his eyes, and he chuckles lightly.

  “Are you my special delivery, or is it the pizza?” He raises an eyebrow.

  Leaning forward a tiny bit, I say, “What if it’s both?”

  “Now we’re talking. Get in here.” He wraps an arm around my waist, dragging me to him. I lean forward for a kiss, smiling against his lips.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Easton smirks.

  “You sounded…off on the phone.” I’m not sure what I heard in his voice when I called him, but he didn’t sound like himself.

  “Yeah.” He scrubs a hand down his face. “Come on, I’ve got the table set already.”

  I follow him into the kitchen, smiling when I see Cali wagging her tail and anxiously waiting for someone to give her some loving.

  “Hey, girl,” I coo, placing the pizza box on the dining table and bending down to pet her. I giggle when she jumps on my thighs, almost knocking me down.

  “Down,” Easton commands. Obediently, Cali falls back and looks between us with the most adorable face.

  I scratch behind her ear and whisper, loud enough for Easton to hear me. “Don’t worry, girl, we’ll get cuddling time later.”

  I stand and turn around to look at Easton. An amused grin covers his face, but I still notice some wrinkles on his forehead. I wrap my arms around him in a hug and lean my cheek on his chest.

  “What’s going on?” I look up at him.

  “Let’s eat before the pizza gets cold.” I frown when he dismisses my question. Nerves begin to fill me, but he seems to want me here.

  After washing my hands, I take a seat in silence, waiting for him to speak. I won’t ask again if he doesn’t want to tell me. The thought of him not opening up to me when we’ve been open and communicative until now doesn’t settle well with me.

  “How was book club?” Easton finally speaks when he finishes serving us each a slice of pizza.

  “It was good. It is always fun to get together. We get our weekly girl time and disconnect from work or stress. Usually, we end up talking more about life than discussing the book we’re reading that month.”

  “That sounds like fun,” he smiles.

  “Yeah,” I sigh, taking a bite of pizza. I don’t know what’s going on with Easton, but he’s not himself right now. He seems deep in thought.

  As we eat, we catch up on our day, talking about work and Poppy and Harris’s upcoming wedding. Easton checks his phone often, and I’m starting to feel anxious. Maybe our honeymoon stage has ended, or it has for him, and he felt bad telling me not to come tonight. I don’t know what to think, but this is completely different from this morning. What could’ve happened in a few hours?

  When we’re done eating, I clean up the plates, and he takes the empty pizza box out to his recycling bin.

  “What are you doing?” Easton asks when he walks back into the house and sees me grabbing my purse.

  “I’m gonna head out.”

  “What? Why?” His eyes widen, flicking back and forth between mine.

  “Umm…” I furrow my eyebrows and tilt my head. Crossing my arms, I say, “Easton, I’ve been here for an hour, and all we’ve done is some small talk, and you constantly checked your phone. It’s okay. I didn’t have to come over, but you could’ve told me that. I understand if you’re tired or just want to be alone. We all need that sometimes, but I don’t want to come over and then feel uncomfortable while I’m here.” I pull out my keys from my purse, taking a deep breath to keep my emotions even.

  He sighs and rubs his eyes, shaking his head.
Every dream I had for us bursts like an unwanted balloon. I shake my head, biting down on my lips to keep myself from crying. Every promise he told me, every desire he shared, floods my mind.

  “Faith…” He takes a tentative step toward me.

  “Easton, it’s okay.” I nod, smiling sadly. “I’m tired and have to work tomorrow, so I’m gonna go home and sleep.” The pressure in my chest becomes heavier.

  He reaches for my arm and pulls me to him, wrapping me in his arms and hugging me tightly. “I’m sorry,” he whispers into my hair.

  “It’s okay, honestly. No biggie,” I shrug against him. “We’ll talk tomorrow, maybe.”

  “Don’t go,” he peers down at me, his hand cupping my cheek. My eyebrows pull together in confusion.

  “You’re giving me whiplash, Easton.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just having a shitty day, but I don’t want you to leave. Don’t leave,” his voice drops in a plead.

  “You need to tell me what’s going on because there are a bunch of different scenarios running through my mind, and none of them end with me staying here,” I say, shaking my head.

  On cue, his phone rings, and he walks around me to the table to answer it. Shaking my head, I make my way to the door. I have no idea what’s going on, but it’s clear as a summer day that he isn’t talking about it. He says one thing and acts another, and if he’s this torn about having me here, maybe we just need to take a step back and reevaluate our relationship. Maybe it was only a trip down memory lane… I shake that thought out of my head. No, this has to be something else. After last night and this morning, I know we aren’t just reminiscing a teenage romance. What I feel from Easton is more than that.

  “Allyson, let me call you back.”

  I turn around, watching him hurry after me. My eyes narrow, wondering why his sister is calling him when it must not even be sunrise in Spain.

  “Faith, wait.” I pause. “I’m sorry,” he blows out a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” He holds my face and kisses me.

  “Don’t go,” he whispers against my lips. “Allyson and I have been trying to get a hold of my mom all day, and she won’t answer. Last time I called, I got a message saying her phone’s been disconnected. We’re both freaking the fuck out. I called her office line earlier, but she didn’t answer there either.”