“Yeah, but I also shouldn’t have left a sixteen year old girl to fend for herself. I’ll make up for it. Why don’t you put your stuff in the guest room and I’ll fix us all up some lunch. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
“Starved.” I take my bags back to my room and then join Martha in the kitchen where she’s cooking up something delicious, and it smells amazing. We chat away and I learn a lot of things about Caige and his aunt. The one thing that sticks out to me most is that they must be the nicest people I’ve ever met. Yeah, I could get used to this.
The next few weeks pass by. I help Martha around the house while Caige is in school. She never questions me and I dread the day when I’ve overstayed my welcome. I offered her some of my money but she won’t have any of it. She gets mad every time I try.
For the first time since I can remember, life seems to be looking up, until one day Caige and I are driving around. We stop at a gas station to get some drinks and my eyes fall on a national newspaper. Fuck. My face is on the front page. Shit. Shit. Shit. I start having a panic attack. Caige walks over to me handing me a soda when he notices something is wrong.
“Faith? What?” But before I can answer he sees it. “Shit. Go out to the car. I’ll be right out there.”
I all but run out to the car. Pulling my hoodie over my head I hope no one recognizes me. Caige climbs in the driver seat holding the dreaded paper.
“Fuck, Caige. What am I gonna do? They’re looking for me. I can’t go back there. Please don’t make me go back.” I’m sobbing uncontrollably.
“Calm down, sweetheart. No one is making you go back. Come on. Let’s get home and talk to Aunt Martha. She’ll know what to do. But Faith?”
“Yeah?”
“It might be time to open up. I know it’s hard, but we can only help you if you tell us why you ran away from home. I’m sure there’s a solution.”
I nod through the tears - I know he’s right. Martha’s been nothing but nice to me. She deserves to know what she’s getting herself into. If she doesn’t want me around anymore after learning the truth, I’ll pack my stuff and find another city to go to.
We pull up to the place that has become like home over the last few weeks. The house is filled with so much love and I really don’t want to leave.
Martha greets us at the door her usual smile nowhere to be found.
“We need to talk, Faith.” Shit, she knows. I’m sure she hates me now. We follow her into the living room and I look to the TV. The news channel is on and I’m staring back at a picture of me. Great. This day can’t get any worse.
“Your real name isn’t Faith, is it?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t want to pressure you, but I think it’s time you tell me why you ran away from home.”
The dam opens and I’m a crying mess while I tell Martha and Caige what happened to me. I tell them how my mom left us, how I was just a child when my dad raped me the first time. I tell them how he threatened to kill me if I told anybody. It all comes out.
“It’s my fault. If I would’ve behaved better Mom wouldn’t have left. Dad would still be happy and we would all still be together.”
“Oh, sweet girl, it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault,” Martha says, wrapping me into her arms. No one has hugged me like that in years and I find myself wishing Martha was my mom.
Once I’m able to calm down I wipe frantically at my tears.
“I’ll go pack my bags. I’ll be gone by the morning.”
“What are you talking about?” she asks her brow furrowed in confusion.
“Well I’m sure you don’t want me to live here anymore.”
“Sweetheart, you’re not going anywhere. I’m not going to let you fend for yourself out there and risk them finding you, but you do have to talk to the police. If they find you they will send you back to that place. You need to tell them what happened so he can be locked away and never hurt you again.”
“They’ll never believe me. I can’t risk having to go back to that place.”
“Faith... Uh... Katherine. They’ll believe you. I’ll make sure they don’t send you back. I used to work with child services - you’d be surprised how serious the Division of Family and Children Services takes this kind of stuff.”
I nod, knowing she’s right. I’ll never be free until I tell the truth. Somehow he’ll find me.
“Promise me you won’t make me face this alone?”
“We’ll never let you face anything alone anymore,” Caige says. He had been quiet the entire time. The anger in his eyes is palpable. “You’ve become like a sister to me over the last couple of weeks. I’ll be damned if anybody hurts you ever again.”
Aunt Martha calls the police and they arrive about an hour later. It’s hard to tell the story again, but Caige and Martha sit by my side the entire time and hold my hand. Without their support, I wouldn’t be able to make it through.
“Well, Ms. Smith, I’ll have to call this in to the Washington local police department so they can do the arrest. DFCS will be here in a couple of days to arrange your living situation. You’re still a minor so you’ll have to be under state custody.”
“But I want to stay here.” I almost beg. I don’t want to go to some foster home. I’ve heard the horror stories.
“Sweetheart, I’m a foster parent. I’m sure we can arrange something with them. I made you a promise.” Aunt Martha reassures me.
“Well then, here’s my card if you think of anything else. Also, I can recommend some good counselors who specialize on what you have experienced. You might want to consider it.”
“You want me to see a shrink? Thanks, but no thanks. I’m sure I’ll be fine. Will you let me know when the arrest is made?”
“We’ll keep you updated. Good evening,” the officer says, walking out the door.
“Well, I guess that didn’t go too bad.” I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“It’ll all be okay, dear. Now get your butt in the kitchen. I made your favorite: fried chicken, gravy and okra.”
“Thank you, Martha. For everything. I don’t know how I got so lucky to find you and Caige, but I’ll be forever grateful. Not everybody would’ve taken a stranger in and not called the cops.” I embrace her into a hug. This woman definitely saved my life.
“No thanks needed. You’re family now. Nothing will ever happen to you again. Caige and I’ll make sure of that.”
In that moment I realize I have a family again.
Chapter 4
Seth
The party was great until Faith walked out on me. I’m such a dumbass. It wasn’t the first time I noticed her scars. I saw them when we met in the bar. Back then I already wondered what they were about.
Skye went to lie down and I’m helping Braden clean up since everybody left.
“I’m gonna miss you, man. I still don’t get why you thought deploying was a good idea.” Braden shakes his head at me.
“Trust me, I don’t know either. But I can’t stand to be around Krystal any longer. So this was the better choice as fucked up as it sounds.”
“I get it. At least she’ll be out of the picture when you get back. Then you can concentrate on winning Faith back.” He’s grinning. He seems to be confident that Faith still wants me.
“I don’t know. All I seem to do is hurt her. She doesn’t deserve that.”
“You’re just gonna have to stop hurting her. Look, getting Skye back wasn’t easy, you know that, but in the end it was worth all the tears, frustration, and hurt. What’s meant to be will be. Always remember that.”
“I just don’t know how to show her that I’m not some cheating asshole. I want her to trust me with her heart and know that I will do everything in my power to protect her. I don’t care what her demons are - I’m ready to take them on.” I hear shuffling behind me and turn around. Skye’s awake. Shit, how much of that did she hear?
“Hey, babe. Everything alright?” Braden asks
her concerned.
“Yeah. I’m just thirsty. Can you get me a glass of water, please?”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
“Look, Seth, Faith didn’t have an easy start in life. Her past... well it sucked, but that’s not my story to tell. It took her forever to open up to me. I think the only person she ever let in from the beginning is Caige. You have to be patient with her. Don’t push her for answers or you will lose her. Let her come to you on her own terms. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t fight for her because you should. I want nothing more than for you two to get your happily ever after. You deserve each other and are meant to be together, but with Faith nothing comes easy. You need to be aware of that. Get your divorce and deployment over with and then fight for her with everything you have. Most of all – don’t break her heart or I’ll break your bones. I love you, but that girl’s like my sister. Please don’t hurt her.”
“I won’t. I love her, Skye. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy and help her get over whatever it is that’s haunting her. Once the divorce is over with, I’m gonna make her mine. Somehow, someday.”
“Good. I want to see you both happy.” Hugging her I say my goodbyes and call a cab to get home. I really don’t want to go where Krystal is, but only one more week and I’ll be gone. One week. I can do this.
When I arrive at home I find the house dark and empty. Maybe Krystal went to stay with her parents. Perfect. I head into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Krystal’s purse is on the counter. Dammit. I guess I’m just not that lucky. Whatever. I’ll deal with her in the morning. Now all I want is to pass out.
I head to the guest room where I’ve been sleeping for over a year. I can’t remember the last time Krystal and I slept in the same bed or had sex. The day my divorce is final can’t come soon enough.
“What the fuck are you doing in here, Krystal?” I ask after turning on the light. She’s lying on top of my bed in nothing but a black thong. I cringe at the sight of her. Nothing about her is attractive anymore. She’s so skinny her bones are sticking out and I can’t help but wonder how I was ever turned on by her. Sure, she hasn’t always looked this way but over the years she became skinnier and skinnier. I like to be able to hold on to a woman and not be scared to break her. Like Faith. Her curvy body is perfect. I push the thoughts aside and try to deal with the problem at hand.
“I’m gonna ask you again? What the fuck are you doing in my room? Last time I checked this is where I sleep.”
She stands up and walks over to me. Tracing her finger up and down my chest, she looks me in the eyes.
“Well I haven’t really done my wifely duties in a long time. I thought maybe we could fix that.” She tries to sound seductive but she’s anything but.
“No. Just no. Put some damn clothes on and get the hell out of here.” I push her away from me.
“But Seth, I know you want me. We can fix this. We both just have to work harder to save our marriage.”
“There. Is. Nothing. To. Fix,” I explain.
“Don’t say that. You know I love you.”
“Cut the shit, Krystal. We’re over. The sooner you get that in your thick skull the better. We’re getting this divorce whether you want it or not.”
“You’ll regret this. I’ll make sure of it. My dad will ruin you.” She spits out.
“I’m counting on it. Now get the fuck out. I wanna go to sleep.”
She pulls on her bathrobe and leaves. Finally I’m in my room alone. What the fuck is she doing? This week can’t be over fast enough.
Lying awake, I think back to the night of Skye and Braden’s wedding.
Faith looks beautiful in her shoulder less teal bridesmaid dress that flows loosely around her knees. I couldn’t peel my eyes off of her as she was walking down the aisle leading the girls. A part of me wishes that this was our wedding and she was walking towards me but it’d only ever be just that – wishful thinking. I messed up bad when I slept with her and then disappeared. She hasn’t talked to me since and I can’t say that I blame her. That night changed something inside of me though. I no longer wanted to hold on to my marriage with Krystal. I lost that fight a long time ago and there’s no more saving our relationship. Now I just need to convince Krystal of the same.
The ceremony was beautiful and I couldn’t be happier for my friends. Braden and Skye deserve one another. When they finish their first dance I make my way over to Faith. I can’t stay away from her any longer.
“May I ask for this next dance?”
“Seth... umm... sure, I guess.” I don’t like that she’s so hesitant but I plan to apologize to her tonight. I owe her that much at least.
“You look beautiful, Faith,” I say as I lead her across the dancefloor to “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight” by Cole Swindell.
“Thank you, Seth. You look quite handsome yourself.”
“Look, I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have left that night.”
“It’s okay, Seth.”
“No, it’s not. I should’ve stayed and figured out how to handle the situation, but I took the coward’s way out. Faith, that night changed me and that scared me. I’m married. I shouldn’t have let it happen in the first place but when I’m around you, I can’t think straight. There’s something about you that drives me completely crazy. In a good way, of course. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’m not gonna stand here and tell you that it didn’t hurt when I woke up the next day and you were gone. I felt so used. I really thought there was something between us, but I guess I was wrong. It doesn’t matter anymore though. You’re married and I’m with Jordan. What happened between us is in the past.”
“That’s the thing though. It does matter to me, Faith. I can’t stop thinking about that night. The way you felt, the way you said my name when you came apart – it all haunts me day in and day out. I’ve never felt the way I do when I’m around you. Take this moment right now. You’re here dancing with me and there’s no place I’d rather be. Call me crazy, but I know you can feel this between us too.”
“I do, Seth. It doesn’t change anything though. We can’t be together and there’s no sense in pretending otherwise. Please, just let it go. I have and it’s better that way. We can be friends, but that’s all I can offer you, Seth.”
“I’ll take it if that means you’re in my life.”
We continue to dance the evening away forgetting everything and everyone around us. One day I’ll have this girl in my arms again and I won’t let her go then. I just know that Faith’s the one.
After a few hours I finally fall asleep, dreaming of Faith.
The last week flew by and now the guys and I are loading up the bus that will take us to the airport from where we’ll fly out to Afghanistan for nine months. After my last tour I had promised myself to get out and yet here I am about to go on my third tour. Most of the guys from my unit are hyped up and excited. They have never been to war, so they don’t know what it’s like. I’m not looking forward to this deployment at all. At least I know once the nine months are over I’ll no longer have to deal with Krystal. She finally signed the papers this morning before I left. Of course she still wasn’t talking to me but I couldn’t care less.
“Hey, dude, are you ready for this?”
“Braden, what are you doing here?”
“Skye and I came to send you off. You didn’t think we would just let you leave?”
“I guess not.” I’m happy they’re here. Braden and I became close during our first tour together. When Skye came in the picture I automatically welcomed her too. They were good friends and I was lucky to have them.
“Here,” Skye says handing me a letter. I look at her confused. “Faith wanted me to give this to you.”
“What?”
She shrugs her shoulders.
“I don’t know. She only told me to give it to you and that you shouldn’t open it till you’re on the bus
. That’s all I know.”
“Okay.” I don’t know what else to say. I shove the letter in my back pocket and hug them goodbye. This is always the hardest part - not knowing if you will see them again, but I can’t think like that. I need to concentrate on the job ahead and pray I make it out alive.
“Okay, guys, it’s time for me to go. I love you. Take care of yourselves. Don’t forget to send me pictures of Abby when she’s born.” Since I’m leaving for deployment they decided to tell me what their little girl’s name is gonna be. I was so happy when they told me and I can’t wait to meet Miss Abigail.
“You got it. Be safe. We love you too. Let us know when you get there. We’re gonna need your address to send care packages.” Skye hugs me hard.
“Be careful out there.” Braden slaps my back with a knowing look. He’s been there, done that.
I get in the bus and fall into one of the seats. I look at my friends waving while we drive away.
I pull out the letter and open it. I make sure none of the guys are paying attention to me. I have no idea what’s in the letter.
.
What the fuck? Faith wants to be my friend? I reread the letter and I wipe away my tears before the guys notice. Whoever hurt Faith in the past did quite the number on her, but all I can think is that she loves me. Faith loves me. I don’t care that she thinks we shouldn’t be together. I’ll fight for her.
I can’t help but wonder about what could’ve possibly happened to her that made her so insecure. I want to kill whoever broke her. How could anybody possibly hurt someone as sweet as Faith? I need to know what happened.
Skye’s words pop back in my head and I realize that she’s right. I can’t push Faith for answers. She needs to find out on her own that she can trust me to guard her secret. I just hope she realizes it soon because the urge to pummel someone is getting stronger every time I think about the scars marring her beautiful skin.
I rest my head on the seat and drift off for a while. Who knows when I will be getting sleep again. This deployment is going to suck. It didn’t bother me so much the last two deployments, but Faith wasn’t in my life then. Even though I was married before, I had nothing to miss. Marrying Krystal was the biggest mistake of my life and if I could kick my younger self I would.
Uncovering Peace Page 4
