“He doesn’t talk about her. Not even with me. I only know because I was there. I always liked her and thought they’d get married. Well life had other plans. Anyways, that’s enough. He will kill me. Don’t be too hard on him. That shit with Amanda sucked, but I get it. I used to do the same. It’s the only way we know.”
“It’s not a healthy way. One way or another I’m going to find out what happened. Caige is our brother. I want nothing more than to see him happy. He’s been through everything with us. It’s time for him to find love.”
“That’s his decision to make not ours, Skye. Your interfering won’t change anything. It’ll probably piss him off more than anything.”
“Watch me.” Skye winks, grabs her purse, and walks out of the apartment.
Faith sits at the kitchen island stunned. “What the fuck just happened? I know Skye, whatever she’s planning, it can’t be good. I want no part of this. Bitch be crazy.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Oh you don’t know her. Once she sets her mind on something she doesn’t back down. Do you know how many times she lectured me about Jordan and you? I’m telling you, she can get a little nuts.”
“Who’s nuts? Is crazy woman gone?” Caige walks in.
“Yes, she’s gone,” I answer.
“Thank God. I can’t handle her today. I love her, but if I had to hear her nagging one more time, I might have flipped my lid. Anyways, I’m headed over to Stacey’s.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“You too now, Faith? Really? Is today “Tell Caige what an asshole he is” day or something? If so, I must have missed that memo. To answer your question, I’m not going there to fuck her. I’m helping her move. ‘Cause you know, I like to help people.”
“I’m sorry, Caige, I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did. It doesn’t matter. Let me know when you all are done judging me and my life. Last time I checked it was mine to live not yours.” With that he grabs his keys and walks out the door.
“Dammit. Why can’t I ever keep my mouth shut?”
“Don’t worry about it, Peach. He’ll calm down. How about I make us some lunch and then we head to the beach? It’s a beautiful day out. The water will help with this damn hangover too.”
“Did you have too much to drink, loverboy? That’s an awesome idea. I’ll go shower while you cook.” She gets up and gives me a quick peck on the lips before heading to our bedroom.
After we eat, we are on our way to the beach. It’s a beautiful day in Savannah, perfect to bum out on Tybee Island.
A few hours go by where Faith and I just enjoy the weather and each other. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to realize all this is real. Faith is mine. It took us a long time to get here but we are. That’s all I care about.
“So, babe, I have found a house not far from here. I went to look at it the other day while you were at work. I’d like you to see it. We can’t room it up with Caige forever.”
I feel her mood shifting, but this needs to be addressed. I’m tired of guessing.
“Don’t you think that’s something we should do together?” Shit. She’s mad. That’s not how imagined this to go.
“Please don’t get angry, Faith. Every time I try to talk to you about it you shut down. I’m just exploring our options. I don’t want to overstay our welcome at Caige’s place. It’s been two months. I’m sure he’s ready to have his place back to himself.”
“Caige would never do that to us. He doesn’t mind us living with him.”
“I know he doesn’t, but at some point we’ll have to face this issue. You won’t tell me what happened with Jordan. That’s okay. I can wait till you’re ready to tell me, but you won’t even set foot in your house to get your stuff. It’s always Skye or me who goes. Don’t think I didn’t notice. Why don’t we just pack up your stuff and sell the house? We can find something together.”
“Don’t you think it’s too soon for us to move in together?”
“What do you call our current living situation? As far as I’m concerned we already live together. No, I don’t think it’s too soon. We might have only been together for about three months, but I’ve loved you for a lot longer. I want to wake up next to you every morning. When I think about my future there’s only you.”
“I’m scared, Seth. What if you grow tired of me?”
“Are we gonna do this again? I’ll never grow tired of you, Faith. I love you as high as the sky and as deep as the ocean. No words can describe how I truly feel about you. You make me come alive. Without you I’m nothing.”
Faith is wiping away tears. I wish she’d understand how deep my feelings run for her. Moving in together doesn’t even seem like that big of a step to me. I should’ve known that she feels different though.
“Okay, I’ll look at the house. I also want to help pack up my old house. Maybe I’ll find closure by doing it. I’m sorry I haven’t told you everything about that night. I promise I will when I’m ready. I love you, Seth. I know I’m a mess. Please don’t ever doubt my feelings for you.”
“I know, baby. It’s gonna be okay. Wanna look at the house?”
“Now? Don’t you have to make an appointment first?”
“Not if I know the owner.”
“Who’s the owner?”
“Me.”
“Wait. What?”
“I already bought it. It was supposed to be a surprise. Well, if you hate it, I can always tear it down and rebuild something new.”
“How, Seth? You don’t have that kind of money.” I can tell she’s confused.
“I do. My dad opened a trust fund for me when I was a baby. That’s the only thing he left me when they disowned me. I guess he wanted to make sure I would never be homeless. It’s a pretty hefty sum. I never wanted to touch that money, but I have come to realize that it doesn’t matter if I touch it or not. My parents have no hold over me anymore. The money is mine to do with as I please. So I bought us a house.”
“That’s awesome. You should’ve talked to me about it first though. Let’s go look. Where is it?”
“It’s the house right next to Skye and Braden’s.”
“Holy shit. You bought a house on the beach? Is it that blue house?”
“Yes, it is. I know how much you loved that house. When Braden told me it was for sale, I didn’t hesitate.”
“I have no idea what I did to become so lucky, but you’re the most amazing boyfriend in the world. Now, let’s go look at this house.”
We gather our things and take the short drive to the house. Faith walks up to it with her mouth wide open. It’s a cottage style house with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge living room and a well-equipped kitchen. There’s a pool in the backyard. From the yard you can walk right out to the beach.
“It’s perfect, Seth. I can’t believe this will be our home.”
“So, you’ll move in with me?” I ask carefully. I don’t want her to feel pressured.
“Is the sky blue? Duh, of course I’ll move in with you. I’m sorry I’m always so hesitant. It’s just that I’m still waiting for the bottom to fall out. This is all too perfect. My life has never been perfect.”
“Sweetheart, you are perfect. You don’t have to worry about something bad happening, I won’t let it. This is our new beginning. Nothing will ruin that.”
She pulls me to her and kisses me like she’s never kissed me before. Soon I’m making love to her on the kitchen island in our new home. Best way to christen our house – ever.
Chapter 15
Faith
Two weeks have passed since Seth surprised me with the house on the beach. I still can’t believe that he actually went and bought the house without my knowledge. At first I was a little pissed about it, but the house is perfect. I have learned to let go of my fear that Seth and I are rushing into things too fast. He’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. There’s no doubt about that. He completes
me in a way I never thought possible. I no longer feel like the broken girl I once was. I don’t know what I would do if he wasn’t by my side.
“Hey, Peach. Are you ready to head to your house?” Seth walks into the bathroom where I’m getting ready.
“Not really. I need to do this though.” Seth and I are going to my house to get the rest of my stuff today. It will be the first time I set foot in there since the incident with Jordan. I’m not sure I am ready to go back there, but maybe I will find closure. I can’t wait to sell that place. The sooner it’s over with the better.
“You don’t have to go, Faith. I can get Braden to come with me and grab your stuff. Are you still sure you want to sell all your furniture?”
“I’m going and yes, I’m sure. I want nothing that reminds me of him. I want a new start. With you. We don’t need the bad memories of him tainting our place.”
“Okay, baby. If it gets to be too much for you we’ll leave, okay?” I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a thoughtful and caring boyfriend. Maybe Karma was finally done ruining my life.
“Okay. I love you, Seth.”
“I love you more, princess.”
I finish applying my makeup and then we are on our way to my old place. Once we arrive I take a deep breath. “I can do this,” I think to myself. Seth opens the front door for me. Walking in all the memories come back. Jordan hitting me and forcing himself on me. Seth still doesn’t know everything that happened. Even though he doesn’t push for answers, I know I have to tell him at some point. Bile rises in the back of my throat and I barely make it to the sink before I throw up. Coming back here is hard. Not only are the memories of Jordan rushing back, but also the ones of my father. Two men I trusted hurt me in a way no girl should ever have to deal with.
“Babe? Let’s get you out of here. I knew I shouldn’t have exposed you to this.” Seth is rubbing my back soothing me.
“It’s okay. I’m fine. It’s hard, but I can do it. Let’s just pack everything and get the hell out of here. I’ll let someone else deal with the furniture.”
“Okay, but we can leave if you want to. Don’t feel like you have to make it through this to prove a point. I know you’re strong. Your strength is not defined by this.” He gestures around the room. “Your strength is defined by what you have overcome and made out of your life. I’m so proud of you, Faith Livingston.”
“The night I came to break up with Jordan, he was so damn drunk. He wasn’t himself. When I told him I was done, he got aggressive towards me. I’ve never seen him like that. When he hit me I was in so much fucking pain. I knew the only way I’d come out of it was to pretend that I was sorry and wasn’t gonna break up with him. He finally let off me. Then...” I close my eyes before finishing the story. “Then he forced me to have sex with him. We hadn’t slept with each other in weeks. I let it happen. There was no other way out for me. When he was done he left me to myself and passed out. That’s when I texted Braden to hurry up. I was scared that Jordan would wake up and do it all over again. I can’t keep going through this shit. Just when I get over the things I went through with my dad, some asshole ruins everything again. The worst thing is that it’s my fault. I led Jordan on all this time. I knew I was in love with you, yet I pretended to be happy with him. He didn’t deserve that. I had it coming. I should’ve known I wouldn’t just get away with breaking his heart.”
“Faith, baby, it’s not your fault. Couples break up all the time. He should’ve never touched you the way he did. I’ll kill him if he so much as glances at you again. I can’t believe he did that. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you. I should’ve been here to keep you safe. Fuck.”
Looking at Seth, I see the tears in his eyes. I see the hurt this whole situation has caused. For the first time in my life though, someone knows my story and doesn’t look at me with pity. I see nothing but love, compassion, and care. I hate when people pity me. I’m thankful Seth gets me.
“There’s nothing you could’ve done, Seth. You’re here now. We are where we’re supposed to be... with each other. It will take me a while to work through this, but with you by my side I’m sure I will be okay. Promise, you’ll never leave me?”
“I’m not going anywhere. I wouldn’t leave if you asked.” He pulls me into his arms and as much as I want to get lost in him, I want to get this shit over with. I need to get out of this house.
“Let’s pack, shall we?” I smile.
A few hours later we have all my stuff boxed up and are loading it into Caige’s truck. I look back to the house one more time. It may take a while to find complete closure, but I feel like this was the first step. Thank God I had Seth with me though. I could’ve never done this alone.
We drive to the beach house to unload my boxes. Our new furniture is due to arrive in two days, and then we will be all set to move in. Caige and Seth have spent the last week painting to get everything ready for the move. I was in the middle of a new project at work, so I hadn’t been able to help much. I hated painting anyways so work was the perfect excuse.
“Two more days and I’ll have you all to myself. I plan on making love to you on every surface of this house. Clothes will be banned.”
“You’re silly. What if we have guests? You can’t ban clothes when Braden and Skye come over with Abby.” I laugh at Seth.
“It’s our house though. If we decide to ban clothes our guests have to listen. On second thought, I really don’t want to see Braden naked. Ick. Okay, clothes are allowed when we have company. Other than that they are banned.” He pulls me to him to kiss me. This man will be the death of me.
Two days later I’m back at our new place waiting for the furniture delivery. Seth had to go on base for a little while to fill out some paperwork.
Something about today seems off. I feel like I’m being watched. I know it’s silly, but I just can’t shake the feeling. I sit outside on the stairs keeping a close eye on my surroundings. I glance around and think I see a guy who looks familiar. I can’t quite place him and before I can get a better look, he’s gone. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m never paranoid.
Finally, the truck with our new furniture pulls up and distracts me. I get to work giving the guys directions on where to put the furniture. Soon, our new living room and bedroom are all set up and I send the guys on their way. Looking around the house, I can’t help but feel at home. I smile as I think about my future with Seth. I envision us living here, getting married and raising our own little family. Having children has never been on my agenda, it just wasn’t something I had ever seen in my future. Now that I have Seth I want it all. Just the thought about carrying his child makes me giddy with excitement.
“Hey, sweetheart. I’m home. Did everything go okay with the delivery guys?” Seth pulls me out of my thoughts.
“Yes, everything went fine. What do you think? Do you like it?” I gesture around the house.
“I love it. Then again we could live in a dump and I wouldn’t care as long as I’m with you. All I need in my life is you, Faith.”
“Well, I’m glad we don’t have to live in a dump. Thank you for buying this house for us and making a dream come true. I love you so much, Seth.”
“Anything for you, my love. I’ll stop at nothing to make all of your dreams come true. You’ll never have to worry about being hurt again. I’m going to make sure you get everything you deserve and more.”
“I already have more. I have you, Seth. That’s all I’ll ever need.”
“Have I told you how sexy you look in those shorts and my shirt? I love you in your skirts and all but seeing you in my clothes. Damn, woman, I just want to eat you up right now.”
“Why don’t you?” Pulling my shorts aside I bend over the couch to show him that I am not wearing underwear.
“Fuck me. I can’t believe you were walking around without underwear while the delivery guys were here. My dirty girl.” He comes up behind me. He pushes down my shorts before he buries his face between my legs.
I will never get enough of Seth going down on me. It doesn’t take long before I lose myself in him and call out his name. Letting off of me, he rids himself of his clothes. Anticipation flows through me as he slams into me. This isn’t going to be slow and sweet. I push back on him meeting him thrust for thrust. Our bodies are slamming against each other and are covered in sweat as we race towards orgasm. My pussy spasms around his hard cock. Reaching down he starts playing with my clit, sending me over the edge with his touch. He continues pushing in and out of me before he finds his own release. His dick is still twitching inside of me when he gently picks me up and flops us on the couch.
“I already like being alone with you. This was just the first of many places in this house I plan to fuck you in,” he whispers in my ear as I snuggle up to him.
The next day on my way to work I feel like I’m being followed again. With the distraction of the move and sex with Seth I hadn't put any more thought to it, but now that I am alone it all comes back. I keep looking over my shoulder to make sure nobody is actually following me.
I finally make it to work and settle at my desk. The feeling of being watched is still not gone, but I know I’m safe at the office.
“Hey, Faith. An officer called here for you a few minutes ago and asked for you to call him back,” Louise, our receptionist, greets me. Why would the police call me? I paid all my tickets, so what else could it be? A sinking feeling comes over me. Could it be? No surely not. His time wasn’t over yet. He still had three years left in prison. I dial the number Louise gave me.
“Officer Robertson? How can I help you?” a grouchy voice greets me.
“Hello, Officer Robertson, this is Faith Livingston.” I introduce myself. “My receptionist gave me a message to call you back.”
“Ah yes, Ms. Livingston. How are you?” His tone of voice has become friendlier.
“I’m good. May I ask the reason for your call? I paid my latest ticket...”
“Ms. Livingston, the reason I’m calling is to inform you that your father was released from prison a week ago. He was able to get out early. We have to notify victims to make sure they are aware. You don’t have to worry though - I don’t think you’re at risk. If he comes near you, you call us okay? He is not allowed to come within fifty feet of you. That’s part of his probation.”
Uncovering Peace Page 12
