Building Faith (Long Beach Series Book 2)

by Dani Matthews

  “I bet. I've been working on my list,” I tell him, smiling with anticipation. I haven't seen him, so I haven't had a chance to tell him about my tattoos. Is it just my imagination, or did he just tense up slightly?

  His face is relaxed though, his gray eyes warm as he looks at me. “Z told me you got some tats.”

  I'm disappointed she got to him first. “Zoey was with me. I'm glad I did it.”

  “I hear Logan asked you out,” he comments as he folds his arms over his chest and stretches out his long legs.

  She told him that too? I shrug it off. Ace is just a friend, who cares if he knows I went out on a date. “We went out last night,” I confirm.

  He studies me intently. “Did you have a good time?”

  “Yeah, it was fun,” I say truthfully.

  “I see. You going out with him again?”

  “I doubt it.”

  Something flickers in his gaze, and a muscle ticks in his jaw. “He not treat you good?”

  “No, he was great,” I say. “He was polite and respected my boundaries.”

  “Boundaries?”

  “Yeah. I warned him ahead of time when he asked me out that I wasn't going to sleep with him.”

  Ace stares at me. “But I thought...”

  My eyebrows lift as I give him a deliberate look. “You thought I'd throw myself at the first available guy that shows interest? Thanks,” I say dryly.

  “Last I knew, you wanted casual sex,” he points out. “Last night would have been the perfect opportunity to cross it off your list.”

  “I know,” I say with a sigh. “But it didn't feel right. I don't think I could do that with a stranger. I have...issues,” I mutter, looking away. My insecurities about my body will for sure get in the way. I know it will, and going home with a stranger would only make the problem worse. A guy expecting a one-night stand isn't going to want to deal with someone like me.

  “Issues? Like what, Angel?”

  “It's nothing,” I say and quickly switch the topic. “So, what did you do last night? Did you go out with the group?”

  “Yeah. What are you doing tonight?”

  “Me? I don't know yet.”

  “Want to do something?”

  My mood immediately perks up. “Sure.”

  We talk a bit longer until his clothes are finished. We agree he'll pick me up at eight before he goes back upstairs, and I'm left alone with my laundry.

  The rest of the afternoon flies by as I wait with anticipation for my evening with Ace. By the time eight rolls around, I've changed my clothes four times. Ace will be here any minute, and I'm not sure how to dress. I hadn't thought to ask what we would be doing. We have yet to exchange phone numbers, so I hadn't been able to contact him to ask. Considering he lives just two doors down, I could have simply knocked on his door to ask. I hadn't wanted to be pushy or have him think I was using it as an excuse to see him before tonight, though.

  “This is not a date,” I warn myself. He asked me as a friend and nothing more. I'm in the friend zone. I've never been in this predicament, and I'm not sure how it all works. I guess I need to treat him like he's Zoey...sort of. He's a friend, so I need to remember I'm not out to impress him. He's there to have fun with and get to know.

  I look down at my outfit. It's a cute, little summer dress and screams 'date.' Crap! I quickly strip off the dress and stand there in my bra and panties. What should I wear? Jeans would be too casual. I think of Zoey's outfit from Sunday night. I bet something like that would be suitable for an evening out.

  I dig through the clothes Zoey talked me into buying, and I'm relieved to find a pair of white, dressy shorts. I slip them on and then grab a pretty, yellow, satiny shirt that resembles a tank. Lastly, I slip my feet into a pair of brown, strappy wedges that'll give me an extra couple inches. I run a hand through my long hair and breathe a sigh of relief when I look in the mirror. Not bad. Casual but cute. Much better than my other outfits.

  A knock on my apartment door startles me, and I feel myself flushing with excitement. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Ace. I grab my purse and hurry to answer it. When I open the door, I instantly feel better about my outfit. Ace is wearing jeans and a short-sleeved, light blue shirt that hugs his upper body and makes his tan darker.

  His eyes roam over me with appreciation. “You look gorgeous. Yellow is definitely your color.”

  I fight back a blush at his compliment. “Thank you, you look nice too,” I say lightly.

  He smiles. “Ready?”

  I step into the hall and shut the door behind me. “Where are we going?” I ask as we walk down the hall to the elevator.

  “There's a live band playing tonight that's really good. You game?'

  “Sure.”

  We step into the elevator, and I glance at him. He's watching me. I avert my gaze and watch the number above the door light up as we descend to the first floor. I hope he doesn't think that I think this is a date. We didn't really put a label on this outing.

  When the elevator doors open, Ace puts a polite hand on the small of my waist, and like a gentleman, he leads me out the back door and into the brightly lit parking lot. I know where he usually parks his Hummer, and I think we're walking towards it until he leads me to the visitor's lot.

  “We're not taking your car?”

  “No, we're riding this tonight,” he says as he pauses in front of a big, black and chrome motorcycle. He turns and looks at me, waiting for my reaction.

  I pull my eyes away from him to study the motorcycle. I've always wanted to ride one, and it's on my list, which is why it's out here. I can't believe he tracked down a motorcycle for me tonight because it's something I wrote down. Up close, it looks much more intimidating than I thought it would. I lift my eyes and look at him tentatively. “Do you know how to drive it?”

  “Yes.”

  I look back at the large, intimidating piece of machinery on two wheels. “Where did you get it?”

  “Jeremy has a friend who was willing to let me borrow it for the evening.”

  Excitement shoots through my veins, and I take a step forward and cautiously trail my finger across the seat. I bite my lip and let my eyes wander over it. It's not lost on me that there's no helmets. I could die riding this thing, but I'd die happy.

  “We can take my car if you're not sure you want to ride it,” Ace says lightly.

  “No!” I exclaim and look at him. “I want to ride it,” I tell him firmly.

  His eyes search mine. “I don't want to pressure you, Faith.”

  “You're not,” I promise, and I beam up at him. “You got a motorcycle for me. That's so sweet.”

  Ace grimaces. “Angel, don't call a man sweet. It makes us feel like a pussy.”

  A snicker escapes me, and I toss my hair over my shoulder, lips twitching. “You getting a motorcycle for me is soooo badass. Thanks...babe.”

  Ace's eyes widen a fraction. “Holy shit, you just willingly swore. I never thought I'd see the day that you'd find your inner potty mouth.”

  Now my eyes roll. “I'm not as naïve as you think I am.”

  “Sure you are,” he muses as he playfully ruffles my hair on the crown of my head before stepping forward and slinging a long leg over the bike. I stare as he straddles it, and he looks incredibly sexy. “Climb on,” he tells me.

  I walk over and carefully climb on behind him. I know I'm going to need to hold on to him or I'll fall off, so I scoot up as close as I can, and it feels weird to have his butt cradled between my thighs. Especially when my legs are bare.

  “Hold on tight. Make sure you lean with me when I take turns. Don't fight it,” he warns.

  “Okay.” I slip my arms around his waist, and I can feel his rigid stomach muscles. Being this close to him has my panties dampening slightly. When the motorcycle starts up, I flinch with surprise at the deafening sound, then I simply adjust my hold on his waist and tighten my grip.

  “Ready?” Ace yells over his shoulder.

/>   “Yeah!”

  We cruise out of the parking lot, and I know I'm grinning like a fool.

  The ride to the bar goes by way too fast, and I'm disappointed when we climb off the motorcycle. When Ace sees my expression, he promises he'll take me for a long ride before taking me home.

  Inside the bar, I get a wristband because I'm underage, and Ace and I manage to snag one of the last available tables. Once Ace is sure I'm comfortable, he walks to the bar to get a soda for me and a beer for himself. As I watch from the table, I see that a pretty blonde has approached him. My heart sinks, and I'm filled with that nasty little emotion called jealousy. That is until he brushes her off to talk with the bartender. The blonde walks away with disappointment etched on her face while Ace walks back to me with our drinks.

  “Thanks,” I murmur as I take a sip.

  He nods as he settles comfortably in his chair. “You look more comfortable in your own skin these days,” he comments.

  “Pardon?”

  His eyes connect with mine. “The first time I saw you, you were really skittish and uncertain.” His eyes trail over me. “I don't see her anymore.”

  I tilt my head slightly. “What do you see in her place?”

  “I see a woman that's growing accustomed to who she is and what she wants. The woman before me is realizing she can have whatever she wants if she chooses to go after it. The knowledge is in your gaze now when it wasn't there before. You look more confident.”

  “I still have my moments,” I confess. “There are times when I doubt myself.”

  “Don't we all at one time or another? You're human, Faith.”

  “I'm becoming my own person thanks to you, Caleb, and Zoey. I'm glad I'm here.”

  “Cheers to that,” he says, clinking the neck of his beer bottle against the side of my glass.

  I lift my drink and take a sip before looking at him quizzically. “You know, I don't even know your last name.”

  “It's Wellington.”

  “And are you originally from around here?”

  He shakes his head. “Hartford, Connecticut.”

  “Do you miss it?”

  “No. What about you? Has it been hard leaving your family behind?” he asks with genuine interest.

  Guilt sweeps through me. “Actually...no. That sounds terrible, but I feel free here. After everything that went down back home, I couldn't even walk into the supermarket without people staring at me. Here, no one knows me. I can relax and go unnoticed.”

  Ace laughs softly under his breath while his eyes gleam. “I can assure you, you're not going as unnoticed as you seem to think you are.”

  I look at him with puzzlement. “What do you mean?”

  “To go unnoticed, you'd have to be ordinary. There'd have to be nothing about you that would draw the eye. Trust me, Angel, you're noticeable.”

  His compliment has me blinking with surprise. I'm debating what to say when the music overhead is silenced, and a man comes out on stage to announce the band. I'm disappointed, but yet relieved our conversation is coming to an end.

  For the next thirty minutes we watch the band, which plays hard rock. I've never seen a live band before, and I watch with fascination. Once the band is finished with their set, they clear the stage and music comes back on overhead.

  Ace turns on me. “What did you think?”

  “I think I'm slightly deaf,” I say truthfully.

  He barks out a laugh and shakes his head. “Give it time, and you'll be fine.”

  I smile and finish off my soda.

  Ace glances at his watch. “I have to have the bike back by eleven. We can either stay here or we can take the motorcycle for a ride before I have to take you back.”

  “Let's take it for a ride,” I say promptly.

  “I figured you'd say as much.”

  We leave the bar and spend the next forty-five minutes cruising around downtown and then out on some back roads. The faster Ace pushes the motorcycle, the more exhilarated I feel. It’s amazing having the wind tear at my hair and to know that I'm free of everything that's ever held me back. While we hurtle down the roads, I feel like this is living life.

  When Ace pulls up at the complex and cuts the engine, I'm disappointed. I very reluctantly climb off the motorcycle, and my eyes linger on it.

  Ace sighs as he climbs off the bike. “You're supposed to be happy, Angel, not looking like someone's kicked your puppy.”

  “I don't look that disappointed.”

  “Sure you do.”

  “Nuh-uh. If someone kicked my puppy, I'd kick them right back. I'd be angry.”

  “If you had a puppy and someone kicked it, I'd do more than kick them for you.”

  I shake my head and laugh as I brush my windblown hair out of my face. “Thanks for the evening, Ace. I had a good time.”

  “I'll walk you in before I take the bike back.”

  We're both quiet as we take the elevator back to my apartment. Ace watches as I take out my keys and unlock the door. I turn and smile up at him. “I'm glad you're my friend, Ace.”

  I swear I see him wince slightly, but then I wonder if it was my imagination when I see he's grinning easily at me. “Back at you, Angel. Sleep well.”

  “You too.”

  He nods at the door, motioning that I should go inside.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Faith

  As the next few weeks pass, I fall into a comfortable routine between working at the café and spending time with Ace. His schedule during the week is pretty tight, but he manages to make it over for dinner a couple times during the week. He can't resist my home cooked meals. I guess it's true what they say about the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. We've seen each other a couple of times on the weekends with the group, and once he took me to Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park. I've grown comfortable enough around him to playfully hit him when he teases me, and I find it easy to tell him off when he gets too cocky. I think he does it though to challenge me.

  As I exit a salon with much shorter hair, I grin and pull out my cell phone. I'd finally worked up enough courage to cut it. I text to Ace, I just got my hair cut.

  Ace: Yeah? How short?

  I quickly text back as I walk down the sidewalk. It's a little past my shoulders.

  Ace: I can't wait to see it.

  Dinner tonight? I text back boldly. It's Friday, so I'm hoping he'll be available.

  Ace: Sorry, Angel. Tonight's a guys’ night. I already told Jeremy I'd go out with him.

  Disappointment sweeps through me, but I quickly text back, Don't be sorry. Have fun! I press send and sigh as I pocket my phone. I'm a little jealous he's going out with Jeremy since I know Jeremy will be scouting for women.

  I'm realizing I am growing too attached to Ace, and that's a bad thing. Ace is not the type of guy to safely crush on. I have no idea how many women he still takes to his bed, and unfortunately, it's a thought that crosses my mind entirely way too often. I think I need to take a step back from him and try to keep my wits before I do something stupid. Like fall in love with a man that I can't have.

  The hairs on the back of my arms suddenly stand on end, and I get the eerie feeling I'm being watched. A shiver treks up my spine, and I look around the sidewalk and busy street, my eyes on full alert. I can feel someone watching me. I've had this feeling before, back in Harrison. My heart speeds up as I look for anyone suspicious, but most of the people walking past me are oblivious to my sudden uncertainty. Has Oliver found me? No, that's not possible. He has no idea where I am, and as far as I know, he hasn't left town.

  I stand in the center of the sidewalk feeling foolish when a woman passes by and gives me a strange look.

  I'm being paranoid.

  With a shake of my head, I walk away from the salon and the feeling of being watched soon fades.

  * * *

  I'm annoyed with myself the following afternoon. Even though I know I need to stop feeling jealous, I still can't help but wonder where Ace a
nd Jeremy went last night. Had Ace taken a woman home with him? Was he still thinking of her?

  I try to shake him from my thoughts as I scrub at a tough stain on one of the tables near the windows. The last thing I need is to have some school girl crush on a guy who's quickly becoming my best friend. I really need someone like Ace in my life. He doesn't tip-toe around me. What you see is what you get. He swears, he gets cocky, he's crude sometimes about sex, but yet he listens to me when I talk. He always gets this soft look in his gray eyes when we have a serious conversation. And I never have to repeat myself with him, and if something is brought up that we've already discussed, he remembers my comments from the earlier conversation. When I'm with Ace, I know I have his full attention. It's amazing having someone like that in my life.

  Not that Zoey and Caleb aren't great, because they are. Zoey's bold and fun to be around. Once in a while we have a serious conversation, and I feel comfortable enough around her to delve into topics that a month ago I would have rather not spoken of.

  Caleb still watches me closely when he's around, but I think that has to do with his major. He wants to be a high school counselor and currently works at a crisis center part-time. It's natural for him to watch a person's reaction and see the little mannerisms that most people don't notice. Sometimes, I feel like I'm a bug under a microscope when I'm around him, but he doesn't push. If he sees anything that concerns him, he doesn't approach me about it. Since arriving here, I've really started to open up to them, and I'm growing into my own person. I'm finding who I am, so I guess Caleb's probably not seeing anything that would trigger his concern.

  I realize the stain is gone, and I blink wondering how long I've been cleaning the now spotless area. With a soft sigh, I walk away from the table to toss the rag in the little bin behind the counter.

  Flynn looks up from where he's restocking cookies. “It's slow. You want to go reorganize the books?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I step into the small bookstore and see that there are a couple of people standing around, leafing through books. The room is about half the size of the café, and there are tall bookshelves all along the outer walls and three rows of shelves in the center of the room. A couple of comfy chairs are scattered here and there along with small, round end tables with potted plants. There is only one door in and out of the room, and it leads back into the café. Everyone has to use the main entrance, which allows employees to concentrate on the café without worrying that someone in the bookstore will walk off with books.