"Will you like to have sex with me?" Faith asked again.Ernie balked, his ears turning a ferocious shade of red. "I'm sorry?" he asked."I asked if you'd like to have sex with me... today," she added for emphasis.Faith forced herself to hold eye contact with him. She kept her face plain, making sure that none of the disconcertion she herself was feeling would show on her face.She wasn't comfortable doing this either. She'd never done anything of the sort. Ernie was practically a stranger, but he was a stranger that liked her.There was no denying that he liked her. He'd liked her from those early days at the cafe. And after all that had happened, the ultimate confirmation that he liked her was his showing up today.After what Devlin did, and her totally forgetting to reach out to him afterwards, he should have blocked her number immediately.But he still showed up when she asked. That kind of devotion was exactly what she needed right now. She needed to feel wanted and loved."So wi
Faith was furious, and not with anyone else, but with herself. What she'd just done to Ernie was unforgivable. She'd taken advantage of the poor boy's affection for her. After repeatedly ignoring him and forgetting him, she'd tried to use him as a tool to get back at Devlin.Even worse, she'd riled him up and just left him there like that. How could he ever forgive her? It shouldn't have been him.At the end of the day, she'd gone running scared because of the same Devlin who broke her heart. Pathetic!Tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't even cry out loud for fear that Sheila or Adele would overhear.She still hadn't told them about what happened. She was still too embarrassed. So there she was crying into her pillow to muffle the sound of her wails.She hated that she'd had to put up an invisible wall between her and her friends. She hated that she'd had to seclude herself in this moment of pain.There was no one to talk to, no one to discuss the pain with, no one to tal
Casiuss was trapped and he knew it. He raised his hand in surrender but angled his body so he wasn't touching her. He kept his eyes carefully on her face."Why are you doing this?" He asked in a tightly controlled voice. "What does it matter? I want you and you want me.""You're Devlin's girl. He is my boss and friend.""I am not Devlin's girl," she snapped. Cassius raised his brow wordlessly. "Okay, let me ask you this... Is or is Devlin not f*cking his secretary?"A look of surprise crossed his face. Whether it was still surprise that this was happening at all or surprise at the fact that she'd found out, she couldn't tell."What makes you think that?""I heard them myself. Stumbled upon them in the study. Remember how easy it was to hear that day?"Cassius nodded. He remembered. "I'm sorry," he said implacably."So you really didn't know?""No... not this time." Faith nodded. She believed him. "But that day we overheard them, it was her as well, wasn't it?"He nodded reluctantly.
Sheila moved back a step, allowing the other ladies to see who was at the door."You have some nerve coming here!" She said to the man in the doorway, staring at them with irate eyes."Devlin!" Faith gasped.She hadn't seen him since the day he asked her to return to Barbell. It felt like ages ago. Seeing him again now was like a punch to the gut.His eyes, his nose, his mouth, every bit of him so familiar to her that she could trace the outline of his body with her eyes closed.It was like a shot to the heart, seeing him standing there so unexpectedly. He looked good, good enough to eat. Her reaction, the thumping of her heart, revealed to her exactly what she knew, that she loved this man to insanity.She would have given everything for him... everything! But he'd thrown it all away and for what? He'd betrayed her in the worst possible way. He'd become her world and then brought it crashing down around her. Oh, that he would have just left her alone. That she would've never met hi
The road stretched out before and behind Faith. The miles she'd already covered swept behind her like a wedding train. The miles left to cover spread before her as far as the eyes could see.Faith Donovan was going home. After all the tears and sorrow, she was returning to the one place where she felt most comfortable. It was true what they said after all. There is no place like home.It'll be a bit of a shock for everyone to see her come home in her pearly white car and her fancy new dresses. Someone might just keel over and die from shock.The truth was Faith was no longer that girl that left home all those months ago. She was changed inside and out.Her thinking, her behavior... just everything. She hoped this new her wouldn't rub anyone the wrong way. Not just her family, but the neighbors as well.When you grew up with next to nothing around families facing the same struggles and hardships as you, you ended up as more of a community, a family, than just neighbours.But her new re
"Is this yours?" Her father asked, circling the car."Yes, Dad. It's mine.""Wow, that is incredible!""Do you want to drive it?""Yes, but not now. We can go on a drive later, okay?""Sounds good.""Pop the hood, will you? I want to see what it looks like in there."Faith got back in and popped the trunk. She started up the engine up again, knowing that was what her father wanted.Then she climbed back out and joined him in front of the car. "Wow, that is a sweet purr," he gushed. "Devlin bought this for you?""Yes, dad," Faith answered simply.Still, her dad must have caught something in her tone because he slapped the hood shut and dusted his hands off. "That's enough for now. Let's head in."Faith nodded, turned the engine off and followed her father into the house. The house was quiet."Your mom's at work and the kids are still at school," he said by way of explanation.She nodded. "I figured they would be.""I was just waiting for you to arrive. I should head off myself. That m
Kaylee walked past Faith as if she wasn't there and disappeared into the house. If not for the telltale sign of her clenched jaw, Faith would have freaked out worrying if her sister had gone blind.She gave her brothers a helpless look. They shrugged and rolled their eyes.Kaylee was the drama queen of the family. Everyone knew not to mess with her when she was in a mood. Faith knew none of the boys would willingly get involved in their drama. It had been the same growing up. This particular drama had been on for a while."Is she still mad?" She asked.It was little Toby who answered. "She's big mad.""So everytime Dad told me she wasn't around for me to speak to her on the phone..."Paul winced. "Sorry.""How have you been coping?" Faith asked Paul sympathetically. "By reminding myself that I only have one year left in the madhouse," he answered with a sigh."You've only been at it, what? One year? Remember, I was in charge here for my entire childhood.""And I salute your fortitu
It was almost dinner time, the only time when the entire Donovan family was able to gather. Faith had been locked up in her room with her sister for hours, gisting and catching up.Russ and Toby had tried to come in and join them but they kicked them out and locked the door to keep them out.All their pleadings had fallen on deaf ears as Faith simply reminded them of how they tucked tail and ran when she needed their support.Eventually, they wandered off and left the girls to have their alone time. Faith and Kaylee lay face up, head to head, feet swinging over the edge of her newly made bed. She turned over and tugged at her sister's hair."It's almost dinner time. Who does the cooking now?" She asked."Paul does," Kaylee answered."Paul?" It had been one of the things Faith did when she was here. She'd simply assumed that her sister would step into that role once she left.Faith groaned. "Please tell me that you at least help him with it."Kaylee shrugged. "He never asks for help."