Turning away from her, Jace blew out a strained breath and walked to the edge of the lot where he stood in the high weeds.
She stood behind him, and he dropped his head, his shoulders sagged as he muttered toward the ground, “This guy . . . he’s been hooking up with my mom. Feeding her drugs. Basically, the same bullshit we’ve had to deal with all our lives. I came home the other night, and he’d beaten Ian up. I was done with it, Faith. Done.”
His entire body quaked. “I went after him. Forced my mom into telling me where I could find him, and I waited for him until he showed.”
He looked back at her, his expression twisted in remorse. “I couldn’t see anything but gettin’ revenge. Couldn’t stop myself from going after it. Seeking it out. I warned you—”
“That you would do anything to protect your brother and your cousin,” she cut in. “You’re right, Jace, you did. And there is no shame in that . . . there is absolutely no shame in protecting your family.”
His lips pursed in disgust. “I got arrested, Faith. I wanted to end this cycle. That’s all I ever wanted, and now the only thing I’ve done is—”
His admission cut off, so much pain and regret oozing from the words that Faith couldn’t do anything but jump in to try to ease it.
“It will all work out. There’s nothing you could have done that would make things worse when the only thing you’re tryin’ to do is make things better. You’ll see.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”
“Why not?”
He suddenly spun around and wrapped her in the strength of his arms, stealing the little breath she had, hitching it right in her throat where her heart was drumming mad.
He buried his face in her hair. “I wish it was, Faith. I wish it was all that simple. That I could just believe and it would all come to pass. That I could get out of this mess. It’s all I want, but every time I turn around, I’m getting deeper into it.”
She hugged him tighter, her nose in his neck, breathing him in. “It will. It will all work out.”
“What do you see in me?” he murmured.
Her hands fisted in his threadbare shirt. “Everything.”
She squeezed him tighter. “I see everything, Jace. My future. My hope. All my firsts. I want all of them with you. To experience everything with you. For you to find a future with me, too.”
She could feel the restraint billow through his body. Fighting her when she would always fight for him. “Faith . . .”
“I’m yours, Jace.” She pulled back and looked at his face. “And the next time we’re alone, I’m going to prove it.”
Thirty
Faith
“You were right . . . oh, God, you were right,” I rushed with a strained whisper into the phone. I was pacing my room, clutching my towel to my chest as I tried to decide what in the world I was supposed to do.
Once I’d finally stopped crying, I’d needed to separate myself from him.
Gain some clarity.
He’d carried me all the way to my bedroom door where he’d kissed me gently.
Tenderly.
Giving me the encouragement I hadn’t known how much I needed.
Then he’d nudged me toward my room, told me to get myself a shower and that he’d see me in a little bit.
The only thing the water had been good for was washing away the tears staining my cheeks. Definitely not for washing away the cloud of confusion and guilt lining my insides.
By the time I’d stepped out, I was nothin’ but a ball of anxiety. Wondering how I was going to move on from there.
So, I’d called the one person I could always rely on to tell me straight.
“And what exactly am I right about?” Courtney asked, totally droll. But I heard it, the all-knowing in her voice.
The brat already knew exactly what I was talkin’ about.
She was gonna force me to admit it out loud.
“He kissed me.” I tried not to sound completely freaked out, but I was failing. My voice dropped even lower when I whispered, “Put his mouth on me.”
Silence.
It echoed back.
Before Courtney laughed. “Tell me you aren’t complaining about that man puttin’ his mouth on you. I’d bet my favorite Louboutin’s he knows how to work magic with that mouth.”
“Court.” It was a low chiding.
“Faith,” she shot back, sarcasm in her voice.
I could almost see her shaking her head. “Oh, come on, Faith. Tell me you aren’t surprised. There was no mistakin’ the fact that man wanted to eat you up last night. Hell, I’m shocked he didn’t devour you right there on that dance floor. He’s lucky one of Mack’s cop friends didn’t arrest him for indecency with the way he was lookin’ at you.”