Faith whistled as she drove, her head bobbing along to the beat of the music playing from the car speakers.This emotion she was feeling, a bit of nerves and a lot of excitement, was the best and the worst feeling she'd had in a long time.It was crazy that it could be both of those same things at the same time, but it was. Nervous but giddy... that's how she would explain it if she had to.Faith was on the way to do one of the bravest things she'd ever done in her life, so it was understandable that she was somewhat nervous.The back seat held the few items she'd picked up from the store earlier in the day.After her discussion with Sheila, Faith had made up her mind to take matters into her own hands just like she did on that journey to Rifloda.If Devlin was having cold feet about asking her to be his girlfriend, then she would ask him herself.So she'd stopped at a store and picked up some items. She'd settled on a simple and sweet proposal so she got a bouquet of roses, a card th
Shattered.Destroyed.Broken.With every new moan, it was like a knife slammed into Faith's open chest. She'd never felt pain like this; never!She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to have to listen to this but she couldn't move. Try all that she might, she couldn't move an inch.She kept issuing orders to her body to move but her body wouldn't cooperate. Yet, she suffered with every second that passed.What was she going to do? Storm in there and accost Devlin? It seemed like the logical thing to do.Maybe he would have an explanation for why this was happening. Yes! Maybe there was an explanation.Her arms were completely numb at this point. She could no longer feel the pain from carrying the things in her hands. The heavy cake in her hand was completely forgotten.Was this why he sent her away? Why he wasn't communicating with her? Was it because of another girl?When did he have the time to meet someone new? They spent almost every moment of the past few months together!Fa
Inside the mansion, the woman straightened her skirt with a slight smirk on her face."That was awesome, Mr. Banks," she said.Without looking at her, Devlin flicked one hand towards the door. "Get out," he said in a low voice. He held his head in his other hand."What?" She asked."I said get out," he repeated.She frowned but nodded slowly. "Alright, boss." She gathered her items which had gotten flung around in the rush to get panties and boxers off."I'm leaving," she announced once everything was packed. She moved closer to Devlin and tried to kiss him.Devlin shoved her off lightly. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked incredulously."Trying to say goodbye," she answered."Get out," he said again. This time there was fury shining in his eyes.She immediately turned around and exited the study. A few paces from the door, something glittering on the floor caught her attention.She stooped and picked up the card. She read it's content quickly. With one backward look at the do
"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